Pictures were deceptive. They never told the true story.

Book Review | Come Back to Me (Waters of Time #1) by Jody Hedlund

by Iola Goulton

Scientist Marion Creighton is urgently called from her home in the USA to Canterbury, England, with the news that her father has fallen into a coma.

When she arrives, she finds he has been researching the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden. Apparently, he believes seeds from the original tree made it to England, where they were planted and grew and “tainted” a long-forgotten well which provides water with miraculous healing powers.

Clues suggest her father has somehow travelled back in time to find the source of this healing water, in order to heal Marian’s sister from the genetic disease which killed her father. Marian has a couple of strange experiences which leave her wondering if her father was right …

She finds and drinks some of the healing water, and finds herself in 1381, with one week to locate the source of the water so her father’s friend, Harrison Dunham, can give future-Marian the life-giving water and bring her back to the present.

Yes, that’s getting a little convoluted.

While I was fascinated by the concept of time travel in the novel, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the practicalities. Specifically, that Marian is physically alive in both timelines, and time moving forward at the same pace. This could be because I see time as linear something physicists are apparently debating). Also, she believed her father was missing in time and that she could “wish” herself to a specific point in time. Why didn’t she try and find her missing father?

Anyway, if you’re prepared to accept the premise, then the practicalities might not matter.

But this was a sticking point for me. Another sticking point was that Marian travelled back to 1381, yet had no communication problems with the locals. Considering the differences between modern British and American English (or even modern London and modern Yorkshire English), I found this a little hard to believe. Finally, I wasn’t impressed by the instalust. Yes, I like the hero and heroine in a romance to be attracted to each other, but that attraction has to be based on something.

However, I was impressed by the underlying research and the way the author seamlessly included real-life events like the 1381 Peasant’s Revolt and even an earthquake into the plot. And while I don’t believe the claims about the Tree of Life, I do believe the accounts of miraculous healings.

Overall, Come Back to Me was an intriguing story, and one that promises to be continued in a sequel. Recommended for fans of time travel fiction.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of more than thirty historical novels for both adults and teens, including Come Back to Me, and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Awards. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats. She loves to imagine that she really can visit the past, although she’s yet to accomplish the feat, except via the many books she reads.

Find Jody Hedlund online at:

Website | BookBub | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Come Back to Me

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That’s exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father’s quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He’s left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he’s crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian’s rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Find Come Back to Me online:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

And 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 | Week 190 | All Arranged 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. I’m sharing a new release from Australian author Meredith Resce: All Arranged, the third book in her Luella Linley romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Louise Brooker saved the document and shut her laptop. Her latest Luella Linley novel was sounding depressingly like real life.

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

About All Arranged

Regency romance author, Luella Linley (AKA Louise Brooker), should feel satisfied she has helped her two daughters marry happily. However, her successful meddling came at a price and her husband has advised she leave the children to their own devices.

But her eldest, Pete, is thirty-five, living back at home and dejected after having been jilted days before his wedding. Her responsible, hard-working and handsome son would make a good husband and father—but he’s given up after three failed relationships. He’s a good catch, but unlikely to be fooled by his mother’s scheming and meddling.

This situation calls for a direct approach. Just like in her novels, Louise decides the parents should do the arranging and sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Carrie Davis is a dedicated career woman and hasn’t had time for relationships. However, her sister, Ellen, is now happily married with a delightful little girl and for the first time, Carrie finds loneliness stalking her. Ellen want’s the best for Carrie, so when she comes across an odd advert in the classifieds, she wonders if it is a prank or an opportunity sent from heaven.

“Wanted. For a social experiment. A family arranged marriage.”

You can find All Arranged online at:

Amazon | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

Can you be enticed to impulsively buy books?

Bookish Question #181 | Can you be enticed to impulsively buy books?

by Iola Goulton

Can I be enticed to impulsively buy books?

Is this a trick question?

Of course.

Why? Because I’m a reader.

I love reading. I love escaping to a world inside my head, aided and guided by the imagination of a skilled author. I love learning about people and places, and reading fiction is an easy way to learn (which is one of the reasons I dislike fiction that isn’t factually accurate).

The best way to entice me to impulse buy a book or books is to have a sales. Authors rave about those BookBub ads for a reason: because people like me buy the books. It’s hard to pass up a 99 cent book that’s on my wish list!

Another way to get me to buy a book is for the author to write a great book, and for a trusted friend to recommend that book to me. This could be in person, or through a book review.

The final great way to entice me to impulse buy a book is to have a paper copy on sale at a writing conference. I especially like the Omega Writer’s Conference in Australia, where the bookstall has been known to offer to post our purchases for us, so we don’t have to worry about annoying details like weight limits on flights.

But all these enticements only work if I like the look and sound of the book.

This means having an eye-catching cover, an intriguing title, and compelling back cover copy. A killer first line is also a help, especially if I’m flicking through a paper copy. And, of course, the price has to be right. I’m not prepared to pay more than about USD 5.99 for an ebook (and I’m a sucker for 99 cent ebooks), but I will pay NZD 25 to NZD 30 for a paperback … especially if it’s a book I’ve worked on.

What about you? Can you be enticed to impulsively buy books?

Freedom without order, without justice—it leads to chaos and violence. But order without freedom, without kindness—it makes you hard. Cruel.

Book Review | When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

by Iola Goulton

When Twilight Breaks is set in 1938 Munich, Germany. Each chapter starts with the day and date, which gave the novel a sense of urgency, as though it was all leading up to some fateful day in history (but which day? I couldn’t remember, and that helped with the suspense).

Evelyn Brand is an American journalist working in Germany as a foreign correspondent.

That was two pluses in her favour: she was a professional woman, and her profession was why she was in Hitler’s Germany.

(This is important, as many years ago I read another novel about an American novel in Hitler’s Germany which made no sense, because the character had no compelling reason to be there. The result was I didn’t much care whether she succeeded in escaping or not).

Evelyn sees the dark underbelly of fascism and wants to report that to her American readers. However, that leaves her having to find the narrow line between telling the truth and not telling so much of the truth that the Germans will find out and expel her from the country … or worse.

Unfortunately, as the sole female in her news office, she’s often given the ‘softball’ assignments. One of these introduces her to Peter Lang, an American professor at the nearby university who is pursuing his PhD.

Peter admires what Hitler has done for the German people. He reduced unemployment and brought prosperity back to a country suffering from the losses of World War I and the subsequent global depression. He wishes America were the same.

In hindsight, we all know Hitler’s Germany was evil.

The Nazi regime killed undesirables—the ‘work shy’, the disabled, the Jews, anyone who spoke out against the government. So it’s interesting to see Peter’s early perspective, and see how he has been deceived by outward appearance. At the same time, he’s obviously the hero, which means he has to change his mind …

Peter was not alone in his views. I heard a podcast interview with Sarah Sundin where she commented that those Americans who travelled to Germany in the 1930s expecting to find a successful society found one, and those who expected to find a facade with a sordid underbelly found that. It shows the importance of looking at both sides of an issue, and how politics is often more grey than black and white.

Free speech is an issue Evelyn and Peter debate:

“Free speech had its problems. Free speech could work people into a frenzy, leading to violence. But where did you draw the line? All he knew was that the Germany government had drawn the line in the wrong place.”

This highlights a current issue: where do we draw the line? What is the difference between free speech and hate speech? Do we allow hate speech as part of our effort to protect free speech? And what happens when hateful speech leads to hateful action and people die?

Yes, When Twilight Breaks asks big questions, questions that don’t have easy answers. That made for a fascinating read.

However, I did find he last quarter slow going. I don’t want to give spoilers, but it felt like the story petered (sorry!) out at around the 75% mark. An earlier minor conflict was reintroduced, and it felt like it was added and magnified in an attempt to drag the story out. The last quarter wasn’t bad. It just didn’t match the strength and pace of the first three-quarters of the novel.

When Twilight Breaks by @SarahSundin is both an excellent Christian historical romance, and a thought-provoking metaphor for our modern world. #ChristianFiction Share on X

But I still recommend When Twilight Breaks, both as an excellent Christian historical romance, and as a thought-provoking metaphor for our modern world. May we learn from the lessons of the past and not repeat them.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Sarah Sundin

Sarah SundinSarah Sundin is the author of The Sea Before Us and The Sky Above Us, as well as the Waves of Freedom, Wings of the Nightingale, and Wings of Glory series. Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Her popular Through Waters Deep was a Carol Award finalist, and both Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turn were named on Booklist‘s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.” Sarah lives in Northern California.

Find Sarah Sundin online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About When Twilight Breaks

Munich, 1938. Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent as determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession as she is to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country–or worse. If she fails to truthfully report on major stories, she’ll never be able to give a voice to the oppressed–and wake up the folks back home.

In another part of the city, American graduate student Peter Lang is working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party–to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can’t get off his mind.

This electric standalone novel from fan-favorite Sarah Sundin puts you right at the intersection of pulse-pounding suspense and heart-stopping romance.

Find When Twilight Breaks online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

And 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 | Week 189 | Lethal Cover-Up by Darlene L Turner

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday … time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line! I’ve just received a review copy of Lethal Cover-Up by Darlene L Turner, her latest release from Love Inspired Suspense, so that’s my pick. I’m a definite romantic suspense fan, so the chances of me not reading this right away are low.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

"They're after me!" Border patrol officer Madison Steele stiffened at the sound of her sister's frantic voice.

Between the action-packed cover and that first line, how can I resist?

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

 

About Lethal Cover-Up

Some secrets are dangerous…

But uncovering the truth could be deadly.

Border patrol officer Madison Steele knows her sister Leah’s fatal car crash was no accident. Someone’s willing to kill to cover up a pharmaceutical company’s deadly crime of distributing tainted drugs. Now they are after Madison to tie off loose ends. But with her high school sweetheart, Canadian police constable Tucker Reed, at her side, can Madison expose the company’s deadly plan before she becomes the next victim?

Find Lethal Cover-Up online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

Do you like reading novels with royalty themes?

Bookish Question #180 | Do you like reading novels with royalty themes?

by Iola Goulton

Yesterday was the annual Queen’s Birthday holiday in New Zealand and parts of Australia, a day off work to observe the official birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her actual birthday is in April, so I don’t know why we celebrate it in June. As a child, I was told it was because June was summer in England. That’s true, but the English don’t have a holiday in June, so why do we?

Anyway, that raises this week’s question: do you like reading novels with royalty themes?

I have to say yes and no.

I don’t mind reading speculative fiction with made-up royal characters.

After all, made-up royal characters fit with a made-up world and made-up religion. It’s always interesting to see how authors create their worlds, cultures, and religions. Royalty is often a part of that. And it’s almost to be expected in Christian speculative fiction, with themes of God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and us as His adoptive children–which makes us all princes and princesses.

I also don’t mind reading fictionalised versions of real, historical events involving royalty.

Having said that, I have read rather too many novels about the Tudors in particular and English royalty in general, and I’d welcome good fiction—especially Christian fiction—that showed royalty from other countries.

However, I’m not a big fan of contemporary fiction (especially romance) featuring royal families.

I’m not interested in fictionalised versions of the lives of still-living people—I haven’t even watched The Crown. I’m also not interested in made-up contemporary royal families, perhaps because the lives of our real royal family have more than enough drama.

What about you? Do like reading novels with royalty themes?

The power of words does not lie in the stories we tell but in our ability to connect with the hearts of those who read them.

Book Review | The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escabar

by Iola Goulton

The Librarian of Saint-Malo features, unsurprisingly, the town librarian from the small French town of Saint-Malo as a main character. Jocelyn and Antoine Ferrec marry on 1 September 1939, the day Germany illegally invades Poland, the event which creates World War II.

History tells us the city and the country did not fare well in the war.

This novel shows us some of what happened from a French point of view. That was a new perspective for me. While I’ve read a lot of novels set in and around World War II, almost all of them have been set in the USA or England, and told from the American or English point of view–American or English authors, and American or English characters.

A smaller number have shown the war in Germany, but still from the American or English viewpoint. Where there have been German characters, they’ve either been “good” Nazis (which are about as believable as “good” slaveowners in American Civil War fiction) or the Nazis have been the evildoers (well, history).

It was refreshing to read a story showing the war from the point of view of the occupied French.

(The book is written by a Spaniard, who were neutral in World War II). It provided new insights into the occupation, and didn’t have the American need for a stereotypical heroic main character. It’s a welcome difference.

I’ve seen a couple of reviews moaning about this book as being yet another Nazi romance, with the subtext being that the Nazis were monsters and we shouldn’t be trying to romanticise them. While I agree we shouldn’t romanticise evil, I don’t think this book can truthfully be classed with other Nazi romances.

First, The Librarian of Saint-Malo is not a romance (it’s historical fiction).

Second, while one of the German soldiers clearly has feelings for Jocelyn, I didn’t think she was anywhere close to being in love with him. And finally, the story wasn’t written by a white American woman trying to show a redemption story. It was more a gritty war story written by a Spanish man. As such, the ending is more inevitable than the happy-ever-after of a romance novel.

The novel is introduced as a series of letters from Jocelyn, the Saint-Malo librarian, to her literary hero, the fictional Marcel Zola. She explains in the Prologue why she has chosen to write to him, and there is the occasional mention of the letters or reminder in the body of the novel that these are meant to be letters. But they’re not—not like in other epistolary novels, like Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay, Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green, or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel By Society by Mary Ann Safer and Annie Barrows.

The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escabar is a unique epistolary novel about World War II, set in France and written by a Spaniard. #HistoricalFiction #BookReview Share on X

Instead, the story read much like any other historical novel, albeit one written in first person point of view, as a letter would be. The story was exceptionally well researched (well, except for the line about “God Save the Queen”. The song changes names depending on who is on the throne, and the monarch during World War II was King George). I especially liked the fact the novel was written by a Spaniard—we need more historical fiction written from non-American perspectives.

We see the war progress through Jocelyn’s eyes.

We see the fall of France, the refugees (that was new to me), the arrival of the Germans, billetting, and the SS. The story takes us through the emotion of a lot of these events in a way a history book can’t, but the overall voice is still one of a person telling her story and trying to keep the emotion out of it. The French might mock the British for their stiff upper lips, but Jocelyn does a good impression. But the understated emotion makes it all the more powerful.

This is the first translated Mario Escabar novel I’ve read. I was impressed, and I will certainly watch out for future novels from him. Recommended for historical fiction fans.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About The Librarian of Saint-Malo

Through letters with a famous author, one French librarian tells her love story and describes the brutal Nazi occupation of her small coastal village.

Saint-Malo, France: August 1939. Jocelyn and Antoine are childhood sweethearts, but just after they marry, Antoine is called up to fight against Germany. As the war rages, Jocelyn focuses on comforting and encouraging the local population by recommending books from her beloved library in Saint-Malo. She herself finds hope in her letters to a famous author.

After the French capitulation, the Nazis occupy the town and turn it into a fortress to control the north of French Brittany. Residents try passive resistance, but the German commander ruthlessly purges part of the city’s libraries to destroy any potentially subversive writings. At great risk to herself, Jocelyn manages to hide some of the books while waiting to receive news from Antoine, who has been taken to a German prison camp.

What unfolds in her letters is Jocelyn’s description of her mission: to protect the people of Saint-Malo and the books they hold so dear. With prose both sweeping and romantic, Mario Escobar brings to life the occupied city and re-creates the history of those who sacrificed all to care for the people they loved.

You can find The Librarian of Saint-Malo online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

If you really love your country there's no need to surround yourself with its symbols or brag about your origins.

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 188 | Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray

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 Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray, the second book in her State of Grace series. She is one of my favourite Christian romance authors, so I’m looking forward to reading this!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

I'm supposed to be on an airplane, flying to Central America to teach children to speak English.

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

About Love and the Silver Lining

This disaster may be just what she needed.

Darcy Malone’s dreams of mission work are dashed on the eve of fulfilling them: The Guatemalan school she was going to teach at has closed, and she’s already quit her job and given up her apartment. Stuck in her worst-case scenario, Darcy accepts an unexpected offer to move in with Bryson Katsaros’s little sister, despite the years of distrust between her and Bryson, the lead singer in her best friend Cameron’s band. But as she meets those close to Bryson, Darcy quickly discovers there is more to him than just his bad-boy persona.

Needing to find a purpose for all her sudden free time, Darcy jumps at the chance to care for and train a group of unruly dogs, with the aim of finding each a home before their bereaved owner returns them to animal control. But it’s Darcy herself who will encounter a surprising rescue in the form of love, forgiveness, and learning to let go.

Find Love and the Silver Lining online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

New Releases in Christian Fiction

New Releases in Christian Fiction | June 2021

by Iola Goulton

It’s June … the year has just flown by. Eagle-eyed blog readers may have noticed I missed the May post. Yes, life is too busy at times. But winter is coming Down Under, which means reading by the fire with a nice cup of tea 🙂

Anyway, it’s time to share the new and recent releases in Christian fiction form members of American Christian Fiction Writers. More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Contemporary Romance

A Chance for the Newcomer by Lisa Carter — She’s stirring things up…A big-city chef. A small-town single dad. And matchmakers with marriage in mind… Chef Kara Lockwood didn’t think changing a small-town diner’s menu would cause a boycott, but the locals sure do love their apple pie—especially fire chief Will MacKenzie. Kara’s not sure she and the single father can ever learn to live peacefully as neighbors. But even as they clash over pastries, local matchmakers and Will’s little boy are determined to bring their stubborn hearts together. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired (Harlequin))


His Secret Daughter by Laurie Larsen — he had the perfect life all on her own …Alyssa Stark works hard to make her life’s dreams come true … all on her own. She built her reputation as New York City’s top advertising executive, client by client. And when her ill-advised marriage didn’t work out, she knew she had to make her dream of becoming a mother happen by untraditional means. Now, she and her eight-year-old daughter Caroline are living the dream life in the Big Apple.

He’d lost everything that meant anything until he made a discovery …Grant Fontaine is the widowed president of his father-in-law’s electronics company. Since the tragic death of his pregnant wife a decade ago, he’s become a high achieving businessman, but a social hermit. Several years ago, his lonely life took on new meaning when he discovered that the donation he’d made to a reproductive clinic long ago had sired a child. Through the services of a discreet private eye unafraid to push legal limits, he identifies his “daughter,” Caroline, and her mother, Alyssa. Could it be time to reveal his secret? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)


Always a Wedding Planner by Davalynn Spencer, R.L. Ashely, LeeAnn Betts, Toni Shiloh — Love Is Only Business for 4 Wedding Planners Discover how keeping secrets from each other threatens four women’s friendships, wedding business, and their own ability to find love in Loveland, Colorado. Business partners Felicity Anderson, the cake baker; Kiki Bell, the seamstress; Cassie Blackthorn, the coordinator; and Chef Saffron Delarosa are best of friends in a town that is a romantic wedding destination for many couples—who work together at Weddings by Design to make every bride’s special day perfect. Could each falling into their own romance be the key to working out their differences and learning to trust each other—and God—with their futures? (Contemporary Romance from Barbour Publishing)


Matched Hearts by Cathe Swanson — She’s looking for a “Plus One” for her parents’ anniversary party. He’s looking for “Happily Ever After.” When a matchmaking agency pairs them up, is it a computer error or a match made in heaven? Eleanor Nielson always wanted to follow in her distinguished parents’ footsteps, becoming a teacher and living a life of selfless community service – until she tried it. Now, she’s run away to find herself and decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life, but she can’t skip her parents’ anniversary party, and she needs a date. Can a matchmaking agency find her a fake boyfriend who will impress her parents? Mechanical engineer David Reid has his life all planned out, and he’s ready for the next phase: a loving wife who will share his faith and work at his side when he becomes a pastor. But a good woman is hard to find, so like any good engineer, David turns the project over to experts: an online matchmaking agency. The pretty, blond teacher with denim blue eyes seems like a match made in heaven. Or is she too good to be true? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Plot Twist by Bethany Turner — February 4, 2003, is just another day for Olivia Ross—a greeting card writer whose passion project is a screenplay of her own. After she and a handsome, struggling actor have a near-magic encounter in a coffee shop, they make a spontaneous pact: in ten years, after they’ve found the success they’re just sure they’re going to achieve, they’ll return to the coffeehouse to partner up and make a film together. The only problem? Olivia neglected to get the stranger’s name. But she doesn’t forget the date. For the next ten years, every February 4, Olivia has an exceptional day, full of coincidences and ironies. As men come and go and return to her life, and as she continues to write her screenplay, she still wonders about the guy from the coffee shop—the nameless actor she’s almost certain was Hamish MacDougal, now a famous member of the Hollywood elite. But a lot can happen in ten years, and while waiting for the curtain to rise on her fate, the true story of Olivia’s life is being written—and if she’s not careful, she’ll completely miss the epic romance playing out right before her eyes. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Thomas Nelson and Zondervan))

Historical

More Than Honor by Carol Ashby — Devotion to duty and dogged determination make Tribune Titianus the most feared investigator of the Urban Cohort. Honor drives him to hunt down anyone who breaks Roman law, but it becomes personal when Lenaeus, his old tutor, is murdered in his own classroom. Why kill a respected teacher of the noble sons of Rome, a man who has nothing worth stealing and no known enemies? Had he learned something too dangerous to let him live? Pompeia was only a girl when Titianus studied with Father before her family became Christians. She and her brother Kaeso can’t move their school from the house where their father was killed. But what if the one who killed Father comes to kill again? Kaeso’s friend Septimus insists they spend nights at his father’s well-guarded home. But danger lurks there as well. As Titianus hunts for the murderer, will he discover their secret faith and arrest them as enemies of the Empire? (Historical from Cerrillo Press)


The Dream Weaver’s Bride: Asenath’s Story by Janelle Hovde — As the daughter of the high priest of On, Asenath has a solid vision of her future. Her education with the royal scribe is a luxury not usually afforded to women, and even though she is betrothed to the pharaoh’s half-brother, she has dreams of something more. But everything changes when the pharaoh has troubling nightmares that only a prisoner named Joseph can interpret. Suddenly, Asenath finds herself married to this foreigner, who demands that no god but his own be worshipped in his house. Despite her fears, Asenath is touched by Joseph’s kindness and humility, even as he steps into his newfound power. Can Asenath trust the God of Joseph and forsake her old deities? Can she learn to love this stranger from another land, a stranger with scars from a painful past? As a famine sweeps across Egypt and the surrounding lands, Asenath and Joseph find themselves face-to-face with the men who caused Joseph’s suffering. Can Asenath embrace the power of El Shaddai and help her husband forgive? (Historical from Guideposts Publications)

Historical Romance

Faith in the Mountain Valley by Misty M. Beller — After eleven years spent looking for the girl who stole his heart, Jean-Jacques Baptiste-better known as French to his friends-is tempted to give up. Until the day he spotted the flaxen-haired stranger traveling the wooded path with Blackfoot Indians. He never imagined he’d find his childhood friend masquerading as a man in this Rocky Mountain wilderness, hundreds of miles from the Canadian town where he last saw her. No matter her reasons, he can’t let her go this time. From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.
(Historical Romance, Independently Published)


The Captain’s Quest by Lorri Dudley — Pricilla Middleton only attended the Lemoore house party to keep her friend out of trouble. Now, her only chance to keep from becoming a gossip column headline is to sneak aboard her brother’s ship and pretend she’d been visiting him instead of taking part in the debacle. Before she can speak to her brother, the ship sets sail, and the man in charge is not at all who she expects. Captain Tobias Prescott, son of an infamous war hero, has been assigned on a critical mission to deploy warships in St. Kitts for battle in New Orleans. Unfortunately, his orders require him to assume command of a friend’s ship, and he must weigh anchor the instant the former captain is escorted down the gangplank. When they reach open waters, the last thing he expects is to find a woman hiding in the captain’s cabin, yet his mission is too urgent to return her to England. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)


Along a Storied Trail by Ann H. Gabhart — Kentucky packhorse librarian Tansy Calhoun doesn’t mind the rough trails and long hours as she serves her Appalachian mountain community during the Great Depression. Yet she longs to find love like the heroines in the books she loves. When a charming writer comes to town, she thinks she might have found it—or is the perfect man actually closer than she thinks? Perdita Sweet has called these mountains home for so long that she’s nearly as rocky as the soil around her small cabin. Long ago she thought she could love, but when the object of her affection up and married someone else, she stopped giving too much of herself away to others. As is so often the case, it’s easier to see what’s best for others than to see what’s best for oneself. Perdita knows who Tansy should choose, but why would anyone listen to the romantic advice of an old spinster? (Historical Romance from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

To Find Her Place by Susan Anne Mason — In the midst of WWII, Jane Linder, a childless divorcée, puts all her energy into her career at the Toronto Children’s Aid Society. As acting directress, Jane hopes to be awarded the position permanently so she can continue making a difference in the lives of troubled children. Garrett Wilder has been hired to overhaul operations at the Children’s Aid Society. He hopes to impress the board members with his findings and earn the vacant director’s position. A war injury ended his dream of taking over his parents’ farm, but with the security of the director’s job, he’d be able to contribute financially and help save the family business. As Garrett works closely with Jane, he comes to admire her tenacity and her dedication to the children. Just as feelings begin to blossom between them, her ex-husband returns from overseas with an unexpected proposition that could fulfill Jane’s deepest desires. With the odds stacked against them, can Garrett and Jane navigate the obstacles to their relationship and find lasting love? (Historical Romance from Bethany House (Baker) Publishing)

A Bride for Keegan by Linda Shenton Matchett — Fiona Quigley’s parents came to America for a better life, but illness and the Civil War took them from her. Now, she’s barely scraping by as a seamstress to Boston’s elite. A chance for a new start arises in the form of being a mail-order bride, but to her dismay she must marry the man by proxy. Once they’re wed, there will be no turning back. After being jailed one too many times for protesting against the Unionists in Ireland, Keegan O’Rourke heads for America—land of the free. He takes advantage of the Homestead Act to create a farm in his new country, but he has no one to share his success, so he advertises for a mail-order bride. They wed by proxy, but after she arrives, he discovers his Irish lass hails from the northern reaches of the Emerald Isle – the very area he fled. (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

On Sugar Hill by Ane Mulligan — She traded Sugar Hill for Vaudeville. Now she’s back. The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of Vaudeville, leaving behind her senator-father’s verbal abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned back home. And everything changes. The stock market crashes. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that have people talking. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school, but now manages to be around whenever she needs help. Will the people of her past keep her from a brilliant future?
(Historical Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky — In 1909, Grace McAlister set sail for Canada as one of the thousands of British Home Children taken from their families and their homeland. Though she is fortunate enough to be adopted by wealthy parents, the secrets of her past are kept hidden for ten years until someone from her long-buried childhood arrives on her doorstep. With this new connection to her birth family, will she be brave enough to leave her sheltered life in Toronto and uncover the truth? After enduring hardship as an indentured British Home Child, Garth McAlister left Canada to serve in World War I. His sweetheart, Emma Lafferty, promised to wait for his return, but after three long years apart, her letters suddenly stopped. When Garth arrives home from the war to unexpected news, he is determined to return to Canada once more on a daunting mission to find the two women he refuses to abandon—his long-lost sister and his mysteriously missing sweetheart. (Historical Romance from Waterbrook/Multnomah (Random House))


A Life Redeemed by Olivia Rae — Upon Queen Elizabeth’s order, Audrey Hayes travels to the borderlands of Scotland to learn where the fierce Laird Armstrong’s loyalties lie. Is he aligned with his mother’s English roots in support of the queen, or does he hold with the beliefs of his father, who wishes to see Mary of Scots on the English throne? The fate of Audrey’s family rests on her success in finding the answer. After losing his lands in a wager and being betrayed by his kin, Gavin Armstrong entered a loveless marriage to obtain the funds to buy back his family home, Warring Tower. Now a widower, struggling against countless border wars, he is on the verge of losing his home and lands again. With few resources, he reluctantly makes another risky wager, one he cannot hope to win without trusting the secretive Audrey Hayes, a woman he suspects is an English spy. (Historical Romance from HopeKnight Press)

Speculative/Science Fiction

The Chase by Bradley Caffee — in the Chase. Be the hero. Or die trying. The chaos and anarchy following the Great Collapse nearly brought the world to its knees until the unchanging Law brought order and peace. Generations later, the twelve alliances of the World Coalition come together once a year to allow their best and brightest young people to compete in the Chase. The prize? A chance to pass exactly one new law. The son of two former Chase runners, Willis Thomson is the top trainee in the Western Alliance. With the expectations of the world and his heritage driving him, he leads his elite Red Team as they prepare for his moment to become a coveted law-changer. Perryn Davis, the new leader of the Blue Team, struggles to survive as she competes as one of the designated losers. She knows that losing means genetic recoding, a process that cannot go on indefinitely, and longs to age out of the program before it kills her. When a mysterious new racer with knowledge of the outside shows up at their orbiting training center, the natural order of the Western Alliance trainees is upended. In a world where too much knowledge is dangerous, Willis and Perryn find themselves in a race to save their lives and uncover the hidden underbelly of the peaceful World Coalition. (Speculative/Science Fiction from Mountain Brook Fire)

Thriller/Suspense/Romance

Cold Case Trail by Sharee Stover — Following the clues could be the last thing they do…
Temporarily working in the cold case division was supposed to mean less danger for state trooper Trey Jackson and his injured K-9 partner, Magnum—until they thwart an abduction. Now he must protect profiler Justine Stark, even as she blames him for her friend’s death ten years ago. Can he right past wrongs by finally solving the murder…and making sure Justine lives to find closure? (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic from Love Inspired (Harlequin))

Young Adult

Aslan: Running Joy by Kristin Kaldahl — For fourteen-year-old Krissy, her new life maxim is pretty sad: First choices out. Second choices in. It’s been that way since dialysis left her disabled. Her limitations went from none to a ton, and now they stand in the way of her dream―to compete in dog agility with her runty sheltie pup, Aslan. (Young Adult from CrossLink Publishing)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Love & Adventure by Elise Davis, What do baseball and true love have in common besides a diamond? Is that a trick question? (Contemporary)

Miracle in Milan by MaryAnn Diorio, When a young, female auditor discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler, she must choose between ruining herself or ruining him. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic)

Finding Home by Candee Fick, Two hearts longing for home. (Contemporary Romance)

Love Found in Cranberry Cover by June Foster, Can Blake and Gracie learn who’s behind the danger that threatens them? Will a small-town girl and big-city boy find a life together? (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic)

A Night Divine by Dawn Kinzer, One chilly December night, a tragedy connects Camryn and Trace, and the devastating experience spurs her into volunteering with his team. But as Christmas Eve approaches and the two grow closer, secrets have the potential to break someone’s heart. (Contemporary Romance) 

Let It Be Me by Becky Wade, The one woman he wants is the one he cannot have.
(Contemporary Romance)

What’s on your to-buy or to-read pile this month?

Do you have a favourite place to read?

Bookish Question #179 | Do you have a favourite place to read?

by Iola Goulton

I first asked this question three years ago. I checked my answer from back then, and found it hasn’t changed. I guess that means I’m a creature of habit.

Where is my favourite place to read?

Short answer: anywhere.

Slightly longer answer: anywhere I can find where no one is talking to me.

Longer answer: I read in three main places depending on the time of day and time of year, so I guess they are my favourite places to read.

On summer days I like to read at the beach or in the back garden while I’m soaking up the sun. This is where the Kindle is great, because I can still read while lying on my back. The backlit screen means I can also read in direct sunlight (which you can’t do with an iPhone).

In winter I move into the spa pool (hot tub) and drag out the print books.

I don’t want to ruin a print book by dropping it in the water, but at least it’s still readable when it dries. A Kindle might not recover, and I’m not willing to take that risk. I know some people read on their Kindles in the bath or in the hot tub—they put it in a ziploc bag. I’m not that confident!

The rest of the time I tend to read in my favourite easy chair in the lounge, usually while my husband watches sport on TV. I find it easy enough to follow a game of rugby or cricket at the same time as reading a book. Watching a movie takes a little more skill, especially if he’s watching a foreign film. In a way, foreign films are best for reading to, because it’s easy to tune out background noise in a foreign language.

What about you? Where is your favourite place to read?