Tag: Carla Laureano

The life you envisioned is gone. Don’t you think it’s time to get a new one?

Book Review | The Beacon Street Bookshop (Haven Ridge #2) by Carla Laureano

Olivia Quinn is a widowed and newly unemployed fiction editor who lost her husband a year ago and is now figuring out how to raise her teenage stepdaughter alone. Charlie Castro is a contractor turned handyman after losing his licence. Olivia hires him to finish her kitchen, and the two are instantly attracted to each other.

But Charlie is planning to leave, and Olivia feels it’s too fast to start another relationship.

When Olivia is asked to sell some old books by a friend, she and her stepdaughter, Taylor, somehow end up renovating an old building to turn into a bookshop. Fortunately, Charlie is around to help …

I’m not generally a fan of the instant attraction romance because I believe lasting love is built on relationship, not lust. However, the Beacon Street Bookshop shows that instant attraction can convincingly morph into a solid and believable relationship, given the right circumstances and an author who knows wheat they’re doing—as Carla Laureano certainly does.

The Beacon Street Bookshop is the third title in Carla Laureano’s Haven Ridge series, following The Brick House Cafe (a free introductory novella), and the Broken Hearts Bakery. All three stories are set in the slightly weird town of Haven Ridge and feature a romance as well as some tougher issues. In The Beacon Street Bookshop, the issues are around finding love again after losing a spouse, and with a teenager in tow. While that’s worthy, it didn’t have the depth of the issues in The Broken Hearts Bakery.

The Haven Ridge series is clean and wholesome rather than Christian romance. Some readers might find there is a little too much focus on the physical, and the characters clearly aren’t Christians. But there’s no on-the-page sex or violence.

Carla Laureano fans will enjoy The Beacon Street Bookshop, as will bibliophiles and fans of authors such as Denise Hunter and Liz Isaacson.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla LaureanoCarla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Beacon Street Bookshop

Ever since Olivia Quinn lost her husband to a freak plane crash, she’s been focused on one thing—making a stable life for her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, of whom she’s the sole guardian. But when she loses her job as a children’s book editor because she refuses to relocate from Colorado to New York, all her hard-won stability is shattered.

Then the opportunity arises to open Liv’s dream bookshop in Haven Ridge, offering not only the solution to her financial problems, but a chance to bond with her stepdaughter and become a real family for the first time. Soon, the wild idea transforms into a thriving nonprofit, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the town—and a handsome contractor who stirs feelings in Liv she’d thought might be gone forever.

But just as she begins to lean into the new life she’s made for herself, a figure from her late husband’s past puts the life she’s been building with Taylor in jeopardy. And Liv must face the possibility that following her heart might just cost her a daughter.

Find The Beacon Street Bookshop online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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 #303 | The Beacon Street Bookshop by Carla Laureano

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading The Beacon Street Bookshop, the second book in Carla Laureano’s Haven Ridge clean contemporary romance series:

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

For the first time in her adult life, she was unemployed.

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

About The Beacon Street Bookshop

Ever since Olivia Quinn lost her husband to a freak plane crash, she’s been focused on one thing—making a stable life for her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, of whom she’s the sole guardian. But when she loses her job as a children’s book editor because she refuses to relocate from Colorado to New York, all her hard-won stability is shattered.

Then the opportunity arises to open Liv’s dream bookshop in Haven Ridge, offering not only the solution to her financial problems, but a chance to bond with her stepdaughter and become a real family for the first time. Soon, the wild idea transforms into a thriving nonprofit, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the town—and a handsome contractor who stirs feelings in Liv she’d thought might be gone forever.

But just as she begins to lean into the new life she’s made for herself, a figure from her late husband’s past puts the life she’s been building with Taylor in jeopardy. And Liv must face the possibility that following her heart might just cost her a daughter.

Find The Beacon Street Bookshop online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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

Sometimes the reason is that you overextended yourself because you don't know how to say no

Book Review | The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano

Gemma Van Buren is a successful Los Angeles divorce lawyer who refuses to represent creeps, cheaters, or abusers … until her boss requires that she be less selective in who she represents. Then she receives a call from her best friend, Liv, asking if Gemma could watch her teenage stepdaughter as Liv has been called to New York for a last-minute business meeting.

Gemma agrees and returns to her childhood hometown of Haven Ridge. She’s been home less than an hour when she runs into her teenage boyfriend. Given this is a small-town romance, they are thrown together in more ways than one, and sparks fly as they fight against rekindling their teenage romance. After all, Gemma will be leaving town again … won’t she?

The Broken Hearts Bakery is clean romance rather than Christian romance, and there are a handful of references that remind readers of the difference. There’s also a slightly magical element to the town, which is introduced in the free prequel novella, The Brick House Cafe, available from Carla Laureano’s website. I do recommend reading this first, as it introduces the town and some key characters as well as being a fun romance in its own right.

However, that gives the book a realism that’s often missing from Christian fiction. In the real world, people have problems, and teens often have to deal with what should be adult problems. Gemma, as the outsider with a talent for providing sweet baked goods, becomes a confidant. And that realism is the strength of the story.

Recommended for fans of sweet or Christian contemporary small-town romance.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla LaureanoCarla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Broken Heart Bakery

Fifteen years ago, the town of Haven Ridge failed its most important mandate—to be a sanctuary for heartbroken citizens in need. Now it’s getting a second chance to set things right …

When Gemma left her hometown of Haven Ridge, Colorado, years ago in a cloud of controversy, she swore she would never return. And she’s kept that promise, instead building her reputation as one of LA’s preeminent family law attorneys. But when her lifelong best friend begs her to come stay with her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, while she’s on a business trip, Gemma doesn’t have the heart to refuse. She’ll simply keep a low profile, do her honorary aunt duties, and be gone before anyone knows the difference.

But Haven Ridge seems to have a mind of its own, dragging Gemma unwillingly back into the community she’s tried so hard to leave behind and she soon finds herself caught up with new friends and old rivalries. When Taylor is the object of an ugly bit of teen bullying, Gemma does the only thing she knows how to do: ply her honorary niece with baked goods and words of affirmation. Soon, her temporary digs are ground zero for teenage girls seeking sugar and consolation for shockingly adult problems—which the girls soon dub The Broken Hearts Bakery.

Complicating matters is an unexpected reunion with Gemma’s high school sweetheart, Stephen, who is determined to change her mind about him, the town, and the nature of love itself. Because as it turns out, her niece isn’t the only one nursing a broken heart…

Find The Broken Heart Bakery online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #272 | The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’ve just downloaded my review copy of a book I’ve been looking forward to reading for ages, The Broken Hearts Bakery, the April 2023 release from Carla Laureano:

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

If Gemma Van Buren had learned anything in her thirty years on this planet, it was that heartbreak demanded chocolate.

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

 

About The Broken Heart Bakery

Fifteen years ago, the town of Haven Ridge failed its most important mandate—to be a sanctuary for heartbroken citizens in need. Now it’s getting a second chance to set things right …

When Gemma left her hometown of Haven Ridge, Colorado, years ago in a cloud of controversy, she swore she would never return. And she’s kept that promise, instead building her reputation as one of LA’s preeminent family law attorneys. But when her lifelong best friend begs her to come stay with her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, while she’s on a business trip, Gemma doesn’t have the heart to refuse. She’ll simply keep a low profile, do her honorary aunt duties, and be gone before anyone knows the difference.

But Haven Ridge seems to have a mind of its own, dragging Gemma unwillingly back into the community she’s tried so hard to leave behind and she soon finds herself caught up with new friends and old rivalries. When Taylor is the object of an ugly bit of teen bullying, Gemma does the only thing she knows how to do: ply her honorary niece with baked goods and words of affirmation. Soon, her temporary digs are ground zero for teenage girls seeking sugar and consolation for shockingly adult problems—which the girls soon dub The Broken Hearts Bakery.

Complicating matters is an unexpected reunion with Gemma’s high school sweetheart, Stephen, who is determined to change her mind about him, the town, and the nature of love itself. Because as it turns out, her niece isn’t the only one nursing a broken heart…

Find The Broken Heart Bakery online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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

Do you enjoy novels with food themes?

Bookish Question #217 | Do You Enjoy Novels with Food Themes?

Yes and no.

I like food. I love good food. I probably eat too much.

So while I enjoy novels with food themes, they make me hungry—and sometimes they make me hungry for food I can’t have.

For example, I recently read Much Ado About a Latte by Kathleen Fuller, which features a heroine running a food truck serving Mexican food. I love Mexican food, but it’s hard to get good Mexican food in New Zealand (Taco Bell doesn’t count).

Anyway, that novel got me searching town for somewhere I could get a good fish taco (I did succeed, but it was a distraction.)

One of the scenes showed the heroine making tamales. I’ve never had tamales, and that scene showed me two things: I’d like to try them, but I don’t want to make them myself. It looks like a lot of effort, and I’d have no idea if the result was any good as I have no basis for comparison.

When I read foodie novels, I especially like it if there are recipes in the back, even if the recipes are full of unfamiliar ingredients or if I can’t buy the ingredients locally (e.g. a can of pumpkin pie filling).

Another great food novel (well, series) was The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano. It was fine dining, so definitely not what I cook, but I loved reading about all the creative dishes.

So yes, I do like novels with food.

What about you? Do you like novels with a food theme?

Do you have a Top 10 List of Christian reads for 2021?

Bookish Question #208 | Do you have a Top Ten List of Christian reads for 2021?

Do you have a Top Five (or Top Ten) List of Christian reads for 2021?

I didn’t, but I’ve put one together 🙂

I track my reading on Goodreads. As I was scanning the books I read during 2021, I noticed a disturbing number where I couldn’t remember anything about them. Most of them were books I hadn’t reviewed, so maybe the act of writing a review helps me remember.

Given the number of books I can barely remember (or remember for the wrong reasons), this list was both difficult and easy to compile. Difficult, because I couldn’t remember so many books (too many).

But easy, because any book I can’t remember surely didn’t impact me enough to make a Top Ten list.

Here, in no particular order, are the best Christian novels I read in 2021:

(Click the titles to see my review.)

1. When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

A fascinating look at Germany in the period before World War II, when international opinion was still divided on whether Hitler’s regime was good or evil.

2. Is it Any Wonder by Courtney Walsh

A strong story of love and forgiveness.

3. Healing Skye by Janet L Ferguson

A fabulous novel of faith and healing.

4. Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy

Recommended both for the excellent Christian message, and for the fascinating setting—Victorian India.

5. Organized Backup by Meredith Resce

The only one on this list I haven’t reviewed, this is a strong rom-com with some serious elements from one of my favourite Australian authors.

6. Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

This contemporary romance had a unique premise, and the writing was brilliant. I often find rom-coms a bit cringe-inducing, but had no such problems with Meri and Kai.

7. Provenance by Carla Laureano

A one-word title that links the main character’s internal and external character journeys.

8. Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin

Lynn Austin never disappoints, and Chasing Shadows was a winner because of the unique setting and premise – the German invasion of the neutral Netherlands in World War II.

9. The Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden

The antics of the Poison Squad, and the importance of proper research trials and food safety regulations.

10. Let it Be Me by Becky Wade

The ooops moment when you find out your parents aren’t actually your parents … and it’s not that they lied to you. It’s that they were given the wrong baby in hospital.

So those are my Top Ten Christian fiction reads for 2021.

What books do you recommend?

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #215 | Sunswept by Carla Laureano

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 Sunswept by Carla Laureano, a fun novella with a fake romance (always a plot I enjoy). Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Bailey Jensen always allowed for some discrepancies when booking a vacation rental, but she didn't remember reading anything in the listing about a man in her bathroom.

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

About Sunswept

Real estate agent Bailey Jensen just wants a single quiet weekend in the midst of her goal-driven life, and a professional conference in Islamorada, Florida seems like just the thing—if she can ignore the fact she’ll be flying conspicuously solo at the company awards banquet in front of her ex-boyfriend and his new love.

Free spirit Zane Whitney would normally consider the Florida Keys his happy place, but considering he’s in Islamorada to witness his college roommate marry his ex-girlfriend, it’s the last place he wants to be. Complicate that with the fact he RSVP’d for two and he’s still conspicuously dateless, and this has all the earmarks of a humiliation in the making.

When Bailey and Zane find themselves double-booked into the same vacation rental, they realize their host’s mistake just might be the answer to their problems: share the house, act as each other’s plus-ones, and then move on with their lives. But neither Bailey nor Zane anticipates the possibility that a fake relationship might just give way to real feelings…

You can find Sunswept 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!

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

It came down to what his grandmother always said; the only problem with Christianity was the Christians.

Book Review | Provenance by Carla Laureano

Kendall Green is a Los Angeles-based interior designer with a reputation for sourcing quality antiques to place in the buildings she renovates. When rising LA rents place her business at risk, she finds a possible solution in her letterbox. Her unknown grandmother died, and she is the sole beneficiary. The only catch is that she needs to claim the inheritance in the next two weeks, which means an unplanned trip to the tiny town of Jasper Lake, Colorado.

Gabe Brandt is the young mayor of Jasper Lake, and he wants to bring new life to the town. That means persuading Kendall not to sell her houses to a property developer who wants to turn the town into an upscale resort.

Kendall is obsessed with finding the origin (provenance) of every antique she buys, but she knows nothing of her own background beyond being abandoned by her mother when she was five and raised in foster care. Going through her grandmother’s house could be her opportunity to find her own provenance.

This was a skilful melding of Kendall’s outward and inward journeys.

Meanwhile, there is also the growing attraction between Kendall and Gabe. But Gabe (as we come to see) is a Christian whose faith has meaning in his everyday life. Ironically, that faith is largely because of Kendall’s grandmother.

Kendall is not a person of faith. On particular foster home showed her the negatives of faith, and she has never been interested enough to search out the truth for herself … until now. Provenance gives Kendall a clear faith journey, and it’s refreshing to see a Christian novel where one of the main characters has a serious and believable journey to trusting in Jesus.

As such, Provenance is one of the strongest Christian romances I’ve read in a while.

It does an excellent job of melding the internal and external plots, and of integrating Christianity in a real way—recognising the strengths and weaknesses of the faith and the followers.

Provenance by @CarlaLaureano is the strongest Christian romances I've read in a while, especially the way Kendall's faith journey is shown. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Click To Tweet

Recommended for Christian fiction and romance fans.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla LaureanoCarla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Provenance

Los Angeles interior designer and former foster kid Kendall Green is in high demand, both for her impeccable eye and for her uncanny ability to uncover the provenance of any piece. But for all her success, skyrocketing costs have put her California home and her business in jeopardy. Then an unexpected inheritance provides a timely solution: a grandmother she never knew has left her a group of historic properties in a tiny Colorado town on the edge of ruin.

To young, untried mayor Gabriel Brandt, Jasper Lake is more than another small town—it’s the place that saved his life. Now, seeing the town slowly wither and die, he’s desperate to restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, his vision is at odds with a local developer who wants to see the town razed and rebuilt as a summer resort. He’s sure that he can enlist the granddaughter of one of its most prominent former citizens to his cause—until he meets Kendall and realizes that not only does she know nothing of her own history, she has no interest in reviving a place that once abandoned her.

In order to save his beloved town, Gabe must first help Kendall unravel the truth of her own provenance—and Kendall must learn that in order to embrace the future, sometimes you have to start with the past.

Find Provenance online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 196 | Provenance by Carla Laureano

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 Provenance by Carla Laureano, one of my favourite contemporary Christian fiction writers.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

It was good to be home. Or at least it would be, if she had the faintest idea what home actually meant.

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

About Provenance

Los Angeles interior designer and former foster kid Kendall Green is in high demand, both for her impeccable eye and for her uncanny ability to uncover the provenance of any piece. But for all her success, skyrocketing costs have put her California home and her business in jeopardy. Then an unexpected inheritance provides a timely solution: a grandmother she never knew has left her a group of historic properties in a tiny Colorado town on the edge of ruin.

To young, untried mayor Gabriel Brandt, Jasper Lake is more than another small town—it’s the place that saved his life. Now, seeing the town slowly wither and die, he’s desperate to restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, his vision is at odds with a local developer who wants to see the town razed and rebuilt as a summer resort. He’s sure that he can enlist the granddaughter of one of its most prominent former citizens to his cause—until he meets Kendall and realizes that not only does she know nothing of her own history, she has no interest in reviving a place that once abandoned her.

In order to save his beloved town, Gabe must first help Kendall unravel the truth of her own provenance—and Kendall must learn that in order to embrace the future, sometimes you have to start with the past.

Find Provenance online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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!

How could she convince them of the value of art when she could barely convince herself?

Book Review | Under Scottish Stars (MacDonald Family #3) by Carla Laureano

I read Five Days in Skye, Carla Laureano’s debut novel and the first in her MacDonald family series, when it first released five years ago. Seven years ago? I loved it. I also loved the sequel, London Tides, and was hugely disappointed to discover that original publisher cut their fiction arm and didn’t finish the series.

But I was thrilled to discover a new publisher picked up the trilogy.

While it makes sense that they republished the first two novels, I did think they could have published them more quickly than one a year. It’s not as though we were waiting for the books to be written …

So I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Did Under Scottish Stars live up to my expectations? No and yes.

It took me a while to get into the story.

That’s partly because it’s so long since I read the first two, and I didn’t remember all the characters or their nuances. It could also be because I’m having a little trouble concentrating on contemporary stories right now, what with everything on the news. (No, I don’t want to read a bunch of stories about love in the time of COVID-19, but it seems wrong to ignore it.)

Widow Serena MacDonald Stewart is back in the dating game, but discovering a distinct lack of sparks. She decides to move back to Skye and help with the family hotel, where she meets their hired manager, Malcolm Blake … and discovers there are sparks. But it takes more than sparks to make a relationship.

Serena is a complex character. At first, she’s the widow trying to make a go of life after losing her husband. As the novel progresses, we realise that losing her husband might be the best thing that ever happend to her. Now she has a chance to be herself and pursue her dreams. Serena’s character forces us to ask some hard questions about our own lives.

Malcolm was a noble character–he gave up his own home and career to return to Skye and take care of his teenage niece after her mother died. But he’s also a bit of a curmudgeon. He’s noble, but not always nice and polite, and I did have some initial trouble seeing why there were sparks between him and Serena. It sometimes felt like they were being forced into a relationship rather than falling into a relationship.

However, as the story developed, I found myself drawn more and more into their lives, wanting the best for them even when the best seemed impossible. Overall, it’s a solid romance and a must-read for series fans. Yes, I probably would have enjoyed it more five years ago, but that can’t be helped. At least I got to read it now.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla LaureanoCarla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Under Scottish Stars

Recently widowed Serena MacDonald Stewart focuses on her children to the exclusion of her career, her art, and her sanity. When her brothers ask her to oversee the family guest house on the Isle of Skye, it’s a chance to dust off her long-ignored business skills and make a new start. But her hopes for a smooth transition are dashed when the hotel manager, Malcolm Blake, turns out to be irritating, condescending . . . and incredibly attractive.

Malcolm Blake gave up everything—his home, his girlfriend, and his career—to return to Skye and raise his late sister’s teenage daughter. With few job opportunities available on the island, he signs on as the manager of the MacDonald family hotel, which he’s soon running successfully without interference from the owners. That is, until Serena shows up, challenging his authority and his conviction that there’s nothing missing from his new life on Skye.

Before long, Serena and Malcolm have to admit the spark between them is more than mere irritation. But as single parents, there’s more on the line than their own hearts. Will their commitment to family be the thing that draws them together or the only thing that could keep them apart?

Find Under Scottish Stars online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Under Scottish stars below: