Tag: 2021 Release

People think I'm simple. But I think they just make things complicated that aren't.

Book Review | Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant

Rory Perez hates cilantro and can’t cook, but she’s inherited a food truck specialising Mexican food and she needs the income from the truck to keep her cousin in her care home. Jude Worthington works for his father’s law firm but doesn’t want to take the bar and be a lawyer. He wants to be a chef.

The two are messaging and falling for each other via an app, but they communicate using pseudonyms, so don’t know it. In real life, they are both competing to win the prize in the local food festival—Rory because she needs the money, and Jude because he wants to get out of law.

There were a few things I didn’t like about Tacos for Two. The first  was that I started reading, and I immediately wanted to eat tacos. This is a problem as I had to stop reading and work out if I actually had the ingredients for tacos (yes, I did. Fortunately).

There were a couple of other things I didn’t get. If Jude is twenty-nine years old and hasn’t yet sat the bar exam, what has he been doing since he graduated college? Who is Fiona Stone and why is she mentioned so often (I honestly thought Rory was going to turn out to be Fiona Stone in disguise. She didn’t).

The romance itself was a fun play on You’ve got Mail, a modernised version using an app called Love at First Chat.

It’s a fun romp with plenty of laughs as well as some deeper thoughts on life and faith. As such, it’s an easy read that hits all the right notes and has a satisfying ending.

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant is a fun romp with plenty of laughs as well as some deeper thoughts on life and faith. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Click To Tweet

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

About Betsey St. Amant

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over fifteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hero of a hubby, two total-opposite young daughters, a vast collection of coffee mugs, and an impressive stash of Pickle chips. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha–no whip.

Find Betsy St. Amant online at:

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About Tacos for Two

Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can’t cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red–and an upcoming contest during Modest’s annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she’s been talking to via an anonymous online dating site.

Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father’s law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he’s back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option.

Complications arise when Rory’s chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he’s been falling for online the past month.

Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one?

You can find Tacos for Two online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

The two of you are very different, but people of good character can disagree and still be admirable.

Book Review | Carved in Stone (Blackstone Legacy #1) by Elizabeth Camden

Irish lawyer Patrick O’Neill is representing thug-turned-author Mick Malone to ensure Malone’s memoir is published. The Blackstone family don’t want the memoir published, because it will discuss the kidnapping and murder of three-year-old William Blackstone.

Widow Gwen Blackstone Kellermann lives in the grounds of Blackstone College, the university her father founded. But the university replies on substantial donations from the family bank, and her uncle is threatening to stop funding unless Gwen can stop the memoir’s publication.

I’ve always enjoyed the way Elizabeth Camden has been able to take lesser-known historical events and turn them into fascinating and unique novels.

Her novels usually manage to engage me from the first page, but this one took a little longer to get going. Initially, it looked like being a fairly standard rich “old-money” meets poor immigrant Irish … something I’ve read before.

But the story changed at around the one-quarter mark when we (and Patrick) realise Mick Malone’s memoir isn’t the point. Yes, the story is an opposites-attract romance. Instead, the backdrop is the upcoming creation of US Steel, a merger which formed the world’s largest corporation, controlling around two-thirds of US steel production. It’s also about what really happened to William Blackstone.

Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden is yet another brilliant Christian historical romance from one of the top writers in the genre. #BookReview #ChristianFiction Click To Tweet

Once I understood what the story was about, I was hooked. The combination of excellent characters, romance, mystery, and suspense made it hard for me to stop reading (so I didn’t).

The story took several unexpected plot turns, and it delivered on all of them.

Elizabeth Camden’s previous novels have shone light into seemingly boring topics such as geography, public health, and food safety. Carved in Stone is set against high finance, big corporations, and labour unions. It also touches on the all-too-current scientific problem of vaccines (and funding), and how what looks like an instant miracle cure is actually the product of years (or decades) of hard work.

Carved in Stone is the first book in Elizabeth Camden’s new Blackstone Legacy series, and I’m looking forward to seeing which of Gwen’s many cousins is the focus of the next novel. This is a must-read for Elizabeth Camden fans, and recommended for anyone who likes historical accuracy in their historical fiction.

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

About Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Find Elizabeth Camden online at:

Website | Facebook

About Carved in Stone

Her gilded world holds a deeply hidden secret.

After years of tragedy, Gwen Kellerman now lives a quiet life as a botanist at an idyllic New York college. She largely ignores her status as heiress to the infamous Blackstone dynasty and hopes to keep her family’s heartbreak and scandal behind her.

Patrick O’Neill survived a hardscrabble youth to become a lawyer for the downtrodden Irish immigrants in his community. He’s proud of his work, even though he struggles to afford his ramshackle law office. All that changes when he accepts a case that is sure to emphasize the Blackstones’ legacy of greed and corruption by resurrecting a thirty-year-old mystery.

Little does Patrick suspect that the Blackstones will launch their most sympathetic family member to derail him. Gwen is tasked with getting Patrick to drop the case, but the old mystery takes a shocking twist neither of them saw coming. Now, as they navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger, Patrick and Gwen will be forced to decide if the risk to the life they’ve always held dear is worth the reward.

You can find Carved in Stone 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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 203 | An Unwanted Love Story by Ellie Hall (from Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After)

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 An Unwanted Love Story by Ellie Hall, one of the novellas in the Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After collection. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Today's forecast? Sunny with a chance of sprinkles.

I love the fun mood that sets!

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

About Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After

This sweet romcom collection contains 20 original humorous novellas from best-selling authors that are heartwarming, feel-good, and laugh out loud funny.

Between the pages, you’ll find tropes such as enemies to lovers, second chance romance, high school sweethearts, opposites attract, friends to lovers, fake dating, and more.

Your pre-order purchase of this anthology will benefit Pets for the Elderly with 100% pre-order profits donated to this amazing cause, connecting shelter animals with seniors.

Don’t miss this limited edition box set, featuring some of your favorite authors, that will leave you reeling with laughter:

 

Ellie Hall – An Unwanted Love Story | Summer Dowell – Her Plus One | Liwen Y. Ho – Head Over Stilettos

Meg Easton – Looking for Love | Rachael Eliker – Lassoed into Love | Sophie-Leigh Robbins – Take a Hike

Rachel John – Worst Neighbor Ever | Jennifer Griffith – Elevator Pitch | Cami Checketts – The Sassy One

Sarah Gay – Once Upon a Midnight Swim | Jennifer Youngblood – Cold Feet | Kimberly Krey – Five Days With My (Super Hot) Ex

Ellen Jacobson – Smitten with Candy Canes | Cindy Roland Anderson – Breaking All the Rules | Taylor Hart – Secret Wedding Date

Carina Taylor – Jude and the Matchmaking Llama | Gigi Blume – Baby You Can Drive My Car | Amy Sparling – Julie and the Fixer-Upper

Johanna Evelyn – I Think Maybe I Lied | Melanie Jacobson – The Backup Plan

You can find Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

 



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!

Her choices in men hadn’t always been the best—actually they’d been horrible—but she knew when a man was holding out on her.

Book Review | Pay the Price (Harmony Grove #3) by Carol J Post

I opened Pay the Price to check the file had downloaded correctly, then created my First Line Friday post because the first line did catch my eye. I wasn’t planning to read the novel …

… yet three hours later, I’d finished.

Jessica Parker arrives back in Harmony Grove following her younger sister’s death. She hasn’t got a key and the spare key isn’t in the usual hiding place. So she’s forced to break in through the rear sliding door.

Inside, she finds the house has been ransacked … then she is attacked by a man with a gun. The intruder turns out to be Shane Dalton, an FBI agent working undercover in Harmony Grove, hunting for drug smugglers. And they’ve had a tip that Priscilla Parker might be involved.

It’s a fast-paced start, and it certainly kept me reading.

I liked Jessica, which is always a good start. She’s bright and brave, and has overcome a lot of hardship. I enjoyed reading about her faith journey (one of Carol J Post’s strengths as a writer), and I have to agree with Jessica’s view of snakes:

"She hated snakes. It didn’t matter what kind. Poisonous, harmless, large or small. The only good snake was a dead snake."

Shane is also a strong character, and another who has a troubled past–the death of his wife, and his subsequent avoidance of relationships of all kinds. Despite his loss, he’s retained his faith in God, something Jessica never had. Shane realises the best way to find information will be partnering with Jessica and finding out what happened to Priscilla and why … and was it really a suicide?

The suspense was well-written, with great pace and enough humour to offset the ever-present tension.

I was pleased to get to the end and find a preview for the next book in the series, which means this isn’t the last book. That’s great news, as I’m enjoying the Harmony Grove books and wouldn’t want to see them end yet. After all, there are still some single characters …

Pay the Price by @CarolJPost is excellent Christian romantic suspense, with great pace and enough humour to offset the ever-present tension. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Click To Tweet

All in all, I recommend Pay the Price for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

Thanks to Carol J Post for providing a free ebook for review.

About Carol J Post

Carol J PostFrom medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol’s resume reads as if she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She currently pens fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.

You can find Carol J Post online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Pay the Price

Sometimes homecomings can be deadly…

Jessica Parker left Harmony Grove with bad memories and a vow to never return – until she is called back eight years later to deal with her sister’s suicide. When all the evidence points instead to murder, she is determined to find the killer and bring him to justice. Her handsome new neighbor is eager to help, but she is sure he’s hiding something.

Undercover FBI agent Shane Dalton is in Harmony Grove investigating the crash of a plane full of cocaine and gets more than he bargained for when he runs into Jessica. He’s not sure whether she’s involved or is just going to get in his way. Soon it becomes obvious that someone wants Jessica gone from Harmony Grove. As the threats intensify, Shane finds himself in a race against time to solve both cases. The closer they get to the truth, the closer the killer gets to making them his next victims.

You can find Pay the Price online at:

Amazon | Goodreads