Author: Iola Goulton

7 May 2021

First Line Friday | Week 184 | Survive the Night by Carol J Post

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Survive the Night by Carol J Post, the fourth novel in her excellent Harmony Grover romantic suspense series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Survive the Night

She’s a shoo-in for a serial killer’s next target…

Tracking a serial killer in Harmony Grove turns personal for Detective Lexi Simmons when her cousin becomes a victim. The situation goes from bad to worse when she’s teamed up with Officer Alan White whose heart she broke seven years ago. But she is determined to find justice for Kayla and the other women brutally murdered and won’t let her and Alan’s shared past interfere.

Harmony Grove Police Officer Alan White has lost a good friend. He vows to help the Sheriff’s Department in any way he can, even if it means working alongside the woman who left him with a rejected ring and lots of excuses.

They fight the resurgence of long-buried emotions while working together to solve the case. The only connection between the victims is their approximate age and that they are beaten, strangled and left in the woods, with pictures mailed to the local newspaper shortly thereafter. Eventually, the investigation leads them to a decade-old incident on a college campus…and the realization that Lexi is a shoo-in for the killer’s next target.

You can find Survive the Night online at

Amazon

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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4 May 2021

Bookish Question #175 | Do you read fantasy or sci-fi books?

It’s Star Wars Day! May the Forth be with you …

Do you read science fiction or fantasy?

While I do read some fantasy, I’m quite picky and not good at articulating what I do and don’t like. I know I don’t like allegory, because I’ve read one too many allegories where the plot is forced to fit the allegory, or where the allegory is so obvious that the plot and character development are predictable.

I also don’t like bad writing or bad worldbuilding.

I like fantasy novels that start with a comprehensible world and build on that, rather than starting with an entire universe before we find out who the main character is and what they want. I guess I’m a character-driven reader, so I want to read novels—including fantasy—that start with a person with a problem and build from there.

I mostly read Christian fiction, and there isn’t a lot of Christian science fiction—I wish there was more. I’m more tolerant for plot-driven science fiction, although I still want strong characters and strong writing.

My current favorite Christian sci-fi author is Adam Collings, who is writing an episodic space opera series set on a cruise ship in space–think Battlestar Galactica meets Star Trek meets … well, not The Love Boat, but something set on a cruise ship.

I’m also a fan of dystopian fiction—think Divergent or The Hunger Games.

Both could be described as science fiction, as they’re set in a futuristic version of our world with some differences in technology.

Apprentice by Kristen Young is similar—a future dystopian society in which hate has been outlawed and everyone is raised to love and serve the Supreme Lover … in a society that has some awkward echoes of Nazi Germany. Apprentice is the first book in the Collective Underground trilogy, and the second book, Elite, is due to release later this year.

What about you? Do you read science fiction or fantasy? If so, which authors do you recommend?

3 May 2021

Book Review | Let It Be Me (Misty River Romance #2) by Becky Wade

Leah Montgomery is a child prodigy who gave up a full-ride scholarship to Princeton to complete her PhD so she could stay home and raise her seven-year-old brother after her mother decides she needs to explore the Amazon (or something. Their mother was an off-stage character, and that’s probably for the best). Anyway, Leah is 100% logical–for better or worse.

Pediatric heart surgeon Sebastian Grant meets Leah at a local farmer’s market, and recognises her as the angel who came to his rescue six months ago when his car crashed. Unfortunately, he finds Leah is the teacher his best friend, Ben, has been in love with for the best part of a year. Not that Ben’s ever asked her out, but still … man-code means she’s off limits.

When a mail-in DNA test shows Leah isn’t the biological child of either of her parents, she knows she must have been switched at birth with another baby (as her unmaternal mother would have grieved a stillborn baby, but certainly wouldn’t have adopted one). Logic says she needs to find the answer, and Sebastian – who works in the hospital where she was born.

What intrigued me most about Let It Be Me were the quirky but likeable characters.

Leah is almost certainly somewhere on the autistic spectrum: she’s brilliant at math, responsible, and hard-working. But she’s not good with relationships, especially romantic relationships. In fact, she’s made it to twenty-eight without having any romantic feelings. The result was that I really liked her character voice, which pulled me through the story.

Sebastian is also an overachiever with his own personality quirks. As a medical doctor, he also understands math and physics and other logical, scientific disciplines. He’s loyal, a good friend, and willing to put his own feelings for Leah aside. He also helps Leah to discover the mystery behind her birth.

As such, this was an unusual yet compelling romance with unique characters and plenty of quirky humour—another winner from Becky Wade.

Let It Be Me is the second book in Becky Wade’s Misty River Romance series.

The stories feature members of the “Miracle Five”, who survived an earthquake as teens, an experience that has brought them together and shaped their lives. Each book is the romance of one of the Five (although one was already married when the series started). While the books are each standalone novels, they feature the same setting and many of the same characters – my idea of a perfect series.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Becky Wade

Becky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

These days, you’ll find Becky in Dallas, Texas failing to keep up with her housework, trying her best in yoga class, carting her three kids around town, watching TV with her Cavalier spaniel on her lap, hunched over her computer writing, or eating chocolate.

You can find Becky Wade online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Let It Be Me

The one woman he wants is the one he cannot have.

Former foster kid Sebastian Grant has leveraged his intelligence and hard work to become a pediatric heart surgeon. But not even his career success can erase the void he’s tried so hard to fill. Then he meets high school teacher Leah Montgomery and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop. He falls hard, only to make a devastating discovery–Leah is the woman his best friend set his heart on months before.

Leah’s a math prodigy who’s only ever had one big dream–to earn her PhD. Raising her little brother put that dream on hold. Now that her brother will soon be college bound, she’s not going to let anything stand in her way. Especially romance . . . which is far less dependable than algebra.

When Leah receives surprising results from the DNA test she submitted to a genealogy site, she solicits Sebastian’s help. Together, they comb through hospital records to uncover the secrets of her history. The more powerfully they’re drawn to each other, the more strongly Sebastian must resist, and the more Leah must admit that some things in life–like love–can’t be explained with numbers.

You can find Let It Be Me online at

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

30 April 2021

First Line Friday | Week 183 | Small Town Faith by Michelle Stimpson & Michelle Lindo-Rice

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Small Town Faith by Michelle Stimpson & Michelle Lindo-Rice, a finalist in the Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements section of the inaugural Vivian Awards from Romance Writers of America (the replacement for the RITAs).

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Small Town Faith

An inadequate vigilante. A daring detective. The dangerous man between them.

Jazmin “Jazzy” Thompson will stop at nothing to avenge her brother’s death, even if it means using herself as bait. Ignoring her twin sister’s warnings, Jazzy goes undercover by befriending her brother’s killer. But will love thwart her mission?

Detective Travis “the Tease” Gonzalez, has been pursuing Jazzy since their teens but his reputation as a flirt supersedes him. When they are united on a case, will Travis finally get his chance to prove that what he feels for her is the real deal?

You can find Small Town Faith online at

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

27 April 2021

Bookish Question #174 | Do you write to authors if you love a book?

No …

I’ve never been great at writing letters (which might sound weird, given I write blog posts …). So no, I don’t write to authors if I love a book. On the other hand, I also don’t write to author if I don’t like their book.

It’s one thing to interrupt an author’s real or virtual mailbox with a compliment. It’s something else to invade their privacy with an unsolicited rant detailing everything wrong with their book.

I do offer manuscript assessments as an editing service, but that’s different. With a manuscript assessment, an author has specifically engaged me and paid me to read and critique their book. Even then, I aim to give specific feedback and offer solutions, not deliver a detailed rant.

But kind of …

I do write book reviews.

Authors sometimes approach me and ask me to review their book. If so, I do send them an email with a link to my review. Does that count as writing to them? I don’t think so.

However, I consider book reviews to be writing to readers (or potential readers), not to authors. I know some authors read their reviews, but I’m not writing to them or for them. I’m writing to and for readers.

But I will write a glowing review if I love a book. I will recommend the book and author to other readers. I may even mention the author when I post my review on social media. That alerts them to my review, but it’s not specifically writing to them.

So no, I don’t write to authors if I love a book. Not specifically. Instead, I tell others.

What about you? Do you write to authors if you love a book?

26 April 2021

Book Review | A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy

Siblings Ottilie and Thaddeus Russell live between worlds in 1885 Calcutta—Ottilie looks like her half-Indian mother, but six-year-old Thaddeus favours their father and can easily pass as English. Their father was a respected English scientist, but his death left the family penniless. Ottilie now supports their small family by decorating dresses with beetle-wing embroidery, a skill that has been handed down the women on the Indian side of her family.

I found the first few chapters slow and difficult to get through.

There seemed to be too many characters )and each character had multiple names and nicknames), and the relationships between the character were equally difficult to sort out. I also didn’t find Ottilie particularly interesting. Call me shallow, but I read for entertainment. I don’t find it entertaining to watch a woman struggle with the twin problems of poverty and prejudice.

The story came alive at around the 20% mark, Everett Scott finally arrived on the scene. I say “finally” because the book description promised this would the the event that propelled the story forward, and it was. Mr Scott wants to take Thaddeus back to England to be educated and to take his place as Baron Sutherland. Ottilie finally agrees, and the story finally starts.

The story improved dramatically once Everett Scott arrived in Calcutta.

The story expanded into a deep examination of the difficulties of being born into two cultures and the struggle to fit in, set against the backdrop of Anglo-Indians and the memory of the horrific 1857 mutiny. It’s also a deep examination of faith, of the challenge of believing in and trusting God, not merely believing in and adhering to Christian values.

A Tapestry of Light was well researched and brilliantly written.

I’m always impressed when an author can take a little-known aspect of history (such as the beetle-wing embroidery), and turn that into a novel. It’s even better when those historical aspects can be interwoven with deep faith messages and even a little romance.

I recommend A Tapestry of Light by @Kimberley_Duffy for fans of Christian historical fiction with deep faith themes in an international setting. #BookReview #ChristianFiction Share on X

Recommended for fans of Christian historical fiction with deep faith themes in an international setting.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kimberly Duffy

Kimberly Duffy enjoys writing historical fiction that takes readers back in time and across oceans. Her books often feature ahead-of-their-time heroines, evocative settings, and real-life faith. When not writing or homeschooling her four children, she enjoys taking trips that require a passport and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. A Long Island native, she currently resides in southwest Ohio.

Find Kimberly Duffy online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

About A Tapestry of Light

Calcutta, 1886.

Ottilie Russell is adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, belonging to both and neither. In order to support her little brother, Thaddeus, and her grandmother, she relies upon her skills in beetle-wing embroidery that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women.

When a stranger appears with the news that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman, Ottilie is shattered by the secrets that come to light. Despite her growing friendship with Everett Scott, friend to Ottilie’s English grandmother and aunt, she refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes, and she is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home.

But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn’t forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land.

Find A Tapestry of Light online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

23 April 2021

First Line Friday | Week 182 | Let It Be Me by Becky Wade

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Let It Be Me by Becky Wade, the next book in her Misty River Romance series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Let It Be Me

The one woman he wants is the one he cannot have.

You can find Let It Be Me online at

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

20 April 2021

Bookish Question #173 | Do you have a favourite genre or book category?

Romance …

That’s a huge category, as romance is the biggest-selling book category in the English-speaking world, and that’s when Christian romance is included in the Religion category. Add the two together, and romance probably outsells all the other genres combined.

I do have some specific favourite subgenres within romance. Actually, within Christian romance:

Regency Romance

Regency Romance is set during the British Regency period, when Parliament decided King George III wasn’t mentally capable of undertaking his duties as king. His son, George, the future King George IV, was appointed Prince Regent to rule in King George III’s place … hence, the Regency.

One of the reasons I like Regency Romance is the setting: it’s almost exclusively set in England.

I lived in London for ten years, and it’s great to take a virtual trip back to England … especially as parts of it have barely changed since the Regency.

My current favourite Regency author is Carolyn Miller, because I love the depth of her characters and the underlying Christian message.

Which reminds me …

International Settings

I also enjoy reading romance with international settings i.e. romance that isn’t set in the USA.

(Between TV, movies, novels, and social media, I think I’m familiar enough with American culture. I’d like to expand my reading horizons.)

Yes, I know I live in New Zealand, which means the USA is technically an international setting for me. But I’ve read so many books read in mainland USA that I do enjoy reading a novel with a non-American setting, where we can also see aspects of the local culture come through.

I’ve recently enjoyed In Want of a Wife by Meredith Resce, the second book in her Luella Linley series. They’re lots of fun!

I’ve also enjoyed Milla Holt’s Colour Blind series, set in contemporary England.

Which brings me to …

Contemporary Romance

I enjoy many genres of contemporary romance, especially rom-com (because everyone needs to laugh, right), and contemporary romance with a less common setting (international, hint hint) or unusual character occupations (these things often run in cycles, and it seems every other Christian romance heroine runs a B&B, cafe, cupcake shop, or bookstore, and the heroes are all billionaires or cowboys. Or billionaire cowboys).

Where are all the accountants, electricians, and plumbers? Are they not romantic enough?

What about you? Do you have a favourite genre or book category?

19 April 2021

Book Review | Sing in the Sunlight (Chaparral Hearts #2) by Kathleen Denly

The first few chapters of Sing in the Sunlight were awkward reading, because it was pretty obvious Clarinda was being strung along even before we met him. Once we met, it was even more obvious.

And yes, he turned out to be exactly the slimy creep I expected him to be. Worse, in fact.

The story gets properly started when Clarinda leaves her boarding school in northern California and travels to her family home in San Diego, escorted by her cousin. On the way, they meet mine owner Richard Stevens, who has just inherited a shipping company.

When she arrives home, rather than telling her parents the truth—that’s she’s unmarried and pregnant—she tells them she is now the widowed Mrs Stevens, and that dear Richard died in a mining accident. It’s a convincing lie, until Richard Stevens appears on the scene … having dreamed they were married.

So starts an entertaining yet thought-provoking marriage of convenience story.

It’s easy to see why Clarinda got scammed by the slimy creep: she has facial scars that have left her believing no one will ever love her. She’s even convinced her own family can’t deal with the sight of her, so it makes perfect sense that she’d fall victim, then run away to the family ranch where no one will see her.

It’s great to watch her come out of her shell and open herself up and befriend her new husband, even if she doesn’t want to stay married to him. As such, it’s a unique marriage of convenience story, and one I will probably re-read.

Recommended for fans of Christian historical fiction.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kathleen Denly

Kathleen Denly lives in sunny Southern California with her loving husband, four young children, and two cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

Find Kathleen Denly online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Sing in the Sunlight

Richard Stevens isn’t who he thinks he is. Neither is the woman who now claims his last name.

Disfiguring scars stole Clarinda Humphrey’s singing career, her home, and her family, but she refuses to let her appearance steal her future. While attending The Young Ladies Seminary in 1858 Benicia, California, she finds a man who promises to love and cherish her. Instead he betrays her, leaving her with child, and Clarinda must take drastic measures to ensure her child doesn’t suffer for her foolishness.

Richard Stevens’s life hasn’t turned out as he expected, and when a shocking letter turns even his past into a mystery, he travels to San Francisco in search of guidance. On the way, he encounters a mysterious young woman hiding beneath a veil. That night he experiences a dream that sends him on a quest to find the bride God has chosen for him. He never imagines she’s already told everyone they’re married.

Unwilling to lie, nor accept a marriage of mere convenience, Richard wants the real thing. Yet Clarinda’s not interested in love, only a chance to save her child. Can he help her rise above the pain that runs deeper than her scars to accept a love worth every risk?

Find Sing in the Sunlight online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

16 April 2021

First Line Friday | Week 181 | Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse, a dual-timeline novel set in historic and contemporary San Francisco.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Bridge of Gold

Repairs on the Golden Gate Bridge Uncover a Century-Old Murder

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson is called to the Golden Gate Bridge where repairs to one of the towers uncovers two human remains from the late 1800s and the 1930s. The head of the bridge restoration is Steven Michaels, who dives with Kayla, and a friendship develops between them. But as the investigation heats up and gold is found that dates back to the gold rush, more complications come into play that threaten them both. Could clues leading to a Gold Rush era mystery that was first discovered during the building of the bridge still ignite an obsession worth killing for?

Find Bridge of Gold online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.