Tag: Christian Romance

8 November 2021

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 Share on X

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:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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

6 September 2021

Book Review | Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel

Undercurrent of Secrets is a dual-timeline novel, part of the new Doors to the Past series from Barbour Publishing (and thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providin a free ebook for review).

In the present timeline, Devyn Asbury is mostly over her humiliating breakup from social media mogul Travis Leeman. She’s working as the wedding coordinator on the Belle of Louisville, a traditional paddleboat steamer. She entered the boat in the Once Upon a Wedding contest, and is now a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue category.

But she didn’t get the original email .. which means she now has less than six weeks to plan and pull off an award-winning function.

Designer Chase Jones asks Devyn to help with some research. He’s trying to find the identity of the woman in an old photograph that appears to have been taken on board the Belle. Devyn agrees, as long as Chase helps with the invitations for the important event. The two get closer as they work together to track down the mysterious woman and … well, you know. This is a romance novel, after all.

In the past timeline, Hattie Louis is happy on board the Idlewild, the paddleboat steamer that has been her home her entire life. But her happy life is threatened by Jack Marshall, the new first mate, who takes over Hattie’s role and who appears to be hiding a secret.

Even worse, that secret might involve illegal behaviour implicating the Idlewild’s captain, the only father she has ever known.

I did find the opening chapters a little confusing. The opening line was brilliant:

But this brilliant line gave me the impression the relationship had just ended (especially as the novel begins on what would have been Devyn’s wedding day). In fact, I think the relationship had ended months before – perhaps a year. Knowing that up front would have explained why Devyn was open to a relationship with Chase—because she’d moved on.

Once I worked that out, I really got into the story and enjoyed watching Devyn and Chase search for clues to the identity of the mysterious Hattie of Chase’s photograph. The search was even more interesting once it became obvious that Chase’s Hattie was Hattie Louis.

One of the fun parts of reading dual timeline novels is working out how and when the timelines intersect, then trying to predict what’s going to happen in the past to end up with the present we know about. I’m pleased to report that Undercurrent of Secrets had a couple of excellent twists which were a complete surprise to me, and to Devyn (although, in hindsight, one shouldn’t have been a surprise to Devyn …)

Hattie was definitely my favourite character.

She was intelligent and plucky, as well as being multi-talented (and I even found out what a calliope was). The historic parts of the story felt authentic, and the author’s note at the end showed how much of the story was based on fact. (Yes, there really was an Idlewild, and she did survive.)

However, it was the modern heroine, Devyn, who learned the most important spiritual lesson, and I liked the way the author wove that into the plot. And I did like the fact Devyn was prepared to hold out for someone better. While I love reading romance novels, it would be great to see more novels that show marriages—good and less good.

Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel is an enjoyable dual-timeline #ChristianRomance set on a historic steamboat on the Ohio River. #BookReview Share on X

Overall, I very much enjoyed Undercurrent of Secrets, especially the unique setting.

Recommended for fans dual timeline Christian romance.

About Rachel Scott McDaniel

Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids.

Find Rachel Scott McDaniel online at:

Website | Facebook| Twitter

About Undercurrents of Secrets

Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat.

As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.

A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin.

Find Undercurrent of Secrets online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

23 August 2021

Book Review | Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

When Meri’s roommate marries, she gives Meri a copy of The List. The List is 101 tips on catching a husband, from a 1950s issue of Sophia Magazine (as an aside, I didn’t think some of the ideas were particularly 1950s. According to the Author’s Note, she couldn’t use the original 101 ideas so had to come up with her own. That explains my confusion).

But now Meri has to find somewhere else to live.

Her filmmaker brother is about to head to Ecuador for three months, so she moves into his house with his two tenants—gorgeous Gemma, the screenwriter who keeps getting offered acting roles, and laid-back Kai Kamaka, digital editor for a local late-night news show.

The List has apparently helped all her nursing-school friends find love and marriage. Meri is unimpressed, and thinks the idea is ridiculous. Kai suggests filming Meri following the ideas and posting the clips to YouTube to show what a stupid idea The List is. He can then use the footage for his demo reel, to try and get a better job.

The ideas on the list range from sexist to ridiculous.

Fortunately, Meri and Kai go for the funny, starting with trying to lasso a guy (no, I can’t see that in a genuine 1950s list). Their show takes off, people start watching and commenting, and asking if Meri and Kai area dating in real life. They’re not, but this is a romance novel, so … and the exposure brings its own problems.

The story is told in first person, with chapters from Meri and Kai’s points of view. I enjoyed this, although I did occasionally get lost as to which point of view I was reading (their voices were very similar considering their characters were supposed to be almost opposite. It seems I’m not very good at noticing the big clue i.e. the character’s name at the beginning of the chapter).

So this rom-com has elements of opposites attract combined with enemies to more (although Meri and Kai were never really enemies). The idea of The List and going viral on YouTube was original and interesting. It’s what got me interested the story, and it definitely delivered on the promise.

As such, Husband Auditions was a typical fun rom-com. What lifted it from average to excellent was towards the end, and was a message that doesn’t often come through in Christian romance:

We can be godly without being married.

Kai points out that it sometimes feels like the church has made an idol of marriage. If that’s true, the Christian fiction industry perpetuates the idol (and I say that as someone who loves reading Christian romance).

But the novel also shows that getting married and being married are two different things, and there are some strong lessons on marriage from friends and relatives. I particularly enjoyed the sermon in the middle of the novel. Unlike most sermons in Christian fiction, this one added to the plot and had an important lesson.

The characters were great, the writing strong, and there are two single characters (Gemma and Charlie, Meri’s brother) so I hope that means two more books in the series (hint hint).

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

About Angela Ruth Strong

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers.

She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.

You can find Angela Ruth Strong online at

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

About Husband Auditions

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?

Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

You can find Told You So online at

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

16 August 2021

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 Share on X

Recommended for Christian fiction and romance fans.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla 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!

4 June 2021

First Line Friday | Week 188 | Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray

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 Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray, the second book in her State of Grace series. She is one of my favourite Christian romance authors, so I’m looking forward to reading this!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Love and the Silver Lining

This disaster may be just what she needed.

Darcy Malone’s dreams of mission work are dashed on the eve of fulfilling them: The Guatemalan school she was going to teach at has closed, and she’s already quit her job and given up her apartment. Stuck in her worst-case scenario, Darcy accepts an unexpected offer to move in with Bryson Katsaros’s little sister, despite the years of distrust between her and Bryson, the lead singer in her best friend Cameron’s band. But as she meets those close to Bryson, Darcy quickly discovers there is more to him than just his bad-boy persona.

Needing to find a purpose for all her sudden free time, Darcy jumps at the chance to care for and train a group of unruly dogs, with the aim of finding each a home before their bereaved owner returns them to animal control. But it’s Darcy herself who will encounter a surprising rescue in the form of love, forgiveness, and learning to let go.

Find Love and the Silver Lining 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!

31 May 2021

Book Review | Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse

San Francisco is a city full of history, and Bridge of Gold takes readers into the history behind one of San Francisco’s most famous landmarks:

Building the Golden Gate Bridge.

The past story is set in 1933, as divers excavate the area around where the bridge’s south tower will be built. This means twenty-minute dives in hundred-plus-foot depths where it’s almost pitch black, wearing a diving suit that weighs thirty or forty pounds, amidst rough currents and right next to an underground cliff. Fall off the cliff—or get dragged off by the current. That could kill the diver, who can only breath through a hose connected to a boat on the surface.

Those early divers are a testament to humanity’s endurance and ability to work in tough circumstances. This is why I read historical fiction—to find out something new and unusual. It’s a bonus when the new and unusual is about a location I’ve visited.

Anyway, back to the story … The past story is about Luke Moreau, a diver on the bridge, and his fiancé, Margo. During one dive, Luke is swept over the edge of the cliff and he finds a ship embedded in the mud. Inside the ship, he finds gold … which could change everything for him and Margo in the middle of the depression. Unfortunately, someone else knows about the ship, and is prepared to go to any lengths to stop Luke.

The present story is centered around the discovery of the wreck of the Lucky Martha by Steven Michaels, when he and his crew are engaged on restoration work on the bridge. Once he discovers the ship, he is joined by marine archaeologist Kayla Richardson. They expect to be searching for relics and rumoured gold, but their first find is more macabre: a skeleton wrapped in chains.

And it seems Steven and Kayla aren’t the only people searching for gold …

Bridge of Gold hit all the right notes for me. First, it’s got a real-life engineering triumph—building the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve been there, but I didn’t know how hard it was to build.

Second, the main characters—Luke, Steven, and Kayla—are all experts in their field. I enjoy reading books about people who are good at things, especially interesting things like diving and archaeology. Intelligent, hard-working, competent people also make good romance characters, because it’s easy to understand what the other character sees in them.

Third, the plot was excellent, with just the right blend of romance and suspense in each timeline. Finally, the writing was excellent, delivering a novel that was hard to step away from.

Recommended for fans of dual timeline novels or historical fiction with a unique perspective.

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

About Kimberley Woodhouse

Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than a dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country.

Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews. She lives and writes in Colorado with her husband of twenty-five years and their two amazing kids.

Find Kimberley Woodhouse online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

About Bridge of Gold

Repairs on the Golden Gate Bridge Uncover a Century-Old Murder

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

Underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson is called to the Golden Gate Bridge where repairs to one of the towers uncovers two human remains from the late 1800s and the 1930s. The head of the bridge restoration is Steven Michaels, who dives with Kayla, and a friendship develops between them. But as the investigation heats up and gold is found that dates back to the gold rush, more complications come into play that threaten them both. Could clues leading to a Gold Rush era mystery that was first discovered during the building of the bridge still ignite an obsession worth killing for?

Find Bridge of Gold online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

3 May 2021

Book Review | Let It Be Me (Misty River Romance #2) by Becky Wade

Leah Montgomery is a child prodigy who gave up a full-ride scholarship to Princeton to complete her PhD so she could stay home and raise her seven-year-old brother after her mother decides she needs to explore the Amazon (or something. Their mother was an off-stage character, and that’s probably for the best). Anyway, Leah is 100% logical–for better or worse.

Pediatric heart surgeon Sebastian Grant meets Leah at a local farmer’s market, and recognises her as the angel who came to his rescue six months ago when his car crashed. Unfortunately, he finds Leah is the teacher his best friend, Ben, has been in love with for the best part of a year. Not that Ben’s ever asked her out, but still … man-code means she’s off limits.

When a mail-in DNA test shows Leah isn’t the biological child of either of her parents, she knows she must have been switched at birth with another baby (as her unmaternal mother would have grieved a stillborn baby, but certainly wouldn’t have adopted one). Logic says she needs to find the answer, and Sebastian – who works in the hospital where she was born.

What intrigued me most about Let It Be Me were the quirky but likeable characters.

Leah is almost certainly somewhere on the autistic spectrum: she’s brilliant at math, responsible, and hard-working. But she’s not good with relationships, especially romantic relationships. In fact, she’s made it to twenty-eight without having any romantic feelings. The result was that I really liked her character voice, which pulled me through the story.

Sebastian is also an overachiever with his own personality quirks. As a medical doctor, he also understands math and physics and other logical, scientific disciplines. He’s loyal, a good friend, and willing to put his own feelings for Leah aside. He also helps Leah to discover the mystery behind her birth.

As such, this was an unusual yet compelling romance with unique characters and plenty of quirky humour—another winner from Becky Wade.

Let It Be Me is the second book in Becky Wade’s Misty River Romance series.

The stories feature members of the “Miracle Five”, who survived an earthquake as teens, an experience that has brought them together and shaped their lives. Each book is the romance of one of the Five (although one was already married when the series started). While the books are each standalone novels, they feature the same setting and many of the same characters – my idea of a perfect series.

Thanks to Bethany House 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:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Let It Be Me

The one woman he wants is the one he cannot have.

Former foster kid Sebastian Grant has leveraged his intelligence and hard work to become a pediatric heart surgeon. But not even his career success can erase the void he’s tried so hard to fill. Then he meets high school teacher Leah Montgomery and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop. He falls hard, only to make a devastating discovery–Leah is the woman his best friend set his heart on months before.

Leah’s a math prodigy who’s only ever had one big dream–to earn her PhD. Raising her little brother put that dream on hold. Now that her brother will soon be college bound, she’s not going to let anything stand in her way. Especially romance . . . which is far less dependable than algebra.

When Leah receives surprising results from the DNA test she submitted to a genealogy site, she solicits Sebastian’s help. Together, they comb through hospital records to uncover the secrets of her history. The more powerfully they’re drawn to each other, the more strongly Sebastian must resist, and the more Leah must admit that some things in life–like love–can’t be explained with numbers.

You can find Let It Be Me online at

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

20 April 2021

Bookish Question #173 | Do you have a favourite genre or book category?

Romance …

That’s a huge category, as romance is the biggest-selling book category in the English-speaking world, and that’s when Christian romance is included in the Religion category. Add the two together, and romance probably outsells all the other genres combined.

I do have some specific favourite subgenres within romance. Actually, within Christian romance:

Regency Romance

Regency Romance is set during the British Regency period, when Parliament decided King George III wasn’t mentally capable of undertaking his duties as king. His son, George, the future King George IV, was appointed Prince Regent to rule in King George III’s place … hence, the Regency.

One of the reasons I like Regency Romance is the setting: it’s almost exclusively set in England.

I lived in London for ten years, and it’s great to take a virtual trip back to England … especially as parts of it have barely changed since the Regency.

My current favourite Regency author is Carolyn Miller, because I love the depth of her characters and the underlying Christian message.

Which reminds me …

International Settings

I also enjoy reading romance with international settings i.e. romance that isn’t set in the USA.

(Between TV, movies, novels, and social media, I think I’m familiar enough with American culture. I’d like to expand my reading horizons.)

Yes, I know I live in New Zealand, which means the USA is technically an international setting for me. But I’ve read so many books read in mainland USA that I do enjoy reading a novel with a non-American setting, where we can also see aspects of the local culture come through.

I’ve recently enjoyed In Want of a Wife by Meredith Resce, the second book in her Luella Linley series. They’re lots of fun!

I’ve also enjoyed Milla Holt’s Colour Blind series, set in contemporary England.

Which brings me to …

Contemporary Romance

I enjoy many genres of contemporary romance, especially rom-com (because everyone needs to laugh, right), and contemporary romance with a less common setting (international, hint hint) or unusual character occupations (these things often run in cycles, and it seems every other Christian romance heroine runs a B&B, cafe, cupcake shop, or bookstore, and the heroes are all billionaires or cowboys. Or billionaire cowboys).

Where are all the accountants, electricians, and plumbers? Are they not romantic enough?

What about you? Do you have a favourite genre or book category?

5 April 2021

Book Review | Is It Any Wonder by Courtney Walsh

Is It Any Wonder starts with a bang.

What should have been a short paddleboard ride turns nasty when Louisa loses her paddle and is swept out to sea in a sudden storm. Louisa thinks about the mistakes she’s made … not wearing a lifejacket today, and never sending that apology letter to Mrs. Boggs after her husband died twelve years ago.

Rescue comes in the form of ex-boyfriend Cody Boggs, her “twin”, now an Executive Petty Officer with the US Coastguard. (He’s no relation, but they grew up together and share a birthday). Cody has been posted to Nantucket, against his protests. He has no desire to return to the place where his father drowned, nor to the ex-girlfriend he blames for his father’s death.

Is It Any Wonder is a very human novel.

It uses the tragic death of Daniel Boggs to address issues of guilt and forgiveness. Cody has the all-too-human tendency to count his failures rather than his successes. Louisa and Cody both remind us how easy it is to blame the wrong person when trouble strikes, and how easy it can be to accept that blame and the associated guilt. It reminds us how hard it can be to accept forgiveness, and even harder to forgive ourselves, or accept God’s forgiveness.

Is It Any Wonder is another great contemporary #ChristianRomance from @Courtney_Walsh—great writing, great plot, great characters. Recommended. Share on X

As with all Courtney Walsh’s stories, everything is excellent—the writing, the characters, the plot. Sure, Cody’s attitude bugged me a few times, as did Louisa’s overwhelming sense of guilt. But they were necessary parts of the story, because they were needed to show the depth of love and forgiveness.

All in all, Is It Any Wonder is another great contemporary Christian romance from Courtney Walsh. Recommended.

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

About the Author

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theater director, and playwright. Change of Heart is her fifth novel and is set in the same town as Paper Hearts. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well as two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing and visual arts studio. They have three children.

Find Courtney Walsh online at …

About Is It Any Wonder

Twelve years ago, Cody Boggs and Louisa Chambers made a pact that no matter where their lives took them, they’d return to Nantucket Island’s Brant Point Lighthouse on July 30, their shared golden birthday, and continue their tradition of exchanging birthday wishes. But that was before a tragic accident upended both of their lives, irrevocably pulling them apart.

Their worlds collide just months before that particular day when Louisa’s fledgling event planning company is hired by the local Coast Guard station, where she discovers Cody has recently returned to the island as the second in command. As they plan a regatta fundraiser, hoping to promote positive PR in the community, neither can deny the fireworks each encounter ignites. But working together also brings up memories of the day Cody’s father died, revealing secrets that have Cody and Louisa questioning everything they thought they knew and felt about their families and each other.

Find Is It Any Wonder online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

19 March 2021

First Line Friday | Week 177 | Better Than First by Kari Trumbo

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 Better Than First by Kari Trumbo, which promised to be a fun friends-to-more Christian romance … and I think it features a disabled heroine. I’m looking forward to it.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Better Than First

A sweet romance that will leave you feeling the kisses in the falling snow and cheering for a happily ever after.

Isla won’t let anything hold her back, except telling her best friend she’s in love with him.

When Isla Florez’s coach and best friend challenges her to make a bucket list, she’s worried her dreams of a gold medal will slip away. If she agrees, won’t she miss time at the track?

The more she allows Duncan to show her, the more value she sees in everyday life…and love.

Duncan Schmitz went from homelessness to his dream job as a youth pastor, but it isn’t enough.

He’s loved Isla from afar for ten years. As a challenge, he takes it upon himself to remind her what life is like off the track. And maybe also remind her he’s not just her coach, but the friend who’s always been there for her.

You can find Better Than First 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.