Category: Book Review

14 August 2023

Book Review | With Every Memory by Janine Rosch

I am a sucker for amnesia plots, and this is one of the best I’ve read. While amnesia is serious, many of the novels I’ve read have taken more of a rom-com approach, literary equivalents of Fifty First Dates. With Every Memory is more serious, although there are humorous moments.

Lori lost her memory ten months ago in the car accident that killed her teenage son.

Now she’s heading home after rehab to a sterile house she doesn’t remember, a distant husband, a rebellious teen daughter, and friends she no longer knows. What she does know is that the happy marriage she remembers has disappeared, and she has no idea why.

Avery lost her twin brother in the accident and has been lost ever since.

She’s flunking school and now the principal has threatened that she won’t be able to graduate with her class. He suggests a tutor—the annoying Xander, her brother’s best friend and the guy who put gum in her hair as well as a bunch of other stuff.

With Every Memory is written in first person point of view from Lori and Avery’s points of view. Two characters in first person does take a little getting used to and turns the story into a mix of women’s fiction (Lori’s story) and YA romance (Avery’s story).

Both women’s voices are equally strong in their own way, which is great.

I often find I prefer one character over another in stories like this. Lori’s story is strong, because it’s the amnesia story, and we get to see her gradually recovering her memories and rediscovering herself. Avery’s story is poignant, but also has touches of needed humour.

My favourite character was Xander, Austin’s best friend and Avery’s unwanted tutor, the guy who’s had a crush on her for half of forever. He sticks by Avery even when she’s pushing him away with her words and her actions. I admired him even while I felt sorry for him, because he understood (perhaps better than Avery) that her actions were borne out of grief. Xander wears his heart on his sleeve and is just plain wonderful—the guy any mom would want for their daughter.

Michael, on the hand, is more reserved, and is a workaholic. He justifies himself by saying he’s providing for his family, but Lori can’t help wonder if there’s something more, especially given what her friends say. that adds a tension to their relationship that kept me reading and made the book impossible to put down.

Overall, I loved With Every Memory, and it’s one of those books I’ll enjoy even more the second time through because I’ll know the ending so I’ll be reading with a different mindset.

However, it won’t be right for everyone. It is written in first person, and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Also, Lori’s grief over losing her son (and Avery’s grief over losing her twin brother) is a big part of the story, and some people won’t want to read that. There is also a reference to sexual assault.

But forewarned is forearmed, and it’s definitely worth reading for a story of enduring love even in the most difficult times.

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

About Janine Rosche

Janine Rosche is the author of the Madison River Romance and Whisper Canyon series of novels. Prone to wander, she finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her stories. When she isn’t traveling or writing novels, she teaches family life education courses, produces The Love Wander Read Journal, and takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs.

Find Janine Rosche online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest |Twitter

About With Every Memory

Is the Life She Can’t Remember One She’d Rather Forget?

One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her. She is shocked to find that the life she was leading before the accident is unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn’t sure she can trust and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room.

For Avery, life stopped when she lost her twin. Now, if she wants to graduate high school, she’ll have to accept help from Xander Dixon, her brother’s best friend and the boy who relentlessly teased her for years. And if Lori wants to reconnect with her husband, she’ll have to grapple with information her brain is trying to keep secret. With every memory that returns, she can’t help but wonder if the life she can’t remember is one she’d rather forget.

Find With Every Memory online at:

Amazon| BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

7 August 2023

Book Review | Where Our Hearts Lie (Trinity Lakes #6) by Jenny Glazebrook

Where Our Hearts Lie is the sixth novel in the Trinity Lakes Romance series, and it’s my favourite so far—I inhaled the entire story in one sitting.

Hallie is an easy character to like, and many readers will relate to her.

She grew up as “the genius missionary kid”, and has never felt like she fit in. The older I get, the more I realise I even the teens in the “cool crowd” sometimes felt like they didn’t fit in. I could relate to Hallie and I’m sure many other readers will as well.

Josh is a little harder to relate to.

He suffered a head injury which left him unable to read. As a reader, that’s something I’m happy I can’t relate to, but which I can sympathise with. Even if I wasn’t a keen reader, I would sympathise, because the ability to read is so central to modern life.

Josh, understandably, tries to hide his disability. He works a minimum wage job in a grocery store, which means a lot of people look down on him because they think he should be doing something better (like being a preacher, like his father). But Josh is hiding other secrets that remind us that God measures using a different standard to man (or woman).

A bad relationship causes Hallie to lose trust in herself, in her judgement, and in men in general. She wants openness and honesty in relationships, not secrets. That, of course, puts her on a collision course with Josh and his secrets. But Hallie has secrets of her own …

I loved the way Jenny Glazebrook has combined two hurting characters and brought them together into the Biblical threefold cord.

Where Our Hearts Lie reminds us that God needs to be at the centre of our relationships, and that all things are possible with Him in charge.

Recommended for fans of small-town contemporary Christian romance with a strong Christian message.

About Where Our Hearts Lie

Can two hurting hearts find where they belong?

Hallie Hollaway is the daughter of missionaries and a child prodigy who desperately wants to fit in. When her first meeting with an internet boyfriend goes horribly wrong, she escapes to her childhood home of Trinity Lakes. The only place she has ever felt safe and loved.

Josh Ladan is the pastor’s kid who once dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps. Until one tragic summer in Australia changed everything. Now Hallie, his clever childhood friend, is back in Trinity Lakes. Josh is closely guarding a secret that he fears will disappoint Hallie, but he is determined to prove himself to her.

Hallie is drawn to Josh, but holds herself back, believing she is unworthy of love. Can Hallie and Josh allow God to work in their hearts and lives to restore trust and hope for a future together?

Find Where Our Hearts Lie online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

About Jenny Glazebrook

Jenny Glazebrook is an Australian author of inspirational Christian fiction for young adults. She and her husband Rob have four children and live in the country town of Gundagai with their many pets.

Jenny had a difficult childhood struggling with medical issues (including a cleft lip and palate and type 1 diabetes) and she came to a point of complete brokenness when she was 13. It was at this point God reached in, showed His love for her through Jesus, and gave her a reason to live. Jenny is now passionate about helping people understand what it means to have a deep and real relationship with God and sees writing fiction as an enjoyable way to show others how to live with joy and purpose in this broken world.

Several of Jenny’s novels have been finalists in the CALEB awards for faith inspired writing.

Find Jenny Glazebrook online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

31 July 2023

Book Review | Until I Met You by Lara Van Hulzen

Until I Met You is part of The Endicotts of Silver Bay series. I haven’t read the first two books in the series, which must be Chet and Meg’s story, but didn’t feel I was missing any information. That’s always a plus when reading a series out of order—there can be a fine balance between boring readers by rehashing the first/previous books, vs. ignoring them and leaving the reader feeling like they’ve gatecrashed a private party.

I loved the initial meeting between Rachel and Dominic.

So did Dominic … more than Rachel did, at least. There’s an initial attraction between the two (not my favourite trope), so I was happy to see their relationship was built on a growing friendship rather than on the initial attraction. I loved the dialogue and banter between the two as they work together on a fundraiser for the town community centre, where Rachel works.

Rachel also had a role as a volunteer chaplain for the local fire department and hospital. That sounded fascinating, and I would have liked to have seen more of her chaplaincy role—it’s not something I can recall seeing in Christian fiction, which feels like a gap.

Until I Met You is a fairly slow burn romance (my favourite kind) that hits all the right notes for a sweet, easy small-town romance read.

Recommended for small-town contemporary romance fans, especially those who like opposites attract or billionaire tropes.

Thanks to Tule Publishing for providing a free ebook for review.

About Until I Met You

When his parents move to Silver Bay, California, Dominic Endicott, ever the dutiful son, packs up his life and heads to the small town. He sees it as temporary, appeasing his mother and making sure his dad’s health is stable while Dominic keeps the family business running. Dominic planned on keeping his head down, focused only on working and spending time with his family. Until a beautiful brunette forces him to look up.

Local Chaplain and community center employee Rachel Anderson loves her little town that she’s called home for the past year. Silver Bay is a far cry from her life growing up in LA, and that’s perfectly fine with her. When she mistakes newcomer Dominic for her friend, Chet, her simple, curated life becomes complicated.

Thrown together to work on raising money for the town’s community center, the sparks between Rachel and Dominic are too strong to ignore. But Dominic represents everything Rachel has been running from, while Rachel has Dominic rethinking his entire life plan. Can these two bridge the gap between their worlds and give love a chance?

Find Until I Met You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About Lara Van Hulzen

Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a BA in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy. Lara loves tea, baseball and living in Idaho with her husband and Great Dane.

Find Lara Van Hulzen online at:

Website | BookBub | Goodreads

17 July 2023

Book Review | Imperfectly Proverbs 31 by Liwen Y Ho

Samantha Rose designs websites for mommy bloggers. When her archeologist sister gets the opportunity to go overseas for six months, Sam volunteers to look after her twin nieces, and sets up a joke mommy blog so her sister can see the children are healthy and happy. Unfortunately, a national newspaper somehow comes across her blog—which is full of perfectly posed pictures of happy children, healthy food, and a pristine house—and Sam’s blog goes viral.

But Sam is not a natural homemaker …

Sure, the children are happy, but their neighbour cooks the food, and the house is only ever pristine for the minute it takes to get the perfect photo.

Novak is a crime journalist with the newspaper, and his editor gives him an ultimatum: take a four-week holiday in Sunset Bay, interview the blogger, and write an article on her. Or he’s fired. So Novak is technically on holiday, but he does have this one article to write. His specialty is exposing fraud, and he figures Sam must be a fraud. She says she’s never lied. She just hasn’t told the whole truth, because the blog was meant to be a simple joke between her and her sister.

Sam and Novak are immediately attracted to each other, aided by two small girls who also fall for Novack and want him to stay. Sparks obviously fly, but there will be a showdown.

This is my favourite kind of romance: something that’s fairly low-stakes.

We know the hero and heroine are going to end up together (because otherwise it wouldn’t be a romance), so the tension is all built around a few key questions. When is Novak going to find out Sam’s secret? What will he write in his article? Given we know he’s going to tell the truth (because he always does), what will happen? How will they reconcile?

Okay, so there were elements of the story that were predictable (again, otherwise it wouldn’t be a romance). But I enjoyed the banter and interplay between Sam and Novak, I enjoyed the way the twins added to the story, and I loved Sam’s homemaker challenge of baking the perfect pie.

There’s also subtle underlying message about how we think of ourselves and how we define success. No, the ability to bake the perfect pie does not make someone the perfect person. Instead, we have to lean into the gifts God has given us … and that’s a good message for us all.

Recommended for rom-com fans.

About Liwen Ho

Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).

In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist

You can find Liwen Ho online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Imperfectly Proverbs 31

Journalist Daniel Novak is on a forced vacation with just one assignment: interview blogger Samantha Rose, who is looking after her nieces while her sister is temporarily working overseas.

Here’s the book description:

She’s trying to be what she’s not. He’s where he doesn’t want to be.

To help her archeologist sister, geeky Samantha Rose agrees to swap her black T-shirts and diet of pizza and ice-cream for a pretty apron and a summer caring for her adorable twin nieces and their newfoundland dog in Huckleberry Lake, Idaho. How hard can it be?

When Perfectly Proverbs 31, the blog she starts to reassure her sister, goes viral and everyone believes she really is a wonderful homemaker, Sam reluctantly needs to keep up the pretense. If she doesn’t, she risks ruining everyone’s summer. The girls’ oh-so-capable and over-protective grandma will surely swoop in to take them away from her.

Forced by his boss to interview Sam then take a vacation, a month at the lake with nothing to do but write a fluff piece is burned-out city crime journalist Daniel Novak’s worst nightmare. But he finds Samantha surprising and delightful, as her attempts to impress him with a picnic go horribly wrong. Time with her could restore his lost faith in people — and in God. Except, he has to write the truth in his article.

Can Ms Klutz-in-the-Kitchen transform herself to a Proverbs 31 woman in time to stop him revealing her blog is a fake? And what will happen to their growing love when he does.

Find Imperfectly Proverbs 31 online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

10 July 2023

Book Review | Uncharted Grace (Uncharted #12) by Keely Brooke Keith

Caroline and her sister, Lena, have accompanied their brother, Noah, to the village of Good Springs where Noah has just inherited a house and orchard from a childless adoptive uncle. Caroline is an extrovert who has never had much opportunity to socialise, so is looking forward to getting to know the people of Good Springs … and the handsome doctor who has moved into the house across the road.

Jedidiah has just arrived in Good Springs as the new town doctor, to take some of the load from Dr Lydia Colburn now her family is growing. He’s looking forward to becoming officially titled as doctor so he can’t be forced to return to his home village and his dishonest family. He’s interested in the lady across the road, but some of the things she says suggests she’s hiding a secret … and he has no interest in anyone who is anything less than honest.

But Jedidiah is hiding his own secrets … like the truth about his family.

I once read that any character with a secret is a good start to any novel, and that certainly proves true with Uncharted Grace. I especially enjoy secrets in fiction when the reader knows the secret and we’re waiting to see what will happen when the secrets are revealed (because they have to be revealed, right?).

I have read and enjoyed every story in the Uncharted series.

I love the twist on the traditional romance that comes from having characters with very different upbringings–characters who have to come to terms with and accept their place because there is no other option.

The first few books in the series were set in the town of Good Springs and painted a picture of an idyllic location where everyone was a Christian and lived a Christian life. They weren’t perfect and they had troubles, but life was good.

The last few books have ventured into other settlements in the Land, especially the Inn. Uncharted Grace brings us back to the familiar location of Good Springs, and the familiar characters such as Connor and the Colburns.

I loved that.

But neither Caroline nor Jedidiah are from Good Springs. Caroline and her siblings were adopted and grew up in Northcrest after their parents died. Jedidiah is from Stonehill, and we find out enough about both locations to realise that not everywhere in the Land is as idyllic as Good Springs … and much of that is down to the leadership. That’s a thought worth pondering.

Uncharted Grace ticks all the boxes. It’s an excellent slow-burn romance between an older couple (they’re both twenty-nine, which is positively ancient in a culture where people tend to marry almost a decade younger). It’s a quick, easy, and relaxing read, perfect for after a hard week at work.

While Uncharted Grace is a standalone story, you’ll probably enjoy it more if you’ve read at least one other book in the series. I’d recommend starting with The Land Uncharted, which introduces Connor and the Colburns.

Recommended for fans of Amish or prairie romance who are looking for a new twist on a familiar story.

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.

Find Keely Brooke Keith online at:

Website | Facebook

About Uncharted Grace

Can two newcomers with shattered pasts and buried secrets find love in the village of Good Springs?

An inherited orchard offers a fresh start in a new village for social butterfly Caroline Vestal. She believes Good Springs is where she will finally find a soulmate, but building a genuine relationship means being honest—even with the family secret that could ruin her new life before it begins.

With his relaxed manner, professional expertise, and dapper appearance, physician Jedidiah Cotter makes a good first impression in his new village. Once the Good Springs elder council officially titles him, he can establish his career and be safe from the obligation to return to his crooked family’s business back home. But when the council unexpectedly stalls the process, Jedidiah must discover the cause and quickly find a cure.

Though Caroline is smitten with the dashing new physician who lives across the road from the orchard house, his attraction to her drives him to ask questions she isn’t prepared to answer. If she trusts the wrong person with the shocking truth about her family’s past, she could lose the inheritance and the man she loves.

Find Uncharted Grace online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

3 July 2023

Book Review | Dedicated to the One I Love by Beth K Vogt

It’s been a while since I read a novel by Beth Vogt. She’s mostly been writing women’s fiction, and I didn’t read her last few releases. I’m sure they were excellent—after all, Beth has won several notable writing awards—but the covers just didn’t appeal to me. Yes, I judge books by the cover.

Dedicated to the One I Love is Beth Vogt’s return to romance.

I was immediately attracted by the cover—I love cartoon covers, and what’s not to like about that cute old-fashioned typewriter?

I was also intrigued by the book description. Veronica Hollis is the pen name of Kylie Franklin, a bestselling author who hasn’t been able to write since her husband died in an accident three years ago. Tate Merrick is the pen name of Joe Edwards, a successful thriller author whose publisher decides his books would be all the better for a strong romance thread. The publishers arrange for Joe to co-write with Veronica Hollins, but Joe is not happy with the idea … so there’s a recipe for conflict.

Kylie and Joe have been emailing almost daily since connecting on a game app, but haven’t shared much information about their personal lives … like the fact they are both authors. When Kylie and Joe arrange to meet and discover they are Tate and Veronica, their relationship heads sharply downhill, despite the great first meeting (not), the witty banter, and all the other evidence that they are perfect for each other (because this is a romance, right? They have to be perfect for each other. That’s the rule).

Once I started reading, it was hard to stop.

I loved a lot of things about Dedicated to the One I Love.

I loved the banter between Kylie and Joe, even when they weren’t friends. I loved their friends, especially Joe’s friends, who supported Kylie and Joe but weren’t afraid to deliver a few hard truths where needed (and Joe certainly needed a few hard truths at times). I loved the writing, which made it obvious these two were meant for each other, even while they seemed unable to have a civil conversation. I especially loved Kylie’s quote about romance—something I 100% agree with.

I think my only criticism is that the book could have been longer—I would have liked to have seen a little more of Kylie and Joe after they made up. Hopefully I’ll get that in a sequel (hint hint).

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance with a rom-com bent, from authors such as Kara Isaac, Becky Wade, Courtney Walsh, Meredith Resce, and Sarah Monzon.

About Beth K Vogt

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” As a contemporary romance novelist, Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2015 RITA® Finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014.

Beth enjoys writing contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. An established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth is also part of the leadership team for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories.

Find Beth K Vogt online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram |Pinterest | Twitter

About Dedicated to the One I Love

She doesn’t believe in love anymore. He doesn’t either.

They’re perfect for each other.

Beloved romance novelist Kylie Franklin walked away from her pen-name career as bestselling and award-winning Veronica Hollins the day her husband died. Her loyal readers are eager for the final book in her sensational series. But Kylie’s given up on love, both fictional and in real life. Behind her back, Kylie’s agent contrives a way to get her writing again.

Joe Edwards has made a name for himself with his popular military suspense novels under the pen name Tate Merrick. Yet he can’t quite break onto the bestseller list. What his books need, his publisher suggests, is some romance. Joe flat refuses. However, his publisher is determined and hires Veronica Hollins to save the day—and his career.

Veronica and Tate quickly realize they’re Kylie and Joe, good friends who connected online via a popular word game and their mutual love of trivia. Surely they can wrangle their alter egos into this literary collaboration. But as the deadline looms, their differences threaten the romance developing off the page.

Find Dedicated to the One I Love online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

26 June 2023

Book Review | Love Somebody Like You (Trinity Lakes 5) by Carolyn Miller

Lexi Franklin has returned to Trinity Lakes after an incident on the job in Australia. She needs somewhere to rest and recover, but still wants to be able to make herself useful. So when she realises she can use her nursing skills to help a local family, she’s only too happy to offer.

Jackson Reilly runs the family ranch outside Trinity Lakes with help from his sister—who would rather not be stuck on the ranch—and his mother, who has health issues. He also has a stud bull who’s not doing his job, and a black hole in the ranch finances, and no idea how to fix any of his problems.

As with Carolyn Miller’s other novels (both historical and contemporary), Love Somebody Like You has great characters, strong writing, and a solid faith thread.

Love Somebody Like You is the fifth book in the Trinity Lakes Romances series (following mine!), but it can easily be read as a standalone. In fact, I think it was the first book in the series I read. It also involves characters from some of Carolyn Miller’s other series, but you don’t need to have read them either (although a couple of Reilly brothers do make a cameo appearance, which fans will appreciate).

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance who like a solid faith element and characters overcoming true-to-life problems.

About Carolyn Miller

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She is married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!).

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn’s novels have won a number of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges we all face at different times.

Find Carolyn Miller online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads| Pinterest | Twitter

About Love Somebody Like You

For Lexi Franklin, returning to Trinity Lakes feels a little like running home with her tail between her legs.

But what’s a girl to do, when her life has been turned upside down on the other side of the world? She needs a place to regain hope and healing – just didn’t count on meeting a cowboy whose own battered heart might need nursing back to health too.

Jackson Reilly has his own set of troubles, between caring for his ranch, his mom, and the black hole of finances. So when a pretty redhead with a sassy tongue offers some distraction – and a potential solution to one of his most pressing concerns – he’s not going to say no.

But as they spend time together, questions soon rise about their future, and whether faith can truly win over fears. Will Jackson be able to save his ranch, and his hopes and heart, before Lexi returns to Australia?

An opposites attract, small town contemporary Christian romance. Book five of the Trinity Lakes Romance series (can be read as a standalone). Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find Love Somebody Like You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

19 June 2023

Book Review | His Runaway Crush by Heather Gray

His Runaway Crush is the third book in the Easter in Gilead series, which features books by Valerie Comer, Elizabeth Maddrey, Heather Gray, and Narelle Atkins.

It’s an excellent small-town contemporary Christian romance series that sprung out of the realisation that while Easter is central to our Christian faith, there are very few stories set around Easter. The stories are set in the fictional college town of Gilead, Kansas, and centre on the town’s annual Passion Play production. It’s a fun American take on the famous Oberammergau tradition, but with some serious aspects to the stories.

While the books are probably designed to be read in order, I didn’t read them in order and didn’t feel I’d missed anything.

But I was so engaged with the town and the characters that I ended up reading all three books in a week!

Letty is a recurring character across the series. She runs the Heavenly Brew coffee shop, where she also sells a range of home-made pastry goods. She manages the food concession at the passion play, which includes providing snacks and drinks during rehearsals. Dawson Bauer has just started work at Gilead Bible College as the head of the AV department, and finds himself—unwittingly and unwillingly—required to manage the sound for the Passion Play, from the auditions through all the rehearsals, and the production. He is not happy, because he does not like Easter

Dawson meets Letty on the first night of auditions. There’s something familiar about her, but he can’t figure out what. He asks his mother, which ends up being the exact wrong thing to do because it means Letty’s past catches up with her …

I loved the setup of each character, and the way they came together. I loved the writing (there were so many quotable lines). I loved theI loved the integration between the three books–the way the characters (especially Letty) showed up in each book in an entirely natural way. I also loved the “wise older men” who ran across the series—Larry, Mr W, and Phillip.

I especially loved the “coincidences” that had each of the characters in the right place at the right time.

If you like contemporary Christian romance, especially small-town romance where everyone knows everyone else’s business, you’ll enjoy His Runaway Crush and the rest of the Easter in Gilead series as much as I have.

Now I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Her Cowboy Blind Date by Narelle Atkins.

About Heather Gray

Heather Gray loves coffee, God, her family, and laughter – not necessarily in that order! She writes approachable characters who, through the highs and lows of life, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her. Her books almost always include someone who’s infatuated with coffee, too. Some things just can’t be helped. Heather delights in creating characters who, like her, have their share of faults and foibles, characters who are flawed…but loved anyway.

Find Heather Gray online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About His Runaway Crush

Can once upon a time turn into happily ever after?

Letty Stanton might live in Gilead, but Heavenly Brew is her home. After all, home is where the heart is. Letty has spent a decade running from a past she never wanted to face and keeping at arms’ length all the people who hold her close to their hearts. When a handsome stranger blows into town, though, he upsets the calm and comfortable life she’s worked so hard to cultivate.

Dawson Bauer is new to small-town life. From the four-year-old who couldn’t whisper if her life depended on it to the middle-aged man who only speaks in grunts and glares, Gilead is filled with quirky people who think privacy is a mythical creature. Not to mention that everybody is obsessed with Easter, and he’d be happy to never hear that word again. Then there’s the enigmatic woman who runs the town’s coffee shop. There’s something about her…

What happens when a guy who mostly means well and a girl with mile-high walls collide? Sparks fly, secrets come to light, and everybody in Gilead has an opinion.

Find His Runaway Crush online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

12 June 2023

Book Review | Indigo Isle by T I Lowe

I requested Indigo Isle for review because I’ve always been fascinated by indigo. How did our ancestors learn to take the leaves of the indigo plant and process them in a way that produced a beautiful blue dye? Indigo Isle didn’t answer that question, but it did take us through the production of indigo dye, which was a fascinating detour that didn’t detract from the central story.

Of course, no one would want to read a novel about making indigo—that could get tedious.

Indigo Isle is the story of Sonny Bates (female, despite the name), who ran way from her Christian home in South Carolina fifteen yeas ago and headed for the bright lights of Hollywood. Now she’s a successful location scout, back in Charleston, South Carolina, as location manager for a movie shoot.

While scouting the islands off the coast to find a location for a romantic beach scene, Sonny comes across a private island locals say is owned by the Monster of Indigo Isle. Sonny finds something about the island – and the so-called monster – compelling, and keeps returning to the island, where she strikes up an oddrelationship with the owner, Hudson Renfrow.

Hudson is battling his own issues, so this is the story of two broken people reluctantly helping each other heal, while falling in love in the process. But the path of true love does not run smooth, and it runs a lot less smooth in Indigo Isle than in most other Christian romance novels.

I was recently chatting with a friend about a book she’d loved but I’d abandoned, and she asked me if the reason I didn’t like it was because of the Grumpy Sunshine trope i.e. the hero was grumpy, while the heroine was all sunshine and unicorns. I couldn’t really answer, as it wasn’t something I’d considered before.

Now I’ve read Indigo Isle, I have to say I do like the Grumpy Sunshine trope … if it’s done well.

It’s definitely done well in Indigo Isle. I think it works because the characters are portrayed so well, and everything that happens is a natural result of their backgrounds and personalities … including the inevitable conflict.

(If you want to know more about grumpy sunshine books, check out this episode of the StoryChats @ Inspy Romance podcast.)

I do have to add a content warning for sexual assault. If that’s a trigger for you, avoid Indigo Isle (or proceed with caution).

Indigo Isle is an excellent Christian romance, a compelling beauty-and-the-beast romance with a #MeToo element … and the obligatory happy ending.

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

About T I Lowe

T. I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of nearly twenty published novels, including her recent bestselling and critically acclaimed novel, Under the Magnolias, and her debut breakout, Lulu’s Café. She lives with her husband and family in coastal South Carolina.

Find T I Lowe online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Indigo Isle

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back.

Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past . . . until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for several years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, then making indigo dye―and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls. Soon the gruff exterior Hudson has long hidden behind crumbles―exposing the tender part of him that’s desperate for forgiveness and a second chance.

A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias.

Find Indigo Isle online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads

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

5 June 2023

Book Review | The Billionaire’s Backup (Billionaire Next Door #4) by Elizabeth Maddrey

Noah and Jenna share a birthday.

Back in college, they made the cliche marriage pact: if they weren’t married by thirty-three, they’d marry each other.

Yes, it’s a romance cliche, but it is a fun cliche. It wasn’t overdone–both characters remembered the pact and how they’d like something to come of it, but it wasn’t the centre of the story. Instead, it was the setup for an excellent friends-to-more story (which just happens to be my absolute favourite romance trope).

As the story starts, Noah and Jenna are both thirty-two and still single, and have maintained a strong friendship over the years. In fact, architect Jenna is currently renovating the six-bedroom historic home Noah has recently purchased.

As suggested by the title, The Billionaire’s Backup is a billionaire romance.

This is a trope I have a love/loathe relationship with. I like the fact the characters don’t have money troubles (well, the billionaire doesn’t), because it can get a little depressing reading novels where the lack of money is a central plot point. I don’t like billionaires who are rude or arrogant, or who have made their billions through exploiting others (e.g. underpaying the people who work for them). One of the reasons I enjoy Elizabeth Maddrey’s billionaire series is that her billionaires are all regular guys, a group of close-knit friends who hit big on the stock market, but who haven’t let money change them.

Of course, having money does mean they can do things most of us can only dream of.

Money might not buy happiness, but it sure buys some fun stuff … and I enjoyed seeing Noah splash some of that billionaire cash when it came to impressing Jenna.

The story also had a more serious point to make about being a Christian: the importance of community. It challenged me to rethink how I do Christian community, as that’s definitely something that has changed in my life since the pandemic.

Overall, The Billionaire’s Backup is a fun contemporary Christian romance that will appeal to fans of marriage pact, friends-to-more and billionaire romances … especially those looking for a Christian faith thread. Recommended.

Now I’m looking forward to the next in the series, The Billionaire’s Teacher!

About Elizabeth Maddrey

Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who loves a good happily ever after.

She began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of computers, math, and organization steered her into computer science at Wheaton College, she always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. This continued through a Master’s program in Software Engineering, several years in the computer industry, teaching programming at the college level, and a Ph.D. in Computer Technology in Education. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity.

She lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.

Find Elizabeth Maddrey online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Billionaire’s Backup

Jenna and I have been friends since college.

Not besties or anything. Just the kind of friend you hit up when you want to go to a party but don’t want the pressure of a date.

She’s fun. Independent. And she gets me.

Which is probably why we dated for a while – more for fun than anything..

The kiss was completely out of left field. And so was the ridiculous pact to get married if we were still single in our thirties.

Neither of us have ever mentioned that pact again.

But man, a lot of years have passed and I can sometimes still feel her lips on mine. Now that she’s going to be renovating my house, it could definitely be a problem.

The whole pact thing might have been dumb, but would it really be such a bad idea for us to get together?

Find The Billionaire’s Backup online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads