Category: Book Review

17 February 2025

Book Review | An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon

Librarian Evangeline Kelly has sworn off love since her fiancé dumped her after she was diagnosed with alopecia—in her case, total and permanent hair loss. She has now moved to a new town where no one knows her or her diagnosis, where she can start again. Evangeline meets Tai in the library after he returns a book full of dog-eared pages. Her librarian heart is appalled, then intrigued with the town bad boy and tattoo artist.

Tai is a fabulous hero.

Sure, his visible tattoos, penchant for wearing black, and constant flirting combine to give off a bad-boy impression, but first impressions aren’t necessarily correct. As the story progresses, we see his insight and his heart, and I loved the way he was able to show Evangeline respect and love in action.

I could see why Evangeline thought Tai was a bad boy, what with his black leather jacket and almost-unforgivable action of folding down the corners of library books. However, An Overdue Match is a lesson in not jumping to conclusions.

I could also see why Evangeline thought he was a flirt—she has such low self-esteem that she figured any man who flirted with her must flirt with every woman he sees. After all, who could possibly find her attractive? Her ex certainly hadn’t.

Evangeline was likeable, admirable, and a little annoying.

A hopeless romantic and rom-com fan, she decides that given she will never experience romance for herself, she will play matchmaker to the patrons of the library where she works. Her first attempted match almost becomes a spectacular failure when Tai tells her the man she is trying to match is already happily engaged. Oops.

An Overdue Match starts in first person point of view. My first thought was that annoys some readers, although I enjoy it. Somewhere close to halfway, I realised that while Evangeline’s scenes are written in first person, the scenes from Tai’s point of view were written in the more normal third person. I usually find the switch between first and third person point of view jarring, so well done to Sarah Monzon for making An Overdue Match such a compelling read that I didn’t even notice!

I also got to that halfway point before I realised that while I thought the story was contemporary Christian romance, there hadn’t been anything to point toward the Christian element of the romance. Sure, there hadn’t been any sex or swearing, but there also hadn’t been any references to church or faith or God. Rest assured, there is a lovely faith arc, although it doesn’t become apparent until well into the second half of the story.

Overall, An Overdue Match is a wonderful romance featuring a heroine with an embarrassing condition, and a hero who works it out and loves her anyway.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance and rom-coms.

Thanks to Bethany House 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.

Find Sarah online at:

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About An Overdue Match

Can a librarian’s matchmaking mischief lead to a love that rewrites their stories?

If the covers of every romance book ever published didn’t convince librarian Evangeline Kelly that she isn’t heroine material, her fiancé calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia did. But what’s a girl head over heels for love to do when her feelings are unrequited? Matchmake, that’s what. Armed with library patrons’ check-out histories, she’s determined to make at least one love connection–even if it’s not her own.

Tattoo artist Tai Davis is used to people judging him with a single glance, so it doesn’t surprise him when the town’s quirky new librarian believes his bad-boy reputation without giving him a chance. He can’t help being intrigued by her, though, so when he discovers Evangeline’s secret matchmaking scheme, he’s not above striking a bargain with her. She just has to agree to one date with him for every time she uses his hometown knowledge to set up library patrons on a romantic rendezvous. The deal is made, but in the process, they both might learn you can’t judge a book–or each other–by the cover.

This is a sweet he-falls-first, opposites attract, matchmaker romantic comedy with disability representation. Perfect for fans of books about books and kisses-only romances.

Find An Overdue Match online at:

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10 February 2025

Book Review | Uneasy Street (Sons of Scandal #3) by Becky Wade

Uneasy Street is the third and final story in Becky Wade’s Sons of Scandal series. I have to say this was my least favourite of the three. I found the conflict between Max and Sloane to be frustrating (even though it was also completely understandable).

The story didn’t really pick up until a couple of twists hit around the halfway point.

The setup is simple: Sloane has offered to care for her teenage niece while Ivy’s parents are working overseas for a few months. They have rented out their house but want Ivy to continue going to her regular school, so have rented an apartment for Sloane and Ivy … an apartment owned by Sloane’s college friend and one-time business partner, Max.

Max may not be a full-on billionaire, but he has all the toys including the private jet (are you really even a billionaire if you don’t have access to a private jet?). But Uneasy Street wasn’t the regular billionaire-meets-poor-girl romance, because Max and Sloane were both involved in the app’s establishment which means Sloane should be as rich as Max, but isn’t. But that isn’t what she resents.

I didn’t exactly like Sloane at first but I did admire her. She resented Max for having pushed her out of Libri, the digital library app they founded in college, not for the millions and millions he’d earned since pushing her out. I did appreciate that Max and Sloan covered off the misunderstanding behind their falling-out fairly early in the book, so the story wasn’t bogged down by that mystery.

Sloan is an etiquette expert whose muse is “Princess Kate” aka the Princess of Wales. This did mean she came across as a bit prissy and perhaps false, because there were times when her manners felt more like how she behaved rather than who she was.

I did enjoy the banter between Sloane and Max, especially when she forgot her etiquette and told him what she really felt.

My favourite character was Ivy, who wasn’t afraid to tell it how she saw it, and who had the typical teenage enthusiasm (and occasional thoughtlessness).

Becky Wade fans, especially those who have rad the first two Sons of Scandal stories, will want to read Uneasy Street. If you haven’t read a Becky Wade romance before, I’d recommend starting with True to You or Stay With me.

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

About Becky Wade

Becky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

These days, you’ll find Becky in Dallas, Texas failing to keep up with her housework, trying her best in yoga class, carting her three kids around town, watching TV with her Cavalier spaniel on her lap, hunched over her computer writing, or eating chocolate.

You can find Becky Wade online at:

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About Uneasy Street

Once upon a time Max Cirillo and Sloane Madison were close friends and business partners. But when their business relationship imploded, so did the friendship.

Now, four years later, Max is a rich CEO. Sloane’s a not-so-rich etiquette expert who returns to Maine to serve as her niece’s temporary guardian and help the girl search for her birth father. Sloane and her niece move into a darling garage apartment but Sloane’s joy in their accommodations soon turns to horror when she realizes their apartment belongs to Max. Thanks to an unbreakable lease, she’s stuck living right next door to him.

Max pulled strings to bring Sloane into his orbit because he needs closure on what went wrong between them. Quickly, though, his scheming comes back to bite him. The world might view him as a cold-hearted rake, but this one woman has dangerous power over his emotions.

They’ll have no choice but to confront their history—and the undeniable spark between them—while living side by side on uneasy street.

Discover witty humor, rich emotion, banter, and charm within the pages of this sweet enemies-to-lovers romance!

Find Uneasy Street online at:

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3 February 2025

Book Review | Right Before Their Eyes by Carrie Walker

Right Before Their Eyes is the sequel to Emma’s Hero, which I really enjoyed (click here to read my review). Emma’s Hero was the story of Emma, the single mother of a baby born with significant health issues, and Ben, a first responder, and their romance. It also introduces Mason, an introverted high school student whose mother volunteers him to buy groceries for Emma once a week to help out.

Right Before Their Eyes is set five years later, and Mason is the main character.

He is now in his final year of pre-med, having been inspired to study medicine after meeting Theo, Emma’s son. Mason is still best friends with Clare, his high school friend and crush, who is dating lawyer and aspiring judge Aiden.

Clare is a social worker who is being pulled in all direction. She is the primary caregiver for her grandmother, who has dementia and can’t be left alone. She is also busy at work, trying to find a new home for Lucia, a teen needing a new foster home. And Aiden keeps wanting her to spend time attending fancy events with him to further his career.

It’s obvious from early on that Mason loves Clare. It’s equally obvious that she doesn’t have a clue. In her defence, she’s borderline overwhelmed and doesn’t have time to think …

Right Before Their Eyes is inspiring Christian fiction. The characters are excellent, the situations all too realistic, and it encourages readers to see through the eyes of those in difficult situations – especially in the case of Lucia, a teenager in foster care whose life has been dramatically changed yet again.

Like Emma’s Hero, Right Before Their Eyes is Christian fiction that deals with hard situations and shows we can rely on God to bring us through. It’s also a strong Christian romance that kept me gripped until the very last page.

Thanks to the author and Mountain Brook Ink for providing a free ebook for review.

About Carrie Walker

Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.

As an avid reader she pens what she loves to read, contemporary stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Weaving romance among story lines of characters in struggle, she aims to show God working in all situations. When she’s not playing board games with her husband, shuttling kids in the Walker bus or wishing for snow, Carrie can be found at the keyboard bringing those stories to life.

Carrie’s writing has been recognized in many contests. Her debut novel, Emma’s Hero, placed in the ACFW Crown Award, Monroe Walton Center for the Arts Award, and won the 2020 ACFW First Impressions Contest.

Find Carrie Walker online at:

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About Right Before Their Eyes

Sometimes the love you need most looks different than you imagined.

Clare Martin thought nothing of agreeing to live with her dementia-ridden grandmother when her parents left on mission. Balancing that with her job as a social worker and the expectations of her career-driven boyfriend proved doable—until Grandma started a house fire.

Mason Hughes has loved Clare for years, but the time was never right to tell her and now she’s dating someone else, fixing Mason firmly in the friend zone. He’s working to be a pediatric neurologist, a dream inspired by a special boy with a terminal brain condition, and must choose a medical school. Finances are so tight he’s forced to consider a program across the country, a troubling fact he’s kept secret.

Lucia Roberts, a seventeen-year-old on Clare’s caseload, loses her foster home and is placed in an unwelcoming group home. At every turn she’s met with rejection and becomes desperate for any proof she has value—enough to make choices that could affect the rest of her life.

When Grandma Dottie and Lucia’s paths take a dangerous turn, Clare frantically tries to save them. As their lives knit together, will they find the love that’s right before their eyes?

Find Right Before Their Eyes online at:

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27 January 2025

Book Review | Uncharted Mercy (Uncharted #14) by Keely Brooke Keith

Uncharted Mercy is the latest book in Keely Brooke Keith’s Uncharted series. The series is a unique mix of historical and futuristic romance as the series is set in the future, after Earth has experienced a nuclear war and chaos reigns … everywhere except the Land, which has been stuck in the 1860s because of the strange atmospheric disturbance surrounding the Land.

Uncharted Mercy is the story of Bette Owens, a widow with two young children who makes her living as a hatmaker. When her interfering in-laws decideher son should live with themwhile Bette marries a man she has never met, Bette vents her frustrations to herneighbour, Noah Vestal. Noah proposes a novel solution—marriage.

It’s pretty obvious that Noah has feelings for Bette, but he then worries that he may have coerced her into marriage. I really liked Noah and his attitude—it showed he was a man of honour. Unfortunately, Noah has a secret (that series readers have known for the last two books, but which Bette and the other villagers don’t know). That secret is about to put Noah’s home and livelihood at risk.

This is an excellent romance, a marriage of convenience that turns into a real relationship. I loved the way Bette and Noah’s relationship developed, and the healthy way they integrated Bette’s children into their relationship. (Or is that the healthy way Bette integrated Noah into her family?)

I really liked the ending. Without giving anything away, it showed how a good Christian marriage is a partnership of equals, even in a patriarchial setting.

All the stories are standalone titles, so you don’t need to read the whole series for this book to make sense. However, you’ll probably want to read at least The Land Uncharted (#1 inthe series) and Uncharted Grace (#12, Caroline’s story) to best appreciate Uncharted Mercy.

I’ve enjoyed all the Land Uncharted series. I particularly enjoyed Uncharted Mercy because of the marriage of convenience trope, because we got to see more of Connor in this story, and because of the strong Christian characters of both Bette and Noah.

Uncharted Mercy by Keely Brooke Keith is an excellent Christian marriage of convenience romance with a unique blend of historical and speculative tropes. Share on X

Recommended for fans of historical romance with a speculative twist.

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

About Uncharted Mercy

A marriage of convenience uncovers secrets that spark a battle for inheritance, family, and a chance at love.

Lonely bachelor Noah Vestal longs for a family of his own. His inherited farmhouse feels empty, and working the expansive orchard doesn’t keep his mind off his life in America before being shipwrecked on the Land. When he learns the lovely widow next door is being pressured to marry a man she’s never met and to leave her son behind, he offers to marry her. She could have a home and keep both of her children, and he could fill the orchard house with the family he longs for. But when Noah’s inheritance is contested by someone claiming to be the orchard’s rightful heir, he stands to lose everything—including his new family.

Bette Owens has made the best of things since losing her husband three years ago, but now her forceful in-laws want rid of her. When they persuade her parents to help separate her from her son, she has nowhere to turn but to the generous bachelor next door. She has always admired Noah and misses the protection and companionship of having a husband, so when Noah proposes a quick marriage, it seems like a wise remedy. Just when her children are settling into their new home—and love between Bette and Noah seems possible—she discovers Noah isn’t who he says he is.

While the Good Springs elder council becomes judge and jury over the orchard’s ownership, Noah’s dreams of supporting a family and being part of a community slip away. And as Bette’s friends side against her, she finds herself in an unimaginable fight for her family—and for love.

Can their marriage of convenience withstand the battle for inheritance, family, and love?

Find Uncharted Mercy online at:

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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:

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20 January 2025

Book Review | Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter by Tara Grace Ericson

I don’t often re-read books as soon as I’ve finished them the first time, but Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter is an exception. Something about the story grabbed me and didn’t let go.

I think what I liked most was that the romance flowed naturally out of the plot rather than being the central focus of the story. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good romance.

But I also love a book that ties a story around the romance.

Cassie Reynolds is a marketing specialist working the rodeo circuit, and one of the top riders happens to be Jason Keen, who works for her father at Redemption Ranch. Jason comes to Cassie’s rescue after she is accosted by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Travis, who doesn’t understand that no means no. That provides the impetus for the plot, and for Cassie’s unusual proposition to Jason: a marriage of convenience.

The story combines age-gap, marriage of convenience and grumpy-sunshine tropes. I’ve always had a fascination with marriage of convenience stories, but it can be hard to find good contemporary romances with this trope, possibly because it can be hard to find an original yet believable reason for the marriage. I think Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter did this well.

The age gap was also handled really well.

Jason started working at Redemption Ranch when Cassie was twelve. That age gap had the potential to have a real ick factor, but was handled very well, as they had little do do with each other before the story starts.

While I’ve read some good books with the grumpy-sunshine trope (e.g. Indigo Isle by TI Lowe), I’ve also come across some I couldn’t even finish because there didn’t seem to be a reason why the character was grumpy. That’s not the case here.

Jason Keen isn’t grumpy as such.

It’s more that he was an angry young man who has recently become a Christian, and who is a bit of a loner who doesn’t feel the need to be liked by others. As a result, he keeps to himself. He’s not Mr. Popular, but he’s a hardworking and competent cowboy, and an excellent rodeo rider. Jason isn’t as articulate as Cassie, but that doesn’t mean his feelings are any less deep or complex.

Cassie is the outgoing Little Miss Sunshine, except when her ex shows up. She’s also fiercely independent and doesn’t want to accept help from anyone, least of all her father and brothers. I admired her independence and spirit and her unwillingness to take the easy path.

The story is contemporary Christian romance.

While the Christian elements underpin the story, but were very subtle. Overall, I loved Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter. Recommended for contemporary romance fans.

About Tara Grace Ericson

Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and 3 sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author.

Her first book, Falling on Main Street, was written mostly from airport waiting areas and bleak hotel rooms as she traveled in her position as a sales engineer. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually a good cup of coffee or tea.

Tara unashamedly watches Hallmark movies all winter long, even though they are predictable and cheesy. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living. She wants to encourage her readers with stories of men and women who live out their faith in tough situations.

Find Tara Grace Ericson online at:

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About Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter

He’s completely wrong for her. But their marriage may be exactly what she needs.

Professional bullrider Jason Keen is chasing a national title–and running from his mistakes. When his last sponsor threatens to pull their support unless he becomes the poster boy of a charming, family friendly cowboy, there is no way he can pull it off. Unless he can find another way to soften his rough-edged image while he works at Redemption Ranch between events…

Despite her family’s status as Colorado ranching royalty, Cassie Reynolds’ heart has been tied to the rodeo since her first event at the tender age of five. If her possessive ex-boyfriend would get the hint and leave her alone, she’d never leave her rodeo marketing job. Unfortunately, with each passing day, he’s growing more desperate to claim her.

When a week at home on Redemption Ranch is interrupted by the appearance of Cassie’s ex, Jason can’t stand by and let him terrorize the owner’s daughter. Could her unorthodox proposal be the solution to get them both through the holidays and the rodeo national finals?

Find Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter online at:

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13 January 2025

Book Review | A Home for Christmas by Sara Beth Williams

One criticism of Christian romance is that everyone is beautiful (or handsome) and they all have perfect lives. A Home for Christmas is not that novel. While high school teacher Lynn Monet has a home and a job and all the things we expect of a 30-year-old adult, Garrett Kuhlmann is living in a garage and working two jobs to save enough money for the deposit on an apartment for him and his teenage son.

The Schwab Modern Wealth Survey (released May 2019) claimed that 59% of Americans are only one paycheck away from homelessness (and the subsequent Covid-19 job losses won’t have improved this figure). Garrett’s situation is therefore closer to reality than many of us would like to believe.

I found the first chapter a little awkward, but soon found myself engaged in the story. Lynn is possibly the perfect Christian some readers find difficult to relate to, but she’s also an illustration of a Christian who puts loving her neighbours into action.

Garrett is a hardworking guy who has made a few mistakes and now fallen on hard times. But he’s proud and determined to make a better life for him and his fifteen-year-old son, Josh, and that is an admirable trait.

Lynn, Garrett and Josh were all excellent characters. They felt realistic, and as frustrated as I got with Garrett over his pride and reluctance to admit when he needed help, I could also understand and respect why he was like that.

I found the story an enjoyable read, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Garrett and Josh.

Overall, A Home for Christmas was a solid Christian romance between a couple that don’t have perfect backgrounds. Recommended.

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

About A Home for Christmas

She just moved to Silver Pine to start a new future. He’s never been more unsure of what the future holds.

Garrett Kuhlmann doesn’t want or need anyone’s pity. As a single father, he’s worked hard by himself to ensure his son is fed, clothed and safe. But after house-hopping for the last year, he is desperate to give his teenage son more stability. If only housing weren’t so expensive. When a young woman gifts him a bag of food to thank him for changing her tire after her car breaks down in the parking lot where he works, he can’t put the act of kindness, or her pretty smile, out of his mind.

Even in the small town of Silver Pine, Lynn Monet didn’t expect to see the man who changed her tire again, until she discovers he’s the father to one of her high school students. The more they interact, the more her heart breaks for Garrett and his son, and the more the duo worm their way into her life. But Lynn isn’t looking for love, and the secret she has will only destroy any potential relationship, just like it had once before.

Lynn’s compassion is like a beacon of light cutting through the darkness of Garrett’s struggles, offering him a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t have to do everything alone. A new chapter of love and stability finally feels within reach. But secrets from both of their pasts threaten to shatter the fragile hope, leaving Garrett to choose between playing it safe or forgiveness and love.

Find A Home for Christmas online at:

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About Sara Beth Williams

Sara Beth Williams is a published author of Contemporary Christian romance, an ACFW and CIPA member and freelance writer. She has a background in freelance publicity, blog managing, newspaper journalism and nine years in the field of education. Two of her three novels have been nominated for a Selah Award. A Worthy Heart (2020) and Anchor My Heart (2022). She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, gardening and spending time with her family.

Find Sara Beth Williams at:

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6 January 2025

Book Review | All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

All the Lost Places is a dual timeline novel made more complex by the fact the past timeline (1807) is partly quotes from a series of children’s books and partly narrative, with a very blurred line between what is part of the fictional stories and what is part of this story.

In the past timeline, baby Sebastien is rescued from the canals of Venice and raised by a ragtag bunch of adults – a lacemaker, a glassblower, a fisherman, and a printer. But Sebastien longs to knjow who he is.

In the more recent timeline (1907), Daniel Goodman knjows exactly who he is: a convicted theif who has served his prison sentence and now wants to make right with all his victims, including his mother. He takes a job as an artist and translator, which sends him to Venice, Italy, to draw the buildings and find and translate the final volume of a series of stories. The reader joins Daniel in his journey to sort fact from fiction as he translates the books and searches for the missing ending.

I loved the setting. The author brings Venice to life, skillfully mixing the story with the city’s history in an ongoing mix of literal and figurative, a literary writing style that felt more lyrical than most novels I read.

Unfortunately, I found the writing style and the complexity of the plot affected my appreciation of the story. I sometimes found myself losing the story and having to flick back a few pages to remind myself of what was supposed to be happening.

I do read fast, so perhaps that’s on me rather than on the book. My conclusion is that All the Lost Places is a book to read slowly and carefully, not one to rush through in an effort to find out whodunit or will the guy get the girl.

Recommended for readers looking for novels with international settings, and for fans of Rachel McMillan, Nicole Deese, and other authors who write rich prose in a literary style.

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

About Amanda Dykes

Amanda Dykes is the author of Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale, the critically-acclaimed bicycle story that invited readers together to fund bicycles for missionaries in Asia. A former English teacher, she has a soft spot for classic literature and happy endings. She is a drinker of tea, a dweller of Truth, and a spinner of hope-filled tales, grateful for the grace of a God who loves extravagantly.

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About All the Lost Places

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807

When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904

Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

Find All the Lost Places online at:

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30 December 2024

Book Review | Restoration by Kristy Werner

First, a trigger warning.

The prologue of Restoration shows trainee nurse Ashley McClure in the immediate aftermath of her being raped by her boyfriend, a doctor. If that is something you’d rather avoid reading, you can safely skip to Chapter One without missing any key plot points.

Having said that, Ashley’s journey as a character is (as the title implies) is her restoration following the assault.

It’s a tough topic, yet the author handles it with grace and sensitivity, and in a way that feels realistic and incorporates Christianity in a realistic yet positive light.

Restoration is the third book in Kirsty Werner’s Tulsa Town Romance series. I haven’t read the first two, but didn’t think I’d missed out on anything.

Ashley is now a SANE—Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner—working in the Emergency Department at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, where she meets Officer Ryan Stone of the Tulsa Police Department. He’s handsome and interested in her, but she believes no man would be interested if they knew what had happened to her.

Ryan can tell something has happened to Ashley which has caused her recitence, but he is determined to pursue a relationship with her, no matter how long it takes. He’s a perfect romance hero, and perfect for Ashley. He’s a strong Christian who exemplifies faith, hope, love, patience, self-control and probably a few other virtues as well.

Ashley is a competent and compassionate nurse and SANE, not least because she knows the trauma her patients have endured.

Restoration is a strong story of recovery and restoration.

It doesn’t cut corners or minimise the emotional pain and trauma of assault. It also shows how God can heal—when we allow Him to work. It’s also a beautiful slow-burn romance …

Did I mention that Ryan is possibly a perfect romance hero?

Recommended for contemporary Christian romance fans.

About Kristy Werner

Kristy Werner is an award-winning author originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, the setting of her Tulsa Town Romance series. She aced her art and drama classes in high school, has a hard-earned bachelor’s in Zoology from Oklahoma State University, and now works at her local bank producing an extreme amount of paperwork.

After graduating two children into the world, she discovered her love for putting words onto paper, took up residence on her couch, and wrote her first novel. She currently resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where she aims to change the world one clean romance at a time.

Find Kristy Werner online at:

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About Restoration

One date gone wrong, and Ashley McClure became a victim.

Seven years later, as a nurse and sexual assault examiner, she gathers evidence against other assailants, hoping to make up for letting hers get away. She wants to fall in love like every other girl, but with her past, no man would have her.

Ryan Stone tanked an undercover operation that left people wounded. He strives each day to be a better cop, but no matter his accomplishments, they aren’t enough to eradicate the stain of guilt.

When Ashley and Ryan are invited to the same dinner party, he pursues, but she’s frightened of giving her heart away. Can Ryan use what he’s learned from his mistakes to be the man Ashley needs? Can Ashley overcome her past trauma and let Ryan love her?

Find Restoration online at:

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23 December 2024

Book Review | Memoria (Nightingale #3) by JJ Fischer

Memoria is the third book in JJ Fischer’s excellent Nightingale trilogy, following Calor and Lumen (click to read my earlier reviews).

This is definitely a series you want to read in order, and you’ll probably enjoy them all the more if you’re able to read them back-to-back, rather than having to wait a year between books (as I did). It’s also a series you might want to read in paperback so you can refer to the map and see where Sephone, Dorian, and their companions are travelling from and to.

The trilogy is a fantasy retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the Nightingale … which I’d never heard of before reading Calor, and which I still haven’t read because I didn’t want spoilers.

It’s also a trilogy with strong Christian allegorical undertones, particularly in the second and third books. Allegory can be difficult. I’ve read stories where the allegory was so strong that it felt like it had pushed the plot aside. The allegory in Memoria and the rest of the Nightingale series is more like the allegory in the Tales of Narnia—it’s there, but you’re not going to enjoy the story any less because you don’t pick up that Aslan is a Jesus figure.

So to the story …

Caldera is a kingdom divided, and one where some people have unusual gifts. Sephone can alter memories–she can give people memories of things they haven’t experienced, or she can remove unwanted memories. But this gift comes at a cost for her and for the people she touches, and using her gift further is going to kill her.

Dorian is a nobleman haunted by memories of his dead wife and daughter.

He wants Sephone to remove the memories but she has refused because of the effect it will have on both of them (not least, because Dorian’s memories have made him the man he is today), and because she is not powerful enough to remove the memories permanently. Dorian sought an artifact called the Reliquary to solve that problem, but now realises the only lasting solution is to use the Reliquary to give his remaining years to Sephone. Sephone, of course, is against that idea.

So begins their final journey with their faithful companions. They learn nothing is as it seems, and sometimes when we get what we think we want, we discover we had wanted the wrong thing.

As the third book in an epic Young Adult fantasy trilogy, Memoria ticks all the boxes.

It has friends and enemies, and characters who could be either. It has twists and turns, battles and betrayals, some of which were expected (well, there always has to be a final battle between good and evil),and some of which were not (which is what makes a fantasy great).

One of the advantages of fantasy as a genre is the fact that most great fantasies include a spiritual thread as part of the fantasy world. Memoria is no exception, as it brings to fulfilment the faith element, which has a definite Christian theme for those with eyes to see. For those who don’t, Memoria is simply a ripping edge-of-the-seat adventure story that does a great job of balancing the plot and the characters, and keeping the focus on the two main characters: Sephone and Dorian.

Young adult (or adult) readers looking or a strong fantasy series which reinforces Christian principles and offers deep insights into the human condition will enjoy Memoria.

But do read the series from the beginning.

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

About J J Fischer

J. J. Fischer’s writing dream began with the anthology of zoo animals she painstakingly wrote and illustrated at age five, to rather limited acclaim. Thankfully, her writing (but not her drawing) has improved since then. She is a clinically-trained psychologist but no, she cannot read your mind. When she isn’t killing defenseless house plants, pretending she can play the piano, eating peanut butter out of the jar, or memorizing funny film quotes, she and her husband David are attempting to prevent their warring pet chickens from forming factions and re-enacting Divergent. Honestly, it’s a miracle she finds the time to write any books.

Find J J Fischer online at:

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About Memoria

Would you save a life if you knew it would destroy another?

In the deeply divided world of Caldera, nothing is as it seems. Taken captive by a faceless enemy, Sephone Winter fights to reclaim her soul as her gift spirals out of control and the deadly poison coursing through her veins begins to exact its terrible vengeance.

Meanwhile, Dorian and Cass are forced into an uneasy alliance in order to find the woman they both love . . . a woman who has all but vanished from the face of the earth, along with the Reliquary. Finding her becomes impossible as the identity of their greatest adversary continues to elude them.

When Caldera’s past catches up with the trio’s future, Sephone, Dorian, and Cass are forced to make decisions that threaten everything and everyone they care about. Each of them is offered a chance to sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of the other—but will they take it? And what will it cost them in the end?

The Nightingale Trilogy is a fantasy transformation of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved 1843 tale The Nightingale, with echoes of the myths of Hades and Persephone.

Find Memoria online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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16 December 2024

Book Review | A Louisiana Christmas to Remember (Anthology)

A Louisiana Christmas to Remember is a collection of three interconnected romances set in the fictional Louisiana town of Moreau, which is loosely based on Natchitoches, the oldest European settlement in Louisiana

A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith

This is the story of Mattie Hayes, small-town journalist and organiser extraordinaire, who is organising the Christmas market to raise funds to restore the local chapel after it was damaged in a recent hurricane. This means working with Paul Ammons, her long-time rival since he beat her to become high school valedictorian and won a coveted scholarship to Paris.

Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant

This is the story of Jolene, Mattie’s artist cousin, who is hired at the last minute to repaint the town mural, and Cameron, Jolene’s new boss.

A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth

This is the story of Mattie’s aunt … and I dont’ want to say too much more about it, because that will ruin the surprise.

My favourite story was Mattie’s, perhaps because she is the character I related to best, and perhaps because I’m a big fan of friends/frenemies to more stories. My least favourite story was Adala’s, because even though I know these are made-up stories, I’m not a fan of controlling parents who go out of their way to do what they want rather than seeking what’s best for their child (as God does for us).

I loved the way the three stories were separate but intertwined.

Even though they are all standalone stories and all set at the same time it’s best to read them in order, as each story introduces situations and characters that become more relevant in the next story.

It’s also fun to see the came characters from different points of view. In the first story, Mattie has definite opinions about Jolene and whether she can be trusted, but Jolene’s story explains why she is how she is.. I enjoyed seeing Granny Eloise in all three stories as well, as the mentor figure able to give advice whether it’s wanted or not.

The three stories combine to provide a heart-warming Christmas set of Christian romances, even if the Louisiana snow is a far cry from the sunshine I am used to at Christmas.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About A Louisiana Christmas to Remember

A Rare Snowfall Leads to a Christmas to Remember

Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family?

In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places…

In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…

In A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth, meet Adale: A beautiful widow who finally dares to love again…

And don’t forget Granny, whose feisty spirit, blunt dialogue, and quirky ways play an important and endearing role.

Find A Louisiana Christmas to Remember online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About the authors

Morgan Tarpley Smith

Betsy St. Amant

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or baby-talking her dog, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC.

Lenora Worth

Lenora Worth is an ACFW Honor Roll member. She writes inspirational fiction for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. She also writes for Kensington Books. She helped launch the Rodeo Knights Western Romance imprint. Her LIS Body of Evidence made the NY Times Bestseller list and she is also a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling author. In 2016, she received a Romantic Times Pioneers of Fiction Award. Three of her books have been nominated for the ACFW Carol Award and she is an RWA RITA finalist. Lenora has written 80+ books and has an estimated 3 million books in print. She loves cheesecake, shoe shopping, walking on the beach and reading.