Author: Iola Goulton

27 June 2024

Bookish Question #337 | Which do you prefer: jilted bride or runaway bride?

Interesting question!

I’m not a big fan of either trope, and can’t remember the last time I read either a jilted or a runaway bride.

A jilted bride is always going to have my sympathy …

As long as she’s a likeable character–and romance heroines tend to be likeable.

A good novel always needs a good story question, and a jilted bride is a great story question: why has he jilted her?

For a jilted bride story to work as a romance for me, one of two things need to happen. Either the initial couple either have to end up together (which means he needs to have a really good reason for jilting her in the first place, and he needs to convince me he’s not going to do the same thing again).

Or she ends up with a different guy, one who will treat her right. For this to work, we need to find out something about the first fiance which shows she never really knew him.

Otherwise, I’m left wondering if she really knows what it means to love someone until death us do part.

A runaway bride is similar but different.

For a runaway bride story to work for me, I have to understand why she ran away. Did she decide she didn’t love him enough (or at all)?

Did she discover something about him that shows her he’s not the man she thought he was (this probably works best in romantic suspense, when she finds out he’s an assassin for hire or something similar).

If so, be the runaway bride. Leave before the wedding.

Even in real life, I would absolutely say to anyone that if they are having any second thoughts about marriage, they should call off the wedding. Despite the inconvenience and the expense, that’s going to be easier than working through a divorce later.

What about you? Do you prefer a jilted bride or a runaway bride romance?

24 June 2024

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 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!

21 June 2024

First Line Friday #343 | Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes Du Mez

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line.

I’ve recently joined the local library, so this week I’m reading a book I found in the library that’s been on my to-read list since it released: the eye-opening Jesus and John Wayne by scholar Kristin Kobes Du Mez.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Jesus and John Wayne

Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping, revisionist history of the last seventy-five years of white evangelicalism, revealing how evangelicals have worked to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism―or in the words of one modern chaplain, with “a spiritual badass.”

As acclaimed scholar Kristin Du Mez explains, the key to understanding this transformation is to recognize the centrality of popular culture in contemporary American evangelicalism. Many of today’s evangelicals might not be theologically astute, but they know their VeggieTales, they’ve read John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart, and they learned about purity before they learned about sex―and they have a silver ring to prove it. Evangelical books, films, music, clothing, and merchandise shape the beliefs of millions. And evangelical culture is teeming with muscular heroes―mythical warriors and rugged soldiers, men like Oliver North, Ronald Reagan, Mel Gibson, and the Duck Dynasty clan, who assert white masculine power in defense of “Christian America.” Chief among these evangelical legends is John Wayne, an icon of a lost time when men were uncowed by political correctness, unafraid to tell it like it was, and did what needed to be done.

Challenging the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 for purely pragmatic reasons, Du Mez reveals that Trump in fact represented the fulfillment, rather than the betrayal, of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values: patriarchy, authoritarian rule, aggressive foreign policy, fear of Islam, ambivalence toward #MeToo, and opposition to Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community.

A much-needed reexamination of perhaps the most influential subculture in this country, Jesus and John Wayne shows that, far from adhering to biblical principles, modern white evangelicals have remade their faith, with enduring consequences for all Americans.

Find Jesus and John Wayne 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!

18 June 2024

Bookish Question #336 | What is the most recent book you read in a single day?

Because of You by Australian author Hannah Currie, which I recently reviewed (click here to read my review).

It’s an enjoyable story of a teenage girl who goes to Thailand on a short-term missions trip, and what she learns about herself and God during the trip. Some of the scenes are based on Hannah’s own mission trip to Thailand, and I particularly enjoyed those scenes.

I hadn’t planned to read the whole book in a single day (do we ever?), but I found it hard to put down.

What about you? What’s the most recent book you’ve read in a single day?

17 June 2024

Book Review | Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson

Adanne (pronounced Ah-dah-neh) is working as a makeup artist in Hope Springs, Alabama in between running the cash-strapped local community center and visiting her nephew, who is in hospital with cancer. She’s a little too good to be true on the outside, but insecure on the inside … which makes her relatable.

Giovanni Pomponio, better known as John Pope, is a Hollywood leading man who has recently returned to his childhood Christian faith … which raises some obvious challenges.

Her Part to Play is Jenny Erlingsson’s debut novel. While some elements of the plot are somewhat predictable (particularly given the overly wordy subtitle), I did enjoy the way she brought it all together into a faith-filled romance.

After all, I do love a Christian romance where the faith aspect is central.

Hope Springs is a fabulous small-town Southern setting, the kind of town many of us would like to live in—a town where people care about each other. I enjoyed “meeting” Adanne and the other residents of Hope Springs.

Jenny Erlingsson is an Alabama-born Christian writer of Nigerian descent who now lives in Iceland. Her heritage comes through in her writing, which is great to see. Her writing is strong, and I’d love to read a Christian romance set in Iceland!

Recommended for fans of small-town contemporary Christian romance featuring BIPOC and film star characters.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Jenny Erlingsson

Jenny Erlingsson is an author and speaker of Nigerian descent. After 12 years working in junior high and women’s ministry, she moved with her family from Alabama to Iceland. When she’s not running after her four kids or ministering alongside her husband, she can be found writing romantic fiction and creative nonfiction to inspire deep faith in diverse settings, as well as encouraging other writers. Her other writings have been featured on (in)courage, Live Original, Velvet Ashes, and more. And in the margins, you might find her reading five books at a time with a side of Icelandic chocolate.

Find Jenny Erlingsson online at:

Website | BookBub | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

About A Part to Play

Desperate for extra income after her mother’s passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She’s working to save her parents’ legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.

John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he’s ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set–and definitely not a fan.

Sparks of tension–and could that be attraction?–fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John’s scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what’s right in front of them?

Debut author Jenny Erlingsson’s diverse cast comes alive with faith, romance, and a touch of humor to create a story worthy of the big screen.

Find A Part to Play online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

15 June 2024

First Line Friday #342 | Lean on Me by Beth Moran

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line.

I’m a little late getting my post up this week because I opened Lean on Me by English author Beth Moran, read the first line … and kept right on reading.

Faith is barely getting by financially, supports her drug-addict brother, and is engaged to a self-made millionaire (which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for his mother and the hideous wedding dress she insists Faith wear).

At first, it felt like Faith was a bit of a doormat, something that is common in rom-com or women’s fiction stories told in first-person point of view, as Lean on Me is. But the further I got into the story, the more I realised I was wrong.

Faith is a survivor who is doing her absolute best with the rubbish hand she’s been dealt in life. She’s a strong character, but it takes her a while to realise how strong she is.

It’s an excellent story (although I would add trigger warnings for off-the-page implied abuse).

Anyway, here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Lean on Me

As Faith tries on her future mother-in-law’s wedding dress in preparation for her own wedding, her tears are not of joy. The hideous frock is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Web’ by Faith’s best friend Marilyn, who can’t understand why Faith would even consider wearing it. But there’s a lot Marilyn doesn’t know about Faith – not the least of which is that Faith is just the latest of the names she has called herself.

Faith and her brother Sam survived a traumatic childhood which included having to change their names to hide from the past, but surviving has left scars. Faith’s generous fiancé Perry doesn’t just promise to be a partner, he offers freedom and security, and enough kindness to keep Faith squashing down any doubts on what ‘being in love’ really means.

It’s not until she meets an extraordinary group of women at the Grace Chapel choir, that things start to become crystal clear. As choir-leader extraordinaire, the indomitable Hester, holds a mirror up to her ragtag group of singers, all with their own burdens and insecurities, and teaches them to see how magnificent they are, so Faith can dare to dream of a future where she and Sam can stop running and she might even be ready to accept the love that she deserves.

Find Lean on Me 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!

11 June 2024

Bookish Question #334 | Have you read a Christian novel that features a character on holiday?

I’ve read a lot of holiday romances and (recently) more than a few road-trip romances.

But the first title that came to mind when I read this question was an older story: Whispers by Robin Jones Gunn, which was first published in around 1995. But even after almost thirty years, I can still remember most of the key points.

Teri is a Spanish teacher from Glenbrooke, Oregon, who goes on holiday to Maui to visit her sister. She hopes to reconnect with Mark, the marine biologist she met last summer, but (if I remember correctly), he’s now in a serious relationship.

She then somehow reconnects with her high school crush (Steve, I think), and Gordon, better known as Gordo, an Australian pastor with a second job as a pizza delivery guy.

Looking back, the plot has nods to Pride and Prejudice in that Teri is initially attracted to Steve, who now strikes me as a Wickham character, and ignores the slightly uncoordinated Gordo. Gordo isn’t really a Darcy figure – he’s not proud and he isn’t rich and he has no secret history with Wickham – but he’s a good man who loves Jesus and respects Teri.

One of the reasons I remember this story after so many years is because of Y’s catchphrase: “until”. Terri eventually asks him what “until” means, and … that’s the one thing I can’t remember about the story.

If you’ve read it, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll have to re-read it (oh, dear. What a sacrifice).

What about you? What novels have you read that feature a character on holiday?

10 June 2024

Book Review | The Grump who Doesn’t Belong Next Door by Emily Dana Botrous

Single mother Lottie (Charlotte) Alden is at home in the tiny town of Red Rock Place, Iowa. She’s happy being a farm girl, and happy to be raising her daughter alone in their rural paradise. But she’s a single woman surrounded by matchmaking mamas in a romance novel, so it’s pretty obvious she’s not going to be alone for long.

Lawyer Anthony Lucio is the cliché city man, in that he arrives in Red Rock Place without any farm-appropriate clothing or footwear. He’s also not a fan of rural smells (oops). I’m generally not a fan of the fish-out-of-water trope, especially when the fish-out-of-water is clearly unprepared for (usually) rural life. However, that’s normally the (often silly) heroine, so it’s a refreshing change for the man to be the simpering city dweller.

To Anthony’s credit, he can cook, thanks to a father who was a chef, and he’s not arrogant. He just prefers to live in the city (despite never having lived in a small town). And (almost predictably) he wants to get back to the city and get his impending promotion.

As suggested by the title, The Grump Who Doesn’t Belong Next Door is a grumpy-sunshine rom-com (and no prizes for guessing who is the grump and who is the sunshine). Grumpy sunshine isn’t my favourite trope, and this is not my favourite Emily Dana Botrous novel. (I think that is a toss-up between With Love, Melody and With All My Heart, Joy).

First person gives the novel a different tone. It does bring the reader closer to the point of view of the character telling the story, and I like that (well, as long as I like that character. There have been exceptions …) But one downside of first person is that it often means we only get that single point of view. Fortunately, we get both viewpoints in this novel. First person present tense isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the writing is solid and I liked the fact we got both points of view.

If you like grumpy-sunshine Hallmark-type rom-com with the obligatory cringey scenes, you’ll love The Grump Who Doesn’t Belong Next Door.

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

About Emily Dana Botrous

Emily 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 The Grump Who Doesn’t Belong Next Door

Small-town Iowa? Not for this big-city attorney. Too bad his plans for a quick exit are mired by the girl next door.

Lottie: I have no time to waste on glass-half-empty people. My daughter and I have had enough of that in our lives, thank you very much. So when my neighbor’s grumpy son arrives in my hometown, turning his nose up at every Iowa corner, it’s no skin off of my back. But I can’t help teasing him. It’s sooo easy to ruffle his feathers. Plus, he’s easy on the eyes. Win win.

Anthony: My plan? Three weeks in Podunkville, Iowa until my mom recovers from her stroke. Then back to Atlanta. Civilization. My upcoming promotion to senior lawyer. I have no interest in forming any attachments in Red Rock Place. Even if my new next-door neighbor and her spunky daughter are a daily dose of sunshine I never knew my life was missing.

But then there’s the matchmaking. The fake date that isn’t really fake. The cake explosion. Oh, and the cow. (Really, God? We could have skipped that one…) Let’s just say, things are not going according to my plan.

The Grump Who Doesn’t Belong Next Door is a clean, Christian romantic comedy that will put a smile on your face and touch your heart.

Find The Grump Who Doesn’t Belong Next Door online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

7 June 2024

First Line Friday #341 | It’s All Relative by Rachel Mcgee

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 It’s All Relative by Rachel Mcgee, a new-to-me author. I love illustrated covers, and this looks fun.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About It’s All Relative

Helena’s a “fly by the seat of her pants” kind of girl. Amelia’s got her perfect life planned down to the minute. How will they ever get through their parents’ wedding–let alone a life as stepsisters–without ripping each other apart?

Twenty-seven-year-old Helena Crosby is over her mom Nora’s wedding–and it hasn’t even happened yet. For months, Helena’s been dreading the day she and Nora would become part of The Perfects, aka the Maddox family, led by oldest perfect daughter Amelia. Her complete opposite in every way, Amelia owns a house, runs her father’s architecture firm, and is engaged to her also perfect (and dreamy) fiancé Gage, all before the age of thirty. Helena has no idea how she’s going to fit into this family with their fancy traditions and strict timetables. Thankfully, her best friend Landon is joining the festivities as her emotional support plus one–and the perfect buffer between her and her new family.

Amelia Maddox has spent months planning the perfect wedding week for her dad Steve and his bride-to-be Nora. She’d planned for every consistency . . . except for her new free spirited stepsister’s deadly shellfish allergy, her brother’s insistence on blowing up his life, and an unexpected guest on Helena’s arm. A guest she hasn’t seen in years. A guest who held her heart years before her fiancé Gage ever did . . . her ex Landon Blake. But no matter–Amelia’s kept the Maddox family together since her mother died a few years ago. She’s not going to be thrown by Landon’s deep blue eyes and sun-bronzed forearms and the way he makes her feel all warm and cozy, like she’s come home to herself. Nope. She has duties to attend to: being the best daughter, sister, fiancée, boss, and wedding coordinator. And she’s going to bring her Eldest Daughter Energy to it all and push down those inconvenient feelings, no matter what.

Through a whirlwind week of wedding activities and a few near disasters, both Amelia and Helena realize that sometimes the blueprints for the perfect family and relationship look better on paper than in real life–and that family isn’t only made of the people you’re born with. Family is also made of the people we choose over and over again.

Find It’s All Relative 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!

4 June 2024

Bookish Question #333 | What’s the first Christian novel you remember reading?

I read all the Narnia books as a child, but they were never specifically written or marketed as Christian fiction, so I don’t think they count.

I also read and enjoyed Joni by Joni Eareckson in my early teens (so only a few years after it was first published in 1976). That’s definitely Christian, but is nonfiction so definitely doesn’t count.

The first overtly Christian novel I remember reading was This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, which I read when I was about eighteen. My aunt bought it and loaned it to my mother (who never read it). I read it and the sequel, Piercing the Darkness, and the duology got me started on many happy years reading Christian fiction.

What about you? What’s the first Christian novel you remember reading?