Category: Book Review

8 March 2021

Book Review | Abducted in Alaska by Darlene L Turner

Hannah Morgan is a border patrol officer with the Canadian Services Border Agency in Yukon. She’s on patrol when a small boy appears in the snow … followed rapidly by a man with a gun. She soon discovers the boy has escaped from a gang kidnapping children as child labor.

Layke Jackson is a police officer on loan from Alberta. He volunteered to investigate child labor smuggling, but the investigation becomes personal when he discovers his half-brother’s son is one of the kidnapped children.

Abducted in Alaska starts with a literal bang, and the pace doesn’t let up.

Hannah, Layke, and small Gabe try to evade the kidnappers, but the gunmen keep finding them. It became obvious early on that there was a leak in law enforcement. Unfortunately, I picked this up a long time before Hannah or Layke worked it out. While I like working out who-dun-it before the big reveal, I also like the law enforcement professionals to pick up clues faster than I do.

Abducted in Alaska is from Love Inspired Suspense, which means that as well as the snow-filled Alaskan setting, it has a developing romance (nicely done) and a strong faith element.

Hannah is a Christian who thanks God whenever something good happens, and prays when she needs help (two excellent habits for all of us to seek to emulate!). Layke is not a Christian, but is challenged by Hannah and Gabe’s faith. Overall, Abducted in Alaska is a solid romantic suspense with plenty of emphasis on the suspense and action.

An enjoyable read for romantic suspense fans.

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

About Darlene L Turner

Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message.

Find Darlene L Turner online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Abducted in Alaska

Protecting a child…

could cost them their lives.

Saving a boy who has escaped his captors puts Canadian border patrol officer Hannah Morgan right into the path of a ruthless child-smuggling ring. Now with help from police constable Layke Jackson, she must keep the child safe. But can they rescue the other abducted children and bring down the gang…all while protecting a little boy and keeping themselves alive?

Find Abducted in Alaska online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

1 March 2021

Book Review | Pay the Price (Harmony Grove #3) by Carol J Post

I opened Pay the Price to check the file had downloaded correctly, then created my First Line Friday post because the first line did catch my eye. I wasn’t planning to read the novel …

… yet three hours later, I’d finished.

Jessica Parker arrives back in Harmony Grove following her younger sister’s death. She hasn’t got a key and the spare key isn’t in the usual hiding place. So she’s forced to break in through the rear sliding door.

Inside, she finds the house has been ransacked … then she is attacked by a man with a gun. The intruder turns out to be Shane Dalton, an FBI agent working undercover in Harmony Grove, hunting for drug smugglers. And they’ve had a tip that Priscilla Parker might be involved.

It’s a fast-paced start, and it certainly kept me reading.

I liked Jessica, which is always a good start. She’s bright and brave, and has overcome a lot of hardship. I enjoyed reading about her faith journey (one of Carol J Post’s strengths as a writer), and I have to agree with Jessica’s view of snakes:

Shane is also a strong character, and another who has a troubled past–the death of his wife, and his subsequent avoidance of relationships of all kinds. Despite his loss, he’s retained his faith in God, something Jessica never had. Shane realises the best way to find information will be partnering with Jessica and finding out what happened to Priscilla and why … and was it really a suicide?

The suspense was well-written, with great pace and enough humour to offset the ever-present tension.

I was pleased to get to the end and find a preview for the next book in the series, which means this isn’t the last book. That’s great news, as I’m enjoying the Harmony Grove books and wouldn’t want to see them end yet. After all, there are still some single characters …

Pay the Price by @CarolJPost is excellent Christian romantic suspense, with great pace and enough humour to offset the ever-present tension. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

All in all, I recommend Pay the Price for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

Thanks to Carol J Post 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 Pay the Price

Sometimes homecomings can be deadly…

Jessica Parker left Harmony Grove with bad memories and a vow to never return – until she is called back eight years later to deal with her sister’s suicide. When all the evidence points instead to murder, she is determined to find the killer and bring him to justice. Her handsome new neighbor is eager to help, but she is sure he’s hiding something.

Undercover FBI agent Shane Dalton is in Harmony Grove investigating the crash of a plane full of cocaine and gets more than he bargained for when he runs into Jessica. He’s not sure whether she’s involved or is just going to get in his way. Soon it becomes obvious that someone wants Jessica gone from Harmony Grove. As the threats intensify, Shane finds himself in a race against time to solve both cases. The closer they get to the truth, the closer the killer gets to making them his next victims.

You can find Pay the Price online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

22 February 2021

Book Review | Memphis Grace by Catriona McKeown

Grace is having a tough year.

First, her best friend leaves moves away from school with no warning and goes no contact. Then she’s put in a group with the class losers for the group science project, and her final grade depends on doing well in the project. Failure is not an option–if she doesn’t pass Year 10 science, she won’t be able to follow her dream and become a nurse.

Home isn’t any easier. She’s the second daughter of a solo mother with no qualifications, so who works all hours as a waitress to make enough money to keep her family fed. There is no money left over for luxuries, like new clothes. And her mother is too tired to pay much attention. She prefers to watch and rewatch her favourite Elvis movies.

So when Cooper Daly shows he’s interested in Grace, she is more than interested. No matter that he’s her best friend’s boyfriend. Mikayla is gone, and has ghosted them both, and Grace has always had a crush on Cooper. And he’s rich. And generous, buying her clothes and other gifts.

Yes, that was a red flag for me.

As a result, I found the first half of the novel frustrating. The characters couldn’t see the obvious (well, what I thought was obvious). Adult-me could see endless red flags that Grace, her friends, her sister, and even her mother ignored. The only person who saw anything wrong was Jack, the autistic boy in Grace’s science class. The second half was much better, as Grace starts thinking for herself more, and realises that she needs to take responsibility for her life rather than letting other people tell her what to do.

But I can’t blame Grace for her decisions early in the novel.

She’s sixteen, and her decisions and actions aren’t out of line with normal teenage behaviour. And while her life hasn’t been necessarily easy, she’s been raised by a mother who is still grieving the loss of her son, and who still believes in the happy-ever-after of Elvis movies. As such, Grace is all too believable as the damaged child of damaged parents, all of whom are doing their best but not always doing enough.

Memphis Grace is a young adult novel that deals with some tough themes—bullying, teenage sex, date rape, peer pressure, and disability—in a sensitive and realistic manner. Recommended for mature teen readers.

Thanks to Rhiza Press for providing a free ebook for review.

About Catriona McKeown

Catriona McKeown lives on the Fraser Coast in Queensland, Australia, with her husband of 25+ years and three daughters.

She is passionate about issues of social justice and often writes with such ideals in mind. Her current studies are in Inclusive Education; she is passionate about education that allows every child to reach their full potential and has a particular heart for gifted teens as well as those with autism.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and a Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education. Catriona hails from country Victoria, lived a short stint in Western Australia, and has now settled on Queensland as her home state.

Find Catriona McKeown online at:

Website | Facebook

About Memphis Grace

Graceland was named after the King of Pop’s mansion by her Elvis- obsessed mum. But she’s not rich, not famous and definitely not noticeable.

She’s always just been Mikaela’s best friend.

That is, until Mikaela leaves school without explanation and Graceland finds herself noticed by Cooper Dally. Popular boy and Mikaela’s EX-BOYFRIEND. Now she’s the centre of attention: big parties, new dresses and girlfriend to Cooper. Graceland is finally changing her stars.

But Cooper has expectations Graceland can’t meet. And when the truth behind Mikaela’s leaving comes out, Graceland realises Cooper might not be the guy she thought he was. Worse, it could cost Graceland more than she’s willing to give to be noticed.

You can find Memphis Grace online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

15 February 2021

Book Review| Trailing a Killer by Carol J Post

Erin Jeffries is a police detective and volunteer canine search and rescue worker. When she’s called to a house that’s collapsed in a hurricane, the last person she expects to rescue is her teenage sweetheart, Cody Elbourne. And neither of them expect a collapsed house to turn into a murder investigation … or for Cody to be worried for his life.

Yes, Trailing a Killer starts off with a bang.

The pace only lets up long enough for Erin and Cody to rediscover their previous relationship (well, this is Love Inspired Suspense. We want the Love as much as the Suspense).

I enjoyed reading about Alcee, Erin’s search and rescue dog. As a cat owner, I’m always impressed by dogs and their willingness to work. In fact, they delight in being helpful. Cats … not so much. I was especially impressed by Alcee’s uncanny canine abilities to identify those she likes and trusts vs. those she doesn’t. I will definitely be interested in reading more books in this series.

There were also some more serious issues. Erin in particular has some scars in her background that affect her ability to trust others, especially men. She’s a new Christian and is working through those issues—and it was great to see a new Christian working through what it means to be a person of faith.

I am a fan of Carol J Post’s novels, and this is no exception.

The plot was perfect romantic suspense, the characters were strong (I’m always a fan of female characters who are competent in an unusual profession), and the ending was spot on.

Trailing a Killer by @CarolJPost is perfect #Christian #RomanticSuspense. The characters are strong, and the ending is just right. Share on X

Thanks to Carol J Post for providing a free ebook for review.

About Carol J Post

You can find Carol J Post online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Trailing a Killer

A killer with an explosive agenda…

And a K-9 and determined detective on the case.

In a hurricane’s aftermath, Detective Erin Jeffries is stunned when she and her search-and-rescue K-9, Alcee, uncover a collapsed building’s only survivor—her long-ago ex, Cody Elbourne. And it’s quickly clear that the disaster was no accident. Now only Cody can identify the man who set the explosives that killed his grandfather…and Erin must stop the killer dead set on silencing him.

Find Trailing a Killer online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

8 February 2021

Book Review | The Prince of Spies (Hope and Glory #3) by Elizabeth Camden

The Prince of Spies is a twist on the Romeo and Juliet story, complete with feuding families and threats of poison.

When Luke Delacroix helps a lady save a dog, he is immediately intrigued and wants to get to know her better. Unfortunately, she is Marianne Magruder, from the Magruder family who have been Delacroix enemies for decades. She’s the adopted daughter of Congressman Clyde Magruder, who Luke wants removed from office because of his history of favouring his own business interests over the public good. (In this case, “public good” means not producing food that kills people.)

Luke volunteers for medical trials intended to determine if the food additives Magruder and others use are safe. The men become known as the Poison Squad, which is based on real-life research conducted by Dr Wiley, the man responsible for the establishment of the US Food & Drug Administration in 1906. It is thanks to Dr Wiley and his Poison Squad that we now understand what preservatives are safe for use in food, and in what quantities.

That’s the kind of historical factoid which fascinates me and is the element that raises Elizabeth Camden’s novels into the must-read category for me. Anyway, back to the story …

Marianne is attracted to Luke, enough to go behind her father’s back when he forbids her to see Luke again.

But she’s fiercely loyal to her father and the Magruder family, despite Luke’s accusations. As the story goes on, it becomes apparent that she’ll have to choose between her family and Luke (although historical record, as well as the fact this is a romance novel, makes her choice obvious). This doesn’t detract from the plot – if anything, it strengthens it as I wonder how the author is going to achieve the impossible.

The Prince of Spies is the third novel in Elizabeth Camden’s Hope and Glory series. I suspect it’s the final one, as the Delacroix siblings are now all married. however, it’s definitely a cast of characters I’d like to read more about, for the historical context, for the brilliant writing, and for the characters themselves.

The Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden by is a must-read for fans of Christian historical romance, or those historical fiction fans who enjoy a good story based around real-life events. #BookReview Share on X

This is definitely a must-read for fans of Christian historical romance, or those historical fiction fans who enjoy a good story based around real-life events. Recommended.

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

About Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Find Elizabeth Camden online at:

Website | Facebook

About The Prince of Spies

Luke Delacroix has the reputation of a charming man-about-town in Gilded Age Washington, DC. In reality, he is secretly carrying out an ambitious agenda in Congress. His current mission is to thwart the reelection of Congressman Clyde Magruder, his only real enemy in the world.

But trouble begins when Luke meets Marianne Magruder, the congressman’s only daughter, whose job as a government photographer gives her unprecedented access to sites throughout the city. Luke is captivated by Marianne’s quick wit and alluring charm, leading them both into a dangerous gamble to reconcile their feelings for each other with Luke’s driving passion for vital reforms in Congress.

Can their newfound love survive a political firestorm, or will three generations of family rivalry drive them apart forever?

Find The Prince of Spies online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

1 February 2021

Book Review | Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M White

I’m a big fan of Roseanna M White’s historical romances. I’ve enjoyed her series of spy novels, set against the backdrop of various US conflicts. I especially enjoyed her trilogies set in and around World War I London. So I was on the lookout for her next series.

But I wasn’t expecting a series set in the South during the American Civil War.

It’s not my favourite setting in terms of time or place, because while they claimed the South claimed the war was over the state’s rights to govern themselves, it comes back to their right to own slaves. If the war was merely around state’s rights, there would have been white slaves as well as black slaves, and we wouldn’t still see the effects of slavery and racism 150 years later.

As such, I found it difficult to empathise with either of the main characters. Cordelia is a nice enough young lady, but she is sheltered and naïve (to the point where she’s noticed she and her slave have similar unusual features, but hasn’t realised her slave is actually her half-sister).

Phineas Dunn is a nice enough young man, but has completely bought into the Southern lie that black slaves are somehow subhuman (despite the presence of mixed-race slaves and apparent acceptance of how mixed-race slaves are conceived).

I guess both characters were products of their upbringing.

Neither had ever been put in a situation where those beliefs might be challenged. As a result, I wasn’t interested in either character at first. But I was interested in two of the black characters, Selina and Luther, and the main reason I kept reading was to find out what happened to them.

I’m glad I pushed through, because the second half of the Dreams of Savannah was excellent. Delia and Phin changed and grew as people, there was a solid underlying Christian message, and I realised I was interested in finding out whether Delia and Phin would get their happy-ever-after, against the wishes of Delia’s father.

While I'm not a big fan of American Civil War stories, Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M White has a strong and worthy message, and is worthwhile reading. #ChristianFiction #BookReview Share on X

While this is never going to be my favourite Roseanna M White story, the writing is excellent, the story has a strong and worthy message, and is worthwhile reading.

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

About Roseanna M White

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna has a slew of historical novels available, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia.

Find Roseanna M White online at:

About Dreams of Savannah

Cordelia Owens can weave a hopeful dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him. Matters of black and white don’t seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite her best efforts, Delia’s smiles can’t erase all the complications in his life. And when Fort Pulaski falls and the future wavers, they both must decide where the dreams of a new America will take them, and if they will go together.

Find Dreams of Savannah online at:

Amazon | Bookbub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Dreams of Savannah below:

25 January 2021

Book Review | Burying Daisy Doe (Star Cavanaugh #1) by Ramona Richards

Cop-turned private investigator Star Cavanaugh specialises in solving cold cases, and this one is personal. Star is working undercover in the diner in Pineville, Alabama, to discover the story behind the 1954 murder of an unknown woman buried as Daisy Doe.

The story was told in two timelines–Star’s story in the present was told in first person, which gave it a sense of immediacy and let us see inside her thought processes. The past storyline started shortly before the murder of Daisy Doe, and was told in third person from a couple of different viewpoints–witnesses to some of the secrets Star uncovers.

I enjoy a good mystery novel, and the premise of Burying Daisy Doe intrigued me.

I had high expectations around the plot, and my expectations were exceeded. As the story progressed, I was impressed by the unexpected twists and turns. These gave the novel unexpected depths as Star realises the issues go deeper than she’d originally suspected.

The characters were strong, and many hid secrets that were revealed gradually as the story progressed. Star was a great main character, and her point of view showed her intelligence and diligence as she seeks to find answers to the decades-old case.

I enjoy a good mystery novel, and the premise of Burying Daisy Doe by @RamonaRichards intrigued me ... and it was a mystery with unexpected complexity and depth #BookReview #SplitTime Share on X

The writing was excellent, and I highlighted a lot of great lines to reference later.

Recommended for mystery and thriller fans.

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

About Ramona Richards

Ramona Richards is the author or contributor of over twenty books, including Memory of Murder, Field of Danger, and The Taking of Carly Bradford. She is the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media and has previously worked for Abingdon Press and Thomas Nelson. Ramona makes her home just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.

Find Ramona Richards online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Burying Daisy Doe

No cold case is more important than the one that destroyed her own family

Every small town has one unsolved case that haunts its memory, festering for generations below the surface with the truth of humanity’s darkness. Star Cavanaugh is obsessed with the one that tore her family apart.

Over sixty years ago, Daisy Doe was murdered and discarded outside Pineville, Alabama, buried without a name or anyone to mourn her loss. When Star’s father tried to solve the case, he was also killed. Now a cold-case detective with resources of her own, Star is determined to get to the bottom of both crimes. But she’ll have to face an entire town locked in corruption, silence, and fear–and the same danger that took two other lives. The only people in the town she can trust are her grandmother and the charming Mike Luinetti, and both of them trust a God Star isn’t sure she believes in. Can Christians so focused on the good really help her track down this evil?

Find Burying Daisy Doe online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Burying Daisy Doe below:

18 January 2021

Book Review | Faith’s Mountain Home by Misty Beller

Laura Hannon was kidnapped by a gang of thieves, who have now been captured. She’s living in the doctor’s house in Settler’s Fort and helping care for Aaron, one of the kidnappers – the one who tried to help her, and who she accidentally shot. She feels guilty about Aaron, and nervous around Nate, Aaron’s brother, who visits regularly.

Nate was also part of the gang, but turned away and is now working in the local mine and saving every spare penny to repay the money the gang stole. But after meeting Laura at a hidden cave, he also wants to spend more time with her, especially after the discover two Native Americans living in the cave who need help.

Nate is an excellent character—someone who has done wrong in the past (although for what he thought were good reasons), and who has now become a Christian and who is trying to make up for his past misdeeds. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy.

Faith’s Mountain Home is the third book in Misty M Beller’s Hearts of Montana series. I read and reviewed the first book in the series (Hope’s Highest Mountain), but haven’t read the second.

While Faith’s Mountain Home worked well as a standalone novel, there were times when I felt I didn’t understand some of the character’s history because I hadn’t read Love’s Mountain Quest. At least, I assume the kidnapping and Nate’s subsequent conviction and redemption was part of the previous story. That unknown backstory was the one thing that annoyed me in Faith’s Mountain Home, and I would have enjoyed it more if I’d better understood what came before.

Faith's Mountain Home by @MistyMBeller is easy to read, engaging, and a perfect way to relax. Excellent Christian historical romance. #BookReview Share on X

Apart from that, I enjoyed the story. I very much like Misty M Beller’s writing. She does an excellent job of writing Christian characters who feel like real people, and puts them in stories that have plenty of conflict but still allow for a happy ending. Her stories are easy to read, engaging, and a perfect way to relax.

Recommended for Christian historical romantic suspense fans.

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

About Misty M Beller

Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Writing is a dream come true for Misty. Her family—both immediate and extended—is the foundation that holds her secure in that dream.

You can find Misty Beller online at:

About Faith’s Mountain Home

Nate Long has always watched over his identical twin brother, Aaron, even when it put him on the wrong side of the law. When Aaron is wounded in a shootout, the brothers are taken to Settler’s Fort to recover. As Nate works to make reparations for their past, he marvels at the nursing Aaron receives under the care of a woman with all the reason in the world to resent him. Laura Hannon knows what it is to start over, and she knows Nate’s newfound faith is real. What she can’t look past is how far he allowed himself to be led astray by his brother’s weaknesses. As a fledgling trust grows between Nate and Laura, they stumble upon a mysterious cave in the mountains that may not be as uninhabited as it seems. While working together to unravel the secrets surrounding the cave, will the new lives they seek for themselves include love, or does too much stand between them?

You can find Faith’s Mountain Home online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

11 January 2021

Book Review | Nicole (Sewing in SoCal #3) by Sarah Monzon

Hairstylist Nicole Applegate is a single mother and vegan with a social conscience.

But her friends think she should have a man, so set her up on what turns out to be a bad blind date. She is rescued by Drew, who she knows socially, but who she is not interested in romantically. Ha. Famous last words, because this is their romance story.

Nicole finds Drew is the assistant coach for her daughter’s football team.

My initial thought was that football meant soccer, but no. It meant American football, and Sierra is the team’s quarterback–and the only girl on the team. But she’s her mother’s daughter, so that doesn’t phase her at all.

Despite being a doctor, Drew always has time for football practice, friends, and for Nicole. I’m not sure how realistic that, but it made for a good story. It meant that there were plenty of opportunities for Drew and Nicole (and Sierra) to spend time together, and to overcome Nicole’s hesitance about another relationship.

Nicole is the third book in Sarah Monzon’s Sewing in So-Cal series. I’ve read the first (Molly), but haven’t read the second (Jocelyn, although it’s on my Kindle to-read pile). However, I don’t think I missed anything in Nicole from not having read Jocelyn. After all, they’re romantic comedy. We know the hero and heroine are going to end up together. We’re reading to be entertained as we watch them get their happy-ever-after.

And Nicole is certainly entertaining.

The writing is funny without bringing in the cringe factor, the characters are excellent, and the story touches on relevant contemporary issues, such as taking a knee in sport (something this non-American 100% doesn’t understand. Isn’t kneeling supposed to be a sign of submission?). I also loved seeing a main character on the plus-size side of humanity, but who wasn’t continually wishing she was a size 2.

I recommend Nicole by @MonzonWrites for anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy with a little bit of real life thrown in. #ChristianFiction #CleanRomance Share on X

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy with a little bit of real life thrown in.

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

About Sarah Monzon

A Carol award finalist and Selah award winner, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.

Find Sarah online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Nicole

Who has time to date when she’s trying to raise a miniature human by herself AND save the planet from its irresponsible inhabitants? Not to mention my winning personality (snort) and my curves-have-curves figure (eyeroll) don’t exactly attract the opposite sex. Unfortunately, none of these reasons have stopped my best friends and SoCal sewing sisters from taking on the archaic role of matchmakers, and they’re not beneath a little bribery if that’s what it takes to get my cooperation. Let’s just say everyone has their weak spot, and donations to my favourite charities is mine.

If I were to consider a romantic relationship, my dream guy certainly wouldn’t be immature, everything-is-a-game Dr. Drew Bauer. The man raises my body temperature faster than global warming does the Earth’s! But life seems determined to keep throwing us together, especially now that one of my SoCal sewing sisters is engaged to his best friend, in which case there can only be one of two outcomes:

1. I kill him in a fit of annoyance.

2. My common sense escapes me, and I fall in love with him.

Honestly, I’m not sure which would be worse.

You can find Nicole online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

4 January 2021

Book Review | For the Love of Joy by Janet W Ferguson

Davis Donnelly has spent the last few years studying to work in Christian ministry after a bomb ended his military service. First, he has to sort out his marital status: is he divorced from Joy Lynn Jennings, or are they still married?

Joy Donnelly is an ICU nurse with an energetic two-year-old son who spends her spare time (!) studying to become a nurse practitioner so she can get more regular hours and give her son a better life.

When Joy gets a call to say her son Hankie has been “released” from daycare for bad behaviour, she knows she needs to find a babysitter, and quickly. But her day goes from bad to worse when Hankie escapes their third-floor apartment, she meets her ex outside, trips, and lands in surgery.

Davis helps, getting her to hospital and offering her a free place to recover … and his help with babysitting Hankie.

I will say that I’m not a fan of the secret baby plot, so it bugged me to find that Joy had never even told the baby’s father (not Davis) that she was pregnant. But Davis’s attitude towards Hankie blunted my annoyance, especially when we found out Davis’s own issues with caring for small boys.

The other thing that bugged me was the overabundance of quirky Southernisms. The first couple were amusing, then they got annoying, then I started ignoring them so I could focus on the story.

And it was a good story, especially once Joy and Davis arrive in St. Simons.

Here, Joy meets David’s friends and slowly learns that Christianity is more than the judgement pumped into her as a child and teen.

Instead, we see Christians living as the Bible asks us to live – loving our neighbours and looking after widows and orphans in their distress. Janet L Ferguson’s characters are Christians who do the hard things, rather than just praying and tithing and hoping others will do the hard things (not that I’m down on praying and tithing. But real faith is about living from the heart, not the rule book).

For the Love of Joy by Janet L Ferguson shows characters are Christians who do the hard things. Recommended #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

Those who have read Janet L Ferguson’s earlier books set in St. Simons will recognise several of the characters, particularly Rivers and Connor. It’s good to see them again.

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

About Janet W Ferguson

Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served her church as a children’s minister and a youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.

Click here to read my interview with Janet W Ferguson.

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About For the Love of Joy

Is he married or isn’t he?

Years ago, a Dear John letter and then an IED explosion overseas rocked Davis Donnelly’s world and left him unclear about his marital status. He’d signed divorce papers, but broken mentally and physically, he’d never bothered to find out if his marriage actually ended. Now that he’s about to start a new position as an outreach minister, it’s time to settle things once and for all. At the moment he tracks down his wife—or former wife?—she takes a tumble while chasing a little boy. Her son. And that’s when life flips upside down.

Joy Jennings Donnelly made her share of mistakes. But one thing she never considered a mistake was her child, and she’ll do anything to protect him. Even keep his paternity a secret.

When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her.

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