Tag: Kregel Publications

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Book Review | Claire Holloway is Winging It by Angela Ruth Strong

Claire Holloway is Winging It draws on Angela Ruth Strong’s own experiences as a flight attendant, which only adds to the appeal.

After all, didn’t we all want to be a flight attendant (or air hostess) at some point?
True story: I used to work for a recruitment company, and we once received over 12,000 applications when we advertised for airline cabin crew. That was back in the day when everyone posted paper applications, so processing those applications was quite literally all hands on deck to read each application, score them based on a very narrow set of parameters (we had so many applicants that they had to score 10/10 before we could even consider them for an interview), then sent literally thousands of actual paper letters to the thousands we couldn’t even interview).

Anyway, back Claire Holloway is Winging It …

After injury forces Claire to give up her dream career in ballet, she trains as a fight attendant and moves to a “crash pad” in Seattle to take up her first role. That was my first big surprise—eight women crammed into a two-bedroom apartment. How is that even legal? And as for tipping flight attendants? I know I come from a no-tipping culture (pay everyone a living wage!), so that sounds crazy to me (but boy, does it explain the attitudes of some of the flight attendants I’ve had on US airlines). There were a few others surprises, but I’ll let you discover those for yourself.

I loved the story itself.

What I didn’t like were some of the parts that were based on fact, on the author’s own experiences. I work in human resources, and there were so many places—sooo many—where I just couldn’t believe the way the airline was treating their employees.

I loved watching Claire discover herself and regain her confidence. I loved watching her make new friends. I loved watching her reconsider her relationship with Wyatt. Most of all, I loved the way she and Nathan drew closer, yet Nathan honored and respected her relationship with Wyatt even though it was obvious he wanted more.

I don’t usually read the blurbs at the beginning of a book because I want to form my own opinion. But this time, one caught my eye: Sarah Monzon says “Fans of Melissa Ferguson and Courtney Walsh will want to ad this one to their TBR list.” Having recently read rom-coms from Sarah Monzon, Melissa Ferguson and Courtney Walsh, I have to agree.

Claire Holloway is Winging It is a fun rom-com that ticks all my boxes.

It’s got a heroine who’s doing the best she can in the face of a major life change, a loveable hero, and new friends who support her as she finds her way. Most of all, it’s genuinely funny and has a solid Christian subtext.

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

About Angela Ruth Strong

Author photo - 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

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About Claire Holloway is Winging It

Claire Holloway is Winging It by Angela Ruth StrongAfter Claire Holloway’s dream of becoming a ballerina plummets, she’s left with her boyfriend as her only support. . . until she decides to become a flight attendant for the free travel. Based out of state, she moves into a crash pad with a gaggle of other flight attendants, and her fear of losing Wyatt seems to become a reality.

First Officer Nathan Stuart — a bit cynical since he and his fiance broke up — meets a somewhat frazzled Claire on her very first day in the Seattle airport. When they end up on the same crew, he takes her under his wing, and they quickly bond.

When Claire’s once-supportive boyfriend’s attitude sours into resentment, she’s left wondering whether her newfound joy is the right way to go. Pulled between two men and her new career, Claire must learn to listen for God’s direction the same way her flight crew follows air traffic control.

In this hilarious rom-com, readers will lift off into the turbulent skies of romantic adventures as Claire navigates God’s plan for her life.

Find Claire Holloway is Winging It 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 #422 | Claire Holloway is Winging It by Angela Ruth Strong

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading Claire Holloway is Winging It by Angela Ruth Strong, which is about a new-on-the-job flight attendant who doesn’t quite know what she’s doing … which means the title is very clever.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Passengers mistakenly assume I know what I'm doing simply because I'm wearing a flight attendant uniform.

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

 

About Claire Holloway is Winging It

Claire Holloway is Winging It by Angela Ruth StrongAfter Claire Holloway’s dream of becoming a ballerina plummets, she’s left with her boyfriend as her only support. . . until she decides to become a flight attendant for the free travel. Based out of state, she moves into a crash pad with a gaggle of other flight attendants, and her fear of losing Wyatt seems to become a reality.

First Officer Nathan Stuart — a bit cynical since he and his fiance broke up — meets a somewhat frazzled Claire on her very first day in the Seattle airport. When they end up on the same crew, he takes her under his wing, and they quickly bond.

When Claire’s once-supportive boyfriend’s attitude sours into resentment, she’s left wondering whether her newfound joy is the right way to go. Pulled between two men and her new career, Claire must learn to listen for God’s direction the same way her flight crew follows air traffic control.

In this hilarious rom-com, readers will lift off into the turbulent skies of romantic adventures as Claire navigates God’s plan for her life.

Find Claire Holloway is Winging It 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!

He’d gone to the other side of the world and ended up in a place that forever reminded him of all the things he’d lost.

Book Review | Darkness Calls the Tiger by Janyre Tromp

Darkness Calls the Tiger is set in Burma (now Myanmar) during World War Two. It’s set in a small Christian mission in the Kachin mountains, which is close to the borders of both China and India.

Kailyn Moran has grown up in Burma’s Kachin mountains, surviving the loss of her mother and the alienation of her missionary father. The arrival of a new missionary, teacher Ryan McDonough, changes her life as war approaches.

The first part of the book takes place before the war reaches the village. Parts of this are a hard read, but it’s a fascinating insight into a foreign culture and into a character who’s unlike any I’ve read in Christian fiction before.

There were two things that bugged me about the story. The first was Kailyn’s nickname: “kai” is food in Maori (and it’s water or sea in Hawaiian). It’s a word I see often, and that was a distraction.

The other thing that bugged me was Kai’s father. While I didn’t doubt his dedication to God or to his mission, I do think his critical attitude and behaviour weren’t likely to be effective in bringing the villagers to Jesus, which made Ryan’s role doubly difficult.

But they are minor complaints in comparison to the overall story which had so many plusses: great characters, unpredictable plot, fascinating and unique location, and a deep Christian message.

Author Janyre Tromp must have undertaken a huge amount of research in order to even conceive this novel, let alone write it. Her words take the reader to the far-off mountains of Burma, yet the focus of the novels is always on the story—on Kai and Ryan, on the village and the war. That’s a true achievement.

This is not the book to pick up if you want a quick and entertaining binge-read. It’s got a lot of depth, will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book, and will certainly benefit from a re-read.

Recommended for historical fiction fans, or for those looking for something a little deeper than the norm.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Janyre Tromp

Janyre TrompJanyre Tromp is a developmental book editor who has worked in the publishing industry for more than twenty years, spending time in both marketing and editorial. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and contributor to It’s a Wonderful Christmas, a Christmas novella collection with other award-winning authors, including Julie Cantrell and Lynne Gentry. When she isn’t writing, she’s a Bible study leader, writers conference speaker, ACFW member, wife, and mom of two kids and their menagerie of slightly eccentric pets.

Find Janyre Tromp online at:

Website

About Darkness Calls the Tiger

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary. As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai’s father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he’s losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

Find Darkess Calls the Tiger 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 #336 | Darkness Calls the Tiger by Janyre Tromp

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 Darkness Calls the Tiger, the latest release from Jaynre Tromp. It’s set in Burma during World War II. That’s a new-to-me setting for Christian fiction, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The beating of ancestral drums throbbed across the mountain, tangling with the rhythm of my thudding heart.

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

 

About Darkness Calls the Tiger

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary. As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai’s father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he’s losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

Find Darkess Calls the Tiger 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 #102 | Underestimating Miss Cecilia by Carolyn Miller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Underestimating Miss Cecilia by Carolyn Miller—my favourite Christian Regency Romance author. Here’s the first line:

It was, perhaps, the greatest torment to love someone who barely seemed to notice one’s existence.

Unrequited love is one of my favourite romance tropes, so I’m looking forward to reading this.

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

About Underestimating Miss Cecilia

Shy, sweet Cecilia Hatherleigh has always been in love with Edward Amherst, the boy next door. Yet he’s never seen her as anything but the quiet girl in the background as he flirts with the other vivacious women of the ton.

When a near tragedy brings Edward’s attention to his family duties, this prodigal son decides he needs to settle down with a proper wife. Cecilia hopes to convince him to choose her—but God may want her to forget the wayward nobleman and put her future in His hands alone.

These two try to find their way toward happiness, but prejudice, political riots, and the changing face of England’s societal structures begin to block them at every turn. Can their struggles turn to triumph—or will their paths permanently diverge?

You can find Underestimating Miss Cecilia online at:

Amazon | 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!

Quote from Miss Serena's Secret by Carolyn Miller

#Throwback Thursday | Book Review | Miss Serena’s Secret by Carolyn Miller

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today I’m sharing my review of Miss Serena’s Secret, the second book in the Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope series by Carolyn Miller. The final book in the trilogy, The Making of Mrs Hale, is due out this month, and I definitely want to read it!

This review previously appeared at International Christian Fiction Writers.

The title is a little misleading.

Miss Serena actually has several secrets. These combine to persuade her that she will never marry. She will especially not marry a man like her father, a gambler who lost their fortune at the tables. So she is not impressed when she meets gambler and womaniser Lord Henry Carmichael.

This is a sweet and slow love story. It’s not the romance novel where we meet the hero and heroine and wham bam they’re together. Instead, both characters have plenty of time to get to know each other and to change—to mature into people who are able to fall in love and contemplate marriage.

Miss Serena is an artist, and her art plays a key part in the novel. I’m no painter, but I loved the painting references—the colours, the techniques, and the little upset at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

Regency romance has had a resurgence of popularity in recent years, but many of the general market novels have a lot of sex and not much Christian faith—which seems at odds with the period. So it’s good to see more Regency romance coming out of the Christian market, from authors such as Julie Klaassen, Kristi Ann Hunter, and now Carolyn Miller.

Miss Serena’s Secret is Carolyn Miller’s fifth novel, and the second in her Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope series. If you’ve read the others, you’ll enjoy catching up with some of the characters from the previous stories. If you haven’t, don’t worry: this is a standalone novel.

Recommended for Regency romance fans.

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

About Carolyn Miller

Carolyn MillerCarolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She is married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!).

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn’s novels have won a number of Romance Writers of American (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges we all face at different times.

Find Carolyn Miller online at:

Website | Facebook | Google+

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About Miss Serena’s Secret

How can a wounded young woman ever trust a too-flirtatious earl with her heart?

With devastating scars in her past, Serena Winthrop is sure no man can be trusted—especially not a man like the too-smooth Viscount Carmichael. His reputation as a flirt and a gambler is everything she despises. And the young artist makes sure that this disreputable heir to an earldom knows of her deep disapproval whenever they encounter one another.

Henry, Lord Carmichael, is perfectly aware of his charms. He’s gambled with plenty of ladies’ hearts as easily as he has with their husbands’ money. But lately he’s wondered if there’s more to life—and if his actions might prove unworthy of an admirable wife such as his friends have found.

When Serena’s guardian asks his best friend to protect his young ward, Henry promises to be on his best behavior and not woo her. But the more he learns of her, the more he realizes she might be his best reason for changing his character.

Then the lady’s art leads her to London infamy. Now Henry must choose between the life mapped out for him as the earl apparent and the love of his life. And Serena’s secret may mean the end of his titled family line.

You can find Miss Serena’s Secret online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

You can read the introduction to Miss Serena’s Secret below:

And you can click here to find Miss Serena’s Secret and other great Christian fiction recommendations in my Amazon store!

The Honorable Miss Clara DeLancey ...

First Line Friday | Week 13 |The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey

It’s Friday, which means it’s time to open the book nearest you and share the first line!

Today I’m sharing from The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey by Carolyn Miller

The Honorable Clara DeLancey stood atop the chalky cliffs. Above her, heavy clouds menaced the moon, revealing then concealing the scene below.

Okay, so that’s actually the first two lines—because those first two lines match the cover so well, and because it made me want to keep reading! (Which, surely, is the purpose of the first line.)

About The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey

Will a damaged reputation and desire for society’s approval thwart the legacy of grace?
Tainted by scandal and forced to leave London for the quieter Brighton countryside, the Honorable Miss Clara DeLancey is a shadow of her former society self. She’s lost the man she loved to another and, in a culture that has no patience for self-pity, is struggling with depression. A chance encounter brings her a healing friendship with the sisters of an injured naval captain. But Clara’s society mama is appalled at the new company she’s keeping.

Captain Benjamin Kemsley is not looking for a wife. But his gallant spirit won’t let him ignore the penniless viscount’s daughter–not when she so obviously needs assistance to keep moving forward from day to day. Can he protect his heart and still keep her safe?

When they’re pushed into the highest echelons of society at the Prince Regent’s Brighton Pavilion, this mismatched couple must decide if family honor is more important than their hopes. Can they right the wrongs of the past and find future happiness together–without finances, family support, or royal favor?

Find The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK | ChristianBook | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

Yes, rather each blogger listing each of the other bloggers—which is getting to be a longer and longer list each month—we’ve got our own site. It’s just sharing FirstLineFriday posts for now, but who knows what the future holds?

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

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