I was keeping my head above water financially while simultaneously drowning in an abyss of the poor choices it took to make that happen.

Book Review | Indigo Isle by T I Lowe

I requested Indigo Isle for review because I’ve always been fascinated by indigo. How did our ancestors learn to take the leaves of the indigo plant and process them in a way that produced a beautiful blue dye? Indigo Isle didn’t answer that question, but it did take us through the production of indigo dye, which was a fascinating detour that didn’t detract from the central story.

Of course, no one would want to read a novel about making indigo—that could get tedious.

Indigo Isle is the story of Sonny Bates (female, despite the name), who ran way from her Christian home in South Carolina fifteen yeas ago and headed for the bright lights of Hollywood. Now she’s a successful location scout, back in Charleston, South Carolina, as location manager for a movie shoot.

While scouting the islands off the coast to find a location for a romantic beach scene, Sonny comes across a private island locals say is owned by the Monster of Indigo Isle. Sonny finds something about the island – and the so-called monster – compelling, and keeps returning to the island, where she strikes up an oddrelationship with the owner, Hudson Renfrow.

Hudson is battling his own issues, so this is the story of two broken people reluctantly helping each other heal, while falling in love in the process. But the path of true love does not run smooth, and it runs a lot less smooth in Indigo Isle than in most other Christian romance novels.

I was recently chatting with a friend about a book she’d loved but I’d abandoned, and she asked me if the reason I didn’t like it was because of the Grumpy Sunshine trope i.e. the hero was grumpy, while the heroine was all sunshine and unicorns. I couldn’t really answer, as it wasn’t something I’d considered before.

Now I’ve read Indigo Isle, I have to say I do like the Grumpy Sunshine trope … if it’s done well.

It’s definitely done well in Indigo Isle. I think it works because the characters are portrayed so well, and everything that happens is a natural result of their backgrounds and personalities … including the inevitable conflict.

(If you want to know more about grumpy sunshine books, check out this episode of the StoryChats @ Inspy Romance podcast.)

I do have to add a content warning for sexual assault. If that’s a trigger for you, avoid Indigo Isle (or proceed with caution).

Indigo Isle is an excellent Christian romance, a compelling beauty-and-the-beast romance with a #MeToo element … and the obligatory happy ending.

Thanks to Tyndale House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About T I Lowe

T I LoweT. I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of nearly twenty published novels, including her recent bestselling and critically acclaimed novel, Under the Magnolias, and her debut breakout, Lulu’s Café. She lives with her husband and family in coastal South Carolina.

Find T I Lowe online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Indigo Isle

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back.

Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past . . . until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for several years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, then making indigo dye―and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls. Soon the gruff exterior Hudson has long hidden behind crumbles―exposing the tender part of him that’s desperate for forgiveness and a second chance.

A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias.

Find Indigo Isle online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | 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 #289 | Uncharted Grace by Keely Brooke Keith

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 the twelfth book in Keely Brooke Keith’s  Uncharted series, which is a great mashup of historical and speculative Christian romance.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The azure sky spread above the thriving orchard like an unending wealth of promises only Caroline could see.

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

 

About Uncharted Grace

Can two newcomers with shattered pasts and buried secrets find love in the village of Good Springs?

An inherited orchard offers a fresh start in a new village for social butterfly Caroline Vestal. She believes Good Springs is where she will finally find a soulmate, but building a genuine relationship means being honest—even with the family secret that could ruin her new life before it begins.

With his relaxed manner, professional expertise, and dapper appearance, physician Jedidiah Cotter makes a good first impression in his new village. Once the Good Springs elder council officially titles him, he can establish his career and be safe from the obligation to return to his crooked family’s business back home. But when the council unexpectedly stalls the process, Jedidiah must discover the cause and quickly find a cure.

Though Caroline is smitten with the dashing new physician who lives across the road from the orchard house, his attraction to her drives him to ask questions she isn’t prepared to answer. If she trusts the wrong person with the shocking truth about her family’s past, she could lose the inheritance and the man she loves.

Find Uncharted Grace 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!

Is there a book you enjoyed more than you expected?

Bookish Question #281 | Is there a book you enjoyed more than you expected?

Yes. Two, in fact:

All That Really Matters and All That It Takes by Nicole Deese.

I know a lot of people rave about Nicole Deese’s writing, but the first of her books that I bought I couldn’t even finish. I don’t remember what it was called, as I’ve long since given it away, but I tried to read it two or three times and never got beyond halfway. The plot was interesting, but the characters didn’t grab me.

Then I read another where I really liked the writing, but there was one aspect of the plot that really got to me. The book has around a gazillion five-star reviews on Amazon, so I’m obviously alone in this feeling.

I decided to give her books one more chance because I did like her writing in that second book. I bought All That Really Matters in a Kindle sale, and loved it so much I immediately bought the sequel, All that It Takes.

It was just as good, so now I’m a definite Nicole Deese fan.

(In fact, I’ve recently reviewed her latest release, The Words We Lost, which was excellent.)

I guess there are a few lessons here:

  • Not all books are for all readers.
  • If you don’t like one book by a writer, try another.
  • Writers improve as they write more books, so we especially shouldn’t judge a writer by their early titles.
(That might sound a little self-indulgent given I’ve just released my first novel, but think of it this way: would you really want to read a brilliant first novel from an author then find their subsequent novels didn’t live up to expectation? I wouldn’t. I want to see them get better in the craft of writing, and for each story to be better than the book before. That’s certainly what I’m aiming for.)

What about you? Is there a book you enjoyed more than you expected?

Speaking of making us look bad ... three thousand bucks on a coat?

Book Review | The Billionaire’s Backup (Billionaire Next Door #4) by Elizabeth Maddrey

Noah and Jenna share a birthday.

Back in college, they made the cliche marriage pact: if they weren’t married by thirty-three, they’d marry each other.

Yes, it’s a romance cliche, but it is a fun cliche. It wasn’t overdone–both characters remembered the pact and how they’d like something to come of it, but it wasn’t the centre of the story. Instead, it was the setup for an excellent friends-to-more story (which just happens to be my absolute favourite romance trope).

As the story starts, Noah and Jenna are both thirty-two and still single, and have maintained a strong friendship over the years. In fact, architect Jenna is currently renovating the six-bedroom historic home Noah has recently purchased.

As suggested by the title, The Billionaire’s Backup is a billionaire romance.

This is a trope I have a love/loathe relationship with. I like the fact the characters don’t have money troubles (well, the billionaire doesn’t), because it can get a little depressing reading novels where the lack of money is a central plot point. I don’t like billionaires who are rude or arrogant, or who have made their billions through exploiting others (e.g. underpaying the people who work for them). One of the reasons I enjoy Elizabeth Maddrey’s billionaire series is that her billionaires are all regular guys, a group of close-knit friends who hit big on the stock market, but who haven’t let money change them.

Of course, having money does mean they can do things most of us can only dream of.

Money might not buy happiness, but it sure buys some fun stuff … and I enjoyed seeing Noah splash some of that billionaire cash when it came to impressing Jenna.

My salvation was because of my personal relationship with Jesus. But sanctification—the lifelong process of becoming more and more like Christ—took place in community.

The story also had a more serious point to make about being a Christian: the importance of community. It challenged me to rethink how I do Christian community, as that’s definitely something that has changed in my life since the pandemic.

Overall, The Billionaire’s Backup is a fun contemporary Christian romance that will appeal to fans of marriage pact, friends-to-more and billionaire romances … especially those looking for a Christian faith thread. Recommended.

Now I’m looking forward to the next in the series, The Billionaire’s Teacher!

About Elizabeth Maddrey

Elizabeth MaddreyElizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who loves a good happily ever after.

She began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of computers, math, and organization steered her into computer science at Wheaton College, she always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. This continued through a Master’s program in Software Engineering, several years in the computer industry, teaching programming at the college level, and a Ph.D. in Computer Technology in Education. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity.

She lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.

Find Elizabeth Maddrey online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Billionaire’s Backup

Jenna and I have been friends since college.

Not besties or anything. Just the kind of friend you hit up when you want to go to a party but don’t want the pressure of a date.

She’s fun. Independent. And she gets me.

Which is probably why we dated for a while – more for fun than anything..

The kiss was completely out of left field. And so was the ridiculous pact to get married if we were still single in our thirties.

Neither of us have ever mentioned that pact again.

But man, a lot of years have passed and I can sometimes still feel her lips on mine. Now that she’s going to be renovating my house, it could definitely be a problem.

The whole pact thing might have been dumb, but would it really be such a bad idea for us to get together?

Find The Billionaire’s Backup online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #288 | Bring Her Home (Crown of Promise) by Hannah Currie

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

On Monday, New Zealand will commemorate the first King’s Birthday holiday most people can remember. So I thought this week it would be fitting to read a novel featuring royalty … So I’ve searched through my books and found Bring Her Home, a medieval Christian royalty romance by Australian author Hannah Currie.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Sobs wracked his body as King Lior fell on his knees, the missive clutched to his chest as if it hadn't already imprinted its message on his heart.

 

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

 

About Bring Her Home

Since the morning he woke to find his precious daughter gone with only the remains of their latest argument left behind, King Lior has been praying she’d come home. For four years now, he’s prayed and searched, sending his best knights to find Evangeline, only to hear nothing. Until the day their missive arrives with three words: we’ve found her. He sends one right back with orders to bring her home.

But that order isn’t easily achieved. Evangeline, now a lowly servant, has no plans to return. Though the knights claim her father still loves her, she knows the truth: he’d cast her aside as quickly as everyone else if he knew how far she’d truly fallen. She can’t go home. Not with her scars. Or her failures. Or her son.

Only, the knights won’t leave without her. And just as she starts to wonder if maybe they might be right, the choice is taken from her altogether.

Sir Darrek thought the hardest part of his quest would be finding Evangeline. He had no idea how difficult it would be to get her home.

Find Bring Her Home 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

New Releases in Christian Fiction | June 2023

It’s June already—I can’t quite believe it. Work is hectic, my debut novel released this week (99 cents on Amazon until 8 June, in case you didn’t know). Now that’s out in the big wide world, I’m looking forward to having some time to catch up on my reading.

Here’s what’s new from members of American Christian Fiction Writers. More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

What’s on your to-read pile this month?

Contemporary Romance:

Operation Find a Guy by Amy R. Anguish — Skye Jones has one goal for the summer—keep her father from taking away her convertible. That’s the only reason she agrees to work at her sister’s bridal shop in Boulder, Colorado, while she searches for a non-boring job. Why else would she have anything to do with weddings when she has no interest in marriage?

Benjamin Smith somehow ended up as a groomsman in two weddings over the summer, so he’s spending a lot of time at Happily Ever After events. Falling for a blonde with no dreams of settling down wasn’t in his five-year plan, yet the more he sees Skye, the more he wants to figure her out.

But all she sees him as is a boring attorney−her complete opposite. Besides, romance is supposed to be for Skye’s friends, not her. And she’s in Colorado to get a job, not a guy. Right? (Contemporary Romance from Scrivening’s Press)

A Green and Vibrant Hope by Valerie Comer — Arleigh O’Neill gambles on starting her own flower farm with a tight budget on leased land…and loses when the river overflows its banks, demolishing the rented greenhouse, drowning her fields, and destroying her mobile home. She needs both a home and a job, but no one in Galena Landing seems to be hiring. Widowed farmer Mitchell Ackerman is at wit’s end with his two rambunctious sons, but his brother’s suggestion he hire Arleigh to nanny the boys is a nonstarter. He can’t afford to pay anyone, and besides, she annoys him with her hippie-flower-painted van and independent attitude. Arleigh thinks he’s arrogant. Mitchell thinks she’s frivolous. What will it take to get them to see into each other’s hearts and grasp a green and vibrant hope? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Love Like No Other by Tabitha Bouldin — Alicia Gray wants one thing: to prove her capabilities as a doctor. Maybe then she can escape the feeling that her mother’s abandonment was deserved. She’s never felt worthy and grew up in foster home after foster home, always being told that if she did better, if she was more amenable, she’d find her place. When she came to Suamalie, the last thing she expected to find was a man whose grumpy personality conflicted so piercingly with her sunshine demeanor. Colin Tremblay was dishonorably discharged from his army medic position and sent home in disgrace after his twin brother stole from his clinic. Back on the islands, he’s bounced from job to job, never finding anything that satisfies him. To make matters worse, his twin niece and nephew convince him to spend his summer overseeing their camp activities while working alongside Little Miss Sunshine herself. (Contemporary Romance from Celebrate Lit Publishing)

Love Somebody Like You by Carolyn Miller — For Lexi Franklin, returning to Trinity Lakes feels a little like running home with her tail between her legs. But what’s a girl to do, when her life has been turned upside down on the other side of the world? She needs a place to regain hope and healing – just didn’t count on meeting a cowboy whose own battered heart might need nursing back to health too. Jackson Reilly has his own set of troubles, between caring for his ranch, his mom, and the black hole of finances. So when a pretty redhead with a sassy tongue offers some distraction – and a potential solution to one of his most pressing concerns – he’s not going to say no. But as they spend time together, questions soon rise about their future, and whether faith can truly win over fears. Will Jackson be able to save his ranch, and his hopes and heart, before Lexi returns to Australia? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

And Then There was You by Nancy Naigle — Reeling after falling prey to a Romeo con-artist who just waltzed away with the better part of her belongings, Natalie Maynard works closely with the detective assigned to her case, only the few leads have led nowhere.

Detective Randy Fellowes can’t promise Natalie restitution, but he’s determined to find the culprit and serve up justice. Married to his work, he’s caught off guard when Natalie has his thoughts wandering to more than the case.

Natalie soon seeks refuge in the one thing she still owns ― an old fishing cabin in the mountains of Chestnut Ridge. She quickly falls in love with the town and the eccentric people who are teaching her so much about the area and its heritage.

Through these people, and the determination of Detective Fellowes, she rediscovers her courage, self, and a reason to risk love again. (Contemporary Romance from St. Martin’s Press)

General Historical:

To Calm a Storm by Heather Day Gilbert — For years, Kadhrin has anticipated marrying her betrothed, Vikarr, who is now second in command only to the king. As she settles into married life, she becomes increasingly convinced that her husband would make a far better ruler than his distracted cousin, and she urges him to heed advisors calling for an overthrow. Vikarr is honored to marry such a noble bride, but he hasn’t bargained for Kadhrin’s boldness. Although pleased by the growing passion between them, he struggles to understand her motivations. As rumors of an insurrection build, Vikarr is torn between the captivating woman who has laid claim to his heart, his loyalty to his king, and his growing desire to seize the kingship so he can unify his country against looming threats. Caught up in a web of political intrigue and personal betrayal, Kadhrin and Vikarr must choose not only which war to wage, but also which side to stand on, even if it means sacrificing everything they hold dear. (General Historical, Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

Beneath a Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee — Mary Wishram, an orphaned Yakima tribal member, aches for her brother who suffers in a POW camp in the Philippine Islands. Her Japanese friends languish in a relocation center. Determined to end the war by any means necessary, she employs her language skills to become a spy. She leaves Camp Pendleton for the South Pacific and faces escalating threats of peril to help bring her loved ones home. John Painted Horse, a proud Navajo, struggles with the loss of his father who died in WWI for a country that didn’t consider him a United States citizen. Though his home state doesn’t offer him the right to vote, he joins the Code Talker program at Camp Pendleton. Thrust into mounting danger in the South Pacific, he hopes to bring long overdue recognition and honor to his people, no matter the cost. Will these two wounded souls find healing from their past traumas and a deeper relationship with God, before it’s too late? Or will they lose their chance at love, and everything they hold dear? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Love Most Certain by Penny Zeller — Can newfound love heal a broken heart? Genevieve Amsel is recovering from a canceled engagement when her dear friend, Tillie, invites her to move to Ellis Creek for a fresh start. While she settles into life in the friendly Montana town, one thing is for certain: Genevieve will never fall in love again, no matter what marriage prospects come her way. Becoming the new postmaster in Ellis Creek is not for the faint of heart. Attempting to do his best to replace the popular Mr. Norman who recently retired, Oliver Bessell relocates from Bozeman and attempts to win the hearts of Ellis Creek residents, especially one in particular. Can he prove to Genevieve he’s nothing like the man who broke her heart? Soon Oliver makes it his mission to encourage and brighten Genevieve’s day by leaving her notes at the breakfast table at the boarding house where they both reside. And when a mysterious letter arrives at the post office, will the solving of the puzzle draw him and Genevieve closer? (Historical Romance from Maplebrook Publishing)

Mystery:

Backstory by Susan Page Davis — A hurricane lashes the Novel Inn, forcing guests to remain when they’d hoped to leave. Add an elderly neighbor, Kate’s ex-fiancé, and a clandestine thief. When a guest is found dead in the Hercule Poirot Room, it’s time for the Gage siblings and the local police to go into action. (Mystery from Scrivenings Press)

Romantic Suspense:

Blue Ridge Mountain Escape by Loretta Eidson — The firefighter rescued her once…But can they outrun the dangers?
A peaceful vacation is what Haley Gordon needs to put her troubles behind her. Instead, she finds herself fighting for her life against a raging forest fire. Forest Service firefighter Kendall Simpson vows to protect Haley—although he has questions about her story. But with the firestorm out of control and news of escaped convicts on the mountain, can Haley and Kendall trust each other enough to survive? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired/Harlequin)


Hold for Release by Heidi Glick — Carlotta Hartman’s life is falling apart. Although Carlotta desperately wants a child, her journalist husband just wishes their marriage would go back to the way things used to be before infertility treatments took over their schedule. While volunteering at an animal shelter to fill the void, Carlotta stumbles upon dead animals and a human body. Days later, Jake confesses to an affair with a co-worker. Hurt and confused, Carlotta moves in with her sister. And then things go from bad to perilous. As Jake receives counsel from a pastor, he pledges to woo Carlotta again and piece together their shattered marriage. But as Carlotta rushes out of Jake’ s arms, she runs straight into danger. Like the articles Jake writes and holds for release, a psychopath, bent on revenge, vows to hang onto Carlotta until the time is right. In the end, a secret from the past threatens to kill all hopes of a happy future. (Romantic Suspense from HarborLight Books/Pelican)

Western Romance:

The Laws of Attraction by Mary Connealy If widowed town seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might lose her mind. So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower father struggling to raise three girls, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls, and Nell finally has a chance to both create beautiful dresses and teach the girls to sew. But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the unique legal and investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover why there seems to be a bull’s-eye on their backs. (Western Romance from Bethany House/Baker)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

A Musician’s Heart by Sandra Ardoin, How will two people with opposing visions for their futures find common ground? (Contemporary Romance)

Ben: Ben Mitchell/Titus Ray Mysteries, Books 1-3 by Luana Ehrlich, Is Ben really in love with the daughter of a Turkish dissident? (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic)
Finding Her Frontier Home by Louise M. Gouge, A ranch out West could be the home she’s longed for. (Historical Romance)
The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson, His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. (Historical Romance)
Where Promises Remain by Heidi Chiavaroli, Hannah Martin thought she was about to have an empty nest . . . until the illegitimate daughter of her late husband shows up on her doorstep. (Contemporary/Women’s Fiction)
Always By My Side by Iola Goulton 99 cents on Amazon this week only

Introducing … Always By My Side by Iola Goulton

My debut novel is now on sale!

I tend not to share my own writing journey on this website (an error I do need to rectify). Yes, I have been writing. Yes, I have completed a novel. Yes, that novel  was published on 30 May 2023.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss out on my book news, subscribe to my newsletter>>

If you pre-ordered from Amazon, thank you so much for supporting me! The story should now be on your Kindle … so happy reading!

If you do read Always By My Side, please consider leaving a review on your favourite online retailer—reviews help other readers discover stories they will love.

And if you have read Always By My Side, please leave a comment and let me know your favourite scene or line. I love sharing my favourite lines from the novels I read, and I would like to share your favourite lines from my novel.

Here’s more about the book:

Always By My Side

A hardworking introvert meets a handsome adventurer longing to settle down.

Tabitha Thomas longs to leave Trinity Lakes and travel the world in honor of the beloved grandmother who raised her and her siblings. But she’s needed at home—she’s the responsible triplet, the one who stayed home to run the family inn while her brother and sister left to live their dreams.

Kiwi Logan Wylde doesn’t call any place home. When an injury frustrates his travel plans, he accepts an invitation to return to Trinity Lakes and recuperate at the Lakeview Inn, where he hopes to rediscover his purpose in life.

When Tabby and Logan find a property deed while cleaning out Gran’s rooms, Tabby embraces a new challenge—to solve the mystery of the floodplain and renovate the old boatshed. Working with Logan reignites long-suppressed feelings, but will their differences drive them apart?

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

Always By My Side is on sale for 99 cents wherever ebooks are sold for one week only.

Then the price will go up to 3.99, and it will be available to borrow free for members of Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon | Other ebook stores (until 8 June)

What's the most recent nonfiction book you've read that impacted you?

Bookish Question #280 | What’s the most recent nonfiction book you’ve read that has impacted you?

What’s the most recent nonfiction book you’ve read that has impacted you? How or why?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a nonfiction book (apart from the Bible, of course). It’s almost the end of May, and I don’t think I’ve read a single nonfiction book this year. Yes, there are a couple on my to-read pile, but I haven’t even cracked the cover.

So, back to 2022 we go …

Late last year, I read Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist.

This was one thing that influenced my 2023 words for the year: Less

Looking over my notes (yay for the Kindle’s ability to highlight!), I can see I’ve very quickly forgotten (or perhaps still haven’t learned some of the key points. Maybe I need to read it again (or at least read my notes and review).

Here are a few of the highlights I need to remind myself of:

Self-care was for the fragile, the special, the dainty. I was a linebacker, a utility player, a worker bee.

I certainly feel like this at times (and it’s also one of the issues my heroine, Tabby, faces in Always By My Side).

Maybe it’s about biting off more than I can chew professionally.

Oh, yes. I find it difficult to say “no”, yet every “yes” comes at a cost.

How many moments of connection I missed–to busy, too tired, too frantic, and strung out on the drug of efficiency.

That’s because I say “yes” when I should have said “no”. Because:

When you devote yourself to being known as the most responsible person anyone knows, more and more people call on you to be that highly responsible person.

I think I internalised this when writing about Tabby. It’s a shame I didn’t have time to write this blog post in my hurry to get Tabby’s story completed and off to the editor, then the formatter, and then uploaded on Amazon and Draft2Digital.

(And if you’ll forgive me for the self-promotion, Always By My Side releases today! It’s currently just 99 cents from Amazon or all your favourite online retailers this week only. Next week, the price will increase to $3.99, and it will be available exclusively on Amazon. It will also be enroled in Kindle Unlimited, so KU subscribers can read for free.)
Loving one’s work is a gift. And loving one’s work makes it really easy to neglect other parts of life.

True …

But you can’t say yes without no. Another way to say it: if you’re not careful with your yeses, you start to say no to some very important things.

Also true.

What you need along the way: a sense of God’s deep, unconditional love, and strong sense of your own purpose.

Tabby never doubts God’s love for her, but she doesn’t have a strong sense of her own purpose, of what God wants for her life. Instead, she has a tendency to let external factors guide her without stepping back to see if that’s what’s really right for her.

I’m sure no one else ever feels like that 😉

Of course we do.

You’ll give up on your larger purpose in order to fulfill smaller purposes or other people’s purposes.

Another one of Tabby’s issues …

I’ll leave you with one final thought:

God is asking me to be the thing he’s already created for me to be. And he’s asking you to be the thing he’s already created for you to be.

So I think I’ve explained why Present Over Perfect impacted me (and a lot of other people, as it’s apparently sold over 750,000 copies).

What about you? What’s the most recent nonfiction book you’ve read that has impacted you? How or why?

I am the cliche protagonist. And I have no desire to be anyone else.

Book Review | The Words we Lost by Nicole Deese

What first caught my attention about The Words We Lost was the cover.

Illustrated covers have been a thing in contemporary romance for a while, although they tended to indicate rom-coms rather than pure romance. This style of cover is newer, but I really like the illustrated look with a focus on the title. Indigo Isle had the same kind of cover, and the same kind of vibe. Both novels are definitely Christian romance, but which have the depth of characterisation and overall character journey that’s more common in women’s fiction.

Yes, The Words We Lost is a romance, but with that women’s fiction vibe.

Ingrid Erikson is the Senior Acquisitions Editor at San Francisco publisher Fog Harbor Books, having built her career on the sale of a five-book Young Adult fantasy series by her now-dead best friend. Unfortunately, Cecelia Campbell—CeCe—had the misfortune to die before turning in her final contracted manuscript, which is now missing. Fog Harbor wants to find the missing manuscript, and Ingrid is charged with finding it.

But Ingrid’s grief over CeCe’s death has led to an unusual disability … and one that is potentially career-ending for an editor.

She can’t read. Well, she can read the words. She just can’t comprehend them. So she heads to Port Townsend to work with Joel, CeCe’s cousin and Ingrid’s teenage sweetheart, to retrieve a package she hopes will be the manuscript that will save her career.

This is a romance novel, so we know how the story is going to end.

We also know the course of love is destined to never run smoothly, particularly in terms of Ingrid’s relationship with Joel. It’s safe to say The Words We Lost was anything but predictable, in the best possible way.

I’ve read a lot of novels about novelists, but very few about an editor in a publishing house (the only other one I can recall is Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh, which was about an author and her editor). As such, I enjoyed seeing the publishing industry shown from a different angle.

I especially enjoyed the fact The Words We Lost was written in first person.

I always find that brings me closer to the characters. Despite her problem with words, Ingrid has a distinctive and compelling character voice … perhaps made more compelling because she’s a professional who has built her career on words but has lost those same words.

The Words We Lost is subtitled A Fog Harbor Romance, and I do hope that means it’s the beginning of a series because there are several characters I’d like to meet again—not least, the ever-peppy Chip, the preppy editorial assistant.

I recommend The Words We Lost to fans of romance/women’s fiction authors such as TI Lowe, Tammy L Gray, Irene Hannon, or Carmen Schober.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Nicole Deese

Nicole DeeseNicole Deese is an award-winning author who specializes in humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels. When not working on her next contemporary romance, she can usually be found reading one by a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She currently resides with her happily-ever-after hubby, two sons, and a princess daughter in Idaho.

Find Nicole Deese online at:

Website Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Words we Lost

Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript.

As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony–two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she’s also desperate to find the closure she’s convinced will come with Cecelia’s missing final manuscript.

After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell–the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters–offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.

Honoring Cecelia’s last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love?

Find The Words we Lost online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #287 | Always By My Side by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m doing the final proofread of my debut novel, which releases next Tuesday (Yay! Whew!). The upload deadline is tonight … Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The last person Tabitha Thomas expected to walk in the front door of the Lakeview Inn on a brisk early spring afternoon was Logan Wylde.

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

 

About Always By My Side

A hardworking introvert meets a handsome adventurer longing to settle down.

Tabitha Thomas longs to leave Trinity Lakes and travel the world in honor of the beloved grandmother who raised her and her siblings. But she’s needed at home—she’s the responsible triplet, the one who stayed home to run the family inn while her brother and sister left to live their dreams.

Kiwi Logan Wylde doesn’t call any place home. When an injury frustrates his travel plans, he accepts an invitation to return to Trinity Lakes and recuperate at the Lakeview Inn, where he hopes to rediscover his purpose in life.

When Tabby and Logan find a property deed while cleaning out Gran’s rooms, Tabby embraces a new challenge—to solve the mystery of the floodplain and renovate the old boatshed. Working with Logan reignites long-suppressed feelings, but will their differences drive them apart?

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

Find Always By My Side online at:

Amazon | Books2Read | 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!