Tag: Christian Romance

Living around so much history makes you feel your importance and your insignificance.

Book Review | Passages of Hope by Terri J Haynes

Gracie NcNeil has inherited her grandmother’s row house in Philadelphia, which she plans to turn into a yarn shop and hold knitting lessons. While renovating the property, she discovers a secret cellar, which she realises may once have been used by the Underground railroad.

Olivia Kingston is a previous resident of the house, a seamstress by day and a Underground Railroad conductor by night. It’s dangerous work for both the escaped slaves and for those who assist them … especially those who are free Blacks.

The contemporary part of the story follows Gracie’s research about the house, her efforts to start her own knitting business, and her developing relationship with Clarence, her neighbour’s grandson. It’s a sweet romance, but the depth in the story is in Gracie’s personal journey.

Gracie suffers from a deep-seated feeling of unworthiness, not helped by her Uncle Ryan, who seems to take every possible opportunity to find fault or bring her down. I suspect many of us have an Uncle Ryan figure in our lives, and have to learn how to ignore that negative voice (and to try not to be the negative voice to others, especially our children).

Olivia’s story is where all the tension comes in.

While we, the reader, know the house has survived, we have no idea of what happened to Olivia or her “passengers”—in particular, Beulah, a young mother escaping with her ill daughter, Hope.

Olivia lives on the same street as well-known conductor and abolitionist William Still, and brings Still and his work to life brilliantly – the communications, the records, and the ever-present challenge presented by the slave catchers. As a history lover, I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the novel.

Passages of Hope by Terri J Haynes is an excellent dual timeline novel set in Philadelphia and featuring the Underground Railroad. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Click To Tweet

Passages of Hope is part of Barbour Publishing’s Doors to the Past series, which is a set of standalone historical novels. The plot and characters reminded me of Ashley Clark’s dual timeline novels.

Recommended for fans of dual timeline fiction from authors who aren’t afraid to address some of the tougher aspects of US history.

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

Abut Terry J Haynes

Terri J HaynesTerri J. Haynes, a native Baltimorean, is a homeschool mom, writer, prolific knitter, freelance graphic artist and former Army wife (left the Army, not the husband). She loves to read, so much that when she was in elementary school, she masterminded a plan to be locked in a public library armed with only a flashlight to read all the books and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As she grew, her love for writing grew as she tried her hand at poetry, articles, speeches and fiction. She is storyteller at heart. Her passion is to draw readers in the story world she has created and to bring laughter and joy to their lives.
Terri is a 2010 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest finalist, and a 2012 semi-finalist. She is also a 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarterfinalist. Her publishing credits include: Cup of Comfort for Military Families, Crosswalk.com, the Secret Place Devotional, Urbanfaith.com, Vista Devotional, and Publisher’s Weekly.

Terri holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, a Master’s degree in Theological Studies and a certificate in creative writing and graphic design, meeting the minimal requirements of being a geek. She and her husband pastor a church where she serves as executive pastor and worship leader. Terri lives in Maryland with her three wonderful children and her husband, who often beg her not to kill off their favorite characters.

Find Terri J Haynes online at:

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About Passages of Hope

Discover the Story Behind a Secret Passageway

Gracie Kingston begins renovations on the Philadelphia house inherited from her grandmother and finds a secret room. It is connected to a house nearby, the home of William Still, the man known as the father of the Underground Railroad. As she researches, she discovers a mystery in her house’s ownership. In 1855, Olivia Kingston helps a mother and her young child by hiding them in a secret room in her home. As she helps, she learns that there may be an impostor conductor in their community. As Gracie’s and Olivia’s stories intertwine, they learn the meaning of sacrifice and love.

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Find Passages of Hope online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

 

God gave her everything she wanted and more, and she still let distractions and doubts creep in along the way.

Book Review | Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober

First, a content warning: Pretty Little Pieces starts with a woman having a miscarriage. If that’s going to bother you, perhaps don’t read this one (or start reading at Chapter Two).

Second, Pretty Little Pieces is written in third person, present tense, which I found to be an odd combination. Most novels are third person, past tense. Some are first person, present tense, a combination which is especially popular in Young Adult fiction, or rom-coms. Third person, past tense isn’t unheard of, but it is unusual. It took me a while to get used to this combination – while I didn’t mind the present tense, the character voices were similar and mixed up Georgina and Cassidy a few times.

There was one other thing I should mention: I thought women were supposed to see a healthcare professional after having a miscarriage to ensure they hadn’t had a partial miscarriage (which can lead to some very nasty things). Joanna didn’t, and that bothered me.

Enough commentary. Let’s get on with the review.

Georgina Havoc (great last name!) and her fiancé, Lance Broussard, are being touted as the next Chip and Joanna Gaines as they prepare to host (yet another) design/house flipping TV show. But their relationship – and partnership – evaporate when Lance ghosts her after she shares that she was pregnant but has miscarried.

Georgina’s agent and publicist come up with a new proposal to pitch to the network, featuring Georgina and her previous show partner, best friend Poppy. The network agree to Georgina Rebuilds, and Georgina is off to tiny Tarragon, Tennessee, to restore two neglected cottages.

Cassidy Stokes is a Tarragon local, currently working on the Harp House estate, where Georgina is staying. He’s ex-military and planning to go to El Salvador as a private security contractor … mostly to escape Tarragon and the memories of his first wife.

Georgina and Cassidy are attracted, but their developing relationship is complicated by the fact Georgina is still technically with Lance because she has a non-disclosure agreement saying she can’t announce any change in her relationship status until they agree a breakup – something that’s difficult to impossible when he’s ghosted her.

Pretty Little Pieces is part romance and part women’s fiction. Georgina and Cassidy are both point of view characters (which gives the story the romance feel), but the start is heavy on the women’s fiction side, and it’s definitely Georgina’s story.

I liked Georgina.

She was a sympathetic character in a difficult situation who didn’t magically bounce back (as some characters do). She worked through her troubles, and it was good to see. (Although I did wonder why Lance acted how he did. I think there’s a story there as well.)

Cassidy is a strong Christian, and I liked the way he held firm to his faith and used his own experiences to help bring Georgina back to faith. I also liked Georgina’s twin sister – another character with issues that could be explored in a sequel.

I’m not a fan of house flipping shows and have never watched the Gaines’s show, yet I still enjoyed Pretty Little Pieces. I’m sure Gaines fans will love it even more.

Recommended for fans of fixer-upper reality shows or contemporary Christian romance that gets into the gritty side of life and faith.

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

About Carmen Schober

Carmen Schober is a wife and mother, a proud Cuban-American, and a woman of eclectic interests, ranging from gritty combative sports to feminine design shows. She writes unexpected romance novels for the modern woman, with relatable but inspirational heroines and heroes. When she’s not writing fiction, she blogs about Christianity, motherhood, writing, and everything in between. She earned a master’s degree in English literature and creative writing from Kansas State, and she currently lives in Manhattan, Kansas.

Find Carmen Schober online at:

Website

About Pretty Little Pieces:

Ambitious influencer Georgina Havoc and her designer beau Lance Broussard have been dubbed the next Chip and Joanna Gaines, but their happily-ever-after falls apart when Lance blindsides her with a “pause.” The show must go on, so Georgina takes on the task of renovating a forgotten cottage in the tiny, tight-knit town of Tarragon, Tennessee on her own.

Georgina has a plan to save her relationship–and her show–but a surprise drop-in from her troubled twin sister makes things extra messy. That, and the presence of rugged ex-sniper Cassidy Stokes, who throws a wrench in all her plans.

As she salvages her shattered life, will Georgina retreat to the familiar or embrace a new design?

Find Pretty Little Pieces online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #258 | Muskoka Blue (Original Six #6) by Carolyn Miller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m quoting from Muskoka Blue by Australian author Carolyn Miller, the sixth book in her Original Six ice hockey contemporary Christian romance series.

It was the perfect time to be brave

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Yes, this book actually comes before Muskoka Shores, which I read a few weeks ago. Yes, you should probably read them in order. I didn’t, but I don’t think that will matter too much. I hope.

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

 

About Muskoka Blue

An ice princess with a broken heart. A pro hockey player with a secret.

For Sarah Maguire, spending the summer at Lake Muskoka was supposed to be about finding the courage to put back the pieces of her shattered life—not falling in love with the charming yet unsophisticated hockey player from next door.

Daniel Walton may have been praying for Miss Right to appear, but Sarah’s ice princess act just cries Miss Wrong. Dan’s summer plans hadn’t included befriending a redhead with a sassy tongue and cute accent, but as Muskoka works its magic he soon discovers that underneath the frost and prickles is the funny, feisty, loving woman he’s waited all his life to meet.

As their friendship deepens, Sarah comes to appreciate Dan’s patience and kindness yet struggles to let go of the past and embrace the future, while Dan, only too conscious of the personal history he wants to forget, questions the wisdom of pursuing a girl whose heart may never be wholly his – who may soon return to live on the opposite side of the world.

Will past regrets lead to further heartbreak? Or can Sarah and Dan learn to leave the past in the past and embrace God’s promises for the future?

Muskoka Blue is the sixth book in the Original Six, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian hockey romance series from bestselling author Carolyn Miller.

Find Muskoka Blue online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Koorong

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What's your view on epilogues where the couple get engaged or married?

Bookish Question #247 | What’s your view on epilogues where the couple get engaged or married?

Christian romance novels often feature an epilogue with an engagement or wedding scene.

What’s your view on such epilogues?

I was tempted to give my usual “it depends” answer, using the rationale that some stories will need to include the engagement or wedding scene in order to feel complete, but others will be complete without the engagement or wedding.

But then I reconsidered.

If the story needs an engagement or wedding scene to be complete, that scene should form part of the main novel. It shouldn’t be tacked on at the end.

If the story doesn’t need an engagement or wedding scene, then that scene could be rated in one of several ways:

  • It could be excluded. If it’s not needed, why include it?
  • It could be moved to the next book in the series, to show the reader how the first couple are moving on in their life together.
  • It could be included as an epilogue.

I think epilogues work best when they are doing one of two things:

  • Setting up the next story in a series (e.g. introducing the next hero and heroine).
  • Following up the characters after significant time has passed since the end of the book e.g. an epilogue at the end of a series which shows where the main characters are months or years later.

I have seen engagement or (more commonly) wedding scenes which successfully set up the next book in a series e.g. by having the new hero and heroine meet at the wedding. I like these: they provide a sense of closure while whetting the reader’s appetite for whatever comes next.

I do think epilogues should be set many months after the conclusion of the novel.

First, because I do wonder if some fictional characters will marry in haste and repent at leisure. Second, because if the engagement or wedding follows the end of the novel too quickly, why not simply include it in the actual novel?

I have heard of authors who use an epilogue as an enticement to get readers to sign up for their email list. I can see the logic behind this, but I also know it annoys those readers who believe the novel should be complete as it is published, i.e. no cliff-hanger endings and no vital epilogues.

A better enticement night be a “bonus scene”.

This could well be a combination engagement or wedding with introducing the next couple. But it could also be a prequel scene or short story, or a deleted scene.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

What’s your view on epilogues where the couple get engaged or married?

 

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #250 | No Filter by Lisa Renee

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 No Filter by Lisa Renee, an Australian rom-com author.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Melissa Turner's stomach twisted like her camera strap as she strode down the half-decorated church aisle.

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

 

About No Filter

When San Diego videographer, Chance McMillan discovers a food photographer will shoot his friend’s wedding, he’s outraged.

Australian, Melissa Turner isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her fire and spunk surprise Chance, and now he doesn’t want her to leave the US. He offers Melissa a documentary project to extend her stay, but as single parents, could two nations, two broken families build a bridge to a safe middle ground?

Melissa tags along to San Diego as a photographer for Lachlan’s sister’s wedding. Head strong Melissa, who has “no filter” clashes with videographer, Chance, who’s also a single parent.

Can she overcome her misconceptions of relationships and give him a chance before she leaves the US?

You can find No Filter online at:

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It was too late now. They both knew when he had first embarked on this road to debauchery.

Book Review | Midnight’s Budding Morrow by Carolyn Miller

I almost didn’t request this book to review because the cover didn’t appeal to me. It felt too dark, although I could see it reflected the title (actually, I wasn’t too keen on the title, either). But it’s by Carolyn Miller, and I’ve enjoyed every one of her novels so far … so I decided to give it a go.

Sarah Drayton is single and of “advanced age” (about twenty-eight) in a time when ladies are supposed to be married much younger. She goes to stay with Beatrice Langley, an old school friend, but is tricked into a marriage of convenience with Beatrice’s  badly behaved brother, Captain James Langley.

We see James from Sarah’s point of view at first, and he doesn’t come across as a likeable person. But we get to know him better as the story progresses, and have more sympathy for him as we understand him better.

For his part, James has no desire to marry Sarah—but has even less desire to see his estate go to a distant cousin. But if he wants an heir, he’s going to have to spend time with his bride and court her properly.

Midnight’s Budding Morrow is darker than many of Carolyn Miller’s previous books.

The combination of the decaying old house, unhelpful servants, and overbearing patriarch give the story a gothic feel, like old Victoria Holt or Mary Stewart stories. The age-old rumours of a hidden treasure in the house only reinforce that feeling.

While the start is somewhat dark and a little contrived (aren’t all marriage of convenience stories? Isn’t that why we love them?), the novel progresses well. It is yet another strong novel from Carolyn Miller, with excellent characters, a unique setting, and a strong Christian faith arc.

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

About Carolyn Miller

Carolyn MillerCarolyn 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:

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About Midnight’s Budding Morrow

Can real love grow between a wallflower and an unrepentant rogue?

Sarah Drayton is eager to spend time with her best friend at her crumbling Northumberland castle estate. Matrimony is the last thing on her mind and the last thing she expects to be faced with on a holiday. Yet she finds herself being inveigled into a marriage of convenience with her friend’s rakish brother.

When James Langley returns to his family’s estate, he can’t be bothered to pay attention to his responsibilities as the heir. War is raging and he wants only distraction, not serious tethers. But his roguish ways have backed him into a corner, and he has little choice but to obey his father’s stunning decree: marry before returning to war, or else. Suddenly he finds himself wedded to a clever and capable woman he does not love.

Sarah craves love and a place to belong, neither of which James offered before returning to the battlefront. Now everyone around her thinks she married above her station, and they have no intention of rewarding her for such impertinence. It isn’t until her husband returns from war seemingly changed that she begins to hope they may find real happiness. But can she trust that this rake has truly reformed?

When tragedy strikes, this pair must learn to trust God and his plans. Will they be destroyed . . . or will they discover that even in the darkest depths of night, the morning still holds hope?

Find Midnight’s Budding Morrow online:

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Read the introduction to Midnight’s Budding Morrow:

Do you enjoy wedding scenes in Christian romance?

Bookish Question #236 | Do you enjoy wedding scenes in Christian romance?

One of the rule of romance novels is that they have to have an emotionally satisfying ending.

Many authors and readers use the phrase happy-every-after to describe the perfect ending for a romance novel.

While I agree that the a wedding is the ideal happy-ever-after in a Christian romance, I don’t necessarily think the wedding has to happen as part of the novel. It doesn’t even need to happen in the epilogue.

As an example, I’ve just finished a novel which featured the hero and heroine marrying at the end (I’m not going to name the book for reasons that will become obvious).

The heroine has just moved to a small town after she inherits the Inn her aunt ran. The hero is a local businessman who maintains the Inn’s gardens in his spare time. They’re attracted to each other, and a relationship develops. The book ends with their wedding, and she’s pregnant by the “one year later” epilogue.

My problem? The “hero” is a widow whose wife and son died less than two months earlier.

Wait. A. Minute.

“Hero” has been widowed for just two months? And he’s already moving on into another relationship? And his mother is encouraging it?

We find out the hero never really loved his first wife, that their marriage was a mistake. Well, that might explain how he’s emotionally able to move on so quickly, but it doesn’t show good judgement. I really wasn’t interested in the romance plot. The subplots were the only reason I kept reading.

In that case, the wedding scene crowned an already distasteful plot.

If the couple only meets for the first time at the beginning of the novel, and the novel takes place over a relatively short timeframe (weeks or months), then I prefer that the story doesn’t end in a wedding, or even an engagement. I’d rather that came in the next book in the series, after the couple have truly had a chance to get to know each other.

But if the story is a reunion romance or a friends to more story, then I’m more relaxed.

The couple have history. They know each other. That, to me, makes it more likely their relationship will succeed … as long as they can resolve whatever issue split them up in the first place.

Now, having said, that, I do enjoy a good marriage of convenience story …

And those typically include a wedding scene at or near the beginning. But in those stories, the whole plot is strangers getting married, then falling in love. The wedding is what brings the couple together, and the whole point of the story is that they will establish a lasting relationship.

What about you? Do you enjoy wedding scenes in Christian romance?

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #237 | Cake That! by Heather Greer

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 Cake That! by Heather Greer, a Christian rom-com from a new-to-author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The stainless-steel mixing bowls crashed together like gongs hammered by rhythm-challenged children as Livvy shoved them into the lower cabinet and forced the door shut.

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

About Cake That!

You can find Cake That! online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #224 | Happily Ever After by Jenn Faulk

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 Happily Ever After by Jenn Faulk, which I found free on Kindle. Here’s the first line:

It had been the most amazing week of her life. Thus far, at least.

 

I don’t always download free books, but this one had a critical review right at the top of the page which intrigued me so much that I had to find out if I agreed with the reviewer or not (so far, I disagree).

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

About Happily Ever After

Cammie Evans was a girl with a plan from the moment God called her to be a foreign missionary. After several years spent all over the world, though, she finds herself with a new assignment that leaves her questioning all that she once thought to be true about life, love, and calling.

David Connor was always the weird kid in the youth group, never destined to live up to his father’s expectations. After several years of working to find his own significance in Christ and his calling as a foreign missionary, he finds himself asking hard questions about who he is and what God wants from him.

As their lives change and the past becomes part of the present, can Cammie and David help one another find their own happily ever after?

You can find Happily Ever After online at:

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First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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Do romance novels give women unrealistic expectations?

Bookish Question #216 | Do Romance Novels give Women Unrealistic Expectations of Men and Marriage?

Critics of romance novels often say romance novels aren’t realistic, that they give women unrealistic expectations of men and of marriage.

In fairness, there is some truth in the argument that romance novels aren’t realistic.

But romance isn’t the least realistic genre on the fiction shelves:
  • Fantasy would have us believe that the world is (or perhaps was) filled with dragons and supernatural creatures such as werewolves, dwarves, and elves.
  • Science Fiction shows faster-than-light space travel, civilizations that are almost entirely mechanical (and no one ever seems to grow food), and untold different species, most of which are humanoid and speak English.
  • Cozy mysteries show us that all small villages (and many small towns) are hotbeds or murder and intrigue, and that the police are incompetent (because it always seems to be the local amateur detective who solves the crime, not the professionals).
  • Adventure stories show us that archaeology is a race to find a previously unknown artifact and keep it from the evildoers, not painstakingly removing dirt a teaspoonful at a time in the hope of understanding life in a bygone era.
  • Action stories confirm that bullets are only dangerous if the good guy is holding the gun, and that car chases through big cities are perfectly safe (because it’s only the bystanders who get hurt).

Given those comparisons, is “unrealistic” really the right word for a story where two people to meet, fall in love, and decide they want to build a life together? I’d say that is the definition of hope.

But do romance novels set unrealistic expectations about men and marriage?

Let’s look at men first, then marriage.

In romance novels, the hero would do anything for his heroine. He will love her unconditionally. He will support her dreams. He will sacrifice for her. He sees her potential and pushes her towards her dreams while she’s still mired in self-doubt.

(Incidentally, the heroine will do the same for the hero. Romance is very much an equal-opportunity genre. Perhaps that’s what some people don’t like.)

Now, I do understand unconditional, sacrificial love isn’t the reality for everyone. But that doesn’t make it wrong. In fact, it’s biblical:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. (Eph 5:25, NIV)

But do romance novels set unrealistic expectations for marriage?

This is a non-argument. Romance novels are about the journey to the happy-ever-after, not the story of the happy-ever-after. That would be women’s fiction—and there are hundreds of women’s fiction novels inside and outside the Christian market which address these issues.

There are many Christian novels which show strong marriages, from the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke to the Baxter Family saga by Karen Kingsbury. There are also Christian novels which show marriages in trouble, and become an object lesson in how not to go through life.

This is also biblical: many of the stories in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, aren’t there to show us how to live. They’re there to show us how not to live. David was a great man of God, but no right-minded person is ever going to condone his treatment of Uriah (or even Bathsheba).

So while some people may say romance novels are setting unrealistic expectations, I say romance novels set a standard. They show us that a good marriage—a God-centred marriage— is one where both parties love God, love each other, and will support each other no matter what.

Yes, that might be unrealistic. But that’s the result of sin in the world.

Not romance novels.