Tag: Contemporary Christian Romance

28 April 2025

Book Review | First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer

Rom-com author Gracie Parker is stuck. Her latest manuscript is a mess, an accident has left her virtually immobile, and her sister has arranged household help in the form of Nate, Gracie’s ex-husband.

Pro baseball player Nate is stuck. His marriage has been over for years and his career looks like it’s coming to an end. His only chance at a future is the unexpected opportunity to reconnect with his ex-wife

Yes, as the title suggests, First Love, Second Draft is a second-chance romance that ticked all my boxes.

I loved the writing, which I found genuinely funny without feeling forced and without any cringy moments. Sometimes rom-coms can read as though the author is trying to hard to make something funny, and that can fall flat. First Love Second Draft felt effortlessly funny (which is probably a testament to the hours that went into writing and revising to give it that effortless feel).

I loved the dual romance plot.

I often find myself resenting a secondary romance, as it can take away from the main characters and their story. In First Love Second Draft, the secondary romance echoed and reinforced Grace and Noah’s story. That was a real strength.

I loved the fact Noah knew he’d messed up and admitted as such. Even though he didn’t know how to fix it, he was willing to try.

Recommended for fans of contemporary romance and rom-com with a subtle Christian message.

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

About First Love, Second Draft

She’s a romance writer burned out on love. He’s her famous baseball star ex-husband. The last man she wants to be forced to work with is the one who broke her heart.

Rom-com writer Gracie Parker hasn’t written a bestseller since she and her husband, a major league baseball star, divorced five years ago. On thin ice with her publisher—and with a looming deadline—Gracie couldn’t have picked a worse time for a painful injury that has her flat on her back. At this point, she’d accept help from anybody . . . except her first love and ex-husband, Noah Parker.

The baseball season has just ended in massive disappointment for Noah. He’s facing the stark reality that he gave up everything for a career that’s let him down and that it might be too late to get back the one person he should’ve held on to. So when Gracie’s nephew calls, saying Gracie’s looking for a tenant for her next-door rental, it feels like it’s meant to be.

All Gracie cares about is turning in her manuscript on time, which is directly at odds with Noah’s attempts to win her back, even if she is slightly charmed by his kindness. But can people ever really change? Then Noah throws a curveball that could give Gracie the extension she needs, but it will mean working directly with Noah, something she’s not sure she can face. With no other choice, and everything on the line, Gracie must decide if it is too late for a second draft of their own love story.

Find First Love, Second Draft online at:

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About Becca Kinzer

Becca Kinzer lives in Springfield, Illinois where she works as a critical care nurse. When she’s not taking care of sick patients or reminding her husband and two kids that frozen chicken nuggets is a gourmet meal, she enjoys making up lighthearted stories with serious laughs. She is a 2018 ACFW First Impressions Contest winner, a 2019 Genesis Contest winner, 2021 Cascade Award winner, and all-around champion coffee drinker.

Find Becca Kinzer online at:

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21 April 2025

Book Review | The One Who Changed It All by Tara Grace Ericson

Fourteen years ago, a single indiscretion during Spring Break with a guy she’d just met but was The One changed Samantha Brown’s life forever. Now she’s the assistant librarian in Minden, doing her best to give her thirteen-year-old daughter the upbringing she never head. Yes, that one night changed everything.

Fourteen years ago, after a wonderful week with the girl he never forgot, Evan Mercer’s brother died in a nightclub fire. He searched for Sam, even engaged the family private detective, but never found her. Yet here she is in Minden, his new home. And she has a teenage daughter …

Yes, The One Who Changed Everything is a secret baby story.

I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and I can understand why—especially in Christian fiction. First, they rely on a (usually unmarried) couple doing something they shouldn’t. Second, the woman knows she is pregnant and has the baby, but doesn’t tell the father.

A good author can help readers get past the first issue. After all, we are all sinners and God doesn’t put sin in levels the way humans often do. In that respect, sexual sin is no different from any other sin. We are forgiven before we even ask. We simply have to confess and receive God’s forgiveness.

Getting past the second issue can be harder, because there has to be a good reason why the woman didn’t tell the father, especially in this day and age where social media makes it possible to find almost anyone.

The author achieves both these objectives. Both Sam and Evan clearly regret what happened, and Sam has good reasons for not telling Evan–simple fear that Evan’s well-off family would take her baby. Even to his credit, tried to look for Sam, but never found her.

The story has a predictably awkward beginning.

What’s not awkward about seeing the one-night-stand you searched for but never spoke to again? But I was impressed by the responsible way both Sam and Evan took on the responsibility of shared parenthood. I was especially impressed by Sophie, who adapted quickly yet believably to a huge life change.

Of course, the big question is the romance. Does that work? Oh, yes it does. It’s completely believable and I loved it. I loved the fact they were both still interested in the other. I loved the fact that Evan’s first reaction to figuring out he was a father was to embrace fatherhood.

I loved that Sam, despite her reservations, allowed him into their family.

I loved the spiritual thread to the story. Both characters had to let go of something in their past that would cloud their present relationship, and that was done well.

The One Who Changed Everything is the fifth and final book in the Second Chance Fire Station contemporary Christian romance series. I’ve read and enjoyed them all, but I think this is my favourite.

Recommended for fans of small-town contemporary Christian romance.

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

About Tara Grace Ericson

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

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

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

Find Tara Grace Ericson online at:

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About The One Who Changed Everything

I never expected to see him again.

When I met Evan, he was everything I never thought I could have—steady, kind, the kind of man who made me believe in something more. But one reckless night changed everything. By the time I found out I was pregnant, he was gone, and I had every reason to believe he’d never come back.

For fourteen years, I built a life for my daughter, protecting her, providing for her, never letting myself wonder what if.
Evan was a stranger from my past, a man whose wealthy family could take everything from me if they ever found out. But then he showed up in my small town—stronger, haunted, and completely unaware of the little girl who carried his eyes. And the moment he looks at her, I know the truth will come out.

I wanted to keep my distance. I told myself he only cared because of Sophia, that he’d never really wanted me. But every look, every touch, every moment together makes it harder to deny the truth.

Because Evan Mercer wasn’t just the man I lost. He was The One Who Changed Everything.

Find The One Who Changed Everything online at:

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

18 April 2025

First Line Friday #387 | Like Stars That Shine by Jenny Glazebrook

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 Like Stars That Shine by Jenny Glazebrook, the latest book in the Trinity Lakes series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Like Stars That Shine

She is returning home.

He has never had a home.

Esther Ladan has lost all confidence in her ability to read people. A very public break-up with her boyfriend has dealt a devastating blow to her heart and her pride.
Now two of the town’s most big-hearted, big-mouthed elderly ladies are determined to find her perfect match.

After years in witness protection, Tanner Elliott is finally free to live his life without looking over his shoulder. Still, he’s learned to be more observant than most and he’s an expert in reading body language.
When Esther asks him to scrutinize the dates her friends arrange for her, the results are not what either of them expect.

Can Esther and Tanner overcome their difficult pasts, learn to trust Jesus with their hearts, and shine for Him in a broken world?

A FINDING FREEDOM, SMALL TOWN REDEMPTION ROMANCE

Find Like Stars That Shine online at:

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

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14 April 2025

Book Review | Northargyle Abbie by Janelle Leonard

Northargyle Abbie is billed as a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (yes, the clue is in the title). It’s been years–perhaps decades–since I read Northanger Abbey, and I can’t remember anything about it beyond the fact that it wasn’t my favourite Austen story. I therefore can’t comment on how accurate the retelling is.

I can say I enjoyed Abbie’s story.

Abbie is a pastor’s daughter, part-time church secretary, and part-time researcher at the local museum in her home town of Westonia, Pennsylvania. On her twenty-fourth birthday, she discovers her grandmother has left her a mystery to solve, and a cottage in Australia. She also discovers a connection to the island kingdom of Northargyle, which is situated between Australia and New Zealand.

As a Kiwi reader who has visited Australia many times, I was intrigued by this choice of imaginary location.

The whole story is told in first person from Abbie’s point of view, although she does interrupt herself to quote from the occasional letter, or her own Notebook of Silly Placards.

I enjoyed the voice, and especially loved the quips and banter.

I found the novel started a little slowly, and the pace picked up after the Abbie arrived in Australia. Here she meets Jess, her self-proclaimed new best friend, Jess’s brother Devon, and the handsome if mysterious Colter and his sister, Eliana. She also discovers more about her grandmother’s secret life that leaves her wondering who her grandmother really was …

The Australian scenes captured the country well, from avos to mozzies, from lamingtons to pavlova (and the age-old debate as to whether the dessert is Australian or Kiwi in origin). I wondered if the author was Australian, but the author’s note clarified the unerring accuracy: Australian young adult author Hannah Currie helped with those details. For example:

Welcome to the island of Northargyle. A hidden gem in the Tasman Sea, just north of New Zealand. The island enjoys much of the same wildlife (not as many sheep) and weather as New Zealand (experience the four seasons all in one day).

Yes, that’s accurate.

According to research, everything in Australia wants to kill you, except maybe koalas who sleep twenty-two hours a day.

Also accurate.

I was a little disappointed that Abbie didn’t get to visit New Zealand, but maybe we’ll see that in a future story in the Royally Austen series …

Fans of royalty romance and Jane Austen will enjoy Northargyle Abbie, as will anyone looking for a witty romance with a hint of mystery.

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

About Janelle Leonard

Janelle Leonard is a Jane Austen fangirl with an overactive imagination who creates web-twisty plotlines from her home in Pennsylvania. When she’s not writing, reading, editing, drinking coffee, or working at an elementary school library, she’s finding creative ways to procrastinate. She is passionate about living authentically while serving and encouraging others to see their worth, using writing as a key to unlock worlds of possibility.

Find Janelle Leonard online at:

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About Northargle Abbie

When Abigail Morgan, a naive pastor’s daughter with an overactive imagination, inherits a cottage in Australia, she never imagines the story it will unlock. Armed with a museum studies degree and a penchant for daydreams, Abigail heads to Hyacinth Cottage to unravel the truth of her grandmother’s past-an unknown world of adventure, deception, and love.

While sifting through letters, photographs, and hidden relics, Abigail meets Colter Wellesley, a charming local who helps her navigate the labyrinth of clues with a blend of wit and charm she struggles to resist. But Colter comes with secrets of his own. As their investigation and romance deepen, Abigail wonders if Colter is more tangled up in her grandmother’s mystery-and that of the princess who vanished more than sixty years ago-than she ever imagined.

In this modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the line between imagination and reality blurs, and every clue discovered could be the key to unlocking a royal legacy.

Find Northargyle Abbey online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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12 April 2025

First Line Friday #386 | The One Who Changed Everything by Tara Grace Ericson

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 The One Who Changed Everything, the final book in Tara Grace Ericson’s Second Chance Fire Station series. I’ve enjoyed this whole series!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About The One Who Changed Everything

I never expected to see him again.

I wanted to keep my distance. I told myself he only cared because of Sophia, that he’d never really wanted me. But every look, every touch, every moment together makes it harder to deny the truth.

Because Evan Mercer wasn’t just the man I lost. He was The One Who Changed Everything.

Find The One Who Changed Everything 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!

7 April 2025

Book Review | The Voice We Find (Fog Harbor #3) by Nicole Deese

Music producer August Tate is just keeping his financial head above water after relocating from LA to small-town beachfront Northern California to raise his adopted sister after their parents die in a train crash while on a mission trip.

Actress Sophie Wilder has reluctantly relocated from New York to her childhood home, a vineyard now managed by her older brother, the family golden child. She needs a job that doesn’t involve being onstage, so tries out as a voice actor for audiobooks. The two are brought together by Fog Harbor Books fiction editor Chip Stanton, who hires Sophie to narrate and August to produce audiobooks.

I will admit the first chapter confused me, because I thought the introductory line of “August” was when the story started, not the hero’s first name. It didn’t help that the story is written in first person, so it did take me a while to work out August was the character. Once I did, I was hooked.

The Voice We Find, like other books in the Fog Harbor series, has hidden depths. It’s an emotional story, a story about family and families (good and less good), and even has a small suspense element.

August’s sister is deaf, which allows us to see into the deaf community and experience some of their struggles. It’s great to see such positive and realistic portrayals of people with disabilities.

The story also has a strong faith component which was integral to the plot and character development, which I loved.

But the core of the story, the aspect that lifts it from good to great, is the way the character’s personal histories—especially Sophie’s—are woven together so they can each learn and grow … and find their voices.

I hope this isn’t the last of the Fog Harbor series, because Chip still hasn’t got his happy-ever-after ending …

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

About The Voice We Find

Sophie Wilder returns home to California with nothing more than a failed Broadway career and a geriatric cat. Stuck working at the family winery with her egotistical brother and desperate for a way to revive her acting dreams, she takes a side gig as an audiobook narrator with Fog Harbor Books. But getting mixed up in the life of her reluctant sound engineer was never a part of her plans.

August Tate is still reeling from taking guardianship of his teen sister. Determined to find a solution to her degenerative hearing loss and to prevent his private recording studio from going under, he agrees to produce audiobooks part-time. When Sophie breathes new life into his creativity and forms an unexpected bond with his sister, rooted in their common faith, he must confront the reasons he turned away from his own.

Bestselling and award-winning author Nicole Deese weaves an emotionally charged romance rich in the complexities of love and family.

Find The Voice We Find online at:

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About Nicole Deese

Nicole Deese is an award-winning author who specializes in humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels. When not working on her next contemporary romance, she can usually be found reading one by a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She currently resides with her happily-ever-after hubby, two sons, and a princess daughter in Idaho.

Find Nicole Deese online at:

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

28 March 2025

First Line Friday #384 | Resisting the Rancher by Jen Peters

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Resisting the Rancher by Jen Peters, the second book in her Black Rock Ranch series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Resisting the Rancher

He’s a flirt who won’t commit. She’s a broken-down country singer.

Caleb Black dances and flirts to his heart’s content—that’s all he’s capable of since his high-school sweetheart went off to chase her dreams. He’s made quite a name for himself and the horses at Black Rock Ranch, but watching his older brother fall in love shows him what a hole there is in his life.

Singing and writing music was all Jo Manning ever wanted. But when she breaks down under the relentless schedule and the pressure to produce—and when her manager runs off with all her money—the only place to heal is her family’s small ranch in the Colorado Rockies. Her parents need help, her son needs a place to call home, and Jo? She does not need help from the man she left behind.

Find Resisting the Rancher online at:

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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!

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24 March 2025

Book Review | The One Who Risked it All by Tara Grace Ericson

Firefighter Elijah Wells has always had a soft spot for middle school teacher Carla, ever since they were in high school. His father forbids him from having anything to do with Carla or her family—and Carla’s father says the same thing.

But when Elijah’s father has a heart attack, Elijah offers to look after his three nephews while his brother and sister-in-law are on vacation. Carla has also offered to help, and Elijah finds all the old feelings coming back as they spend time together.

Will the family feud keep them apart forever?

Yes, The One Who Risked it All is a variation on the Romeo and Juliet story, but with no poison (well, this is a romance, not a tragedy. Readers expect an engagement or wedding, not a funeral.)

I felt for Elijah and his frustration over his father’s unwillingness to explain the origins of the feud, or to end it. And I felt for Carla and her realisation that she and Elijah can’t have a future until he works out his issues with his father.

I found it a little frustrating that neither Elijah nor Carla disclosed the background behind the feud, until I realised they didn’t actually know.
I loved the will-they-won’t-they tension, and the way they both had to take action to get the ending they both wanted.

The One Who Risked it All is a fun small-town Christian romance, and I’m looking forward to the next story in the series.

Recommended for fans of forced proximity and small-town romances.

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

About Tara Grace Ericson

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

Find Tara Grace Ericson online at:

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About The One Who Risked It All

Two weeks. One house. Zero chance their hearts come out unscathed.

Elijah Woods is trouble. He always has been. The kind of trouble that makes your heart race and your common sense disappear. Just ask all the girls in town throwing themselves at him. He broke my heart once—walked away like what we had meant nothing—and I swore I’d never let him get close enough to do it again.

I should’ve let him go a long time ago. He’s everything my family would hate—wild, reckless, and, worst of all, a Woods. The feud between our families has been going on for decades, and no good could ever come from crossing that line.

But now, thanks to his brother’s honeymoon, I’m stuck sharing a house with Eli for two weeks, chasing after three energetic boys and trying to pretend that old spark between us isn’t still burning. Two weeks of late nights, quiet conversations, and discovering a side of him I never expected.

He’s kind. Protective. He’s making it impossible to forget why I fell for him in the first place, or why I swore I’d never let him break my heart again.

But the way Eli looks at me makes me question everything. If we give in, we could lose everything. And yet, walking away from him this time might just break me for good. I’m just not sure I can be The One Who Risked it All.

Find The One Who Risked It All online at:

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

3 March 2025

Book Review | Assisting the Athlete by Liwen Y Ho

Sebastian “Bash” Watts is a professional ice hockey player who earned a bad reputation after he lost his family ten years ago. But he’s turned himself around, largely due to the influence of Bekah, and now he’s staying off the drink and away from the girls. Especially Bekah.

Bekah Kendall is a long-time friend who is now one of the physiotherapists supporting his ice hockey team. Sure, he helped her get her foot in the door, but her success is all her own. If only her family acknowledged that.

Bash knows exactly how innocent Bekah is, so when he sees one of his teammates making a move on her, he shuts it down and lets his teammate assume Bash and Bekah are an item. Bekah is shocked when she finds out but plays along … and soon they are both wondering if their fake relationship could become real.

One of the strengths of Assisting the Athlete was the way Liwen Y Ho wove in Bekah’s strong Christian faith. Bekah is a Christian who isn’t afraid to talk about her faith, even to people she shows don’t believe – like Bash.

Assisting the Athlete ticks a bunch of fun boxes.

It’s got sports romance, fake relationship, workplace romance, and friends-to-more (which is one of my favourite tropes). It’s a well-executed and entertaining short read.

Assisting the Athlete is the third book in the Kendall family series, with the first two dealing with Bekah’s over-achieving and overbearing twin older brothers-Devin and Jace. I read and enjoyed Devin’s story (Saving the CEO), and Jace’s story (Rescuing the Rock Star), but that was months ago. I can therefore assure you the stories are each standalone romances, and you don’t have to read or remember the earlier stories to enjoy Assisting the Athlete.

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

About Liwen Y Ho

Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).

In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist

You can find Liwen Y Ho online at:

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About Assisting the Athlete

She’s the only one who can melt this hockey player’s heart …

Bekah Kendall has always been under the protective care of her older brothers, but now she’s finally living life on her own terms. She has a new degree, her own place, and a coveted spot on the sports medicine staff for a top hockey team. This job is everything she’s hoped for, except for the excessive attention she gets from the players. But there’s no way she can quit, not when she needs to prove to her family that she can make it on her own.

Watching out for his sister’s best friend comes naturally for Sebastian Watts, so he does everything possible to help Bekah get a job with the Gilroy Gladiators. However, when he realizes his teammates have their eyes set on her, he feels responsible and comes up with a plan to keep her safe from their unwanted advances. As long as the guys believe she’s his girlfriend, they’ll keep their distance. But the longer he and Bekah play pretend, the harder it is to guard his own heart around her.

With all the time spent on the road together for away games, Bekah and Sebastian are forced to face their growing feelings for each other. But will their love withstand the interference of others and a secret from the past

Assisting the Athlete is a fake relationship, workplace romance full of sizzling chemistry, satisfying kisses, and a sweet ending that will have you celebrating romance.

Find Assisting the Athlete online at:

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

28 February 2025

First Line Friday #380 | Assisting the Athlete by Liwen Y Ho

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 Assisting the Athlete, the third book in Liwen Y Ho’s Kendall Family series. It’s got a fake relationship and a workplace romance … sounds great to me!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Assisting the Athlete

She’s the only one who can melt this hockey player’s heart …

Assisting the Athlete is a fake relationship, workplace romance full of sizzling chemistry, satisfying kisses, and a sweet ending that will have you celebrating romance.

Find Assisting the Athlete 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.