In summer, my favourite reading spot is the back garden of our family home in the Bay of Plenty.
When it’s not warm enough to read outside, my favourite spot is curled up on my couch in the evening, or reading in bed on Saturday morning (one of the privileges of being an empty-nester: no children at home who need feeding or ferrying to activities).
I don’t often re-read books as soon as I’ve finished them the first time, but Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter is an exception. Something about the story grabbed me and didn’t let go.
I think what I liked most was that the romance flowed naturally out of the plot rather than being the central focus of the story. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good romance.
Cassie Reynolds is a marketing specialist working the rodeo circuit, and one of the top riders happens to be Jason Keen, who works for her father at Redemption Ranch. Jason comes to Cassie’s rescue after she is accosted by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Travis, who doesn’t understand that no means no. That provides the impetus for the plot, and for Cassie’s unusual proposition to Jason: a marriage of convenience.
The story combines age-gap, marriage of convenience and grumpy-sunshine tropes. I’ve always had a fascination with marriage of convenience stories, but it can be hard to find good contemporary romances with this trope, possibly because it can be hard to find an original yet believable reason for the marriage. I think Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter did this well.
Jason started working at Redemption Ranch when Cassie was twelve. That age gap had the potential to have a real ick factor, but was handled very well, as they had little do do with each other before the story starts.
While I’ve read some good books with the grumpy-sunshine trope (e.g. Indigo Isle by TI Lowe), I’ve also come across some I couldn’t even finish because there didn’t seem to be a reason why the character was grumpy. That’s not the case here.
It’s more that he was an angry young man who has recently become a Christian, and who is a bit of a loner who doesn’t feel the need to be liked by others. As a result, he keeps to himself. He’s not Mr. Popular, but he’s a hardworking and competent cowboy, and an excellent rodeo rider. Jason isn’t as articulate as Cassie, but that doesn’t mean his feelings are any less deep or complex.
Cassie is the outgoing Little Miss Sunshine, except when her ex shows up. She’s also fiercely independent and doesn’t want to accept help from anyone, least of all her father and brothers. I admired her independence and spirit and her unwillingness to take the easy path.
While the Christian elements underpin the story, but were very subtle. Overall, I loved Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter. Recommended for contemporary romance fans.
Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and 3 sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author.
Her first book, Falling on Main Street, was written mostly from airport waiting areas and bleak hotel rooms as she traveled in her position as a sales engineer. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually a good cup of coffee or tea.
Tara unashamedly watches Hallmark movies all winter long, even though they are predictable and cheesy. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living. She wants to encourage her readers with stories of men and women who live out their faith in tough situations.
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Professional bullrider Jason Keen is chasing a national title–and running from his mistakes. When his last sponsor threatens to pull their support unless he becomes the poster boy of a charming, family friendly cowboy, there is no way he can pull it off. Unless he can find another way to soften his rough-edged image while he works at Redemption Ranch between events…
Despite her family’s status as Colorado ranching royalty, Cassie Reynolds’ heart has been tied to the rodeo since her first event at the tender age of five. If her possessive ex-boyfriend would get the hint and leave her alone, she’d never leave her rodeo marketing job. Unfortunately, with each passing day, he’s growing more desperate to claim her.
When a week at home on Redemption Ranch is interrupted by the appearance of Cassie’s ex, Jason can’t stand by and let him terrorize the owner’s daughter. Could her unorthodox proposal be the solution to get them both through the holidays and the rodeo national finals?
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 Island Girls by Australian author Rachel Sweasey, a sweet dual timeline historical novel set in Poole, Dorset.
Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:
1941: For the townspeople of Poole on the Dorset coast, the war feels like it’s right on their doorstep. And with more and more men leaving to fight, one fisherman’s daughter is determined to do whatever she can to help. Peggy volunteers to use her skills on the water to work with the flying boats alongside the RAF based in the harbour. But when she is asked to undertake a special mission, she will have to make a terrible choice – between her duty to her country and her only chance of happiness.
1998: Rebekah has travelled halfway around the world to take up a role on Brownsea Island. This tiny island off the coast of England is a treasure trove of natural wonder, but it still carries the scars of fighting. And when Rebekah discovers a lost letter from the war, hidden all this time, she becomes determined to deliver it, fifty years later.
But the idyllic Dorset harbour hides many more secrets, and Rebekah’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible…
And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.
I spent a couple of days in the Christmas-New Year break uploading my 2024 and 2023 reviews to Amazon and Goodreads. This has reminded me of several books I’m looking forward to reading, including:
The 2025 releases in the Trinity Lakes Romance series, including:
Finally, I’m looking forward to reading my own third novel, Always On My Mind. Of course, I have to write it first …
What about you? What books are you looking forward to reading this year?
One criticism of Christian romance is that everyone is beautiful (or handsome) and they all have perfect lives. A Home for Christmas is not that novel. While high school teacher Lynn Monet has a home and a job and all the things we expect of a 30-year-old adult, Garrett Kuhlmann is living in a garage and working two jobs to save enough money for the deposit on an apartment for him and his teenage son.
The Schwab Modern Wealth Survey (released May 2019) claimed that 59% of Americans are only one paycheck away from homelessness (and the subsequent Covid-19 job losses won’t have improved this figure). Garrett’s situation is therefore closer to reality than many of us would like to believe.
I found the first chapter a little awkward, but soon found myself engaged in the story. Lynn is possibly the perfect Christian some readers find difficult to relate to, but she’s also an illustration of a Christian who puts loving her neighbours into action.
Garrett is a hardworking guy who has made a few mistakes and now fallen on hard times. But he’s proud and determined to make a better life for him and his fifteen-year-old son, Josh, and that is an admirable trait.
Lynn, Garrett and Josh were all excellent characters. They felt realistic, and as frustrated as I got with Garrett over his pride and reluctance to admit when he needed help, I could also understand and respect why he was like that.
I found the story an enjoyable read, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Garrett and Josh.
Overall, A Home for Christmas was a solid Christian romance between a couple that don’t have perfect backgrounds. Recommended.
Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
She just moved to Silver Pine to start a new future. He’s never been more unsure of what the future holds.Garrett Kuhlmann doesn’t want or need anyone’s pity. As a single father, he’s worked hard by himself to ensure his son is fed, clothed and safe. But after house-hopping for the last year, he is desperate to give his teenage son more stability. If only housing weren’t so expensive. When a young woman gifts him a bag of food to thank him for changing her tire after her car breaks down in the parking lot where he works, he can’t put the act of kindness, or her pretty smile, out of his mind.
Even in the small town of Silver Pine, Lynn Monet didn’t expect to see the man who changed her tire again, until she discovers he’s the father to one of her high school students. The more they interact, the more her heart breaks for Garrett and his son, and the more the duo worm their way into her life. But Lynn isn’t looking for love, and the secret she has will only destroy any potential relationship, just like it had once before.
Lynn’s compassion is like a beacon of light cutting through the darkness of Garrett’s struggles, offering him a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t have to do everything alone. A new chapter of love and stability finally feels within reach. But secrets from both of their pasts threaten to shatter the fragile hope, leaving Garrett to choose between playing it safe or forgiveness and love.
Sara Beth Williams is a published author of Contemporary Christian romance, an ACFW and CIPA member and freelance writer. She has a background in freelance publicity, blog managing, newspaper journalism and nine years in the field of education. Two of her three novels have been nominated for a Selah Award. A Worthy Heart (2020) and Anchor My Heart (2022). She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, gardening and spending time with her family.
It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I recently bought Marrying the Rancher’s Daughter by Tara Grace Ericson, the first book in the Christmas in Redemption Ridge multi-author series.
Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:
Professional bullrider Jason Keen is chasing a national title–and running from his mistakes. When his last sponsor threatens to pull their support unless he becomes the poster boy of a charming, family friendly cowboy, there is no way he can pull it off. Unless he can find another way to soften his rough-edged image while he works at Redemption Ranch between events…
Despite her family’s status as Colorado ranching royalty, Cassie Reynolds’ heart has been tied to the rodeo since her first event at the tender age of five. If her possessive ex-boyfriend would get the hint and leave her alone, she’d never leave her rodeo marketing job. Unfortunately, with each passing day, he’s growing more desperate to claim her.
When a week at home on Redemption Ranch is interrupted by the appearance of Cassie’s ex, Jason can’t stand by and let him terrorize the owner’s daughter. Could her unorthodox proposal be the solution to get them both through the holidays and the rodeo national finals?
And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.
This is the same as my 2024 challenge, which I exceeded: I ended up reading 166 books (although I only counted reading my own new release, Always In My Heart once. I probably read the whole manuscript at least three times, and read parts of it many more).
In previous years, I have also set myself more specific challenges, such as reading books from my to-read pile, books from new-to-me authors, books from BIPOC or international authors, books from indie authors, or nonfiction books.
I found I’d set myself too many goals, some of which were difficult to track. It sometimes meant I was forcing myself to read books I didn’t really want to read so I could improve my tallies (e.g. a nonfiction book from my to-read pile written by a new-to-me international author).
While I haven’t counted, I think I read more nonfiction books and more books from new-to-me authors last year than in many previous years, which suggests I’m better off not counting.
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve done that. I am using Mary DeMuth’s 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge (but giving myself grace: I don’t have to finish in 90 days. Finishing is good enough).
All the Lost Places is a dual timeline novel made more complex by the fact the past timeline (1807) is partly quotes from a series of children’s books and partly narrative, with a very blurred line between what is part of the fictional stories and what is part of this story.
In the past timeline, baby Sebastien is rescued from the canals of Venice and raised by a ragtag bunch of adults – a lacemaker, a glassblower, a fisherman, and a printer. But Sebastien longs to knjow who he is.
In the more recent timeline (1907), Daniel Goodman knjows exactly who he is: a convicted theif who has served his prison sentence and now wants to make right with all his victims, including his mother. He takes a job as an artist and translator, which sends him to Venice, Italy, to draw the buildings and find and translate the final volume of a series of stories. The reader joins Daniel in his journey to sort fact from fiction as he translates the books and searches for the missing ending.
I loved the setting. The author brings Venice to life, skillfully mixing the story with the city’s history in an ongoing mix of literal and figurative, a literary writing style that felt more lyrical than most novels I read.
Unfortunately, I found the writing style and the complexity of the plot affected my appreciation of the story. I sometimes found myself losing the story and having to flick back a few pages to remind myself of what was supposed to be happening.
I do read fast, so perhaps that’s on me rather than on the book. My conclusion is that All the Lost Places is a book to read slowly and carefully, not one to rush through in an effort to find out whodunit or will the guy get the girl.
Recommended for readers looking for novels with international settings, and for fans of Rachel McMillan, Nicole Deese, and other authors who write rich prose in a literary style.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing A Home for Christmas, a new novella from Sara Beth Williams. I probably should have read this before Christmas … but before Christmas was so busy I didn’t get started on my Christmas reading until Boxing Day 🙂
Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:
She just moved to Silver Pine to start a new future. He’s never been more unsure of what the future holds.Garrett Kuhlmann doesn’t want or need anyone’s pity. As a single father, he’s worked hard by himself to ensure his son is fed, clothed and safe. But after house-hopping for the last year, he is desperate to give his teenage son more stability. If only housing weren’t so expensive. When a young woman gifts him a bag of food to thank him for changing her tire after her car breaks down in the parking lot where he works, he can’t put the act of kindness, or her pretty smile, out of his mind.
Even in the small town of Silver Pine, Lynn Monet didn’t expect to see the man who changed her tire again, until she discovers he’s the father to one of her high school students. The more they interact, the more her heart breaks for Garrett and his son, and the more the duo worm their way into her life. But Lynn isn’t looking for love, and the secret she has will only destroy any potential relationship, just like it had once before.
Lynn’s compassion is like a beacon of light cutting through the darkness of Garrett’s struggles, offering him a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t have to do everything alone. A new chapter of love and stability finally feels within reach. But secrets from both of their pasts threaten to shatter the fragile hope, leaving Garrett to choose between playing it safe or forgiveness and love.
And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.
It’s the end of another year … which means it’s time to start adding to your to-read pile for 2025. Here are the new releases from members of American Christian Fiction Writers.
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Feather by Susan Page Davis — Feather is snatched by a fierce tribe and forced to work for them. Her younger brother, Karsh, vows to find her. When Feather learns the arrows she makes will be used against her own people, she and her friend Tag decide to escape and warn the peaceful tribe of the coming attack. (Children/Middle-grade, Tea Tin Press)
The Edge of Knife by Marissa Shrock — The summer of ’88 in Wildcat Springs, Indiana, was supposed to be thoroughly boring. But when Bobbi Sue Baxter’s friend enters her into a sweepstakes (without her knowledge) to make a guest appearance on daytime drama, The Cute and the Cunning, and she wins, the season starts to get complicated. Then, her friendship with Hemingway “Hemi” Miller evolves into something more, and things slide toward complex. After filming, when the star of The Cute and the Cunning gets stabbed with a hunting knife? Life gets downright insane. Bobbi Sue tries to stay out of the chaos, but with her well-proven instincts for cracking hard-to-solve crimes, that’s highly unlikely. (Cozy Mystery, Independently Published)
Before the King by Heather Kaufman — Joanna is a daughter of the Sadducees, born into privilege and taught to maintain her position at all costs—even if it means breaking her own heart. When she encounters Jesus, his message of the Kingdom compels her to embrace a new way of life. Dare Joanna risk everything for the sake of the Christ? (Historical Biblical from Bethany House [Baker Publishing Group])
Finding Juniper by Cindy Thomson — Leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind, Patrick Doyle sails to America, the land of opportunity. Thirty years later, Patrick has moved on with his life, building a new family. A letter arrives, suggesting the child he’d assumed died may be alive. Juniper endured a childhood in institutions, and when she’s released, she moves on without the parents who left her. Operating an apothecary out of an inherited cottage, Juniper finally finds a home when her grandmother arrives. Just as she feels comfortable and content, her father shows up at her door, bringing shocking news about her mother. (General Historical, Independently Published)
Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret by Misty M Beller — The Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune. Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s secret: a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose presence captivates him. Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad’s path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger everyone on the ranch. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
Emma’s Engagement by Susan G Mathis — Emma Row yearns for a fresh start and a chance to build a loving family. But as she steps into her role as the Rock Island Lightkeeper’s wife, she finds herself navigating the treacherous waters of isolation and the bitter rejection of her new stepdaughter, Ada. Michael Diepolder, the widowed lightkeeper, had hoped securing a companion would brighten his life and be a needed mother figure to his eleven-year-old daughter. Yet, as Emma struggles to adapt to the challenges of her new life, Michael realizes that the path to happiness is far more turbulent than he ever anticipated. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
With All Her Heart by Kelly Irvin — Bonnie is successful in her crafts shop but fears no man will see past her disability to her strong and loving heart. Elijah dreams of leaving the family business to focus on his carvings. Can they find a new path together? (Amish Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
His to Love by Z Peabody — Griffin T. Washington is one of only two detectives at the cody Police Department. After years of being retired from active duty, and with a fulfilling job, Griff is still alone. The loss of his wife ten years ago nearly broke Griff. While coming from a call, Griff’s life is turned upside down by a careless driver, and before he can get her insurance information, she speeds off, leaving Griff not just questioning who she is but also when he can see her again. (Romantic Novella from Z Peabody Publishing LLC)
Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller — Mariah Holzman never imagined a whiteout blizzard would sever all communication from the outside world—communication desperately needed for the injured man Mariah finds near her home. Nor did she imagine helping nurse the man back to health would lead to threats and intimidation. As danger escalates and questions rise, Mariah is left to wonder what kind of person she has allowed into her home. (Romantic Suspense from Maplebrook Publishing)
Sarah’s Long Ride by Susan Page Davis — The Bandicoot 100 is coming up, and Sarah Piper and her horse Icicle are registered for the endurance race. But now that her mother has died, Sarah has no riding partner. Adjusting to a new home with Uncle Joe and far from her friends, Sarah realizes that endurance is something she needs not only for the race. (Young Adult from Tea Tin Press)
Last Light of Everlasting by Demi Griffin — Everlasting is a world of peace and tranquility. At least it was before one of the King’s loyal servants rebelled. The ensuing battle between those who were loyal and those who rebelled required a strength even the warriors of the spirit realm did not have. Assistance came through the histories. The Ancients, flesh beings who sacrificed their own existence, became the one weapon that could defeat darkness – a luminaria. Will those who lost access to the perfect world created by the King find their way back out of the darkness? (Speculative Fiction/Allegory, Independently Published)
3 X 3 by Patrick E Craig — One by one, Jenny uncovers secrets hidden for forty years, secrets deeply connected to the Amish community. And as she brings them to light, Jenny finds the past can reveal much about the present—in terrifying ways (Crime Suspense)
Bronze Circle by Becky A. Little — Jaydon’s story is one of hope, acceptance, redemption and forgiveness as he discovers who he is before The Truth Master. (Speculative/Young Adult)
Heart of Faith by Tracey J Lyons — Two boys are left behind from the Orphan Train. When John Oliver decides to help Amy save two orphan boys from danger, will they become the family she has been praying for in time for Amy to get her Christmas wish? (Historical Romance)
Loving the Rodeo Queen by Rebecca Reed — Quinn and Tiago have a past, but can they have a future with her secret shadowing their relationship. (Contemporary Romance)
Death Under the Ice by Deborah Jean Sprinkle — Claire needs their help, but can she put past hurts behind her as she not only tries to find her brother, but stay alive? (Romantic Suspense)
