Category: Book Review

New Releases in Christian Fiction

New Releases in Christian Fiction | December 2021

It’s the end of another year … a year that’s been the longest and the shortest year at the same time. Longest? Well, you know why. Shortest? Because as I get older, every successive year seems to rush past faster than the year before. I’m looking forward to a holiday and spending Christmas with the family … and reading some great books while I lounge on a beach somewhere.

What about you? What are you planning to do (or read) over the Christmas season?

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Contemporary – General


Broken Together by Brenda S. Anderson — Jennifer and Chad Taylor had dreamed of opening a coffee and cocoa shop since before they said, “I do.” When Chad is sent to prison for murder despite claiming innocence, that dream—along with their family—is shattered. After years of fighting for Chad’s release, Jennifer finally breaks free from her shame, anger, and hopelessness, and forges ahead with the dream the two of them once shared. With the help of their college-aged twins, she begins to move forward. Without Chad. When their lawyer arrives with news of evidence that may prove Chad’s innocence, a strange mixture of emotions overtakes her. Does she want Chad to return home? He isn’t the same man he once was, and she certainly isn’t the same woman. She’s worked hard to piece the remnants of their family back together, and his coming home could fracture the family once again. (General Contemporary, Independently Published)

Contemporary Romance


Healing Skye by Janet W. Ferguson –People can’t be trusted.
Animals always made more sense than humans did to marine biologist Skye Youngblood. After her mother’s suicide, she left Alabama and never looked back. These days, she pours her heart into protecting nature’s sea creatures. When she returns to Dauphin Island, Alabama, for a temporary manatee migration study, her dark past is much too close. She can’t let her guard down. But how can she keep her heart hidden when a kind man with a genuine smile makes her want a fresh start? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)


No Place Like Home by Amy R. Anguish — Roots are overrated, at least to someone like Adrian Stewart, preacher’s kid, who has never lived anywhere longer than six years. That’s why her job with MidUSLogIn, Inc. is so perfect for her—lots of travel and staying nowhere long enough to have it feel like home. But when work takes her to Memphis, TN, closer to her family for the first time in years, and in the same small office as Grayson Roberts, she starts to question her job, her lack of home, and even her memories of her rocky past with the church. Gray is intrigued by Adrian from the moment he sees her, and he’s determined to get to the bottom of why this girl who loves old movies and hums when she works won’t go to church with him. As they grow closer, he wants more, too, but how can he convince her to stay in Memphis when she doesn’t believe in home—or God? Can he use his own broken past to break through hers? (Contemporary Romance from Scrivenings Press)


Reclaiming Hope by Carolyn Miller — Callie Steele might be a bit… focused on work, but despite what her employers say, she enjoys her well-ordered, productive life. When she’s sent to meet the owners of an estate requiring post-hurricane landscaping, Callie meets their son, Kai Brody, a super-chilled pro surfer, who is as opposite from her as they come. Though initially smitten, Callie knows a relationship with Kai is a bad idea—a very bad idea. Kai, however, can’t help but be intrigued by someone who challenges him to make something of his life again. He’s determined to pursue her, if she’ll give him half a chance. The more time they spend together, negotiating the challenges of work, illness, and family, the more their opposing outlooks clash and connect. What do these unlikely friends really want from life? Is it best to focus on work or recreation? As Kai and Callie answers from the Lord, they also must consider if such complete opposites have enough in common to make a relationship last. (Contemporary Romance from Celebrate Lit)

The Breakup Project by Carolyn Miller –As the twin sister of hockey’s hottest forward, romance-loving Bree Karlsson is used to being ignored, leading to a New Year’s resolution to not date any athlete in her attempt to find Mr. Right. But what happens when the man who might prove to be her personal Mr. Darcy is her brother’s hockey-playing best friend? Mike Vaughan might be happy playing in Boston, but he’d be even happier if Bree could one day see him as more than a good friend. He agrees to help Bree with a special project in the hope she’ll finally see him as something more. But when a misunderstanding ends in a Valentine’s Day disaster, Bree realizes that her breakup project may have broken her friendship with Mike in two. Can she ever redeem her mistake? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Their Yuletide Healing by Mindy Obenhaus — Foster mom Rae Girard’s determined to make her children’s first Christmas with her the best they’ve ever had—and she’s shocked when the town scrooge, attorney Cole Heinsohn, offers to pitch in. Rae’s young charges have melted Cole’s heart, and he wants them to experience the special day he never had. But when disaster strikes, an imperfect holiday might bring them something better: a family… (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired (Harlequin))

General Historical


Elinor by Shannon McNear — In 1587, Elinor White Dare sailed from England heavy with her first child but full of hopes. Her father, a renowned artist and experienced traveler, has convinced her and her bricklayer husband Ananias to make the journey to the New World. Land, they are promised, more goodly and beautiful than they can ever imagine. But nothing goes as planned from landing at the wrong location, to facing starvation, to the endless wait for help to arrive. And, beyond her comprehension, Elinor finds herself utterly alone. The colony at Roanoke disappeared into the shadows of history. But what if one survived to leave a lasting legacy? (General Historical from Barbour Publishing)


What Matters Most by Carol Ashby — For ten years, the incorruptible Tribune Titianus enforced Rome’s laws. He’s four days from leaving the Urban Cohort to teach at his brother-in-law Kaeso’s school when Emperor Hadrian and the Praetorian Prefect draft him to secretly investigate and thwart an assassination plot…one that might involve his own commander. He can’t refuse, but if Hadrian’s enemies discover his Christian faith, will it mean death for everyone he loves? The new tribune Glabrio wants two things as Titianus trains him: to discover for their commander who Titianus is investigating and to gain the support of Titianus’s powerful relatives. Marrying Sabina would secure the backing of her grandfather, but because of the teacher, she’s making choices no noblewoman should. As he gets closer to both his goals, will he realize in time what matters most? (General Historical from Cerrillo Press)

Romance Novella


A Covert Cowboy Christmas by Carol James — A December ice storm destroys Rebekah Kingston’s Christmas plans. With the power out and the West Texas roads closed indefinitely, she’s forced to spend Christmas at her brother Braden’s ranch instead of at home with her parents. But Rebekah and Braden are not alone. Also stranded is an annoyingly chatty ranch hand, Dirk Sims. While Rebekah is certain she’s met him before, Dirk insists she’s mistaken. 
However, when Rebekah inadvertently eavesdrops on one of Dirk’s phone conversations, she discovers his lie. Dirk is not who he seems. This Christmas just got interesting. (Romance Novella from White Rose Publishing (Pelican))

Suspense/Thriller

Buried Cold Case Secrets by Sami A. Abrams — She can’t remember and he can’t forget. When a killer targets Melanie, it is only through her determination to relive the past and Jason’s willingness to let go of his resentment, can they find his sister’s killer and keep Melanie alive. (Thriller/Suspense from Love Inspired (Harlequin))


Stealth Insurgence by Vikki Kestell — Nanostealth | Book 5: Jayda and Zander are returning to Albuquerque, satisfied that they have completed the mission for which President Jackson called them to Washington DC. They are filled with hope for the future, bursting with joy for the unborn child Jayda carries, and keen to share the news of their blessing with those they love: Abe, Emilio, Dr. Bickel, Zander’s parents, and his sister, Izzie. They arrive in Albuquerque on a notable date: the one-year anniversary of General Cushing’s attack on Dr. Bickel’s lab hidden within the tunnels of the old Manzano Weapons Storage Facility. It was the same attack that incited the nanomites to take up occupancy in Gemma Keyes—now Jayda Cruz —the extraordinary event that will continue to impact their lives forever. (Thriller/Suspense, Independently Published)

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

Hidden Danger by Jerusha Agen, The greatest threat to this K-9 team is the one they don’t see coming. (Thriller/Suspense)

Footprints on Her Heart by Tabitha Bouldin, He’s saving the world, one animal at a time. (Contemporary Romance)

A Christmas Home for Hannah by Joi Copeland, A rancher in need of a wife or he loses his everything. A promise to her grandfather to be a mail order bride just may be unfulfilled. (Historic Romance)

An Awestruck Christmas Medley by Emily Conrad, Four hundred miles of snow-covered terrain stand between the men of Awestruck and a Christmas with loved ones. (Contemporary Romance)

Rachel’s Road to Love – Great Smoky Mountain Getaways by Elsie Davis, Escape to the Great Smoky Mountains… Rachel trusts God’s plan for her life, but did that plan really include being left at the altar?
(Contemporary)

The Corporal’s Codebook by Susan Page Davis, Jack Miller stumbles through the Civil War, winding up a telegrapher and cryptographer for the army. In the field with General Sherman in Georgia, he is captured along with his precious cipher key. (General Historical)

Grace Beneath the Frost by Christine Dillon, Professional success. Personal failure. (General Contemporary)

The Christmas Family by Linda Goodnight, With the holidays in sight, Brady wonders if his own Christmas wish could come true… (Contemporary Romance)

Gifts: A Christmas Novella by Jeanette Hanscome, When the party guests include faces from her past, Justine must decide whether to keep running or receive a gift that might free her to give much more than her beautifully wrapped presents. (General Contemporary)

Harper’s Hollers by Ruth Kyser, Will God bring them together as more than friends—or will circumstances beyond their control keep them apart? (Contemporary Romance)

Words and stories have power. And what we are told, we often believe ...

Book Review | The London House by Katherine Reay

Caroline Payne was always told she was named for her great-aunt who died of polio at the age of seven. But an unexpected visit from her college crush, historian Mat Hammond, says that was a lie. He says Caroline Waite left England for France in 1941 and disappeared with Paul Arnim, her Nazi lover. Caroline wants to prove him wrong.

So starts a fast-paced story that takes Caroline from her home in Boston to the ancestral family home in London, the titular London House. Here she rediscovers her grandmother’s diaries from the war years, and the letters Caro sent her sister.

The story flips between present and past, unravelling a compelling story.

The present story is all written in first person from Caroline’s point of view. I know first person annoys some readers, but it works in this instance. Using first person keeps us in Caroline’s mind as she tries to unravel a decades-old family mystery, and the single point of view adds to the tension.

We then have the two historic points of view, from twins Margaret and Caroline, which we’re shown through Margaret’s journals, Caroline’s letters, and a handful of historic documents Mat has dug out of various archives (it never ceases to amaze me what kind of information governments have seen fit to record and store).

Caroline soon realises that her namesake didn’t die of polio as a small child, but that raises bigger questions: what did happen to Caroline? Why did the family never speak of her? Most importantly, how has this impacted on Caroline’s own life?

As with any good fiction, there is more than one story going on.

Underneath Caroline’s attempts to find the story of the previous Caro, she is also finding similarities with her own story and this depth strengthened the overall story.

There were a couple of errors that bugged me: Winston Churchill was not knighted until after the war, so should not have been referred to as Sir (and when he was, it should have been Sir Winston, not Sir Churchill). On a related note, if Margo and Caro were the daughters of an earl, they would have held the courtesy title of Lady. Also, they would have been unlikely to inherit the family estate and the London House, as one or both would have gone to the closest male relative (who also would have inherited the earldom). Finally, the Chunnel is the Channel tunnel, not the train that goes through the tunnel. The train is the Eurostar, owned by a completely different company. Fortunately, these silly mistakes don’t have any bearing on the actual plot, and I was already hooked by the time they appeared.

Apart from that, the writing and underlying research were excellent. The characters were compelling, and the way the story weaved between past and present made it even more compelling. It was a hard book to put down, as I wanted to know what came next and discover what actually happened to Caro. What made it even better was that the story went off in directions I hadn’t anticipated.

The London House by Katherine Reay is an outstanding novel, following Caroline Payne following the story of her grandmother through letters and journals. #BookReview #EpistolaryFiction Share on X

Katherine Reay’s previous books have been published in the Christian fiction market. The London House is published by Harper Muse, a general market imprint. While the story doesn’t have any overt or covert faith references, it doesn’t have any language or content that would be out of place in the Christian market.

Recommended for historical fiction fans.

Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Katherine Reay

Katherine ReayKatherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries—who provide constant inspiration both for writing and for life. She is the author of three previous novels, and her debut, Dear Mr. Knightley, was a 2014 Christy Award Finalist, winner of the 2014 INSPY Award for Best Debut, and winner of two Carol Awards for Best Debut and Best Contemporary.

Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and is a wife, mother, runner, and tae kwon do black belt. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine and her family recently moved back to Chicago.

Find Katherine Reay online at:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest| Twitter | Goodreads

About The London House

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

You can find The London House online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads

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Book Review | The Crystal Crypt (Poppy Denby #6) by Fiona Veitch Smith

The Crystal Crypt is the sixth book in the Poppy Denby Investigates series.

While it is a standalone mystery, many of the characters have been introduced in previous novels, and a couple of the minor plot points do refer back to hose earlier stories. However, there is a character list at the beginning of the novel for those who haven’t read all the previous stories (or who have read dozens of novels since the last Poppy Denby novel was released and needed a little reminder, ahem).

As with the previous Poppy Denby mysteries, The Crystal Crypt sets a solid mystery against a backdrop that gives insight into the culture and attitudes of the 1920s. Poppy, a female journalist, is herself a trendsetter of sorts, and in this novel she meets a female police constable while investigating the murder of a female scientist at Oxford University. Poppy therefore shows us what was considered ground-breaking science at the time, as well as showing us a woman’s place in society.

The novel is written in a somewhat distant point of view, almost omniscient. This usually frustrates me as a reader, but it works in this instance because it feels appropriate for the time setting. It gives the novel an Agatha Christie or Georgette Heyer feel, harking back to a time when bright young things were jolly and gay. Well, except for when they’re getting murdered in the workplace …

Yes, The Crystal Crypt is a murder mystery.

Poppy is asked to investigate by an acquaintance who worked with the victim, Dr June Leighton, and who believes June’s death was not the accident the police claim. Poppy uses her press credentials to find out more about June’s life and death, to determine whether there was a murder … and if so, who is the culprit.

Some murder mysteries have lots of potential evildoers with means, motive, and opportunity. The Crystal Crypt has less than most, so the focus is on the investigation, and it soon becomes obvious that someone has something to hide.

I enjoyed The Crystal Crypt, as I’ve enjoyed the other novels I’ve read in the series (the ones I haven’t read are waiting on my Kindle. This is a series that can definitely be read out of order).

I especially enjoyed the insights into Twenties culture, and learning a little more about the long struggle for gender quality. Recommended for mystery lovers, especially those who enjoy unique historical settings.

Thanks to Lion Fiction and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Fiona Veitch Smith

Fiona Veitch Smith

Formerly a professional journalist, Fiona Veitch Smith is now an author of books for adults and children. She has also written theatre plays and screenplays. Her adult mystery series, Poppy Denby Investigates, set in the 1920s, is published by Lion Fiction (paperback & ebook) and audiobook (HW Howes). The first book in the series, The Jazz Files, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Historical Dagger award, 2016. Other titles in the series include: The Kill Fee, The Death Beat, The Cairo Brief, and The Art Fiasco.

She has two standalone novels Pilate’s Daughter (Lume Books – formerly Endeavour Press) and The Peace Garden (Crafty Publishing)

Her books for children include the Young David and the Young Joseph picturebooks, published by SPCK, and a new series of graphic novels called The Time-twisters, published by SPCK in collaboration with the Faraday Institute at Cambridge University.

Fiona lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with her family.

Find Fiona online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About The Crystal Crypt

The 1920s most stylish sleuth returns in The Crystal Crypt for another thrilling murder mystery!

“But accidents can still happen… Perhaps there was something out of her control, something she couldn’t have foreseen…”
“Like someone plotting to kill her?”

In the city of dreaming spires, Poppy Denby is asked to investigate the mysterious death of an up-and-coming female scientist. But was it an accident or is something more sinister lurking in the shadows? And is Poppy the next target…

You can find The Crystal Crypt online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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I didn’t say you look beautiful; I said you are beautiful.

Book Review | Uncharted Courage (Land Uncharted #10) by Keely Brooke Keith

Bailey Colburn is feeling unsettled, so takes a trip to the village of Good Springs to visit old friends and get advice from the village elder, John Colburn. She visits over spring equinox, the one time of year when a change in atmospheric conditions allows newcomers to enter the Land. And someone does … actually, two people.

Revel is enjoying his role as island courier now he’s had his father’s blessing to take the role and not take over the family inn. Now, if he can only get Bailey to see how he feels about her. But first he has to share the information the newcomer brought.

Both are fiercely independent and love their freedom, Bailey especially. Both have to learn that working alone doesn’t always yeild the best result. Sometimes, it’s better to work together …

Uncharted Courage is an enjoyable romance, and a relatively quick read.

It’s good to see Bailey again—she’s been one of my favourite characters throughout the series. I also enjoyed the underlying spiritual thread, and the way the Christian elements underpin the entire plot without being preachy.

Uncharted Courage is the tenth book in the Uncharted series, about a small community living on a hidden island while World War III rages in the outside world. Keith does an excellent job of reminding readers of the important points from the previous novels by weaving them into the present story in a way that feels natural.

While you could read Uncharted Courage as a standalone novel, it’s probably best to read through the series in order. Having said that, my favourite stories in the series are the stories like Uncharted Courage, where there is a crossover between the Land and the outside world.

Recommended for fans of historical Christian romance or speculative romance with a twist.

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

About Keely Brooke Keith

Keely Keely Brooke KeithBrooke Keith writes inspirational frontier-style fiction with a slight Sci-Fi twist, including The Land Uncharted (Shelf Unbound Notable Romance 2015) and Aboard Providence (2017 INSPY Awards Longlist). Keely also creates resources for writers such as The Writer’s Book Launch Guide and The Writer’s Character Journal.

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely grew up in a family that frequently relocated. By graduation, she lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools.  When she isn’t writing, Keely enjoys playing bass guitar, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Keely, her husband, and their daughter live on a hilltop south of Nashville, Tennessee.

Find Keely Brooke Keith online at:

Website | Facebook

About Uncharted Courage

With the survival of the Land at stake and her heart on the line, Bailey must find the courage to love.

When Bailey accepts John Colburn’s offer for her to visit Good Springs, she leaves the Inn at Falls Creek expecting to spend the autumn relaxing in her favorite seaside village. Upon her arrival, Connor asks her to cover a shift of guard duty on the equinox, and her quiet vacation takes a shocking turn.

Revel Roberts works hard to keep his life commitment-free, making it easy to leave community decisions to men like Connor and John. But when the Land is threatened, Revel sees his chance to prove he is a man worthy of Bailey’s love. Amid the chaos in Good Springs, his unrequited feelings for her preoccupy him. One wrong choice could ruin everything.

As Bailey’s new life in the Land unravels and threats from the outside world loom, a yearning she can’t define surges within her. It distracts her from defending the hidden world she loves, and a tragedy reinforces her need for independence.

With the survival of the Land at stake and their hearts on the line, Bailey and Revel will need more courage than fighting ever required. They will need to find the courage to love.

You can find Uncharted Courage online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

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

I stare at my brain and wonder if God took a piece of it away every time I sinned.

Book Review | A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner

A Flicker of Light is set in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, population 756, and features three generations of the same family.

Juniper (June) Jensen is sixty-three, and showing signs of early-onset dementia. Not that she knows that, but her husband and son have certainly noticed.

Bea Michaels finds out she is pregnant just as her husband loses his job. The logical decision is to go back to Moose Creek and stay with her father— the last thing she and her young husband want to do.

Mitch Jensen was none too happy when his daughter dropped out of college and got married. He’s even less happy to find the husband is now unemployed, living in his house, and not making any effort to find a real job. He’s also worried about his mother—something is wrong.

The story starts in June’s point of view, which is written in first person. I know some readers don’t like first person. If you’re one of those readers, I’d encourage you to keep reading, as the other two points of view (Bea and Mitch) are both written in the more common third person, and they are the main viewpoints.

A Flicker of Lights is a strong and thought-provoking family drama.

I once read that all great characters have a secret, and the characters in A Flicker of Lights certainly have secrets, and those secrets provide the basis for the novel.

It’s an easy read with no high angst (I don’t like angst for the sake of angst). But there are plenty of problems and plenty of emotion. There are real characters with  real problems – unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, death, dementia. But it’s through the problems that the characters grow emotionally and spiritually, reminding readers that there is always a way through the hard times, even if it doesn’t always look like what we’d expected.

A Flicker of Light doesn’t have the rose-coloured glasses of many novels set in small towns.

Bea especially is all too aware of the downsides of small-town living. But there are also moments of levity—a cat named Steve, the busybody neighbour, the small-town “moosevine”.

A Flicker of Light by @Katie_Powner is a Christian family saga that's realistic without being depressing, and ultimately uplifting. #ChristianFiction #BookReview Share on X

I think that’s what I liked about it. It was realistic without being depressing. In fact, it was ultimately uplifting—which is what I want in a novel.

Recommended for readers looking for a realistic yet uplifting Christian novel that’s not a romance.

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

About Katie Powner

Katie Powner

Katie Powner is a lover of red shoes, Jesus, and candy. Not necessarily in that order. Passionate about reading books and writing books and talking about books and posting about books … She is an award-winning author who writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home.

Katie lives in rural Montana where cows still outnumber people. She is a two-time OCW Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award winner. Katie is a biological and adoptive mother of three and foster mother to many more. She and her husband have been in youth ministry for over a decade

Find Katie Powner online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About A Flicker of Light

For generations, the Jensens have raised their families in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, where gossip spreads faster than the wind. Yet some secrets need to be told.

When twenty-one-year-old Bea discovers she’s pregnant on the heels of her husband losing his job, she’s forced to admit she needs help and asks her dad for a place to stay. But past resentments keep her from telling him all that’s going on.

Mitch Jensen is thrilled to have a full house again, though he’s unimpressed with Bea’s decisions: dropping out of college, marrying so young–and to an idealistic city kid, of all things. Mitch hopes to convince Bea to return to the path he’s always envisioned for her, but she’s changed since her mom died. And he refuses to admit how much he’s changed, too, especially now that he might be losing his mother as well.

Grandma June is good at spinning stories, but there’s one she’s never told. Now that her mind is starting to fade, her time to tell it is running out. But if she reveals the truth before her memories are gone forever, the Jensen family will never be the same.

You can find A Flicker of Light online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

I am who I am, and honestly, it’s not pretty anymore. Slick and shiny and striking perhaps, but not pretty.

Book Review | Straight Up by Lisa Samson

Straight Up is an older book, first published in 2006, which I picked up from a charity book sale last year. I bought it because it was cheap, and because the cover and book description intrigued me:

They are living lives they were never meant to live.

That’s a profound statement that didn’t seem relevant in the first part of the story but was key at the end (and while I loathe giving spoilers in a review, I don’t think commenting on the back cover constitutes a spoiler).

The way the author chose to show this was unusual, but it worked.

Did the author provide a solution to this problem? No, but that’s because the solution is going to look different for all of us. But it’s certainly an idea that got me thinking: Is this the life I was meant to live?

The novel is written in first person and present tense, from several points of view. The main character is Georgia Bishop, a talented jazz pianist, but it’s not just her story. It’s also the story of her cousin, interior designer Fairly Godfrey, their Uncle George, and a band of Christian misfits Fairly refers to as “the cult”.

Their intertwined stories form the basis of the novel, which is more about their individual character journeys than based on any kind of plot.

The other point of view character is Clarissa, who grows from a baby to a teenager over the period of the novel. It was never clear how she (or her mother, who got one or two scenes) fit into the novel and this subplot actually distracted me because I thought it was going to go in a completely different direction.

While the characters and story were interesting, they didn’t turn the cover from interesting into compelling until probably the last quarter of the novel. But the writing was compelling from the opening page, and that’s what kept me going even when I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening or how the characters were related.

I didn’t highlight any phrases because it was a paper book … and because if I started highlighting, there would be no way to stop. (Also, because a lot of the brilliant writing was brilliant in context. It doesn’t necessary translate to a simple quote meme).

The writing was literary and clever without being pretentious, and that’s a rare skill.

People see me as a birdbath. I am a well.

As such, I think this is a great book for writers to read—not for the plotting, not for the characterisation, not even for the theme. But for the lyrical writing that pulls the reader through the words.

Straight Up by Lisa Samson is a good story for anyone who enjoys Christian women’s fiction featuring messy characters living messy lives. #BookReview #ChristianFiction Share on X

It’s also a good story for anyone who enjoys Christian women’s fiction featuring messy characters living messy lives. Recommended.

About Lisa Samson

Lisa Samson

The Christy-award winning author of nineteen books including the Women of Faith Novel of the Year Quaker Summer, Lisa Samson has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as “a talented novelist who isn’t afraid to take risks.” She lives in Kentucky with her husband and three kids.

Find Lisa Samson online at:

Website

About Straight Up

They are living lives they were never meant to live.

Georgia Bishop, a could-be jazz great, has thrown away her life, her marriage, and her talent for her drinking habit. Her cousin, Fairly Godfrey, is living the good life in New York but wonders if deeper meaning exists beyond the superficial world in which she finds herself.

It takes a Congo refugee, a soul food chef, a persistent husband, and one desperate night on the brink of freedom for Georgia and Fairly to realize how far they have come from their God-given purposes. When they face the most difficult choices of their lives, only the power of grace can bring them to true healing.

You can find Straight Up online at:

This was originally published in 2011, so you’re probably not going to be able to find a paper copy unless you’re in a second-hand bookstore or visiting a charity book sale (which is where I found my paper copy).

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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People think I'm simple. But I think they just make things complicated that aren't.

Book Review | Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant

Rory Perez hates cilantro and can’t cook, but she’s inherited a food truck specialising Mexican food and she needs the income from the truck to keep her cousin in her care home. Jude Worthington works for his father’s law firm but doesn’t want to take the bar and be a lawyer. He wants to be a chef.

The two are messaging and falling for each other via an app, but they communicate using pseudonyms, so don’t know it. In real life, they are both competing to win the prize in the local food festival—Rory because she needs the money, and Jude because he wants to get out of law.

There were a few things I didn’t like about Tacos for Two. The first  was that I started reading, and I immediately wanted to eat tacos. This is a problem as I had to stop reading and work out if I actually had the ingredients for tacos (yes, I did. Fortunately).

There were a couple of other things I didn’t get. If Jude is twenty-nine years old and hasn’t yet sat the bar exam, what has he been doing since he graduated college? Who is Fiona Stone and why is she mentioned so often (I honestly thought Rory was going to turn out to be Fiona Stone in disguise. She didn’t).

The romance itself was a fun play on You’ve got Mail, a modernised version using an app called Love at First Chat.

It’s a fun romp with plenty of laughs as well as some deeper thoughts on life and faith. As such, it’s an easy read that hits all the right notes and has a satisfying ending.

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant is a fun romp with plenty of laughs as well as some deeper thoughts on life and faith. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

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

About Betsey St. Amant

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over fifteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hero of a hubby, two total-opposite young daughters, a vast collection of coffee mugs, and an impressive stash of Pickle chips. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha–no whip.

Find Betsy St. Amant online at:

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About Tacos for Two

Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can’t cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red–and an upcoming contest during Modest’s annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she’s been talking to via an anonymous online dating site.

Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father’s law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he’s back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option.

Complications arise when Rory’s chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he’s been falling for online the past month.

Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one?

You can find Tacos for Two online at:

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This entire building is filled with people to trained to appear genuine. It's our job.

Book Review | Lights Out (The SNAP Agency #1) by Natalie Walters

CIA operative Brynn Taylor has almost completed her latest mission— running an international inter-agency program teaching agents from seven countries how to locate and identify domestic terrorists—when one of her students disappears.

Was she really supposed to rely on a bomb expert, a giant techie, a young woman dressed like she'd spent all night at a club, and an ex-boyfriend.

Jack Hudson left the CIA and joined SNAP, the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency, a private security firm employing a band of talented misfits that reminded me of CSI characters. Jack is also Brynn’s ex-boyfriend from eight years earlier.

So Lights Out is a second-chance romance.

One of the problems with this kind of plot is that it can be hard to come up with a convincing reason the couple broke up in the first place that still allows room for them to get back together. Often it comes down to a simple misunderstanding that could have been resolved with a single adult conversation, and I thought that was the case with Lights Out.

We realise early in the story that something happened when Brynn and Jack were going through CIA training, but we’re not sure what. When I finally found out, I didn’t think it was convincing. In fact, it gave me the impression Jack didn’t understand one of the key training objectives … which leaves me wondering about his professional competence.

Lights Out by Natalie Walters is a strong suspense story with all the chases and bangs readers want interspersed plenty of banter and a second-chance romance. #ChristianFiction #BookReview Share on X

But that was the only thing that annoyed me. The main plot was a strong suspense story set in and around Washington DC, with all the chases and bangs readers want … interspersed with the comic relief of the banter between the members of SNAP, and the will-they-won’t-they Brynn/Jack relationship.

Recommended for fans of DiAnn Mills and Irene Hannon.

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

About Natalie Walters

Natalie WaltersNatalie Walters is a military wife who currently resides in Hawaii with her soldier husband and their three kids. She writes full-time and has been published in Proverbs 31 magazine and has blogged for Guideposts online. Natalie comes from a long line of military and law enforcement veterans and is passionate about supporting them through volunteer work, races, and writing stories that affirm no one is defined by their past.

Find Natalie Walters online at:

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About Lights Out

CIA analyst Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and she invited members of foreign intelligence agencies to America to foster cooperation between countries. Now one of them, Egyptian spy Remon Riad, is missing.

Jack Hudson has been working for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency (SNAP) for almost nine years and takes the lead in hunting down the missing spy. But he isn’t at all pleased to find out Brynn is involved. It’s hard to trust a woman who’s already betrayed you.

Every lead they follow draws them dangerously deeper into an international plot. Kidnapping, murder, explosions, poisoning–the terrorists will do anything to accomplish their goal of causing a digital blackout that will blind a strategic US military communications center and throw the world into chaos.Can Brynn surrender control to a man who doesn’t trust her? And can Jack ever get over what she did to him? The fate of the world–and their hearts–hangs in the balance.

Find Lights Out online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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Do you pay attention to the publisher name or brand of books you buy?

Bookish Question #200 | Do you pay attention to the publisher name or brand of books you buy?

Do you pay attention to the publisher name or brand of books you buy? I used to.

Back when I bought paper books or supplemented my book buying with visits to the library or second-hand bookshop, I did pay attention to the publisher. I wanted to read Christian fiction, and the Christian publishing industry is fairly small. It didn’t take long to work out which publishers consistently produced the kinds of books I was interested in buying, and to learn to recognise their logos on library or bookstore shelves.

(Of course, Christian bookshops make it even easier by only stocking Christian books).

But many of those old favourite publishers have changed direction or stopped publishing fiction altogether, and the rise of the ebook means those gaps are now being filled by self-published authors.

That’s not a bad thing, because it means many more authors are getting the opportunity to get their work in front of readers.

But it can make it harder for readers to find new authors.

The market has also fragmented in terms of the kinds of fiction being published. Mainstream traditional publishers tend to keep to a narrow niche of what they know will sell. That makes sense: some of them are ministries, so it’s important that they are good stewards of their funds and don’t spend money publishing books that are unlikely to sell. Others are subsidiaries of major multinational corporations, and they’ll be closed if they don’t return an appropriate profit.

All this means that while there were once maybe one or two dozen publishers of quality Christian fiction, now there are thousands.

The result is that I now tend to buy more based on the author’s name than the publisher’s name.

What about you? Do you pay attention to the publisher name or brand of the books you buy?

I am Kerr Flick, Elite Apprentice. But I also used to be a small girl called Cadence.

Book Review | Elite (Collective Underground #2) by Kristen Young

If you are interested in Elite but haven’t read Apprentice, the first book in Kristen Young’s Love Collective series, then please stop reading now and read Apprentice first.

Why? Because Elite starts almost exactly where Apprentice ends, so it’s impossible to write this review without including some information that’s going to be a spoiler for Apprentice.

Click here to read my review of Apprentice.

Still here? Then I’m going to assume you’ve read Apprentice.

As I said, Elite starts where Apprentice ends: with Kerr Flick aka Cadence about to have her memories of her first five years restored. She discovers she didn’t fail her Watcher exam, and has been accepted as a Watcher.

Now she has to navigate endless training under the direct supervision of a senior official, balance that against her newfound knowledge about the Love Collective, the Haters and Lyric, and work out what her new dorm-mate is thinking … Who can she trust?

Sometimes the truth gets hidden when the powerful want to tell a different story.

It’s a fast-paced and compelling story set in a dystopian future that pretends it’s utopian, and keeps the masses quiet with an endless diet of apps and entertainment (bread and circuses, anyone?). As with Apprentice, the story has clear parallels with our own world, and the ending is both an end and a beginning. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Elite by Australian author Kristen Young is the second book in the Collective Underground series, a fast-paced and compelling story set in a dystopian future that pretends it’s utopian. #ChristianFiction #BookReview Share on X

Thanks to Enclave Publishing for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kristen Young

Kristen YoungKristen Young was born (and spent a memorable first few months of her life) in the UK, grew up in Sydney, but now lives in the Central West of NSW with her husband, three children, and slightly neurotic dog. She has been involved in church-based ministry for over 20 years, and loves helping people of any age to see how awesome Jesus is.

Kristen has had a number of books published, beginning with The Survival Guide series of devotions for teens. What if? Dealing with Doubt is a book for anyone from high school age onward, and aims to help anyone struggling with doubts about God, Jesus, or faith. In more recent years she has been writing fiction. Apprentice is her first published novel.

Find Kristen Young online at:

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About Elite

Where do you find safety when your world is falling apart?

Apprentice Flick thought the Elite Academy was the answer to all her problems. But the revelation of her past turned everything upside down. Now, she is caught between two worlds set on a collision course.

Will she embrace the chaotic memories that flood her every waking moment? Or will she run to the security of her Elite training?

Discovering her parents’ identities takes her to a secret underground bunker where she finds new friends, opportunities, and maybe even love. But Flick must decide where her allegiances lie soon, or the Triumph of Love festival might bring about her demise.

Find Elite online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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