Tag: Contemporary Christian Romance

21 April 2023

First Line Friday #281 | Saving the CEO by Liwen Ho

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’ve just received a review copy of Saving the CEO by Liwen Ho, the first book in her new Kendall Family series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Saving the CEO

This matchmaker has finally met her match …

To inherit his family business and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, Devin Kendall must find a wife. The only problem? He’s a workaholic CEO who can’t remember the last time he went on a date. The best solution? Hire his sister’s matchmaker friend to do the job for him. If only they didn’t get along like two dogs after the same bone.

If Scarlett Hayes didn’t have a bet to win, she would never have agreed to take on her handsome but incorrigible new client. Devin might seem like the perfect match on paper, but he needs plenty of help in the one area he lacks—romance. She’s determined to pull out all the stops to coach him, including taking him out on a practice date. If only the emotions he stirs up inside of her didn’t feel so real.

The more time Devin and Scarlett spend with each other, the more they realize they’re not so different after all. When they finally agree to work together toward a common goal, how will they handle the chemistry growing between them?

Find Saving the CEO 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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10 April 2023

Book Review | The Ocean Between Us (Trinity Lakes #2) by Meredith Resce

I’m not always a fan of the “other woman” (or other man) trope.

These may be two women interested in the same man, or two men interested in the same woman.

Some authors show all three points of view, which allows us to get into the heads of all three characters, and see why both women like the man. My problems is that I often back the wrong guy (which is why I stopped reading Karen Kingsbury’s Bailey Flanigan novels, and why Sweet Home Alabama is my least favorite Reese Witherspoon movie).

I much prefer it when the author makes it clear which two characters are going to end up together from the beginning.

Meredith Resce does this in The Ocean Between Us.

I also prefer it when there are good reasons why the main character chooses one over the other … but it’s also clear why he was interested in both in the first place. Again, Meredith Resce gets all these things right in The Ocean Between Us. We can see why Caleb and Kyla are together at the beginning of the novel, and there is a clear reason why Caleb and Alanah were not together (the Pacific Ocean).

All in all, I have to say that The Ocean Between Us is one of the best “other women” novels I’ve read. Alanah and Caleb were both excellent characters in an awkward situation: Alanah in having to spend the summer in the house with her teenage crushand having to hide the fact her feelings are all still there. And Caleb choosing to honor his existing relationship even when faced with his teenage crush.

Yes, The Ocean Between Us is a second-chance romance.

And I have to admit that’s one of my favourite genres. I thought Meredith did an excellent job of bringing the two together in a way that felt real and realistic for the characters, and offered plenty of tension for the reader.

All this sounds somewhat serious, but rest assured: The Ocean Between Us is an enjoyable summer romance read.

About The Ocean Between Us

Alanah has set off on a trip of a lifetime.

Her best friend from high school, Sasha Kennedy, has invited her to Trinity Lakes, Washington State, to be part of her wedding party.

South Australia to Trinity Lakes is literally the other side of the world, so Alanah has a full schedule of adventure planned while she’s away. A summer camp counsellor; a trip to Canada; Sight-seeing in New York and Boston; and avoiding Sasha’s twin-brother, Caleb.

But a silly accident puts Sasha out of commission for all the planned adventures, and Caleb is sent to retrieve his former high school sweetheart from the airport. Eleven years should be enough time to have cooled the love Alanah and Caleb once shared. Should be, but apparently not. This is not a great thing to acknowledge considering Caleb has just announced his engagement to someone else.

Six months of avoiding Caleb—worse—avoiding feelings about Caleb—is going to be a long time.

Find The Ocean Between Us online at:

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About Meredith Resce

South Australian Author, Meredith Resce, has been writing since 1991, and has had books in the Australian market since 1997. Apart from writing, Meredith also takes the opportunity to speak to groups on issues relevant to relationships and emotional and spiritual growth.

Meredith is the author of the award-winning ‘Luella Linley – License to Meddle’ series (contemporary Christian romance), and the ‘Heart of Green Valley’ historical fiction series. She has also been co-writer and co-producer in the 2007 Australian feature film production, “Twin Rivers”.

Meredith has worked in Christian ministry since 1983 with her husband, Nick. Meredith and Nick have three adult children, one daughter and two sons.

Find Meredith Resce online at:

Website | Facebook

31 March 2023

First Line Friday #278 | The Ocean Between Us by Meredith Resce

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 Ocean Between Us by Australian author Meredith Resce.

This is the second book in the new Trinity Lakes Romance series, set in the small Washington of Trinity Lakes, and featuring an Australian heroine.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

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

About The Ocean Between Us

Alanah has set off on a trip of a lifetime.

Her best friend from high school, Sasha Kennedy, has invited her to Trinity Lakes, Washington State, to be part of her wedding party.

Six months of avoiding Caleb—worse—avoiding feelings about Caleb—is going to be a long time.

Find The Ocean Between Us 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!

27 March 2023

Book Review | Holding onto Hope by Janet W Ferguson

Boat captain Caleb Donnelly has been in love with wedding planner Hope Rodriguez for years. Hope has never noticed because she’s got her own unrequited love story: she’s been in love with Peter Thompson for just as long.

They’re both at Pete’s Alabama wedding to Skye (from Healing Skye) when Pete’s brother Andrew drops his own bombshell. He’s getting married. In two weeks. In Wyoming. And Andrew wants Hope to organise not just the wedding, but a week’s worth of “fun” activities for the guests.

So Caleb volunteers to help.

Between them, Hope and Caleb manage to arrange what seems impossible, not helped by the absent bride’s list of requirements. Caroline was Bridezilla on steroids (seriously: if you want to hold an event that doesn’t leave a carbon footprint, you don’t hold it halfway across a continent with only two weeks’ notice).

Most of the people Hope and Caleb talk to think they’re the couple getting married, which is more than a little awkward for Caleb … and for the reader, because I was wondering when Hope was going to notice that Caleb was interested in her.

(It was worth the wait.)

Caleb grew up in foster care after being burned in a house fire as a small child. He carries a lot of physical and emotional scars, so while he’s in love with Hope, he’s also convinced he’s not good enough for her.

Yes, it’s a great setup.

This is one of those books I inhaled – I am an absolute sucker for unrequited love stories, and Caleb was a eminently lovable hero. I was so keen for Caleb and Hope to get their happy-ever-after than I practically inhaled this book. I’m sure I’m going to have to read it again and savour it to pick up the nuances I inevitably missed the first time around … and to enjoy some of the scenes which will no doubt be much more amusing now I know the story plays out.

Recommended for all fans of contemporary Christian romance, or anyone looking for Christian fiction set in Wyoming.

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

About Janet W Ferguson

Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served her church as a children’s minister and a youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.

Find Janet W Ferguson online at:

About Holding onto Hope

A fun road trip romance to the Grand Tetons! Always the wedding planner, never the bride.

Hope Rodriguez loves planning weddings. There’s nothing more special than helping a bride become a princess for a day, but she’s not sure that’s her calling in life anymore.

If only she had her own special someone. Her only current prospect leaves her with more questions than answers about where she falls in his list of priorities.

Yet, when a lifelong friend asks her to plan a destination wedding across the country in only two weeks, she’ll have to figure out how to pull off the impossible…alone.

After being burned as a child and deserted by his family, Caleb Donnelly has an intimate relationship with pain. Despite all he’s endured, one ache refuses to leave him—the throbbing in his heart where Hope is concerned.

So when Hope needs help with their friend’s wedding, he can’t stop himself from volunteering to travel two thousand miles to Jackson, Wyoming.

As long as he keeps his feelings in check, he might not ruin their friendship. Because a beautiful woman like Hope could never love a scarred man like him. There’s no way their longtime friendship could ever become more.

When Hope and Caleb’s plans go up in flames, it’s their hearts that might never recover.

Find Holding onto Hope 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!

24 March 2023

First Line Friday #277 | Holding onto Hope by Janet W Ferguson

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 Holding onto Hope by Janet W Ferguson, the latest release in her wonderful Coastal Hearts series.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

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

About Holding onto Hope

A fun road trip romance to the Grand Tetons! Always the wedding planner, never the bride.

Hope Rodriguez loves planning weddings. There’s nothing more special than helping a bride become a princess for a day, but she’s not sure that’s her calling in life anymore.

If only she had her own special someone. Her only current prospect leaves her with more questions than answers about where she falls in his list of priorities.

Yet, when a lifelong friend asks her to plan a destination wedding across the country in only two weeks, she’ll have to figure out how to pull off the impossible…alone.

So when Hope needs help with their friend’s wedding, he can’t stop himself from volunteering to travel two thousand miles to Jackson, Wyoming.

When Hope and Caleb’s plans go up in flames, it’s their hearts that might never recover.

Find Holding onto Hope online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

10 March 2023

First Line Friday #275 | Spring Rain by Gayle Roper

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 Spring Rain by Gayle Roper, a book I bought and enjoyed in paperback many years ago, which I have just bought again as an ebook.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

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

About Sprint Rain

In this first book of the Seaside Seasons series, Leigh Spenser, a young teacher and the single mother of ten-year-old Billy, is thrown into conflict. Clay Wharton, the boy’s estranged father, comes home to Seaside, New Jersey, to await his twin brother’s death from AIDS.

Threats against Billy’s life ratchet the tension tighter, as Leigh wrestles with both tough and tender feelings for her old flame. Clay’s own conflict, as he seeks to come to grips with his brother’s lifestyle choices and the needs of the boy he fathered, underline the issue of God’s forgiveness in the hearts — and lives — of this modern-day family. An emotionally gripping read!

Find Spring Rain 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!

6 March 2023

Book Review | Second Time Around by Melody Carlson

When Mallory inherits a run-down family store in small-town Oregon, she decides to relocate from the big city to run the business, but discovers property developer Grayson Matthews wants to buy the shop and knock it down to make way for a fancy mall. Yes, that’s a fairly typical set-up for contemporary Christian fiction, but Melody Carlson treats it in a way that’s a little out of the ordinary.

As the title suggests, Second Time Around is a second chance romance.

What makes it a little different from most romances is that it features an older couple—Mallory and Gray are both the empty-nest parents of adult children. They’ve both been single a long time and effectively raised their children alone, Mallory after her husband decided he wasn’t interested in being a father, and Gray after the death of his wife. I liked the fact they were both intelligent, competent adults who acted in a professional and respectful way towards each other.

I also liked the fact the story was low angst.

The set-up is familiar in small-town romance, but inevitably sets the story up to have a winner and a loser, and part of me always feels a little sorry for the loser (inevitably the one who wants to knock things down). There are also occasions when I suspect knocking the buildings down is the right solution, but that’s rarely the outcome in small-town romance. Without wanting to give spoilers, Mallory and Gray quickly reach an amicable agreement, which allows plenty of time for a slow-burn romance to develop. Other problems were quickly solved in a similar low-angst way.

I particularly enjoyed the setting of Seaport, even though we didn’t get to see much (if anything) of the sea. The author does a great job of describing the store and the renovations—this is one novel where the illustration on the cover is exactly what is described in the story.

Overall, Second Time Around is an enjoyable contemporary Christian romance, recommended for those who like small-town romance, second chance romance, and romance featuring older characters.

About Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year.

She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

Find Melody Carlson online at:

Website

About Second Time Around

Who doesn’t love a second chance?

When empty nester Mallory Farrell inherits her grandmother’s run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon, it seems the only sensible thing to do is to sell it. But when her former secret crush, Grayson Matthews, wants to buy the property in order to complete his plans to redevelop the funky town’s business district into a soulless, cookie-cutter outdoor mall, Mallory digs in her heels and decides to renovate the property herself.

With a lot of hard work and a little bit of help, Mallory makes incredible progress turning the store into an eclectic home décor shop called Romancing the Home–all while trying to ignore the depressing and decrepit apartment she’s living in on the second floor. When the shop catches the eye of a popular renovation TV show producer, Mallory is thrilled–until it becomes clear that her apartment is to be part of the segment as well.

She’s tempted to abandon her dreams and the town under a cloud of shame. But perhaps there’s more to Grayson than meets the eye. Can he swallow his pride, change his plans, and help Mallory romance her own home–and possibly her life?

Find Second Time Around online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

27 February 2023

Book Review | Never Find Another You by Narelle Atkins

Never Find Another You is the first book in the new multi-author Trinity takes contemporary Christian romance series.

Here’s the series description:

Welcome to Trinity Lakes, the warm and welcoming small town in east Washington state filled with charm, family, and friends, where fresh starts, second chances, and romance abounds. You’ll meet cowboys and swoony bachelors, sweet and sassy ladies, and your new best friends. This series of sweet and clean standalone Christian romances will warm your heart, inspire your faith, and bring a smile to your soul.

Hannah is the owner of a lakefront rowing club, part of the trust set up by her father, ex-golf pro Wayne Gilbertson. Hannah is very much her father’s daughter—not least because she doesn’t get on with her mother. Then there is Hannah’s beloved and opinionated grandmother, who wants to set her up with the new Australian tradesman in town …

Joel Manning has come to Trinity Lakes to escape a bad relationship—and he’s not looking to start another. But perhaps God has other idea. Why else would he have met Hannah, who shares his faith, and so many of his hobbies. Unfortunately, her mother hates him.

While there is an almost instant attraction between Hannah and Joel, they both have several obstacles to overcome if they are to formalize their relationship—such as Joel’s life in Australia, Hannah’s mother, and a newly revealed family secret.

One of my favourite aspects of Never Find Another You was the faith aspect.

Hannah and Joel are both Christians who try to put God first in their decisions. That’s not to say they are perfect (who wants to read a novel about perfect people?) But they are trying, and they remind each other (and the reader) of several significant spiritual truths.

Never Find Another You is an excellent start to what promises to be a fun small-town Contemporary Christian Romance series, featuring a cast of characters from locations ranging from Washington to Australia and New Zealand. Contemporary Christian Romance is one of my favourite genres, and Never Find Another You ticks all the genre boxes—a loveable hero, an intelligent heroine, and a strong faith element.

Recommended for fans of small-town Contemporary Christian Romance.

About Narelle Atkins

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children.

A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle’s contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Find Narelle Atkins online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Never Find Another You

Her heart belongs in Trinity Lakes.

Hannah Gilbertson has deep roots in her small East Washington home town, including a lake named after her family. Sporty and hard working, she loves running the rowing club and supporting the town’s water recreation tourism. She’s determined to avoid dating and becoming entangled in her mother’s matchmaking schemes, and she wants to prove to her successful father that she’s worthy of carrying on his legacy.

Joel Manning left behind his life in Sydney, Australia, and a broken heart, to start over in Trinity Lakes. A tiler by trade, he’s embarking on a year long working vacation adventure, and he’s not looking for love.

The handsome Aussie captures Hannah’s interest when she hires him to do repair work at her rowing club. Joel is drawn to the beautiful American, and values spending time with her. Their shared faith and love for kayaking lays the foundation for their friendship to become something more.

A shocking secret combined with family upheaval leads to more questions than answers, and threatens to push Joel and Hannah apart to faraway shores. Can their love overcome the miles between them?

A fish out of water, opposites attract, small town contemporary Christian romance. Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find Never Find Another You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

24 February 2023

First Line Friday #273 | Never Find Another You by Narelle Atkins

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 Never Find Another You by Australian author Narelle Atkins.

This is the first book in the new Trinity Lakes Romance series, set in the small Washington of Trinity Lakes.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

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

About Never Find Another You

Her heart belongs in Trinity Lakes.

A shocking secret combined with family upheaval leads to more questions than answers, and threatens to push Joel and Hannah apart to faraway shores. Can their love overcome the miles between them?

A fish out of water, opposites attract, small town contemporary Christian romance. Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find Never Find Another You 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!

16 January 2023

Book Review | Where Grace Appears by Heidi Chiavaroli

I bought Where Grace Appears on sale for 99 cents after seeing it advertised online, and I read it in less than a day. That, to me, is the highest compliment. Oh, and then I went and bought the sequel, Where Hope Begins.

The opening line got me intrigued from the start:

It’s been said that all good novels start with a secret, and Where Grace Appears certainly backs that view.

Josie Martin has one year to go to achieve her dream of a master’s in clinical psychology in New York, but now she’s home and hiding a secret: she’s pregnant to one of her professors, an old friend of her deceased father. And Professor Finn Becker wants nothing to do with Josie or their baby.

Tripp Colton is the man who has loved her since forever, the man whose marriage proposal she turned down last year. Now he’s managing his grandfather’s construction business in Camden, Maine, and trying to convince himself to move on from Josie. But he can’t.

I admired Tripp for being up-front with Josie about his feelings for her. He loves her, and he’ll wait as long as it takes for her to return the feelings. And I wanted him and Josie to get together, just as soon as Josie shares her secret with him.

She plans to tell Tripp just as soon as she’s told her family, but that goes predictably wrong (thanks, small-town gossip). Without wanting to add spoilers, Tripp’s reaction was both unbelievable and everything it should be: a perfect picture of unconditional love underpinned by forgiveness.

God loves us with unconditional love, and this is one of the few contemporary Christian romances that shows the tough side of unconditional love.

Tripp almost seemed too good to be believable until I remembered that’s how God loves us, and how he calls us to love others.

Where Grace Appears is a departure from Heidi Chiavaroli’s dual-timeline stories, but does link back to one of her previous novels. The Orchard House is set in Louisa May Alcott’s home, and Where Grace Appears is set in a house of the same name, and features a family named for the Alcott family (and with similar personality traits).

Little Women fans will enjoy spotting all the Little Women references. However, you don’t need to be a fan to enjoy the story.

Where Grace Appears is a strong contemporary romance that hits all the expected small-town notes while showing an enviable demonstration of Christian forgiveness and unconditional love.

About Heidi Chiavaroli

Heidi Chiavaroli is a writer, runner, and grace-clinger who could spend hours exploring Boston’s Freedom Trail. She writes Women’s Fiction and won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. She makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle.

Find Heidi Chiavaroli online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads| Pinterest | Twitter

About Where Grace Appears

Ashamed of being duped by her handsome psychology professor, Josie Martin returns to Maine too proud to admit her foolishness to those closest to her. As the one-year anniversary of her father’s death approaches, she seeks solace in an old friend, Tripp Colton, and a new business venture that will prove to herself and her loved ones that she is still capable of success despite her overwhelming failure.

When Josie announces she will not return to school to finish her graduate degree but wishes to remain in Camden to help her mother achieve a lifelong dream, the entire family gets behind her idea to open and run a bed and breakfast inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House. Even Tripp gets excited about restoring Josie’s great-aunt’s Victorian home for the purpose, but when Josie’s unexpected news is revealed, their friendship and the new feelings blooming between them are threatened.

As summer gives way to fall, Josie struggles with decisions regarding her family’s future, dealing with past mistakes she cannot run from, and her feelings for Tripp. When the opportunity for grace comes along, will she take it? Or will she continue to allow her failures to define her worth?

A contemporary twist on the well-loved classic, Little Women, readers will fall in love with the Martin family—Maggie, Josie, Lizzie, Bronson, Amie, and their mother Hannah—each trying to find their own way in the world and each discovering that love, home, and hope are closer than they appear.

Find Where Grace Appears online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads