Tag: Contemporary Christian Romance

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #408 | The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer

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 The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer, a new-to-me author with what looks like a fun contemporary romance with Pride and Prejudice vibes.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

I refuse to have a Pride and Prejudice pity party ... again. The 1995 BBC version, of course.

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

 

About The Rules of Falling for You

She thought she knew the rules of love. Turns out, love makes its own.

The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie RushmeyerThe perfect match can’t be far–certainly not at a Regency-themed singles’ retreat–or so podcaster Zoe Dufour believes. After years of creating content for her relationship podcast inspired by Regency etiquette and era-appropriate rules for romance, she knows her listeners have anticipated this retreat. But she also attends with expectations of her own: finding the ideal modern-day gentleman who can meet every one of the non-negotiables on her checklist.

Harrison Lundquist, Zoe’s podcast producer and best friend’s brother, reluctantly agrees to tag along on the retreat to capture footage while seeking a career-advancing promotion. He views the retreat as ridiculous. And Zoe’s methods for finding her real-life Mr. Darcy? Downright absurd!

But as he films her whirlwind dates, his growing feelings for her are sidelined by suitors vying for her attention. When Zoe realizes her checklist for the man of her dreams might be holding her back, she must decide if she’s willing to rewrite her rules and take a chance on the person who has been there all along.

Find The Rules of Falling for You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #407 | Hearts in Circulation (Checking out Love #2) by Sarah Monzon

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. My pick is Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon.

I loved An Overdue Match, the first book in Sarah Monzon’s Hearts in Circulation series, so I’m looking forward to getting into Hearts in Circulation.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

"You cannot be serious," I say, my voice oozing with dubiety as I take in the heap of metal littering the corner of the library's parking lot.

 

 

 

 

(And yes, dubiety is a real word.)

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

 

About Hearts in Circulation

Can a rundown bookmobile be the vehicle that brings two unlikely hearts together?

Hearts in CirculationLittle Creek’s bookmobile is more of a death trap on wheels than a vehicle of literary delights, and circulation librarian Hayley Holt is afraid it’s going to careen down a mountainside with her in it. Yet she sees it as a way to serve her community and be worthy of the liver transplant that saved her life as a child. However, her fears come true when the bookmobile breaks down and a rockslide traps her in the small hollow of Turkey Grove.

Reclusive mechanic Levi Redding lives in tiny Turkey Grove to get away from people. He can handle getting the bookmobile running again, but the endless chatter and unsettling touches from the vibrant librarian leave him overstimulated. When forced proximity leads to a misunderstanding, a note of apology begins an epistolary friendship, proving that sometimes the happiest of endings aren’t contained within the bindings of a book.

Find Hearts in Circulation online at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #403 | It Shouldn’t Be You by Jessica Wakefield

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from It Shouldn’t Be You, the new release from Australian author Jessica Wakefield.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Declan Collins was in trouble again, evident by the sound of Julie, his boss, tapping her pen against the table, a steady rhythm that matched his pulse.

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

 

About It Shouldn’t Be You

To revive his stalled career, jaded journalist Declan Collins is assigned to cover the Hamiltons’ extravagant Christmas party—the same Hamiltons who are demolishing the community centre where Declan spent some of the best moments of his childhood.

Addey Bennet, the event planner behind the party, needs everything to go perfectly. Her business is on the line, and so is her chance to mend a strained relationship with her powerful parents—the ones footing the bill.

Neither of them expects the spark between them.

Addey never planned to fall for the man who resents everything her family stands for. Declan never imagined he’d be drawn to the Hamiltons’ daughter. But as tensions rise and emotions deepen, their unexpected connection could cost them everything they’ve worked for—and maybe even a shot at love.

Find It Shouldn’t Be You online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

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

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

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #402 | Never Say You Need Me by Amanda Deed

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from Never Say You Need Me by Amanda Deed, the latest book in the Trinity Lakes Romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

 

About Never Say You Need Me

What does a carefree Aussie larrikin have in common with a bookish office assistant from Trinity Lakes?

Amelia Jones never thought Mud Murchison would notice her, until they are thrown together by a hit-and-run accident. But as they grow closer, some of his behavior reminds her of a past she doesn’t want to revisit.

Mud returned to Trinity Lakes to seek support from his friend Nick Gordon, instead finding himself supporting Amelia through the mystery surrounding the hit-and-run. However, his own tragic secret threatens to take over and ruin their fledgling relationship.

Can they both sort through their differences and make a future together?

Find Never Say You Need Me online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

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

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

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

Some memories usually return, but not always. And most times, not all memories ever return.

Book Review | Faithfully Devoted, Jacob (Scripted Love #5) by Emily Dana Botrous

Jacob and Arlene have been happily married for over forty years and have raised five children together. When Jacob has a heart attack and wakes up with no memory of Arlene or his family, they both have to go back to the early days of dating to get to know each other again. Unfortunately, that means facing the issue that almost drove them apart all those years ago.

Faithfully Devoted, Jacob is the sixth (and probably final) book in the Scripted Love series by Emily Dana Botrous (probably final because the series has now covered Jacob and Arlene and each of their five children. Each book involves one or both of the main characters writing to the other, and the book titles are their signature sign-offs.

The story has a strong Christian element, as both Jacob and Arlene are both committed Christians. They both have to learn – twice – what Christian repentance and forgiveness truly means. It’s a challenging yet beautiful lesson.

Recommended for Christian romance readers who enjoy second-chance romance and romance featuring older couples (by which I mean over fifty, not over thirty).

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

About Emily Dana Botrous

Emily Dana BotrousEmily Dana Botrous lives in San Diego, California with her husband and their four children. She lived in 10 states before she settled on the West Coast where she plans to stay for awhile. She started writing short stories at age 10 and studied English in college. The only thing she enjoys more than writing is motherhood.

While there are a lot of things that matter to Emily, nothing is more important to her than Jesus Christ. It is her goal to point anyone who reads her writing toward Him. When Emily isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, long walks, music, and playing with her kids.

Find Emily Dana Botrous online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

About Faithfully Devoted, Jacob

He has no memories. She fears the things he can’t remember. Can a lost past become the key to their future?

Faithfully Devoted, JacobWhen Jacob Halverson wakes up in the hospital, he doesn’t know where he is. Worse yet, he doesn’t know who he is—or the woman claiming to be his wife of forty-two years. But when she’s at his side, he feels like everything will be okay.

Arlene Halverson never imagined her husband could forget her. Now she is tasked with filling in the blanks of an entire lifetime for Jacob, reminding him of their life together, the family they built, and the love they share.

With the help of old love letters, Arlene journeys through time at Jacob’s bedside, visiting memories both painful and poignant. Together they search to find the reason Jacob hid his illness from her while Arlene finds the courage to share her greatest mistake in hopes Jacob can forgive her a second time.

Will Jacob choose to trust God with an uncertain future? And can Arlene trust Jacob with the past—again

Find Faithfully Devoted, Jacob online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #398 | Faithfully Devoted, Jacob (Scripted Love #6) by Emily Dana Botrous

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from Faithfully Devoted, Jacob by Emily Dana Botrous, the final book in her Scripted Love contemporary Christian romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

If forty-two years of marriage wasn't enough to translate the look on Jacob's face, nothing was.

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

 

About Faithfully Devoted, Jacob

He has no memories. She fears the things he can’t remember. Can a lost past become the key to their future?

Faithfully Devoted, JacobWhen Jacob Halverson wakes up in the hospital, he doesn’t know where he is. Worse yet, he doesn’t know who he is—or the woman claiming to be his wife of forty-two years. But when she’s at his side, he feels like everything will be okay.

Arlene Halverson never imagined her husband could forget her. Now she is tasked with filling in the blanks of an entire lifetime for Jacob, reminding him of their life together, the family they built, and the love they share.

With the help of old love letters, Arlene journeys through time at Jacob’s bedside, visiting memories both painful and poignant. Together they search to find the reason Jacob hid his illness from her while Arlene finds the courage to share her greatest mistake in hopes Jacob can forgive her a second time.

Will Jacob choose to trust God with an uncertain future? And can Arlene trust Jacob with the past—again

Find Faithfully Devoted, Jacob 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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #397 | His Surprise Return by Kayla Tirrell

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 His Surprise Return by Kayla Tirrell, a new-to-me author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The Lord sure does have a sense of humor, Logan West thought as he sat on the bench in front of the bus stop.

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

 

About His Surprise Return

Her Surprise Return by Kayla TirrellEver since her husband died, Erin’s been doing her best to make ends meet and provide a normal life for her children. She thinks she might be getting close until a familiar face from her past shows up and sends everything crashing back down.

Logan ran away from his hometown years ago with no intention of ever returning. Now, he’s back to fix up the house he grew up in and get it ready to sell before leaving for good. He never thought he’d find Erin living there—a shell of the woman she used to be.

Spending time together for the first time in years, Erin and Logan reminisce on happy memories while creating new ones. They both feel a pull toward one another but with such different plans for their futures, can they find one together?

His Surprise Return is a faith-filled romance that will make you believe in second chances and remind you of God’s faithfulness even in the darkest of storms.

Originally published under the title Their Second Chance at Love.

Find His Surprise Return 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!

You've been needing a husband for the past year, and you never bothered to mention that to me?

Book Review | Her Inconvenient Wedding Date by Liwen Y Ho

I have been reading quite a few rom-coms recently, many of which use the marriage of convenience (or inconvenience) trope. Few have had any Christian content, and none have been overtly Christian.

Her Inconvenient Wedding Date is overtly Christian from the get-go.

And I loved that. Lily’s mother is looking for a son-in-law who meets the five C’s: Christian, career, condo (or house, cash … and Chinese. The family also has a traditional of the older siblings marrying before the younger, which is an issue for Lily as her five-years-younger sister, Jasmine, has been dating the same guy for years and is ready to get married.

So Lily decides to fake an engagement so her sister can get married. When her first blind date incorporates a PowerPoint presentation and an unexpected proposal, Lily accepts a surprise offer from Hunter, a work colleague who meets four of the five C’s.

If he were Chinese, he’d be perfect.

Hunter has been crushing on Lily since they met a year ago, so proposing marriage–even a short-term fake marriage–seems like a great idea. Who knows. If they’re living together and pretending to be married, maybe something will develop?

This is a romance, so we obviously know the answer. The fun is in the journey, and this journey is a lot of fun.

Each chapter starts with a quote from another author. I’m not usually a fan of epigraphs, but Her Inconvenient Wedding Date is the exception that proves the rule. Quotes like these only improve the book:

If I was serious about having a relationship with someone long-term, the last people I would introduce him to would be my family.

Quotes like these will mean I will remain not being a fan of epigraphs, because that is going to be hard to beat.

You know that tingly little feeling you get when you like someone? That is your common sense leaving your body?

 

Overall, I loved Her Inconvenient Wedding Date.

It’s a fun, quick read, with likeable characters and a believable relationship. Recommended for Christian rom-com fans.

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

About Liwen Y Ho

Author Photo: Liwen HoLiwen 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:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Her Inconvenient Wedding Date

I always thought I’d marry for love… not because of a family tradition.

Her Inconvenient Wedding DateAs the eldest daughter, my life’s basically one long checklist of responsibilities—especially when it comes to making sure my younger sister gets her happily ever after. And apparently, that means I need to tie the knot first.

Groan.

I’m an engineer by day, a beauty blogger by night, and a problem-solver 24/7. But even I wasn’t prepared for the solution to my marriage problem to show up in the form of Hunter Payne—my tall, charming, and goofy coworker who just so happened to save me from the world’s most awkward date.

Out of the kindness of his heart, he offers to marry me. For three months only. Just until the family pressure eases up. Totally platonic, totally practical.

Until it’s not.

Because three seconds into our union, a surprise kiss makes some very inconvenient emotions rise to the surface.

How am I going to survive this marriage without falling for the one guy I promised I wouldn’t catch feelings for?

 

Find Her Inconvenient Wedding Date online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #393 | My Achy Broken Heart by Meredith Resce

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently writing my third Trinity Lakes romance, which means I’m reading some of the earlier books to remind myself what the other inhabitants of Trinity Lakes have been up to. It’s called research, right?

Today I’m sharing from My Achy Broken Heart by Meredith Resce, which released this week. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Lucy leaned back and sighed. Could life get any better than this?

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

 

About My Achy Broken Heart

How quickly things can change.

My Achy Broken HeartLast week Lucy was full of joy and hope, having finally met a Christian man who seemed to be crazy about her. One minute, she is full of heady passion and hope that a proposal is imminent—the next she is coming to terms with being alone, pregnant, and not understanding where he’s gone.

Her ‘dream’ man has turned into a nightmare, hiding behind his status as a worship pastor in a large church and his influential parents, denying he’s ever had anything to do with Lucy. And she’s fully aware that she’s stepped way outside her own moral boundaries—a fact that is being ruthlessly thrown in her face from some of the people she’d expect to have supported her. Only her close family are willing to stand by her in this difficult time. But the pressure is so great she decides to fly Downunder to visit her brother in Australia.

Will Phillips has finally found some hope after having lost the family farm and his long-term relationship. The small-town pastor, Caleb Kennedy, is proving himself to be not only a spiritual mentor, but a good mate. And then his sister arrives from the States. She’s attractive and seems nice, but he’s not interested in starting a new relationship—still smarting from the last one.

But she seems sad, and Will’s caring side wonders why, despite himself. When he finds Lucy on the side of the road after an accident, he finds out her secret and all of his intentions to stay distant seem to have disappeared.

A small town, romance that spans to both sides of the globe. Reconnect with Caleb and Alanah, and Matt and Arianne from earlier stories in the Trinity Lakes Romance series.

Find My Achy Broken Heart 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!

This isn't one of your romances where everything gets tied up in a neat bow by page three-twenty-two. This is life. This is love. The pages keep going.

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:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About Becca Kinzer

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