What's the best Christian novel you have ever read?

Bookish Question #320 | What is the best Christian novel you have ever read?

by Iola Goulton

I have read more Christian novels than I can count.

According to Goodreads, I’ve read over 1,500 in the last ten years (and that’s just a drop in the bucket of all the novels published in the last ten years).

Most of the novels I read are good. Many are excellent. Few last in my memory beyond me writing my book review. The ones I remember longer tend to be the ones that make it to my end-of-year “Best of …” list.

Despite the fact I write contemporary Christian romance, the novels I remember tend to be historical Christian fiction from authors like Elizabeth Camden, Gabrielle Meyer, Roseanna M White, and Francine Rivers.

On that basis, it’s perhaps no surprise for me to decide my favourite Christian novel is Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers

Echo in the Darkness is the second book in her Mark of the Lion trilogy. In many trilogies, the middle book is the weakest (the “saggy middle” writers dread).

But it’s my favourite because it focusses on my two favourite characters in the series, Marcus and Hadassah, and their protracted romance. Marcus is a Roman and not a Christian, but journeys to Israel to discover more about Hadassah after he believes she has been killed in the arena. There he learns to forgive his sister (who he blames for Hadassah’s death) and find God’s forgiveness for himself. I love strong salvation stories, and Marcus’s journey to faith was compelling reading.

Equally compelling was Hadassah’s story back in Rome (and perhaps Ephesus. It’s been a while since I read it, so some of the details are hazy). She works with a healer and finds herself back in Marcus’s family home, caring for his mother.

Echo in the Darkness is, first and foremost, a Christian novel. It’s set in a fascinating period in history–the Roman empire shortly after the fall of Jerusalem–and it incorporates the history and customs of the day into a wonderful Christian romance with a good deal of light suspense.

The writing style might be a little dated, but there is a reason Echo in the Darkness (and many more of Francine Rivers’s books) have remained on bestseller lists for decades.

What about you? What is the best Christian novel you have ever read?

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #328 | Rescuing the Rock Star by Liwen Y Ho

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from the latest release from Liwen Y Ho, which ticks all my favourite trope boxes … secret baby, rock star, and mistaken identity.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

There were few things that Leah Parker was sure of but one thing was clear - she was not cut out for romance.

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

 

About Rescuing the Rock Star

It’s time for this rock star to settle down …

Fame, fortune, and fans—Jace Kendall has it all. Yet, he still feels like something is missing from his life. After the thrill of success starts to wane, he runs into his first love who left him without a word a decade ago. To his surprise, she mistakes him for his twin brother, an assumption he doesn’t correct for fear that she might disappear again.

If Leah Parker wasn’t so desperate, she wouldn’t have befriended the brother of the man she once had a summer fling with. She’d never wanted to hinder Jace’s future, which is why she stopped contacting him when his career took off. But her daughter’s life-threatening illness forces her to ask the Kendall family for help and reveals the secret she’s been keeping for years.

When the media catches wind of their past, Jace and Leah not only have to deal with the fallout but also with their undeniable chemistry. Can they learn to trust each other enough to plan a future together?

Find Rescuing the Rock Star online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

Words were wily things—but they were miraculous too. They created, they shaped, they breathed life.

Book Review | A Noble Scheme (Imposters #2) by Roseanna M White

by Iola Goulton

This is the second book in Roseanna M White’s The Imposters series, following A Beautiful Disguise. I do suggest reading that first, because it is the better book (well, I preferred A Beautiful Disguise), and because it introduces The Imposters, Inc so well.

A Noble Scheme has The Imposters undertaking a pro bono case to rescue a boy kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity.

The story focusses on Gemma, a gossip columnist, and Graham, an architect. A Beautiful Disguise made it apparent that there was a history between the two, and hints at a romance gone wrong. A Noble Scheme explores the origins of their enmity.

Gemma kept thinking back to the event a year earlier where Graham broke her trust and her heart. It was obvious she knew what had happened, but her recollections were frustratingly vague, and the reader doesn’t find out what actually happened until close to the halfway point. I could understand her not wanting to think about what had happened … but she was thinking about it, and she was making that clear in her viewpoint scenes, so it felt unnatural for her to not reveal the secret of the event. Keeping the secret was probably intended to increase the tension, but it just increased my frustration.

Graham is also suffering. He lost Gemma, and he lost his faith. He still believes in God, but he doubts God’s love and doubts God’s ability or perhaps His willingness to care for us. I was initially impressed, because I’m always keen to read Christian fiction that tackles life’s hard questions.

And “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” is a hard question.

But my curiosity about how Gemma and Graham would discover the answer to the hard question was overshadowed by the fact I didn’t know what had happened to cause them to feel this way. When the secret was finally revealed, it did make sense in the context of the story, and it was a sufficiently important event that I could see it causing the rift between them. However, it also fundamentally changed the tone of the story.

It also makes this review hard to write.

Reviews shouldn’t contain spoilers, yet the big secret twists the second-chance romance plot into a related trope that not all readers like (marriage reconciliation), and it also introduces an event that some readers may feel needs a trigger warning (no, it’s not sexual assault or similar act of violence). But because the big reveal didn’t happen until around the halfway point and isn’t even hinted at in the book description, would sharing that information be considered a spoiler? I think so … but I also think readers should know what they are getting. If you want to know, highlight the white text below so you can read it:

*Spoiler Alert”

A Noble Scheme is a marriage reconciliation story that also deals with the death of a small child, Gemma and Graham’s son.

*End Spoiler Alert*

Aside from that, A Noble Scheme was excellent. I enjoyed seeing more of Lady Meredith and her brother (although I would have liked some scenes set in their ancestral home, and I would have liked to see Sir Merritt a little more). The plot was excellent, and I loved the way Gemma was able to use the example of God and Jesus to bring Graham back to God.

Overall, A Noble Scheme is a solid story, but I did prefer A Beautiful Disguise.

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

About Roseanna M White

Roseanna M WhiteRoseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna has a slew of historical novels available, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia.

Find Roseanna M White online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube 

About A Noble Scheme

Gemma Parks is known throughout high society as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talent to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the elite firm’s members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren’t for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his soul in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma not only to restore the missing boy, but also to win back the only woman he’s ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham must devise a noble scheme to save the boy’s life and heal their hearts.

Find A Noble Scheme online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #327 | Drive You Crazy by Jessica Kate

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Drive You Crazy, the new release from Australian Christian rom-com author Jessica Kate, and the first book in her new Amity Creek series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Small town romances have it all wrong. And I’m betting my inheritance on it.

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

 

About Drive You Crazy

Cover image - Driver You Crazy by Jessica Kate

Bubbly newspaper editor Ashley Anderson is ecstatic to finally call this small town in Washington State ‘home’—until she accidentally angers her newspaper’s biggest advertisers, and they boycott. Her neighbor Justin has the family connections to get the town back on her side—but asking for help from the man she’s nicknamed ‘Dracula’ is a last resort.

Living next door, rebel-with-a-cause teacher Justin Hastings can’t escape Amity Creek fast enough. But when a good deed goes awry, it’s his fault that Ashley’s car is out of action, and they’re forced to carpool until he can make things right.

Thrust into one another’s daily lives, Ashley and Justin learn that little is black-and-white—not small town life, not family, and not each other. But there’s a fork in the road, and it seems God has these two destined for separate paths. Can the road less travelled ever lead them back to love?

Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in this must-read inspirational romance about the complexities—and the beauty—of true love in all its forms.

Find Driver You Crazy online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

What's the most unusual or unique setting you've read in a novel?

Book Chat #319 | What’s the most unusual or unique setting you’ve read in a novel?

by Iola Goulton

Most Christian fiction I’ve read is set in the USA.

The UK probably takes second place in terms of common settings, at least in the Christian fiction I’ve read.

I’ve also read Christian fiction set in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Egypt, South Africa, as well as several countries in Europe (particularly Finland, France and Germany), Colombia, Russia, India, China, Japan, and even Pakistan.

There are many more countries I’ve never come across in a novel, including most African and Asian countries. These would certainly be unusual settings.

But my prize to the most unique setting I’ve read in a novel goes to Going Back Cold by Kelley Rose Waller.

Going Back Cold is set in Antarctica.

This location is unique not just because it’s a frozen continent at the bottom of the planet, but because it’s no even a country. That makes it an unique setting in my mind.

What about you? What’s the most unusual or unique setting you’ve read in a novel?

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #326 | The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading an advance copy of the next book in Nicole Deese’s Fog Harbor series, The Roads We Follow. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

I breathe in the fresh dopamine hit of a dark roast brewing somewhere behind the coffee shop's counter and remind myself that turning off my GSP location from the family tracking app is not one of the seven deadly sins.

If that appeals to you, then you might also be interested in the first book in the series. The Words We Lost is currently on sale on Amazon for $1.99 for the Kindle version.

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

 

About The Roads We Follow

Cover image: The Roads We Follow by Nicole DeeseAs the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won’t exploit her mother’s fame to further her own career, she hears a rumor from a reliable source regarding a tell-all being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication.

Raegan chooses to keep the tell-all a secret from her scandal-leery sisters as they embark on a two-week, cross-country road trip at their mother’s request and makes it her mission to expose the identity of the author behind the unsanctioned biography. But all is complicated when she discovers their hired bus driver, Micah Davenport, has a hidden agenda of his own–one involving both of their mothers and an old box of journals. As they rely on each other to find the answers they seek, the surprising revelations they unearth will steer them toward their undeniable connection and may even lead them down the most unexpected of paths.

Find The Roads We Follow online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

Have you read any novels where a character plays a sport?

Bookish Question #318 | Have you read any novels where the character plays a sport?

by Iola Goulton

I’ve read lots of novels where one or more of the characters play sport, often informally. For example, many of the characters in the Trinity Lakes Romance series play in the town’s annual Aussie Rules football game.

I’ve also read and enjoyed a fair few novels where one or both of the main characters are professional sportspeople.

Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce is an excellent novella featuring a professional Aussie Rules player and a female referee. I’ve read this one multiple times, and it’s a lot of fun.

Several novels in Susan May Warren’s Christiansen Family series features pro sportsmen, including It Had to Be You, When I Fall In Love, and You’re The One That I Want.

But the Christian author who first comes to mind when I think about sports romance is Carolyn Miller. Her Original Six series each follows a professional ice hockey player in one of the “original six” professional teams, and she is now following this up with the Northwest Ice series. I’ve read all the Original Six (my favourite was Big Apple Atonement), and now I’m working my way through the Northwest Ice series.

What about you? Have you read any novels where a character plays a sport?

When you go undercover, the line between what is real and what is acting can blur. Neither of you can allow that to happen.

Book Review | Rocky Road (Sons of Scandal #2) by Becky Wade

by Iola Goulton

Rocky Road has one of the best boy-meets-girl scenes I’ve read. It’s the perfect rom-com introduction—unique, not cringey, and the perfect introduction to both characters: the staid and responsible Jude Camden, and the outgoing and impulsive (but secretly equally responsible) Gemma Clare.

Jude studied law before deciding he wanted to track down the bad guys, not defend them.

He’s now an FBI agent, and his new assignment has him working undercover with Gemma to collect evidence against her cousin, Cedric.

Gemma blames Cedric for her father ending up in jail, not least because Cedric is still walking free despite being the brains behind her father’s crimes. So she’s more than happy to post as Jude’s girlfriend to get him close to Cedric if that means Cedric will face the consequences of his actions.

Of course, the one rule of undercover work is that the couple aren’t to form any kind of attachment. Jude doesn’t think this will be a problem—he’s never met a rule he can’t follow. Gemma is not so sure … and that’s going to ruffle Jude’s calm demeanor.

One of the things Becky Wade is famous for is the banter between her characters, and Rocky Road is full of banter. Gemma and Jude were perfect opposites and that meant they were each the perfect foil for the other … which leads to lots of wonderful banter. But there’s also some serious points, especially when it comes to matters of faith.

I appreciated the way Becky Wade crossed the boundary from fun to faith without it seeming forced.

I was about a third of the way through the story before I realised the connection between this story and Memory Lane, the first in Becky Wade’s Sons of Scandal series. For those who read and enjoyed Memory Lane, we get enough of Jeremiah and Remy to keep us interested, as well as more of an introduction to Max, the third Camden son… who is clearly being positioned to be the hero of the next book. I can’t wait.

Recommended for contemporary Christian romance fans, especially those who like an element of rom com and suspense.

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

About Becky Wade

Author Photo Becky WadeBecky 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 Rocky Road

Cover image - Rocky Road by Becky WadeFBI Agent Jude Camden handles every aspect of his job with by-the-book professionalism. There’s no reason why his latest assignment—which calls for him to pose as the boyfriend of perfumer Gemma Clare—should be any different.

Except Gemma is different. She’s creative, bold, and feisty. And as soon as she meets Jude, she wants to loosen him up, wrinkle his perfect shirts, and test every ounce of his towering self-control.

The FBI has an iron-clad rule against romances between those working together on operations. Jude’s never met a rule he didn’t respect. But adhering to this one is going to be tough because, as time goes by, he finds Gemma more and more irresistible.

Buckle up! It’s going to be a rocky road.

Find Rocky Road online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #325 | Over the Rainbow (Trinity Lakes #8) by Meredith Resce

by Iola Goulton

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 the next book in the Trinity Lakes contemporary Christian romance series, Over the Rainbow by Meredith Resce.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Arianne Rayne inhaled a deep breath of determination. This was going to be hard.

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

 

About Over the Rainbow

Cover image - Over the Rainbow by Meredith ResceWhat a difference a year makes.

Last year, Arianne Rayne was playing college basketball and looking forward to a permanent future with her boyfriend.

This year, she is learning to live with disability.

After walking away from an accident he’d caused by reckless driving, her boyfriend walked away from her. The uncertainty of how life would look now that she had lost mobility was enough for him to break the relationship, and her heart.

Coming to Trinity Lakes to live with her stable, unflappable grandparents is hope for a new beginning and a chance to heal her heart. Away from her parents’ cloistered, cotton-wool approach, she hopes to learn how to live independently with the help of physiotherapist and trainers at the local gym.

Until she meets Matthew Kennedy. He might be buff and good looking, but he has no idea about how to relate to someone living with disability. He’s eligible, and he is certainly accessible, given he is one of her personal trainers, but will he ever see beyond her wheelchair? Arianne’s heart tells her it’s unlikely.

Until she is stranded, and Matthew is her only hope of getting home.

Find Over the Rainbow online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

What's the most unusual occupation you've read in a novel?

Bookish Question #317 | What’s the most unusual occupation you’ve read in a novel?

by Iola Goulton

Christian fiction genres seem to focus on similar occupations depending on the genre. Just like in real life, lots of characters (especially heroines) work in diners or restaurants, or own their own small business selling ice cream or cup cakes or books (I’m sure there are more fictional bookshops than there are real-life counterparts). There are also plenty of teachers, B&B owners, farmers, and ranchers.

Romantic suspense novels inevitably feature characters employed in law enforcement, either local police or one of the USA’s many three-letter agencies (CIA, FBI, NSA etc.) The heroes will often be ex-military. Other characters are lawyers, a necessary part of the legal process.

Sub-genres will have their own familiar occupations. Rock star romances feature rock stars (or country music stars or similar). Billionaire romances usually feature IT geeks (or some other occupation where it feels reasonable that a young person—usually male—has achieved billionaire status before they reach marriageable age, and didn’t inherit that stack of cash). Sports romances feature pro sportspeople (again, there are more pro footballers and hockey players in fiction than in real life). Cowboy romances feature (wait for it!) cowboys, with the occasional cowgirl (although the heroines are more often the ranch cook or nanny).

What we don’t see as often are more mundane occupations such as accountant (and when I do read novels with accountants, they tend not to be the hero or heroine). But that’s not really an unusual occupation in real life. It’s just not one we see in fiction.

So what is unusual?

One that springs to mind is the Bug Man series of novels by Tim Downs.

These feature a forensic entomologist—someone who helps solve crimes by looking at the insect and bug life (for example, using the size of the maggots to determine how long since the victim was murdered). It’s fascinating, if somewhat creepy. The character makes The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper look like a well-rounded person, which makes for interesting reading and some embarrassing moments. In hindsight, he is probably neuro-divergent.

The other author I think of who often features less common occupations is Elizabeth Camden, who writes Christian historical romance.

The Gilded Lady featured Caroline Delacroix as the secretary to the First Lady. A Daring Venture features Dr Rosalind Werner as a biochemist (in 1908). Kate Livingston is a government statistician (In Every Breath). Natalia Blackstone is a financial analyst (Written on the Wind). Some of these occupations aren’t so unusual today, but they were very unusual occupations for women a century ago.

What about you? What’s the most unusual occupation you’ve read in a novel?