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 Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M White. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:
What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?
About Dreams of Savannah
Cordelia Owens can weave a hopeful dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.
But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him. Matters of black and white don’t seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite her best efforts, Delia’s smiles can’t erase all the complications in his life. And when Fort Pulaski falls and the future wavers, they both must decide where the dreams of a new America will take them, and if they will go together.
Today I’m delighted to welcome author Kathleen Denly to share about her upcoming release, A Reason to Sing. Welcome, Kathleen!
Do you enjoy traditional hymns or do you prefer more modern worship songs?
Personally, I love both. Growing up I attended a variety of churches that sang a mixture of both. Some of my favorite childhood memories, however, are of the times when the older women in my extended family would gather around the nearest piano and begin singing hymns together. I wish we’d had smart phones back then. I’d love to have a video of those beautiful women praising God together in that simple way.
These spontaneous moments of worship from my childhood played a large part in the development of my novel, Sing in the Sunlight. Even as a child, I understood what a gift their voices were and as a writer I wondered what might have happened had one of them lost the ability to praise the Lord in this way. I considered writing a character who’d lost her voice, but that didn’t feel right for this story. So I continued playing with the idea. Eventually, I found my way to a character who didn’t lose her voice, but instead had lost her hope—her reason to sing.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
We all know that classic worship song, now a favorite in many Sunday School classes. In my novel, I explore the idea of what happens when a person’s light is hidden beneath the “bush” of tragedy, hurt, and confusion. When the singer believes God doesn’t care about them, what is there to sing about? Only when we are basking in the light of our heavenly Father’s love do we truly have reason to sing.
God has blessed me with many reasons to sing. One of those reasons is my daughter, Ava. We adopted her when she was sixteen months old, but before that Ava suffered a horrific tragedy. Not only did she lose her birth family, but an event transpired which left her with numerous scars. Many of those scars are on her arm and face. I’m grateful that she was too young at the time to remember what transpired, but being an author I wondered how her life might be different if the event (or something like it) had transpired at an age when she could remember. How might that have changed her life? When I combined this question with the treatment of visibly different people in the nineteenth century, I found the inspiration for my heroine, Clarinda.
This photo of the moment when I first met my daughter August 20, 2017, reminds me of how we all face the choice of whether or not to trust our Heavenly Father.
By the grace of God, Ava, is a happy, healthy child who loves to sing, dance, and “make a joyful noise” with her Fisher Price piano, but Clarinda’s joy has been lost. So she seeks it in places she shouldn’t and encounters consequences she never anticipated. Thankfully, our Lord is loving and mighty and works all things together for good for those who love Him. So He sends a special man into Clarinda’s life to point her back to the One who’s been with her all along—to remind her of her reason to sing.
What are your reasons to sing? Do you prefer contemporary or traditional worship songs? Let me know in the comments below!
Giveaway
To celebrate the upcoming release of Sing in the Sunlight, the second book in her Chaparral Hearts series, Kathleen is offering a giveaway!
Enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win a digital copy of Waltz in the Wilderness (book 1 in the Chaparral Hearts series), a custom set of Sing in the Sunlight gold vinyl stickers and 2 bookmarks made and signed by Kathleen Denly.
Open to U.S. and International winners, void where prohibited. Entries open until midnight on January 19, 2021 Winner will be announced on Kathleen’s Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram accounts and must contact Kathleen with your mailing address within seven days of announcement.
About Kathleen Denly
Kathleen Denly writes historical romance stories to entertain, encourage, and inspire readers toward a better understanding of our amazing God and how He sees us. Award winning author of the Chaparral Hearts series, she also shares history tidbits, thoughts on writing, books reviews and more at KathleenDenly.com.
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?
Watch Kathleen Denly read Chapter One of Sing in the Sunlight.
Sing in the Sunlight releases on 21 March 2021 from Wild Heart Books.
In celebration of this second book in her Chaparral Hearts series, Kathleen’s offering preorder bonuses. These include a set of exclusive coloring pages (hand drawn by Kathleen for this novel), and an MP3 recording of the hymn referenced in the book (God Moves in a Mysterious Way) performed by Kathleen’s wonderful mother.
Anyone who preorders Sing in the Sunlight no later than February 28, 2021 can register to receive their preorder bonuses. To register, email your proof of preorder purchase to kdpreorderbonuses@gmail.com no later than February 28, 2021. A proof of purchase is typically a screenshot of your receipt.
Please do not include any personal information such as physical mailing address or account numbers when submitting your proof of purchase. Preorder bonuses will be emailed on the day of the book’s release to all who register.
I’ve signed up to read 150 books this year through the Goodreads Reading Challenge.
I don’t see at as much as a challenge as a way of keeping track of what I’ve read (helped by the fact that most new books I read are on Kindle, which automatically marks a book as Read at Goodreads).
I’ve also signed up to the Mt. TBR Challenge again, in the never-ending attempt to reduce the number of unread books I own. I’ve done this challenge for the last four or five years, usually aiming for 48 books per year. I actually aimed for 60 last year, but only got 48 so that’s the level I’ve chosen this year. Now to read books I own and not buy new ones!
I set myself the challenge of reading 30 books by new-to-me authors in 2020, and I achieved 47!
My rationale for this challenge was that I want to be able to support debut authors. The problem is that if I focus too much on debut authors, I don’t have time to read new books from favourite authors. So while I will still record how many new-to-me authors I read this year, I won’t be aiming for a specific number.
Another personal challenge was to read 50 independently published books last year. I managed 45. This is another figure I’ll continue to track, but won’t set a specific goal. I want to focus on content, not how the book was published. The reality is that the books I buy tend to be independently published, because they’re cheaper (yet the author receives a similar royalty per copy sold).
I also aimed to read 12 writing books and 12 marketing books last year.
I actually read 12 writing books (win) but only 4 marketing books. My focus this year is going to be on writing, so I’m going to ignore all the unread marketing books and focus on the writing books (and the writing).
So my Reading Challenge targets for 2021 are:
150 books
48 books off my to-read pile
12 writing books
What about you? Have you set a 2021 reading challenge? If so, what is it?
Welcome to the cover reveal tour for Harmony on the Horizon, book three in the Chaparral Hearts series! Collect all the passwords and enter for a chance to win the grand prize!!!
Harmony on the Horizon
Chaparral Hearts series book 3
Her calling to change the world may be his downfall.
On the heels of the Great Rebellion, Margaret Foster, an abolitionist northerner, takes a teaching position in 1865 San Diego—a town dominated by Southern sympathizers. At thirty-seven years of age, Margaret has accepted spinsterhood and embraced her role as teacher. So, when Everett Thompson, the handsomest member of the School Board, reveals his interest in her, it’s a dream come true. Until her passionate ideals drive a wedge between them.
After two decades of hard work, Everett Thompson is on the verge of having everything he’s dreamed of. Even the beautiful new teacher has agreed to his courtship. Then two investments go south and a blackmailer threatens everything Everett has and dreams of.
As Everett scrambles to shore up the crumbling pieces of his life, Margaret unwittingly sets off a scandal that divides the small community and threatens her position as teacher. With the blackmailer still whispering threats, Everett must decide if he’s willing to risk everything for the woman still keeping him at arm’s length.
Now available for preorder! CLICK to grab your copy!
Releases January 2022!
Fighting Fire AND Each Other
Did you know that before fire departments were taken over by local governments, private fire companies used to compete to reach a fire first? In some cities the competition even became violent. Competing firemen would fight each other while the structures they were meant to be saving continued to burn. San Francisco’s fire fighters were generally well behaved until the 1860s when their competition reached a boiling point that led to street brawls. One such altercation is included in Harmony on the Horizon. Eventually the private companies were dissolved in favor a public fire department. On the day the last private company closed, there was a huge ceremony held which had the overtones of a funeral.
Click HERE to view a sneak peek of the cover and collect the password for this stop!
Remember to write your passwords down so you can enter the giveaway on the final cover reveal page!!!
Hairstylist Nicole Applegate is a single mother and vegan with a social conscience.
But her friends think she should have a man, so set her up on what turns out to be a bad blind date. She is rescued by Drew, who she knows socially, but who she is not interested in romantically. Ha. Famous last words, because this is their romance story.
Nicole finds Drew is the assistant coach for her daughter’s football team.
My initial thought was that football meant soccer, but no. It meant American football, and Sierra is the team’s quarterback–and the only girl on the team. But she’s her mother’s daughter, so that doesn’t phase her at all.
Despite being a doctor, Drew always has time for football practice, friends, and for Nicole. I’m not sure how realistic that, but it made for a good story. It meant that there were plenty of opportunities for Drew and Nicole (and Sierra) to spend time together, and to overcome Nicole’s hesitance about another relationship.
Nicole is the third book in Sarah Monzon’s Sewing in So-Cal series. I’ve read the first (Molly), but haven’t read the second (Jocelyn, although it’s on my Kindle to-read pile). However, I don’t think I missed anything in Nicole from not having read Jocelyn. After all, they’re romantic comedy. We know the hero and heroine are going to end up together. We’re reading to be entertained as we watch them get their happy-ever-after.
And Nicole is certainly entertaining.
The writing is funny without bringing in the cringe factor, the characters are excellent, and the story touches on relevant contemporary issues, such as taking a knee in sport (something this non-American 100% doesn’t understand. Isn’t kneeling supposed to be a sign of submission?). I also loved seeing a main character on the plus-size side of humanity, but who wasn’t continually wishing she was a size 2.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy with a little bit of real life thrown in.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Sarah Monzon
A Carol award finalist and Selah award winner, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.
Who has time to date when she’s trying to raise a miniature human by herself AND save the planet from its irresponsible inhabitants? Not to mention my winning personality (snort) and my curves-have-curves figure (eyeroll) don’t exactly attract the opposite sex. Unfortunately, none of these reasons have stopped my best friends and SoCal sewing sisters from taking on the archaic role of matchmakers, and they’re not beneath a little bribery if that’s what it takes to get my cooperation. Let’s just say everyone has their weak spot, and donations to my favourite charities is mine.
If I were to consider a romantic relationship, my dream guy certainly wouldn’t be immature, everything-is-a-game Dr. Drew Bauer. The man raises my body temperature faster than global warming does the Earth’s! But life seems determined to keep throwing us together, especially now that one of my SoCal sewing sisters is engaged to his best friend, in which case there can only be one of two outcomes:
1. I kill him in a fit of annoyance.
2. My common sense escapes me, and I fall in love with him.
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 Hidden in Her Heart by Milla Holt—yes, I’m on a Milla Holt binge 🙂
Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:
What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?
About Lessons Learned in Love
The boss’s daughter is off-limits. Especially when she steals the job that should have been his.
Vanya has never measured up to her parents’ demanding standards. After a crushing humiliation at her last job, she jumps at the chance to prove herself when her father entrusts her with a leadership role in his company.
Tendo has had nothing handed to him on a silver platter. The son of a refugee, he’s had to claw his way up every rung of the career ladder. Then the CEO’s daughter swoops in to take the job that should have been his. Tendo wants to resent the pampered princess, making his growing attraction unexpected—and entirely unwelcome.
Vanya feels grossly unqualified to manage the brilliant and ambitious Tendo, especially when she realizes that she’s beginning to admire him for a lot more than his professional qualities. And although he knows he’s falling hard and fast, Tendo is proud of being a self-made man. A relationship with the boss’s daughter is exactly the sort of special treatment he despises.
But as Vanya’s and Tendo’s worlds collide, they discover the power of honesty, grace, and trust—and the possibilities of a future built together.
It’s January 2021, a new year … which means more books to read, and there are some good ones this month from these American Christian Fiction Writers authors.
For the Love of Joy by Janet W. Ferguson — When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
An Unexpected Arrangement by Heidi McCahan — He needed a fresh start, but twin babies weren’t part of the plan… (Contemporary Romance, Love Inspired [Harlequin])
An Unlikely Proposal by Toni Shiloh — For these two best friends, marriage could be their greatest test yet. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Historical:
All Through the Night by Tara Johnson — When Joshua and Cadence unearth the workings of a secret society so vile, the course of their lives, and the war, could be altered forever. If they fight an enemy they cannot see, will the One who sees all show them the way in the darkest night? (Historical Romance from Tyndale House)
Books Afloat by Delores Topliff — Blaming herself for her childhood role in the Oklahoma farm truck accident that cost her grandfather’s life, Anne Mettles is determined to make her life count. Will she go it alone? Or will she team with the unlikely but (mostly) lovable characters? One is a saboteur, one an unlikely hero, and one, she discovers, is the man of her dreams. (Historical from Mantle Rock Publishing)
Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke — With war brewing for the nation and for her newfound community, Lilliana must overcome a hard truth voiced by her young friend Celia: Wishing comes easy. Change don’t. (Historical from Tyndale House)
Mystery:
One for the Road by Mary Ellis — Staying at an estranged relative’s B&B, Jill’s plan to uncover what makes the state’s bourbon tours so popular goes awry when she discovers a body at one of the distilleries and quickly becomes a suspect in a brutal murder. Can she navigate high-stakes bourbon rivalries, centuries-old family feuds and ill-fated romance to catch a killer?
(Cozy Mystery from Severn House)
Romantic Suspense:
Texas Witness Threat by Cate Nolan — What do you do when you know you witnessed a crime and no one believes you, but the killers are still coming for you? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Thriller/Suspense:
Every Good Plan by Urcelia Teixeira — Good fortune was always his best friend. Until it became his enemy! Adam Cross is back in another gripping Christian Suspense that will have you strapped to your favorite reading chair until you turn the very last page! (Thriller/Suspense, Independently published)
Young Adult:
Heart of the Crown by Hannah Currie — The last place Lady Wenderley Davis ever expected to find herself after swearing off princes forever was living in a palace with two of them. Even if it is only temporary. And she did agree to it. Kind of. Against her better judgement. (Young Adult from WhiteFire Publishing)
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
Penelope Pumpernickel: Precocious Problem-Solver by MaryAnn Diorio – In this first of the delightful Penelope Pumpernickel Series of chapters books for six-to-ten-year-old children, Penelope Pumpernickel learns that no matter how big a problem you face, there is always a way to solve it with God’s help. (Children’s)
The Inn at Cranberry Cove by June Foster – Can two people allow the majestic northwest and fragrant coastal air heal their wounded hearts? Will they discover the secret of The Inn at Cranberry Cove? (Contemporary Romance)
The Rancher’s Family Secret by Myra Johnson – Despite their family feud, Spencer Navarro is determined to help his neighbor, Lindsey McClement, when she comes home to save her family ranch. And Lindsey returns the favor by allowing him to house his foster rescue horses in her empty barn stalls. But when the generations-long strife threatens their forbidden friendship, Spencer must choose between a new love and his family. (Contemporary Romance)
William’s Cry, An Enid Gilchrist Mystery by Sylvia Anne Nash – When genealogist Enid Gilchrist is asked to unravel the family mystery surrounding a seventy-year-old baby blanket, she is intrigued. She expects the project to be a short one that will in no wise interfere with her long-awaited marriage to Chief of Police Patrick Mulhaney. When her short project unravels more threads than expected, both project and wedding plans run amuck as someone makes every effort to stop her investigation. (Cozy Mystery)
A Holiday Heart by Denise Weimer – When Ashlyn arrives at White Falls Lodge armed with cosmetic bags and designer shoes, little is she prepared to be stranded by a snow storm, irritated by the handsome resort owner who seems determined to peel away her facade, and redirected by a God Ashlyn wants to forget, through Mamie Lou’s real gift … the secret story of her grandmother’s past. (Contemporary Romance)
Davis Donnelly has spent the last few years studying to work in Christian ministry after a bomb ended his military service. First, he has to sort out his marital status: is he divorced from Joy Lynn Jennings, or are they still married?
Joy Donnelly is an ICU nurse with an energetic two-year-old son who spends her spare time (!) studying to become a nurse practitioner so she can get more regular hours and give her son a better life.
When Joy gets a call to say her son Hankie has been “released” from daycare for bad behaviour, she knows she needs to find a babysitter, and quickly. But her day goes from bad to worse when Hankie escapes their third-floor apartment, she meets her ex outside, trips, and lands in surgery.
Davis helps, getting her to hospital and offering her a free place to recover … and his help with babysitting Hankie.
I will say that I’m not a fan of the secret baby plot, so it bugged me to find that Joy had never even told the baby’s father (not Davis) that she was pregnant. But Davis’s attitude towards Hankie blunted my annoyance, especially when we found out Davis’s own issues with caring for small boys.
The other thing that bugged me was the overabundance of quirky Southernisms. The first couple were amusing, then they got annoying, then I started ignoring them so I could focus on the story.
And it was a good story, especially once Joy and Davis arrive in St. Simons.
Here, Joy meets David’s friends and slowly learns that Christianity is more than the judgement pumped into her as a child and teen.
Instead, we see Christians living as the Bible asks us to live – loving our neighbours and looking after widows and orphans in their distress. Janet L Ferguson’s characters are Christians who do the hard things, rather than just praying and tithing and hoping others will do the hard things (not that I’m down on praying and tithing. But real faith is about living from the heart, not the rule book).
Those who have read Janet L Ferguson’s earlier books set in St. Simons will recognise several of the characters, particularly Rivers and Connor. It’s good to see them again.
Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
About Janet W Ferguson
Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served her church as a children’s minister and a youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.
Years ago, a Dear John letter and then an IED explosion overseas rocked Davis Donnelly’s world and left him unclear about his marital status. He’d signed divorce papers, but broken mentally and physically, he’d never bothered to find out if his marriage actually ended. Now that he’s about to start a new position as an outreach minister, it’s time to settle things once and for all. At the moment he tracks down his wife—or former wife?—she takes a tumble while chasing a little boy. Her son. And that’s when life flips upside down.
Joy Jennings Donnelly made her share of mistakes. But one thing she never considered a mistake was her child, and she’ll do anything to protect him. Even keep his paternity a secret.
When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her.
Domestic violence survivor Tia Jordan runs a women’s shelter in the small town of Harmony Grove, Florida. Everything is going well, especially when she receives the welcome news that her shelter has inherited a property from a local woman—a house that will allow Tia to expand the shelter and protect more women and children.
But this is romantic suspense, so we know things are going to turn to custard soon. First, Tia gets a call from a parole officer to say her abusive ex-husband has been granted early release from prison. Then she meets the dead woman’s grandson, who is none too impressed that he has only inherited the contents of the house, not the house itself. Finally, there is an incident after one of the shelter’s residents accidentally lets slip where she is staying, and her violent ex turns up.
That gives us plenty of potential evildoers.
The different characters (good and bad) and their conflicts added layers to the plot and gave plenty of opportunity for twists. I appreciated the complexity—my complaint about the first novel in the Harmony Grove series (Flee the Darkness) was that it was pretty obvious who the evildoer was, which meant the romantic suspense was mostly about waiting for the inevitable to happen, with little or no surprise.
Shatter the Silence was almost the opposite. While there is an understated romance, the suspense definitely took first place. And that made sense. Tia is an intelligent and capable woman, and I would have thought less of her if she’d made a silly mistake like falling too fast for the first handsome man who looked her way. As a survivor, she needed to give Jason time to prove himself, and she did.
I liked the fact the novel looked at the real-life issue of domestic violence, and how easy it can be for women (and men) to find themselves in an abusive or violent situation.
The other thing I liked was the Christian aspect.
Both Tia and Jason were Christians from the beginning, and their faith was shown by their actions in a range of low-key ways. Overall, Shatter the Silence was an excellent Christian romantic suspense novel with wounded yet believable characters and plenty of twists.
Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
About Carol J Post
From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol’s resume reads as if she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She currently pens fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award.
Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.
Tia Jordan almost died at the hands of an abusive, cruel husband and carries the scars, both inside and out. She is using those experiences to help other women and children find solace. Right now, her abused women’s shelter is bursting at the seams. When she learns she’s heir to a huge two-story house outside of town, she thanks God for unexpected blessings, until a grandson shows up with another will, threatening to contest hers.
For the past several months, Jason Sloan has kept his nose to the grindstone, watching his mother’s cancer treatments dwindle away his savings. When he learns the inheritance he counted on has been left to Tia and her shelter, he’s torn. With his mother and him having been forced to flee an abusive situation themselves, Tia’s cause hits too close to home. All disagreements take a back seat, though, when he and Tia find themselves working together to fight an unseen foe. But which one of them is the target?
Naomi McIntosh is living and working in Pleasant Valley under an assumed name, having escaped her abusive father and an unwanted engagement. But when she hears a rumour that her fiancé is offering a reward for finding her, she knows it’s time to move on again.
She travels to Falls Creek Inn and takes a job as housekeeper under the name Charity Ashton. It would be the perfect job if it wasn’t for James Roberts, son of the Inn’s owner, and the shepherd boy she fell in love with in her home of Southpoint. James knows who she is, but can he keep her secret? And is there any chance of them forming an attachment after how Naomi once rejected him?
Uncharted Freedom is a classic case of doing the wrong thing for the right reason.
Naomi lies about her name and background, but not because she’s dishonest. She lies because she’s afraid of her abusive father and equally afraid of the older man he’s promised her to. For better or worse, running away and lying was the only solution she could see.
James has his own issues. He’s the second son, so won’t inherit the Inn. But Revel, his older brother, is a wanderer with no intention or desire to claim his inheritance, even though their father is aged and unwell. James thinks he wants the inn, but he also loves his role as a shepherd, loves his sheep, and loves Naomi, but doesn’t understand why she’s lying.
As such, this is a story about truth and honesty, and working out how to do the right thing rather than what seems to be the easy thing.
Uncharted Freedom is the latest in Keely Brooke Keith’s ongoing Uncharted series. As part of a series, there are some ongoing threads that will make more sense to those who have read at least some of the previous novels, because there are several recurring characters and an overarching story arc. In fact, the end of Uncharted Freedom promises more from this arc in the next book in the series.
And that was one thing I particularly liked about Uncharted Freedom – the way it connected to the rest of the series. While each novel is a standalone romance, the background is what makes the novels different from other Christian romances set in a similar era, and is what makes the Uncharted series a must-read for me.
Recommended for fans of Christian historical romance and speculative fiction.
Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
About Keely Brooke Keith
Keely Brooke Keith writes inspirational frontier-style fiction with a slight Sci-Fi twist, including The Land Uncharted (Shelf Unbound Notable Romance 2015) and Aboard Providence (2017 INSPY Awards Longlist). Keely also creates resources for writers such as The Writer’s Book Launch Guide and The Writer’s Character Journal.
Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely grew up in a family that frequently relocated. By graduation, she lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools. When she isn’t writing, Keely enjoys playing bass guitar, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Keely, her husband, and their daughter live on a hilltop south of Nashville, Tennessee.
Naomi McIntosh is running from her family’s oppressive expectations and the loathsome man her father has demanded she marry. Renaming herself to live incognito, she takes a housekeeping job at the Inn at Falls Creek and promises God this false identity will be her last.
When shepherd James Roberts goes home to the Inn at Falls Creek for his sister’s wedding, he doesn’t expect the woman who once broke his heart to be working there. No matter how much he wants to be with Naomi again, he can’t go along with her charade, especially since he is trying to persuade his father to make him the inn’s heir.
Though Naomi yearns for a future with James, if she confesses her deception to everyone, her estranged fiancé will find her. And the longer James goes without telling his family the truth about Naomi—and their growing relationship—the further he jeopardizes the inheritance. But just when their relationship looks promising, the inn proves to be a poor hiding place from Naomi’s past.
Kathleen Denly writes historical romance stories to entertain, encourage, and inspire readers toward a better understanding of our amazing God and how He sees us. Award winning author of the Chaparral Hearts series, she also shares history tidbits, thoughts on writing, books reviews and more at 
A Carol award finalist and Selah award winner, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.
Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served her church as a children’s minister and a youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.
From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol’s resume reads as if she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She currently pens fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award.
