Do you read an excerpt or first chapter sample before buying a book?

Bookish Question #143 | Do you read an excerpt or first chapter sample before buying a book?

by Iola Goulton

Sometimes.

(Well, I had to say something other than my usual “It depends”!)

There are times when I don’t read a sample before downloading (or buying) the book:

  • When the book is a review copy, because I’m not “buying” it, and there is no sample available (as review copies are usually pre-release books).
  • When the book is free on Kindle, because books are often only free for a short period, and I wouldn’t want to download the sample, not read it, then miss out on the free book because of my own tardiness.
  • I may also click Buy without reading the sample on a book that’s on a short-term 99 cent sale so I don’t miss out. This is especially the case if I’ve read and enjoyed other books by that author, or if I’ve seen the book recommended by someone I trust.
  • When the book is a preorder. Kindle samples are only available for books that are for sale, but many authors offer 99 cent or $2.99 preorder specials. If it’s an author I’ve read and enjoyed before, then it’s easy to click Buy on a 99 cent preorder.

If the book is more expensive, then my decision will depend on the price, the book, and the author—I’m more likely to click Buy on a book I’ve been waiting for (e.g. because it’s the next in a series I enjoy) than on an unknown book from a less familiar author.

Otherwise, I’ll download and read the Kindle sample.

Why? Because I already have hundreds of unread books (fiction and nonfiction) on my Kindle. I don’t want to spend money on more books unless I’m confident I’m going to read and enjoy it. The books I abandon are generally those where I didn’t read a sample first. If I read and enjoyed the sample, then I’m likely to want to read the whole book.

What about you? Do you read an excerpt or first chapter sample before buying a book?

Quote from Courting Will: Knowing when you're wrong is the first step to being a good husband. You should learn that now.

Book Review | Courting Will (Escape to the West #8) by Nerys Leigh

by Iola Goulton

I’m a big fan of all Nerys Leigh’s novels, but I especially like her Escape to the West series because it’s Christian romance rather than regular clean romance.

There are three main things I like about her novels.

First, they’re funny. She has some great lines, and her characters have plenty of witty dialogue.

Second, she’s not afraid to put a spin on a popular trope. For example, a lot of historical fiction has the man attempting to court a woman who’s not interested. Courting Will reverses that trope, and has Daisy pursuing Will. Although he’s had a secret crush on Daisy for years, he has a past and doesn’t think he’s good enough for her.

Third, I like that the novels have a clear Christian message. People tell Will God has forgiven him for his past misdeeds, but it takes more than words for Will to believe this for himself. That’s familiar …

All in all, I think Courting WIll is one of the stronger novels in a series that’s already strong. Recommended for fans of Christian historical romance, especially those set in the American west.

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

About Nerys Leigh

Nerys LeighNerys Leigh writes thoroughly romantic Christian historical love stories. She loves heroes who are strong but sweet and heroines who are willing to fight for the life they want.

She’s from the UK, which you would think puts her in a unique position to not write about mail order brides in the American west, but the old adage of writing what you know has never appealed to her. She has an actual American read each book before publishing to make sure she hasn’t gone all English on it.

No One’s Bride is the first in the Escape to the West series which tells the stories of a group of women willing to travel across America to find happiness, and the men determined to win their hearts.

You can find Nerys Leigh online relaxing and generally enjoying the view at:

 Website | Facebook

About Courting Will

How can the right man be so infuriatingly wrong?

Daisy and Will have been not courting for a year.

At first, that was a good thing. When Will began spending time with her and her young son, only four months had passed since the death of Daisy’s husband, and having her childhood friend around eased her loneliness and pain.

But now, a year later, Will is still spending time with her, and they’re still not courting, and it’s beginning to feel like not such a good thing.

With his wild past, Will is convinced he shouldn’t be a husband or father, so Daisy decides to take matters into her own hands. If he won’t court her, she’ll court him.

Until Will’s past catches up with him, and threatens to tear them apart forever.

Find Courting Will online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Courting Will below:

Click here to find Courting Will and other great Christian fiction in my Amazon store!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 123 | Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason

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 Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

First Line of Collateral Damage: Sergeant First Class Asher James stared at Captain Phillip Newell, sure he'd heard wrong.

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

About Collateral Damage

Honorably discharged from the Army after an explosion nearly killed her, former military psychiatrist Brooke Adams has set up shop to help others–but her days of helping military personnel are over. She’s got her own battles to fight from her time overseas, and she’s not equipped to take on more. Former Army Special Ops Sergeant First Class Asher James could handle anything that war sent his way–terrorists, bombs, bullets. The only thing that scares him now is sleep. As the shadows close in, the nightmares begin.

Finally convinced that he needs help, Asher makes an appointment with a counselor, and Brooke is pressed by her boss to take him on. When he arrives at her office she isn’t there–but a dead body is. Brooke is devastated when she walks in, and Asher is a conveniently strong shoulder to cry on. But she can’t take him on as a client after sharing such an intimate and unprofessional moment, can she? And he’s not sure he can handle sharing his deepest fears with such a beautiful woman.

When it becomes clear that Brooke was the real target of the attack–and that her secrets go even deeper than his own–Asher vows to protect her no matter what.

You can find Collateral Damage online at:

Amazon | 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!

Bookish Question #142 | Which authors or novels to you think best illustrate healthy Christian family relationships?

by Iola Goulton

This is another excellent question.

Fiction is about conflict, and that conflict is often in the context of a family relationship. It may be a stage-of-life thing, but I’m over books where the teenage protagonist has #FirstWorldProblems with their (in my opinion) reasonable parent or parents. I’m also not keen on books where the parents are made out to be some kind of ogres … who have magically produced a well-adjusted child or teenager. #YeahRight.

But there is more to family relationships than parents and children.

There is also siblings … and there are a lot of stories which feature siblings.

Susan May Warren’s Christiansen Family series features the Christiansen siblings (and their parents). Now, it has to be said that they aren’t always “healthy” family relationships, but the emphasis is on acknowledging problems and doing whatever you can to fix the relationships. That’s healthy.

Dee Henderson’s O’Malley romantic suspense series features seven adopted siblings, so that’s a different kind of family. They also disagree, but they’re all noble adults who would do anything for each other.

And, of course, there are Clarke and Marty’s family from Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke, and the Baxter family by Karen Kingsbury, as I mentioned last week.

It’s interesting that all the examples I can think of are series.

Can you think of any standalone novels that do a great job of showing healthy Christian family relationships? Or any series I’ve missed?

Her eyes met mine, her desperate look pleading with me not to do anything stupid. Sadly, that wasn't going to happen.

Book Review | Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather by Heather Day Gilbert

by Iola Goulton

We’ll start with the one thing I’m not happy about with Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather:

This is the last book in the Belinda Blake series 🙁

Yes, it’s another great instalment in Belinda’s life as an exotic petsitter, and it wraps up well, but I’d like more.

For those who have been following the series, we do get an answer to Belinda’s little romance problem. For those who haven’t been following the series … this is the third in the series, and while it’s an excellent standalone novel, there is a little backstory that you might appreciate more if you read Snake in the Grass and Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing first

Belinda returns to her hometown after her best friend’s mother dies. While she’s there, she gets pulled into caring for the lady’s homing pigeons … and investigating a suspicious death in the neighbourhood. As you do.

Belinda is a great character—fun, intelligent, and slightly weird.

She has two jobs: she’s a video game reviewer who probably understands more of what my teenage son says than I do, and she babysits exotic pets: snakes, wolves, and pigeons, among others. The novel is written in first person, and her quirky voice works well as a narrator.

Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather by Heather Day Gilbert @HeatherDGilbert is a fun mystery with plenty of humour, witty dialogue, and great characters. #CozyMystery #BookReview Share on X

As with the other books in the series, this is a fun mystery with no on-the-page violence but plenty of humour, witty dialogue, and great characters. I’ve enjoyed this series, and I’m sorry to see it end (although I am hoping that hint towards the end was prepping us for more Belinda Blake books—hint, hint).

Recommended for cozy mystery fans.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Heather Day Gilbert

Heather Day Gilbert, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love.

Publisher’s Weekly gave Heather’s Viking historical Forest Child a starred review, saying it is “an engaging story depicting timeless human struggles with faith, love, loyalty, and leadership.”

Find Heather Day Gilbert online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube

About Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather

When exotic pet–sitter Belinda Blake starts pecking at the details of a suspicious accident in her sleepy hometown, she inadvertently digs up a murder case that won’t be solved without ruffling a few feathers . . .

The moment Belinda arrives in Larches Corner, her Upstate New York hometown, she’s immediately recruited to care for a deceased friend’s flock of homing pigeons. But Belinda’s plans for a swift visit scatter after a local college student is mowed down in a malicious hit-and-run that has the whole town reeling.

At first, the gruesome demise of Jackson Hait appears to be a random tragedy. But Belinda quickly uncovers connections to a tight-knit group of friends and a similar death three years earlier . . . one that wasn’t as accidental as it seemed. Now, Belinda must pluck the truth from a tangled nest of lies before a cruel killer takes wing.

Find Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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 122 | Border Breach by Darlene L Turner

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 Border Breach, the debut novel by Darlene L Turner. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

First line from Border Breach by Darlene L Turner: Officer Kaylin Poirier's stomach lurched at the sight of the two people inside a white florist van that pulled up to her booth at the Windsor-Detroit border.

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

About Border Breach

When drugs are smuggled across the border …

It’s their duty to stop the culprits … at any cost.

Forming a joint task force, Canada border officer Kaylin Poirier and police constable Hudson Steeves have one objective: take down a drug-smuggling ring trying to sell a new lethal product. But when the smugglers come after Kaylin and Hudson, this mission becomes more than just a job. Can they live long enough to solve the case?

Find Border Breach online at:

Amazon | Goodreads | Kobo

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!

The biggest subgenre in Christian fiction is romance, and the definition of a romance novel is that it ends with the promise of a happy-ever-after. It doesn't then go on to show that happy-ever-after. Some women's fiction novels do deal with marriage, but the focus is more likely to be a marriage in trouble. As such, it shows the main character (usually the wife) and their marriage partner overcoming their issues. Although, if I think about it, isn't that the definition of a healthy relationship: one where the people involved work together to overcome their issues? There is also the problem of the nature of fiction: it's about conflict. As such, a healthy Christian marriage is never going to be the focus of a Christian novel (although it could be the backdrop). After all, fiction loves contrast, and what better contrast to relationship drama than a healthy Christian marriage? There are several Christian authors who do this well, including Catherine West and Elizabeth Musser. Having said that, I do think their are some authors and series who do a great job of depicting healthy Christian marriage. The classic is Janette Oke, with both the Love Comes Softly and the Canadian West series (serieses?). Another example is Karen Kingsbury with the everlasting novels about the ever-growing Baxter family. Neither series depict perfect marriages (although the Baxter novels come melodramatically close), but that's good: there is no perfect marriage. And perhaps that's something our romance novels should make clear. But that's a topic for another day. What about you? What authors or novels do you think best illustrate a healthy Christian marriage? Why?

Bookish Question #141 | Which authors or novels do you think best illustrate a healthy Christian marriage?

by Iola Goulton

The biggest subgenre in Christian fiction is romance, and the definition of a romance novel is that it ends with the promise of a happy-ever-after. It doesn’t then go on to show that happy-ever-after.

Some women’s fiction novels deal with marriage.

But the focus in women’s fiction is more likely to be a marriage in trouble. As such, it shows the main character (usually the wife) and their marriage partner overcoming their issues. Although, if I think about it, isn’t that the definition of a healthy relationship: one where the people involved work together to overcome their issues?

There is also the problem of the nature of fiction: it’s about conflict.

As such, a healthy Christian marriage is never going to be the focus of a Christian novel (although it could be the backdrop). After all, fiction loves contrast, and what better contrast to relationship drama than a healthy Christian marriage? There are several Christian authors who do this well, including Catherine West and Elizabeth Musser.

Having said that, I do think their are some authors and series who do a great job of depicting healthy Christian marriage. The classic is Janette Oke, with both the Love Comes Softly and the Canadian West series (serieses?). Another example is Karen Kingsbury with the everlasting novels about the ever-growing Baxter family.

Neither series depict perfect marriages (although the Baxter novels come melodramatically close), but that’s good: there is no perfect marriage. And perhaps that’s something our romance novels should make clear. But that’s a topic for another day.

What about you? What authors or novels do you think best illustrate a healthy Christian marriage? Why?

Forced to choose between Eliza's safety and what society deemed proper, he must choose Eliza's safety. He prayed Alice would understand.

Book Review | Waltz in the Wilderness by Kathleen Denly

by Iola Goulton

Waltz in the Wilderness is Kathleen Denly’s debut novel, and it’s excellent. It’s set in California during the Gold Rush, in the time when people referred to the East as “the States”. (That amused me.)

I found the beginning a little disjointed. I didn’t immediately realise that Eli was Eliza, or that her father had left her with her aunt and uncle. That could have been me—I wasn’t able to sit down and read the way I usually do. Instead, I was snatching a chapter here and a chapter there … not my preference.

But once I got into the story without interruptions, it flowed and flowed well. There was plenty of action (including a shipwreck and a near-drowning), a trek into the wilderness, and plenty of emotional conflict. Daniel is a great hero. He is a man of honour, choosing to do what he believes is right even when it’s hard.

My favourite character was Eliza.

She was a woman who could think and act for herself and wasn’t afraid to act outside society’s norms. She’s strong and independent, knows her own mind, and goes after what she wants … even if it doesn’t appear to make sense. But she’s also not the kind of woman who complains, no matter how bad the circumstances, and I could admire that about her (okay, so she did have a little moan at one point, but it didn’t last).

I especially liked the fact that Eliza and Daniel both developed as characters during the novel, especially in terms of their spiritual journeys. Eliza especially had some lessons to learn, and they came out naturally—which is a testament to Kathleen Denly’s writing.

Recommended.

Waltz in the Wilderness by @KathleenDenly is an enjoyable Christian historical romance debut, set in the American West during the gold rush. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

Thanks to Wild Heart books for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kathleen Denly

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

Waltz in the Wilderness is Kathleen’s debut novel and the first in a series of three stand-alone historical Christian romance novels connected by secondary characters and their beautiful Southern California setting.

Find Kathleen Denly online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Waltz in the Wilderness

She’s desperate to find her missing father. His conscience demands he risk all to help.

Eliza Brooks is haunted by her role in her mother’s death, so she’ll do anything to find her missing pa—even if it means sneaking aboard a southbound ship. When those meant to protect her abandon and betray her instead, a family friend’s unexpected assistance is a blessing she can’t refuse.

Daniel Clarke came to California to make his fortune, and a stable job as a San Francisco carpenter has earned him more than most have scraped from the local goldfields. But it’s been four years since he left Massachusetts and his fiancée is impatient for his return. Bound for home at last, Daniel Clarke finds his heart and plans challenged by a tenacious young woman with haunted eyes. Though every word he utters seems to offend her, he is determined to see her safely returned to her father. Even if that means risking his fragile engagement.

When disaster befalls them in the remote wilderness of the Southern California mountains, true feelings are revealed, and both must face heart-rending decisions. But how to decide when every choice before them leads to someone getting hurt?

Find Waltz in the Wilderness online at:

Amazon | Goodreads | Kobo

Read the introduction to Waltz in the Wilderness below:

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 121 | The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel

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’ve wanted to read The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel since I first heard about it. Why? Because it’s largely set in New Zealand, of course! Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

First line from The Joy of Falling: Once upon a time, color had dominated Eva Jamison's days.

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

About The Joy of Falling

Eva and Angela must learn to live again. One step at a time.

It has been fifteen months since Eva and Angela lost their thrill-seeking husbands in a scuba diving accident. Both women are trying to navigate their way through the grief, but neither one is making much progress. Angela is barely making ends meet, angry at her husband for leaving her to raise three children on her own. Meanwhile, Eva is stuck, unable to move forward after losing the love of her life and her source of inspiration.

But then Eva gets a life-changing phone call. Before Brent and Wes died, they had signed up for a race of a lifetime—an ultra-marathon in beautiful New Zealand. Eva begs Angela to run the race with her in their husbands’ place, and Angela finally agrees, hoping to finally understand her husband’s choices.

Training is exhausting, and the race is even more demanding. Their journey grows more complicated by the presence of two men—Marc is Brent’s best friend who is running the race with Eva and Angela, and Simon King is a writer who is covering their inspiring story. With every step, Eva and Angela must ask themselves questions that they haven’t had the courage to ask before. As the women literally put one foot in front of the other, they wonder: Is it possible to find their way forward in hope?

You can find The Joy of Falling online at

Amazon | 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!

Can't Help Falling by Kara Isaac

Throwback Thursday | Can’t Help Falling by Kara Isaac

by Iola Goulton

Kara Isaac is working on a new book, and it will apparently feature some of the same characters as her second novel, Can’t Help Falling. Yay!

(I was going to say a little bird told me, but that’s not true. I found out via Instagram, not Twitter.)

Anyway, that seemed like a good reason to reshare my review of Can’t Help Falling … which I suspect I’m going to reread shortly 🙂

I enjoyed Kara Isaac’s debut novel, Close to You, mostly because it was set in New Zealand.

Okay, the story was also very good, but it was set in New Zealand. It had places I knew–a novelty for me.

Can’t Help Falling wasn’t set in New Zealand, and that did lead to an initial feeling of disappointment. But it did still feature Close to You’s Allie and Jackson as characters, now transplanted to England where Jackson is studying at Cambridge and Allie is teaching at Oxford–the main setting for Close to You.

Narnia freak Emilia Mason has left her LA life as mudraking celebrity “journalist” and taken a events/fundraising job in a small literacy charity in Oxford. Here she meets rowing coach Peter Carlisle, who seems to know almost as much about Narnia as she does … and who she works with at the charity.

I thought Close to You was great. But Can’t Help Falling is even better.

Better writing (no pressure, Kara!), better characterisation (perhaps because I already ‘know’ Allie and Jackson), and especially better integration of Christian themes: Peter is a Christian and won’t even consider dating Emilia because she isn’t–something Emilia finds even more odd than the fact Allie and Jackson aren’t sleeping together.

Peter is a great Christian character. Well, he’s a great character, period, who happens to be a Christian. Yes, he has his faults (this is a romance and the path of true love never did run smooth. At least, not in fiction), but he also has wisdom and grace beyond his years.

Recommended for all lovers of Narnia and a good contemporary romance.

Thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kara Isaac

Kara Isaac is a RITA® Award winning author who lives in Wellington, New Zealand where she writes contemporary romance with heart and humor. Her supportive husband has not read any of her books because they contain “way too much talking and not enough gunfights”. When she’s not chasing three little people or working her “real” job, she spends her time writing horribly bad first drafts and wishing you could get Double Stuf Oreos in New Zealand.

Find Kara Isaac online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

About Can’t Help Falling

Emelia Mason has spent her career finding the dirt on the rich and famous. But deep down past this fearless tabloid-reporter façade, there’s a nerdy Narnia-obsessed girl who still can’t resist climbing into wardrobes to check for the magical land on the other side. When a story she writes produces tragic results, she flees to Oxford, England–home to C.S. Lewis–to try and make amends for the damage she has caused.

Peter Carlisle was on his way to become one of Great Britain’s best rowers–until he injured his shoulder and lost his chance at glory. He’s determined to fight his way back to the top even if it means risking permanent disability to do so. It’s the only way he can find his way past failing the one person who never stopped believing in his Olympic dream.

When Peter and Emelia cross paths on her first night in Oxford, the attraction is instant and they find common ground in their shared love of Narnia. But can the lessons from a fantasyland be enough to hold them together when secrets of the real world threaten to tear them apart? Cobblestone streets, an aristocratic estate, and an antique shop with curious a wardrobe bring the world of Narnia to life in Kara Isaac’s inspiring and romantic story about second chances.

You can read the introduction to Can’t Help Falling below:

Click here to check out Can’t Help Falling and other great Christian fiction in my Amazon store!