Category: Book Review

13 September 2021

Book Review | Since You’ve Been Gone (Restoring Heritage #3) by Tari Faris

Leah Williams is the last of her group of friends still unmarried (and this is a romance novel, so we all know what that means). For now, she wants to reopen her grandfather’s store, the WIFI (Want It, Find It … not what we now think of as WiFi) in her hometown of Heritage, Michigan. And that means working with her high school nemesis and now building co-owner, Jon Kensington.

Jon has returned to Heritage both to take over the family business, and to help his sister, Abby, get through school after being expelled from boarding school. He’s always liked Leah so wants to help … but convincing her his feelings are genuine might take some work.

Since You’ve Been Gone also had a secondary romance, and I have to admit I found this one more compelling. Madison Westmore is the daughter of the now-deceased town drunk, so she’s back in town to spruce up and sell her childhood home, then get on with life with her unborn daughter. She needs help so hires new-in-town Colby to paint.

Christian music start Colby Marc has escaped the collapse of his music career and is hiding with his old friend Nate. He quickly falls for Madison, but has to convince his friends that she’s not the mean girl they remember from high school, and convince her she’s worth loving.

Yes, I’m always a sucker for a bad-girl-turned-good story, because it’s a picture of redemption.

I found the Leah/Jon romance a little annoying. Jon knew trust was one of Leah’s issues, yet kept breaking her trust by not telling her important things. The other reason I found it slightly annoying is kind of my fault—I thought her central issue was going to be her belief that she’d been living someone else’s life and needed to live her own. But it was more that she kept quitting, and that didn’t resonate with me as much (maybe she kept quitting because she realised she was living someone else’s dreams, not her own. That could have worked. But that’s not what I saw).

But I really enjoyed the Madison/Colby romance. Madison is a very new Christian who is still living with the consequences of her old life. I love a good redemption story, and this one definitely appealed to me. I found Madison a much more relatable character than Leah.

Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris (@FarisTari) is the third book in her excellent Restoring Heritage contemporary Christian romance series. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

This book is part of the Restoring Heritage series, and readers who have read the earlier books will recognise several of the characters. In fact, this is one series it’s best to read all of and read in order (yes, this is a standalone). Series readers will also remember Otis, the hippo statue that’s the town mascot … and which mysteriously moves around the town square.

Spoiler: one of the highlights of Since You’ve Been Gone is finding out Otis’s secret.

All in all, this is a solid contemporary Christian romance, and definitely recommended for fans of Tari Faris’s Restoring Heritage series.

Thanks to Baker Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Tari Faris

I have been writing fiction for more than twelve years. It has been an exciting journey for this math-loving-dyslexic girl. I had read less than a handful of novels by the time I graduated from college and I thought I would end up in the field of science or math. But God had other plans and I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. As someone told me once, God’s plans may not be easy, and they may not always make sense but they are never boring.

When I am not writing or working, I spend time with my amazing husband. We have been married for fifteen wonderful years and have three sweet children. In my free time, I love coffee, rock hounding with my husband and kids, and distracting myself from housework.

Find Tari Faris online at:

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About Since You’ve Been Gone

Leah Williams is back in the quaint town of Heritage, Michigan, and ready to try again to make her business a success. But blank slates are hard to come by, and a piece of her past is waiting for her there. Heir to the Heritage Fruits company, Jonathan Kensington is the guy who not only made Leah’s past difficult, he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.

Jon is trying to prove to the Heritage Fruits board that he, not his manipulative uncle, should be running the business. The board insists Jon find a new owner for the building that will house Leah’s business. To avoid forcing a buyout of Leah’s part of the building, Jon strikes a compromise with Leah, and the two go into business together. With her vision and his know-how, it might work. And Leah might realize he’s loved her since high school. If only he didn’t keep on shooting himself in the foot by boxing her out of important decisions.

Sparks fly in this romantic story of two people who must learn to trust both each other and the one who called them to this journey.

Find Since You’ve Been Gone online at:

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6 September 2021

Book Review | Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel

Undercurrent of Secrets is a dual-timeline novel, part of the new Doors to the Past series from Barbour Publishing (and thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providin a free ebook for review).

In the present timeline, Devyn Asbury is mostly over her humiliating breakup from social media mogul Travis Leeman. She’s working as the wedding coordinator on the Belle of Louisville, a traditional paddleboat steamer. She entered the boat in the Once Upon a Wedding contest, and is now a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue category.

But she didn’t get the original email .. which means she now has less than six weeks to plan and pull off an award-winning function.

Designer Chase Jones asks Devyn to help with some research. He’s trying to find the identity of the woman in an old photograph that appears to have been taken on board the Belle. Devyn agrees, as long as Chase helps with the invitations for the important event. The two get closer as they work together to track down the mysterious woman and … well, you know. This is a romance novel, after all.

In the past timeline, Hattie Louis is happy on board the Idlewild, the paddleboat steamer that has been her home her entire life. But her happy life is threatened by Jack Marshall, the new first mate, who takes over Hattie’s role and who appears to be hiding a secret.

Even worse, that secret might involve illegal behaviour implicating the Idlewild’s captain, the only father she has ever known.

I did find the opening chapters a little confusing. The opening line was brilliant:

But this brilliant line gave me the impression the relationship had just ended (especially as the novel begins on what would have been Devyn’s wedding day). In fact, I think the relationship had ended months before – perhaps a year. Knowing that up front would have explained why Devyn was open to a relationship with Chase—because she’d moved on.

Once I worked that out, I really got into the story and enjoyed watching Devyn and Chase search for clues to the identity of the mysterious Hattie of Chase’s photograph. The search was even more interesting once it became obvious that Chase’s Hattie was Hattie Louis.

One of the fun parts of reading dual timeline novels is working out how and when the timelines intersect, then trying to predict what’s going to happen in the past to end up with the present we know about. I’m pleased to report that Undercurrent of Secrets had a couple of excellent twists which were a complete surprise to me, and to Devyn (although, in hindsight, one shouldn’t have been a surprise to Devyn …)

Hattie was definitely my favourite character.

She was intelligent and plucky, as well as being multi-talented (and I even found out what a calliope was). The historic parts of the story felt authentic, and the author’s note at the end showed how much of the story was based on fact. (Yes, there really was an Idlewild, and she did survive.)

However, it was the modern heroine, Devyn, who learned the most important spiritual lesson, and I liked the way the author wove that into the plot. And I did like the fact Devyn was prepared to hold out for someone better. While I love reading romance novels, it would be great to see more novels that show marriages—good and less good.

Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel is an enjoyable dual-timeline #ChristianRomance set on a historic steamboat on the Ohio River. #BookReview Share on X

Overall, I very much enjoyed Undercurrent of Secrets, especially the unique setting.

Recommended for fans dual timeline Christian romance.

About Rachel Scott McDaniel

Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids.

Find Rachel Scott McDaniel online at:

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About Undercurrents of Secrets

Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat.

As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.

A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin.

Find Undercurrent of Secrets online at:

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23 August 2021

Book Review | Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

When Meri’s roommate marries, she gives Meri a copy of The List. The List is 101 tips on catching a husband, from a 1950s issue of Sophia Magazine (as an aside, I didn’t think some of the ideas were particularly 1950s. According to the Author’s Note, she couldn’t use the original 101 ideas so had to come up with her own. That explains my confusion).

But now Meri has to find somewhere else to live.

Her filmmaker brother is about to head to Ecuador for three months, so she moves into his house with his two tenants—gorgeous Gemma, the screenwriter who keeps getting offered acting roles, and laid-back Kai Kamaka, digital editor for a local late-night news show.

The List has apparently helped all her nursing-school friends find love and marriage. Meri is unimpressed, and thinks the idea is ridiculous. Kai suggests filming Meri following the ideas and posting the clips to YouTube to show what a stupid idea The List is. He can then use the footage for his demo reel, to try and get a better job.

The ideas on the list range from sexist to ridiculous.

Fortunately, Meri and Kai go for the funny, starting with trying to lasso a guy (no, I can’t see that in a genuine 1950s list). Their show takes off, people start watching and commenting, and asking if Meri and Kai area dating in real life. They’re not, but this is a romance novel, so … and the exposure brings its own problems.

The story is told in first person, with chapters from Meri and Kai’s points of view. I enjoyed this, although I did occasionally get lost as to which point of view I was reading (their voices were very similar considering their characters were supposed to be almost opposite. It seems I’m not very good at noticing the big clue i.e. the character’s name at the beginning of the chapter).

So this rom-com has elements of opposites attract combined with enemies to more (although Meri and Kai were never really enemies). The idea of The List and going viral on YouTube was original and interesting. It’s what got me interested the story, and it definitely delivered on the promise.

As such, Husband Auditions was a typical fun rom-com. What lifted it from average to excellent was towards the end, and was a message that doesn’t often come through in Christian romance:

We can be godly without being married.

Kai points out that it sometimes feels like the church has made an idol of marriage. If that’s true, the Christian fiction industry perpetuates the idol (and I say that as someone who loves reading Christian romance).

But the novel also shows that getting married and being married are two different things, and there are some strong lessons on marriage from friends and relatives. I particularly enjoyed the sermon in the middle of the novel. Unlike most sermons in Christian fiction, this one added to the plot and had an important lesson.

The characters were great, the writing strong, and there are two single characters (Gemma and Charlie, Meri’s brother) so I hope that means two more books in the series (hint hint).

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

About Angela Ruth Strong

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers.

She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.

You can find Angela Ruth Strong online at

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About Husband Auditions

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?

Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

You can find Told You So online at

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16 August 2021

Book Review | Provenance by Carla Laureano

Kendall Green is a Los Angeles-based interior designer with a reputation for sourcing quality antiques to place in the buildings she renovates. When rising LA rents place her business at risk, she finds a possible solution in her letterbox. Her unknown grandmother died, and she is the sole beneficiary. The only catch is that she needs to claim the inheritance in the next two weeks, which means an unplanned trip to the tiny town of Jasper Lake, Colorado.

Gabe Brandt is the young mayor of Jasper Lake, and he wants to bring new life to the town. That means persuading Kendall not to sell her houses to a property developer who wants to turn the town into an upscale resort.

Kendall is obsessed with finding the origin (provenance) of every antique she buys, but she knows nothing of her own background beyond being abandoned by her mother when she was five and raised in foster care. Going through her grandmother’s house could be her opportunity to find her own provenance.

This was a skilful melding of Kendall’s outward and inward journeys.

Meanwhile, there is also the growing attraction between Kendall and Gabe. But Gabe (as we come to see) is a Christian whose faith has meaning in his everyday life. Ironically, that faith is largely because of Kendall’s grandmother.

Kendall is not a person of faith. On particular foster home showed her the negatives of faith, and she has never been interested enough to search out the truth for herself … until now. Provenance gives Kendall a clear faith journey, and it’s refreshing to see a Christian novel where one of the main characters has a serious and believable journey to trusting in Jesus.

As such, Provenance is one of the strongest Christian romances I’ve read in a while.

It does an excellent job of melding the internal and external plots, and of integrating Christianity in a real way—recognising the strengths and weaknesses of the faith and the followers.

Provenance by @CarlaLaureano is the strongest Christian romances I've read in a while, especially the way Kendall's faith journey is shown. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

Recommended for Christian fiction and romance fans.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

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About Provenance

Los Angeles interior designer and former foster kid Kendall Green is in high demand, both for her impeccable eye and for her uncanny ability to uncover the provenance of any piece. But for all her success, skyrocketing costs have put her California home and her business in jeopardy. Then an unexpected inheritance provides a timely solution: a grandmother she never knew has left her a group of historic properties in a tiny Colorado town on the edge of ruin.

To young, untried mayor Gabriel Brandt, Jasper Lake is more than another small town—it’s the place that saved his life. Now, seeing the town slowly wither and die, he’s desperate to restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, his vision is at odds with a local developer who wants to see the town razed and rebuilt as a summer resort. He’s sure that he can enlist the granddaughter of one of its most prominent former citizens to his cause—until he meets Kendall and realizes that not only does she know nothing of her own history, she has no interest in reviving a place that once abandoned her.

In order to save his beloved town, Gabe must first help Kendall unravel the truth of her own provenance—and Kendall must learn that in order to embrace the future, sometimes you have to start with the past.

Find Provenance online at:

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9 August 2021

Book Review | The Cryptographer’s Dilemma (Heroines of WWII) by Johnnie Alexander

Eloise Marshall was happy in her job as a maths teacher before the US Navy recruits her as a cryptographer … and she is then transferred to the FBI. After training, she is partnered with Phillip Clayton. He is unable to fight because he is colourblind … something I didn’t work out until about halfway through, despite the author’s effort to show it in the first line:

(Was I the only person who didn’t understand he was colourblind?)

The FBI needs both Eloise’s code-breaking ability and a “womanly touch” to discover the truth behind some strange letters about broken dolls. Are the letters nothing more than they appear to be, or are they some kind of message within a message, a traitor using a steganography code to pass information to America’s enemies?

At one point, Phillip observes that Eloise doesn’t seem to notice masculine attention. He seems to see this as a positive, that she’s not trying to attract male attention. I saw it as a negative: how good is she as an FBI agent if she doesn’t notice the people around her?

I enjoyed the World War II setting.

I’m a big fan of novels featuring code-breaking and cryptography (e.g those by Roseanna M White). It was the cryptography that caught my attention. I also enjoyed the back-and-forth hunt for the evildoer—and I appreciated it even more when I read the Author’s Note at the end and discovered the plot was based on fact.

But I was kind of lost when it came to Eloise’s “dilemma”. What was it? I can only assume it was the will-she-won’t-she search for the father who abandoned her and her mother … a plot point I thought was weakened by the fact we didn’t know she was searching for him.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story, as it’s a unique angle that made for a solid romance.

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

About Johnnie Alexander

Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget in a variety of genres. An award-winning, best-selling novelist, she serves on the executive boards of Serious Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, co-hosts Writers Chat, and interviews other inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. Johnnie lives in Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon.

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About The Cryptographer’s Dilemma

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?

Find The Cryptographer’s Dilemma online at:

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

2 August 2021

Book Review | Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray

Love and the Silver Lining surprised me several times. At the beginning, I thought it was going to be a typical friends-to-more novel. And it was … kind of. But there was also the other man, and that added both interest and complications.

The story is written entirely in first person, which is an inspired decision.

Yes, some readers don’t like first person (although I’m not one of them). The beauty of using first person in this instance meant it was impossible to guess which man Darcy was going to choose: best friend forever Cameron, or his bad boy bandmate Bryson. Yes, it’s the other man/other woman trope, which isn’t my favourite.

One of the reasons I’m not a fan is that I often end up favouring the “wrong” character—the one who doesn’t end up with the girl. As such, I was very happy with Love and the Silver Lining, because it made the right choice. Well, the choice I thought was right for Darcy.

Book Review | Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray Share on X

While I liked Darcy as a character, there were times she annoyed me. I assumed she was a teacher, as she’d given up her job and her apartment to go to Central America for a year to teach English to children in an orphanage—a noble cause, no doubt. But do Central American orphanages really need teachers with little or no experience? Given her reaction to not being able to go, I did question how good a teacher she’d have been.

As it turned out, her skills were in an entirely different area.

Darcy is a dog whisperer. Well, not really. But she is a dog walker with a college degree in animal something, and a true skill for seeing why a badly behaved dog is acting out, and working with the dog to correct their behaviour.

I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, but I was impressed by the way Darcy worked with the dogs. I was also impressed by the way that became a subtle underlying metaphor for healing–healing for Darcy, healing for the dog’s widowed owner, and healing for Bryson, brought the two together.

Love and the Silver Lining isn’t a suspense novel, but there were more than a few low-key nail-biting moments as Darcy worked with the dogs and worked through her own healing. In the end, the novel was everything I look forward to and expect in a Tammy L Gray novel, and even managed to convince me the “other man” trope isn’t always awful.

The faith elements in the novel are present but understated.

The novel starts with Darcy experiencing a crisis of faith: if God really had wanted her to go on a year-long mission to Central America, why did it fall apart at the last minute? This is a variation on the age-old “where is God when it hurts?” question, and while it doesn’t answer the unanswerable, it does show us how God can use any situation to pull us closer to Him … if we allow it to.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance, especially dog lovers.

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

About the Author

Tammy L. Gray lives in the Dallas area with her family, and they love all things Texas, even the erratic weather patterns. She writes modern Christian romance with true-to-life characters and culturally-relevant plot lines. She believes hope and healing can be found through high quality fiction that inspires and provokes change.

Tammy is often lauded for her unique writing style within the inspirational genre, preferring to use analogies verses heavy-handed spiritual content. Her characters are real, relatable and deep, earning her a 2017 RITA award nomination in the Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements category.

When not chasing after her three amazing kids, Tammy can be spotted with her head in a book. Writing has given her a platform to combine her passion with her ministry.

Tammy L. Gray has lots of projects going on.

You can find Tammy Gray online at:

About Love and the Silver Lining

This disaster may be just what she needed.

Darcy Malone’s dreams of mission work are dashed on the eve of fulfilling them: The Guatemalan school she was going to teach at has closed, and she’s already quit her job and given up her apartment. Stuck in her worst-case scenario, Darcy accepts an unexpected offer to move in with Bryson Katsaros’s little sister, despite the years of distrust between her and Bryson, the lead singer in her best friend Cameron’s band. But as she meets those close to Bryson, Darcy quickly discovers there is more to him than just his bad-boy persona.

Needing to find a purpose for all her sudden free time, Darcy jumps at the chance to care for and train a group of unruly dogs, with the aim of finding each a home before their bereaved owner returns them to animal control. But it’s Darcy herself who will encounter a surprising rescue in the form of love, forgiveness, and learning to let go.

Find Love and the Silver Lining online at:

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26 July 2021

Book Review | Season of Hope by Carol James

Hope is a single mother in the days before single parenthood was socially acceptable, let alone common. Her son, Mattie, is the result of her farewell to her boyfriend, Nate, before he departed to fight in Vietnam.

But Nate died. And so did her parents. And now Hope thinks God is punishing her for her sin. The result is she’s not big on church … until the interim pastor moves into the guest house over the garage in the house she and Mattie share with her aunt.

Josh comes from a well-to-do family and has his own battles to face. He also fought in Vietnam, an experience which changed his life and motivated him to become a pastor.

Seasons of Hope sits between contemporary and historical romance.

Technically, the Vietnam War was long enough ago that it’s considered historical. But it’s still something that happened in my mother’s lifetime, something I can remember being told about as a child. As such, it also feels somewhat contemporary (for which we can probably thank Paul Hardcastle and “19”).

It’s not a common era for historical fiction. I have read some fiction set in the 1970s, but not a lot. The era is familiar, which certainly gives the novel a contemporary feeling. But so much has changed since then in terms of technology and social norms. Those areas certainly gave the novel a historical feel.

The plot was excellent.

Hope and Josh make a great couple, with plenty of conflict but not too much unnecessary angst. (There was the beautiful ex-girlfriend and a big misunderstanding, but that was fortunately worked out quickly enough. I am not a fan of the other woman or big misunderstanding tropes).

What I liked most was the realism.

Both Hope and Josh were characters who allowed false guilt regarding the past to influence and sometimes rule their presence (I say false guilt, because God forgives our sins before we even ask. As such, feeling guilty after we’ve repented is false guilt … even though it’s also all too common).

Seasons of Hope by @CarolJamesAuth is a solid Christian romance with believable characters and an important message of forgiveness. #ChristianRomance #BookReview #Vietnam Share on X

Seasons of Hope is a solid Christian romance with believable characters and an important message of forgiveness. Well worth reading.

Thanks to Pelican Book Group and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Carol James

Carol is an author of inspirational fiction. She lives in Lilburn, Georgia, a small town outside of Atlanta, with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell “Terrorist,” Zoe.

Having always loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to encourage others as she’d been encouraged by the works of other authors of inspirational fiction.

Retired from her “real” job, she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, traveling with friends, volunteering at a nearby school, and serving in the production department at her church.

She is also a soccer fan extraordinaire and keeps her DVR busy recording Atlanta United and English Premier League games.

And, most days in the late hours of the night or the wee hours of the morning, she can be found bringing her newest novel to life.

Find Carol James online at:

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About Season of Change

Hope Stockton’s life is dead, frozen in a winter of guilt, deceit, and fear. When handsome young pastor, Josh Lewis, comes to serve in her church, she wonders if she can trust him with her past. Will he be able to help her answer the questions that have been buried in her heart for years? Or will his own secrets drive them apart and prevent him from helping Hope find her spring of forgiveness?

Set in small town Texas in the years during and following the Vietnam war, Seasons of Hope is a story of forgiveness and restoration.

Find Season of Hope online at:

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19 July 2021

Book Review | Survive the Night (Harmony Grove #4) by Carol J Post

Survive the Night

Lexi Simmons was planning a girl’s night with her cousin, Kyla, when she got the call. The serial killer she’s chasing has killed again … and the victim is Kyla. The case becomes even more personal when Lexi finds she’ll be working with Alan White, her college boyfriend.

Working with Alan isn’t bad. In fact, he comes up with some intelligence that provides a valuable clue. As they work the case, they also discover the truth behind their college breakup, which gives them the opportunity to consider their personal and professional relationship.

Meanwhile, they have a serial killer to catch.

The problem with reading (and reviewing) a Carol J Post romantic suspense novel is that they’re hard to put down. I read this in a single day, and re-read good portions of it as I wrote my review.

Survive the Night by @CarolJPost is an enjoyable second-chance romance set against the backdrop of a hunt for a serial killer. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

Survive the Night is an enjoyable second-chance romance set against the backdrop of a hunt for a serial killer. The characters are strong, the plot has plenty of twists and turns, and there were enough red herrings that I was completely surprised by the identity of the evildoer.

I especially liked the Christian thread.

Lexi isn’t a Christian, but Alan is. According to the unwritten rules of Christian romance, that means she needs to change. Some novels gloss over the change (perhaps because they don’t want a Damascus Road conversion experience). I thought Survive the Night addressed the issue well (which is something I expect from Carol J Post novels).

Recommended for Christian romantic suspense fans.

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

About Carol J Post

From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol’s resume reads as if she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She currently pens fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.

You can find Carol J Post online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Survive the Night

She’s a shoo-in for a serial killer’s next target…

Tracking a serial killer in Harmony Grove turns personal for Detective Lexi Simmons when her cousin becomes a victim. The situation goes from bad to worse when she’s teamed up with Officer Alan White whose heart she broke seven years ago. But she is determined to find justice for Kayla and the other women brutally murdered and won’t let her and Alan’s shared past interfere.

Harmony Grove Police Officer Alan White has lost a good friend. He vows to help the Sheriff’s Department in any way he can, even if it means working alongside the woman who left him with a rejected ring and lots of excuses.

They fight the resurgence of long-buried emotions while working together to solve the case. The only connection between the victims is their approximate age and that they are beaten, strangled and left in the woods, with pictures mailed to the local newspaper shortly thereafter. Eventually, the investigation leads them to a decade-old incident on a college campus…and the realization that Lexi is a shoo-in for the killer’s next target.

You can find Survive the Night online at

Amazon

12 July 2021

Book Review | Woman in Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks

Darby Graham was a forensic linguist, but now works for the mysterious Clan Fenian. She has been sent to the Mule Shoe Dude Ranch, an exclusive art retreat in the mountains of Idaho, both for her own benefit and to investigate a series of accidents.

The story is told in two points of view–Darby is first person and Bram is third person. This felt a little jerky at first, especially at the first switch from Darby to Bram), but I got used to it pretty quickly and it didn’t bother me after that. If anything, the switch from first to third was a subconscious cue that the point of view had changed … because I tended to miss the obvious cue, like the new chapter.

#FastReaderProblems

The retreat is very back-to-nature, with no cell phone reception and no internet access. Also no television, radio, electricity, or modern sewerage. There is no road in, just a trail that’s suitable for horses and the occasional horse and cart bringing up supplies. Other than that, access is by helicopter.

It’s the perfect setup for a suspense novel …

The accidents Darby was sent to investigate keep happening, and there are a couple of instances that seem more like someone trying to frighten her off. Then there are the earthquakes – the ranch is only fifteen miles from Yellowstone, so some degree of volcanic activity is to be expected.

But, as someone who lives within erupting distance of another of the world’s supervolcanoes, I can tell you that you can’t feel most earthquakes. When you can feel them, it’s time to get worried.

The story was effectively a closed room mystery, like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (I haven’t read the book, but have seen a movie adaptation). In typical Christie style, there is a Big Reveal where Darby finally puts together all the clues and uncovers the real evildoer–predictably, the character I least expected, but one who make perfect sense.

Woman in Shadow is yet another excellent thriller by Carrie Stuart Parks, who never fails to impress me with her heroines. #ChristianThriller #BookReview Share on X

I’ve read several other novels by Carrie Stuart Parks, and she never fails to impress me with her heroines. They are intelligent and brave, and usually have a unique skill and fascinating skill or occupation. Darby is no exception. This is backed up by a tight and effective plot, outstanding writing, and the occasional welcome drop of humour.

The real heroes of this story are Holly and Maverick, the “stray” dogs Darby adopts as the story starts and takes to the ranch. They prove all the old sayings about dogs as protectors and friends.

About Woman in Shadow

A woman off the grid.

Darby Graham thinks she’s on a much-needed vacation in remote Idaho to relax. But before she even arrives at the ranch, an earthquake strikes—her first clue that something is amiss. Then when a cabin on the edge of town is engulfed in flames and problems at the ranch escalate, Darby finds herself immersed in a chilling mystery.

A town on fire.

A serial arsonist sends taunting letters to the press after each fire. As a forensic linguist, this is Darby’s area of expertise . . . but the scars it’s caused her also the reason she’s trying to escape from her life.

A growing darkness.

As the shadows continue to move in, the pieces of the town around her come into sharper focus. Can she trust the one man who sees her clearly?

You can find Woman in Shadow online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

5 July 2021

Book Review | Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin

It’s been a while since I read a Lynn Austin novel, and I’d forgotten what a brilliant writer she is. In Chasing Shadows, she takes on what I think is a new time period for her: World War II.

She also introduces a setting that I haven’t seen before in WWII Christian fiction: the Netherlands.

The story stars at the end of the war, as the Allies finally free the Netherlands from the tyranny of the Nazis. We are introduced to Lena, a farmer’s wife, and to her (mostly absent) family, and to the shadow people … the people she hides in her barn and cellar.

The novel then slips back in time by six years, to June 1939, shortly before the war started (yes, American readers: World War II started in September 1939).

There are three main characters in the novel: Lena, a farmer’s wife; Ans, her rebellious eighteen-year-old daughter; and Miriam, a Jewish musician from Germany. Chasing Shadows follows each of them through the war – escaping from Germany, the outbreak of war, the invasion of the neutral Netherlands. Each woman is faced with hard, almost impossible choices, choices which challenge and refine their faith. They have to choose to do the hard thing over and over because it’s the only right thing.

In many ways, Chasing Shadows was a difficult novel to read.

While Lena, Ans, and Marian are all fictional characters, history has already taught us that these things happened, and that normal women like these had to make impossible choices to survive themselves and protect those they loved. And while we know the end of the story (the Allies were victorious and the Netherlands was freed), we don’t know what is going to happen to the characters in the story. At times, that tension was almost unbearable.

Chasing Shadows is a brilliant World War II novel that shows how the Dutch people reacted to the Nazi occupation, the choices they made, and the trials they faced. It highlights the oustanding yet dangerous work of the Dutch Resistance movement.

Most of all, it shows how much of this work was done by everyday Christians working to protect the Jews and other enemies of the Nazis. As such, it is both encouraging and challenging as it shows Dutch Christians loving their neighbours—Jewish and otherwise—as the Bible commands.

Overall, Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin is a powerful novel about the trials and triumphs faced by the Dutch in World War II, shown through the eyes of three very different women.

Chasing Shadows by @LynnNAustin is a powerful novel about the trials and triumphs faced by the Dutch in World War II. #BookReview #ChristianFiction Share on X

Recommended.

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

About Lynn Austin

For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband’s work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she’d earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was during the long Canadian winters at home with her children that Lynn made progress on her dream to write, carving out a few hours of writing time each day while her children napped. Lynn credits her early experience of learning to write amid the chaos of family life for her ability to be a productive writer while making sure her family remains her top priority.

Along with reading, two of Lynn’s lifelong passions are history and archaeology. She and her son traveled to Israel during the summer of 1989 to take part in an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Timnah. Lynn resigned from teaching to write full-time in 1992. Since then she has published 24 novels.

Find Lynn Austin online at:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

About Chasing Shadows

For fans of bestselling WWII fiction comes a powerful novel from Lynn Austin about three women whose lives are instantly changed when the Nazis invade the neutral Netherlands, forcing each into a complicated dance of choice and consequence.

Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death?

Lena’s daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy.

Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined.

The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes-heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.

Find Chasing Shadows online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Yes, I’m always a sucker for a bad-girl-turned-good story, because it’s a picture of redemption.

Spoiler: one of the highlights of Since You’ve Been Gone is finding out Otis’s secret.

About Tari Faris

Find Tari Faris online at:

About Since You’ve Been Gone

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But she didn’t get the original email .. which means she now has less than six weeks to plan and pull off an award-winning function.

Even worse, that secret might involve illegal behaviour implicating the Idlewild’s captain, the only father she has ever known.

Hattie was definitely my favourite character.

About Rachel Scott McDaniel

Find Rachel Scott McDaniel online at:

About Undercurrents of Secrets

Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat.

Find Undercurrent of Secrets online at:

But now Meri has to find somewhere else to live.

The ideas on the list range from sexist to ridiculous.

We can be godly without being married.

About Angela Ruth Strong

You can find Angela Ruth Strong online at

About Husband Auditions

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

You can find Told You So online at

This was a skilful melding of Kendall’s outward and inward journeys.

As such, Provenance is one of the strongest Christian romances I’ve read in a while.

About Carla Laureano

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

About Provenance

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(Was I the only person who didn’t understand he was colourblind?)

I enjoyed the World War II setting.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story, as it’s a unique angle that made for a solid romance.

About Johnnie Alexander

Find Johnnie Alexander online:

About The Cryptographer’s Dilemma

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

Find The Cryptographer’s Dilemma online at:

The story is written entirely in first person, which is an inspired decision.

As it turned out, her skills were in an entirely different area.

The faith elements in the novel are present but understated.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance, especially dog lovers.

About the Author

You can find Tammy Gray online at:

About Love and the Silver Lining

This disaster may be just what she needed.

Find Love and the Silver Lining online at:

Seasons of Hope sits between contemporary and historical romance.

The plot was excellent.

What I liked most was the realism.

About Carol James

Find Carol James online at:

About Season of Change

Find Season of Hope online at:

Meanwhile, they have a serial killer to catch.

I especially liked the Christian thread.

Recommended for Christian romantic suspense fans.

About Carol J Post

You can find Carol J Post online at:

About Survive the Night

You can find Survive the Night online at

#FastReaderProblems

It’s the perfect setup for a suspense novel …

But, as someone who lives within erupting distance of another of the world’s supervolcanoes, I can tell you that you can’t feel most earthquakes. When you can feel them, it’s time to get worried.

Recommended for suspense readers, especially dog lovers.

About Woman in Shadow

A woman off the grid.

A town on fire.

A growing darkness.

You can find Woman in Shadow online at:

She also introduces a setting that I haven’t seen before in WWII Christian fiction: the Netherlands.

The novel then slips back in time by six years, to June 1939, shortly before the war started (yes, American readers: World War II started in September 1939).

In many ways, Chasing Shadows was a difficult novel to read.

Recommended.

About Lynn Austin

Find Lynn Austin online at:

About Chasing Shadows

For fans of bestselling WWII fiction comes a powerful novel from Lynn Austin about three women whose lives are instantly changed when the Nazis invade the neutral Netherlands, forcing each into a complicated dance of choice and consequence.

Find Chasing Shadows online at: