Category: Book Review

30 January 2020

Bok Review | No Less Days by Amanda G Stevens

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today I’m resharing one of my favourite not-romance reads from 2018, No Less Days by Amanda G Stevens. The sequel, From Sky to Sky, has just been published, and I’ll share my review next week.

This is one of those rare series you have to read in order. Also, you’ll enjoy From Sky to Sky a lot more if you’ve read No Less Days recently I haven’t read it for close to two years, and I have to say I would have enjoyed From Sky to Sky more if I had remembered more of the detail from No Less Days.

About No Less Days

David Galloway can’t die.

How many lifetimes can God expect one man to live? Over a century old, David Galloway isolates himself from the mortal humans who die or desert him by making a quiet life as a used bookstore owner in Northern Michigan. But then he spots a news article about a man who, like him, should be dead.

Daredevil celebrity Zachary Wilson walked away unscathed from what should have been a deadly fall. David tracks the man down, needing answers. Soon David discovers a close-knit group of individuals as old as he is who offer the sort of kinship and community he hasn’t experienced for decades—but at what cost?

David finds himself keeping secrets other than his own. . .protecting more than himself alone. He’ll have to decide what’s worth the most to him—security or community. When crimes come to light that are older than any mortal, he fears the pressure is more than he can stand. What does God require of him, and is David strong enough to see it through?

My Thoughts

No Less Days is not contemporary romance, although it does have a minor romance subplot. I suspect most novels could be improved with the addition of a minor romance subplot …

David Galloway is 167 years old, but looks thirty-five, thanks to a doctor who saved his life over 130 years ago. He’s survived five major wars, and now makes a living selling second-hand and antique books. He thinks he’s the only one of his kind until he sees a news story about a daredevil who falls to his death crossing the Grand Canyon, yet miraculously survives.

David is curious. There is no way this daredevil, Zachary Wilson, could have survived that fall. Is there someone else like David? He goes to Nevada to find out the truth, and finds something unexpected: he is not alone.

Like I said, No Less Days isn’t the usual book I review.

But if there were more Christian novels like this, I’d read and review them because No Less Days was excellent. A unique hook: the man who lives forever. Great characters: David, Zac, Tiana. A moral dilemma to work through. And lots of amusing insights from a man who has lived longer than he should.

The story of No Less Days is told entirely from David’s viewpoint, and that’s one of the strengths. Learning things about the Longevites as David learns them gives the sense of being in the story. The writing is excellent, and while this story comes to a complete and satisfying end, there is certainly scope to turn No Less Days into a series.

I recommend No Less Days for fans of TV shows like Fringe and forever who’d love to see more Christian fiction delve into these areas of the unknown.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing for providing a free book for review.

About Amanda G Stevens

As a child, Amanda G. Stevens disparaged Mary Poppins and Stuart Little because they could never happen. Now, she writes speculative fiction. She is the author of the Haven Seekers series, and her debut Seek and Hide was a 2015 INSPY Award finalist. She lives in Michigan and loves trade paperbacks, folk music, the Golden Era of Hollywood, and white cheddar popcorn.

Book Review | Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M White

Arabelle Denler is twenty-five, and is nursing in London in 1918 while her fiance, Edmund Braxton, serves in the British Army. It’s more a match of convenience than love, but it’s a match she means to follow through with. It’s her only chance of love and family.

Phillip Camden is better known as Black Heart since he apparently killed his entire squadron. Even though the Admiralty don’t seem to blame him, someone does—if the death threats are real. But he has a more immediate problem: his younger sister needs to marry Edmund Braxton. Now.

This means Arabelle is now an unattached heiress, the target of every fortune hunter in London. Camden offers to protect her, by pretending he’s her beau. That works in terms of keeping the “gentlemen” away, but Camden’s reputation brings Arabelle problems in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Camden has his own problems—the death threats, his intelligence work, and his reputation. As such, the novel has several threads which all work together to produce an outstanding historical romantic suspense.

Roseanna M White continues to impress me.

Each novel is excellent, and each novel is better than the previous story. Her research is outstanding, yet never overpowers the story. I’ve always been fascinated with codes and codebreakers, which is part of the appeal of White’s novels. Her characters have real problems, yet always turn to God (willingly or unwillingly) for their solution. As such, her stories have a strong Christian thread I enjoy.

On the Wings of Devotion is the second book in The Codebreakers series, following The Number of Love. You’ll probably want to read that first, but it’s not necessary.

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 Wings of Devotion

All of England thinks Phillip Camden a monster–a man who deliberately caused the deaths of his squadron. But as nurse Arabelle Denler watches the so-dubbed “Black Heart” every day, she sees something far different: a hurting man desperate for mercy. And when their paths twist together and he declares himself her new protector, she realizes she has her own role to play in his healing.

Phillip Camden would have preferred to die that day with his squadron rather than be recruited to the Admiralty’s codebreaking division. The threats he receives daily are no great surprise and, in his opinion, well deserved. What comes as a shock is the reborn desire to truly live that Arabelle inspires in him.

But when an old acquaintance shows up and seems set on using him in a plot that has the codebreakers of Room 40 in a frenzy, new affections are put to the test.

Find Wings of Devotion online:

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Read the introduction to Wings of Devotion:

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23 January 2020

Book Review | All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner

Annie Jacobson is eighteen, the middle child with an older and a younger brother. The Vietnam War is in full swing, and her older brother, Mike, is about to enlist in the army rather than waiting to get drafted. As predicted, their mother isn’t happy with the idea because their father fought in Korea and was never the same. He abandoned them twelve years ago, when Annie was six, without saying goodbye.

All Manner of Things isn’t a typical novel.

There’s no big drama, just a lot of smaller dramas. It’s a story about life, family, and love, set against the backdrop of an idyllic version of 1960s small-town America. It’s almost too idyllic—Annie and her family watch war protests and hippies and race riots on television, but nothing like that comes to their town. Their war hero is welcomed home (although David, who has just moved into town, does experience some racism).

The story is told in first person from Annie’s point of view, interspersed with letters to and from Mike and other characters. The writing style is tight and understated. There are no excess words. And that’s the strength of the story: it’s experienced, not told.

It’s a strong and profound novel that touches on various themes: love, family, healing, reconciliation, loss.

All Manner of Things by @SusieFinkbeiner is a powerful historical novel, recommended for those interested in Vietman-era fiction. Recommended. #ChristianFiction Share on X

There’s no obvious plot, no noticeable three-act structure, no big stakes, no major conflict, no significant character change. Annie starts the story as a well-raised, hard-working, sensitive teenager, and she finishes the story the same way. She grows, but not in a way that can easily be put into words.

The writing is outstanding, but it’s not one of those books with lots of quotable lines.

There are flashes of insight, but they only make sense in the context of the story. Outside the story, they’re just words. Yet it’s compelling. It took me a while to pick up and begin All Manner of Things, but once I got to Chapter Two, I didn’t want to put it down.

I think the story is best summarised by the Julian of Norwich quote at the beginning:

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

(Julian was a fourteenth-century mystic—a woman, despite the name.)

Recommended for those looking for a novel set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, or those looking for understated yet powerful historical fiction.

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

About Susie Finkbeiner

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She serves on the Breathe Christian Writers Conference planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women’s events across the state. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

Find Susie Finkbeiner online at:

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About All Manner of Things

When Annie Jacobson’s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.

In Mike’s absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike’s safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.

Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family’s home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined.

Find All Manner of Things online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Kobo | Koorong

Read the introduction to All Manner of Things below:

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

20 January 2020

Book Review | Star Rising (Coastal Hearts #4) by Janet W Ferguson

Star Youngblood is rebuilding her life.

A horrible childhood sent her into alcoholism and addiction. She’s now a Christian, has been sober for a year, and is supporting herself by working as an aide and housekeeper for the elderly Mrs. Kelly, who has become surrogate mother. Star’s troubles start when Mrs. Kelly has a heart attack. Her son, Paul, returns and takes an instant dislike to Star.

Then Mrs. Kelly decides she wants to complete the trip she’d planned to take with her husband—to Ireland. She invites Star along as her caregiver, a move which raises Paul’s ire and suspicion. He ends up tagging along, more to keep an eye on Star than to care for his mother.

Star has problems, but she has identified them, is working on them, and most are a direct or indirect result of her childhood mistreatment. While I couldn’t Star’s background from personal knowledge (thankfully), I could respect and admire her progress into becoming the woman God created her to be. Paul Kelly? Not so much.

I will admit that I had a lot of unChristian feelings for Paul.

Sure, he’d given up on Christianity, but he’d also turned into an unkind and suspicious person. I also suspected he never had a deep Christian faith to begin with, as the event that caused him to lose his faith didn’t seem a big enough deal to abandon faith in God. (Abandon the church, sure. But not God.) That low baseline meant Paul had a lot of room to grow and improve— and he had a lot of improving to do if he was going to be worthy of Star.

Janet Ferguson did a brilliant job of redeeming Paul.

By the end I was convinced that he and Star would make a great couple. This is a credit to the excellent writing. Overall, Star Rising is an excellent example of Christian romance, with an emphasis on the “Christian”. The Christian elements are well integrated into the plot so they’re essential, but never preachy.

Recommended.

Note that Star Rising is the third novel in the Coast Hearts series, but can easily be read as a standalone story.

Star Rising by @JanetwFerguson is another excellent example of Christian fiction showing the challenges new Christians face, and their victory over their pasts. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

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.

Find Janet W Ferguson online at:

About Star Rising

Star Youngblood has always been a fighter–a necessity after her mother married a monster of a man. Now, she’s finally on the path to the stable life she’s always wanted. Her employer, Priscilla Kelly, is a sweet woman ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis, and Star will do anything to help her. Even if that means going toe to toe with Mrs. Kelly’s neglectful son.

After being betrayed on the mission field and devastated by the tragic death of his father, Paul Kelly gave up on God. He lives life on his own terms, biding his time as a corporate pilot until he can save enough money to begin his own flight school closer to home. His mother is all he has left, and he wants to be near her. He just didn’t expect her health to decline so quickly. When he discovers his mother has taken in a stray—a woman he’s not at all sure can be trusted—his protective instincts kick into high gear. Paul’s handled a lot of turbulence, but he’s never gone up against a force like Star.

As Paul and Star strive to protect his mother in their own ways, they soon find their own hearts are at the greatest risk.

Find Star Rising online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Star Rising below:

16 January 2020

#ThrowbackThursday | Book Review | The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings

Australian author David Rawlings has just won a 2019 Christy Award for his debut novel, The Baggage Handler, so I wanted to find out how his second novel fared in comparison.

Personally, I think it’s even better.

Now, not everyone will agree with me. One of the strengths of The Baggage Handler was that so many readers could find themselves in one of the three characters: the ambitious businessman, the harried housewife, the teen trying to find his own definition of success. The Camera Never Lies has a narrower set of characters, but I found them just as relateable. And they’re still asking a universal question:

What would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you?

The Camera Never Lies is the story of a successful marriage counsellor who refuses to face up to the issues in his own marriage, despite his “No Secrets” tagline. Daniel Whiteley inherits his grandfather’s camera, an old-fashioned film model, the kind where the pictures are true and can’t be manipulated with filters or PhotoShop.

As Simon in the photo shop says, the camera never lies.

Or so he thinks. Because when Daniel looks at the photographs, he’s sure they’re not the photos he took. So what are these photos? This is where the slight speculative element comes in, as we discover the camera is a little magical. It captures truth, but not the truth we see …

The Camera Never Lies isn’t overt Christian fiction.

It never mentions God or Jesus or church or prayer. But it is definitely a story built on Christian principles—honesty, integrity, and the importance of internal character over the external trappings of success. As such, it’s both a great story, and a great gift … especially for people who would never pick up a Christian novel.

Recommended.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About David Rawlings

David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father-of-three who loves humor and a clever turn-of-phrase.

Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication.

Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face. That starts with his debut novel – The Baggage Handler – a contemporary story that explores one question: What baggage are you carrying?

Find David Rawlings online at:

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About The Camera Never Lies

Daniel, Kelly, and Milly appear to be the perfect family. But an old camera will expose secrets no one wants developed.

Daniel Whitely is a successful marriage counselor and bestselling author, yet his own marriage is in crisis and his daughter is drifting further away each day. To make matters worse, the deadline for his second book has come and gone, and he still hasn’t written a single word.

When Daniel inherits an old camera from his grandfather, he notices an inscription on the bottom: “No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies.”

Daniel begins using the camera, but every time he develops his photos, they threaten to reveal secrets that could sabotage both his marriage and his career—exposing him as a fraud and destroying the life he has worked so hard to build.

He’s faced with a choice: keep his secrets and save his career or come clean and possibly save his family. Which will he choose? Which would you choose?

Find The Camera Never Lies online:

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26 December 2019

#ThrowbackThursday | Carry Me Away by Dorothy Adamek

Miss Ada Carmichael and her family are immigrating to Australia on the Black Swallow. Tom Darley is a member of the crew. They are about to become the only two survivors of a tragic shipwreck, and turns them into national darlings.

But Ada doesn’t want to be a national darling.

She wants to escape, hide, and stay hidden. She’s had bad experiences with the press, and knows how the newspapers twist the truth for their own ends. Tom Pearce has ambitions that mean he wants to court the press—especially when someone offers him his dream.

It’s an original and well-plotted story, with twists, turns, and hidden depths.

There are also hidden depths in the characters, and it’s wonderful to see Ada change and mature as the story progresses. This is definitely Ada’s story: she is the one with the most hurts in her past, and she is the one who has to find the strength to move past those hurts and transform … much like the silkworms she nurtures.

I’m always a fan of well-researched historical fiction that’s true to the timeframe and has a link to a historical event. As the Author Note at the end of Carry Me Away shows, Dorothy Adamek has done her research, and has seamlessly incorporated several real-live events into her story. There really was a shipwreck and ther really were only two survivors. There really was a court case about a betrothal, a local lady did raise silkworms, and and there a Chinese hawker supplied the residents of Phillip Island with tea and spices.

As such, Carry Me Away is a treat for fans of authentic historical fiction, with an original plot, likeable characters, and beautiful writing.

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

About Dorothy Adamek

Australian author, Dorothy Adamek, writes Displacement Fiction ~ the stories of people upended by trauma and tragedy, and the struggle to belong in their new worlds. Couched in romance, her fiction is set in the late Victorian era.

Author of the Blue Wren Shallows trilogy, she lives at Crabapple House in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three children, twenty fruit trees and Gilbert the Cat.

A graduate of La Trobe University, Dorothy studied Literature, History and Education. She taught secondary school English and English As A Second Language. She loves black and white floors, collects blue and white china, and makes apricot jam every summer.

Her favourite holiday destination is Phillip Island, the real life setting of the Blue Wren Shallows trilogy.

Find Dorothy Adamek online at:

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About Carry Me Away

Inspired by the incredible true story of an Australian shipwreck and those who survived to tell the tale.

When the Black Swallow sinks off the Australian coast in 1877, Australian midshipman Tom Darley rescues English passenger Ada Carmichael from the disaster that claims her entire family. News of the only two survivors enchants the world, but Ada needs to hide before secrets and old foes find her. Tom is chasing big dreams of a crumbling house he will convert into a small hotel ~ but the promising start he’s acquired now sits at the bottom of the sea.

Inexplicably entangled, Ada and Tom lean upon each other to make sense of the tragedy that’s displaced them. But when scheming journalists observe their affection they drag Tom into life-altering riches and a news-worthy romance he cannot resist. So he arranges for Ada’s protection where only he might find her ~ the quiet Phillip Island farm of his friends Shadrach and Finella Jones.

And that’s where real trouble finds them. When heroic promises fail to shelter, and love refuses to be silenced, only surrender will pluck Ada and Tom from where life has wrecked them.

Read the introduction to Carry Me Away below:

23 December 2019

Book Review | Bitter Pill by Richard Mabry

I wanted to read this as soon as I read the book description, so I was thrilled when Dr. Mabry offered to send me a review copy. And it was as good as I’d hoped.

Bob Bannister is a charlatan. He’s a preacher with a healing ministry, but something goes wrong when he finds the woman he prayed for wasn’t his paid shill. Did she actually get healed? Abby Davis is a Christian doctor in town, a family practitioner faced with a growing number of elderly patients with elderly issues, and who is running into problems as a result. Scott Anderson is a medical doctor who abandoned medicine and went to seminary following the death of his wife. He’s now struggling to share God’s word in his new role as assistant pastor.

Three people, each struggling in their own way, but united in that their struggles all relate to the link between faith and medicine. Those struggles are the “bitter pill” of the title, a reminder that we all go through struggles as Christians, but struggles are how we grow.

Bitter Pill is a novel about character growth and change.

It’s not the typical Richard Mabry novel. Sure, it’s got the medical setting, but it’s not medical suspense in the same way as his previous novels (no bodies on the driveway in Chapter One). It also has a stronger faith aspect than some of his previous novels, with a valuable message.

Recommended.

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

About Richard Mabry

I’m a retired physician who, in addition to writing, is a husband and grandfather, plays (and enjoys) golf, and does the hundred-and-one other things that retired people do.

I got into non-medical writing after the death of my first wife with my book, THE TENDER SCAR: LIFE AFTER THE DEATH OF A SPOUSE. I’m gratified that it continues to help those who have lost a loved one.

Now I’m writing what I call “medical suspense with heart.” My novels have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Award, Romantic Times’ Best Inspirational Novel and their Reviewer’s Choice Award, have won the Selah award, and been named by Christian Retailing as the best in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

You can find Dr Richard Mabry online at:

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About Bitter Pill

Things were going along just fine. Until the miracle fouled them up.

“Brother” Bob Bannister is content with his life and his itinerant healing ministry, until one night he finds that the woman who walks off the stage under her own power isn’t one of his shills. At that point, doubts begin to intrude on his previously untroubled existence.

Dr. Abby Davis is tired of her family practice and at odds with God. Dealing with critically ill and dying patients has crushed her spirit to the point she’s ready to quit. But she soon realizes that there’s more to healing than ministering to the physical body.

Scott Anderson was the oldest graduate of his seminary class. Then again, most of them hadn’t turned away from a medical practice, hoping to atone for past mistakes (including his wife’s death) by ministering to men’s souls. Now he hopes he hasn’t made a colossal mistake in switching careers.

Each of these individuals becomes linked to the other, and each finds that God has a purpose for them—but, as it often does, the lesson comes with discomfort.

Find Bitter Pill online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Bitter Pill below:

19 December 2019

Throwback Thursday | Synapse by Steven James

Synapse is a difficult novel to review. Parts were excellent. Parts were not excellent. And parts were downright weird.

Let’s start with what I thought was excellent. Synapse is set in the future—2037. Humanoid robots are commonplace, as are the Purists, terrorists who seek to destroy the Artificials before Artificials destroy humanity (a valid concern for anyone who has seen a Terminator movie).

Synapse by Steven James is a difficult novel to review. Parts were excellent. Parts were not excellent. And parts were downright weird. #ChristianThriller #ScienceFiction Share on X

The main character, Kestrel, is a Methodist minister, and that gives lots of room to muse in the nature of humanity, whether a sentient robot has a soul or can believe in God or needs forgiveness for their sins.

There are some big questions around artificial life forms at this level, and Synapse addresses them all in a natural way.

But that’s not the plot. The basic plot is more mundane—there’s a bombing, our heroine is one of the first on the scene, and that naturally brings her to the attention of the investigating officers. Predictably, one is single (well, divorced) and interested in her (but has to get past his own issues first), and the other is a dirty cop. Yawn. Sorry, but that’s one plot line I’m kind of over.

So the underlying novel is the search for the truth about the bombing, and will the good cop find out the truth before the bad cop destroys all the evidence and implicates Kestrel. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but I found the bad cop a little cliché, and the writing in those scenes somewhat bland.

Then there’s Kestrel.

She’s in mourning, as she’s just lost her baby in childbirth. And that’s where the book gets weird. It starts in second person as Kestrel gives birth and realises her baby is not okay. Honestly, I almost stopped reading there—using “you” (meaning me, the reader) would have been weird in any context, but in the context of a mother losing her baby? Beyond weird.

The other weird thing was around Jordan, Kestrel’s Artificial (aka sentient humanoid robot). Jordan’s scenes were written in first person present tense, and that was somewhat jarring next to the rest of the novel. But it was interesting to see Jordan’s point of view, limited as it was.

Overall, Synapse is a futuristic whodunit that uses enough common tropes to make it familiar despite the futuristic setting. While I didn’t wholeheartedly enjoy Synapse, it was a fascinating concept that asked some serious questions about the nature of God, humanity, and salvation.

Recommended for science fiction fans.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Steven James

Steven James is the critically acclaimed, national bestselling author of sixteen novels.

His work has been optioned by ABC Studios and praised by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the New York Journal of Books, and many others. His pulse-pounding, award-winning thrillers are known for their intricate storylines and insightful explorations of good and evil.

When he’s not working on his next book, he’s either teaching master classes on writing throughout the country, trail running, or sneaking off to catch a matinee.

Find Steven James online at:

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About Synapse

Thirty years in the future, when AI is so advanced that humans live side by side with cognizant robots called Artificials, Kestrel Hathaway must come to terms not just with what machines know, but with what they believe.

Soon after experiencing a personal tragedy, Kestrel witnesses a terrorist attack and is drawn into a world of conspiracies and lies that she and Jordan, her Artificial, have to untangle. With a second, more brutal attack looming on the horizon, their best chance of stopping it is teaming up with federal counterterrorism agent Nick Vernon. But the clock is ticking—and all the while, Jordan is asking questions Artificials were never meant to ask.

Deftly weaving suspense and intrigue into a rich, resonant tale that explores faith and what it really means to be human, Steven James offers us a glimpse into the future—and into our own hearts.

Synapse is an unforgettable, gripping story of dreams shattered, truth revealed, and hope reborn.

Find Synapse online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Synapse below:

Click her to find Synapse and other great Christian fiction at my Amazon shop.

16 December 2019

Book Review | Falling for the Foe by Milla Holt

Nia Asaba is an Ugandan health worker with strong opinions about the ethics of big pharmaceutical companies, opinions which often get her in trouble. But she thinks it’s more important to ensure the people of her country have access to affordable and reliable HIV/AIDS medication and care.

Magnus Klassen is the CEO of Nordic Wind Pharmaceuticals, developers of a revolutionary new HIV treatment. But their stock prices are falling, due to bad publicity following a post from a random blogger named Nia Asaba.

So it’s up to Marcus to visit Uganda and try and reverse the effects of the bad publicity by offering the Ugandan government some of their new vaccine.

Of course, Nia and Marcus are thrown together, and sparks fly as they’re united by their combined passion for good healthcare and all things Jane Austen (I have to love a hero who reads and loves Jane Austen, and who finds Emma Woodhouse as annoying as I do).

Falling for the Foe is an excellent first novel.

It has a unique plot and setting, which places a fascinating spin on what could have been a mundane repetition of the falling-for-the-billionaire trope (no, it’s not my favourite). But I do love intelligent and strong-minded heroines, which is why liked Nia from the get-go and wanted only good things to happen to her (but this is a romance novel, and we know a good romance never runs smoothly).

I especially liked the way Marcus’s backstory was introduced. Our first impulse was to not like him for the way he’d ignored Nia at university, then didn’t even remember her. But, as we got to know him, we found there were good reasons why Marcus didn’t remember Nia, and that brought us back to wanting him to succeed.

But the price of Marcus’s success might be Nia’s failure, which gives the novel plenty of conflict, and a great I-told-you-so ending.

This is the first book in a series, and the second will deal with Marcus’s widowed brother, Ragnar. I’m already looking forward to it!

About Milla Holt

I’m thrilled that you stopped by, and hope you’ll enjoy your visit at my online home!

I write inspirational romance with an international twist, with stories that uplift and encourage. Heroes with honor and integrity and strong, can-do heroines are my thing. And the good guys always get their happy ending. My fiction reflects my Christian faith.

I’m not a fan of writing about myself, but here goes. I used to be a lot of things: a journalist, a communications manager for a health activist group, and a freelance copywriter.

Before all that, I was a diplomatic brat, trailing along as my mother’s job took us to various diverse locations around the world.

Now, I’m homeschooling my children in the east of England and devoting every spare moment to writing.

Find Milla Holt online at:

Website | Facebook

About Falling for the Foe

She can’t stand him. He blames her for his company’s woes. Now, they have to work together.

Nia has devoted her career to fighting for life-saving medicines for Ugandans with HIV. But when first-line treatments begin to fail, she must find a new source of affordable drugs before patients start to die. Too bad she just publicly bashed the head of a pharma company that owns a powerful new anti-HIV drug.

Magnus is poised to market a game-changing HIV drug, but an avalanche of bad PR threatens to destroy his company’s reputation and kill his bottom line. When he travels to Uganda to boost his social justice credentials, he’s not expecting to feel such a deep attraction to the woman whose viral blog post led to all his troubles.

To get what they want they must work together. He’s out to rescue his company and she’s trying to save lives. Neither dreamed their hearts would be on the line.

Find Falling for the Foe online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Falling for the Foe below:

12 December 2019

#ThrowbackThursday | Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today I’m resharing my review of Lizzy and Jane, Katharine Reay’s excellent second novel. Recommended for all foodies!

About Lizzy and Jane

Lizzy and Jane couldn’t be further from Jane Austen’s famous sisters for whom they are named.

Elizabeth left her family’s home in Seattle fifteen years ago to pursue her lifelong dream—chefing her own restaurant in New York City. Jane stayed behind to raise a family. Estranged since their mother’s death many years ago, the circumstances of their lives are about to bring them together once again.

Known for her absolute command of her culinary domain, Elizabeth’s gifts in the kitchen have begun to elude her. And patrons and reviewers are noticing. In need of some rest and an opportunity to recover her passion for cooking, Elizabeth jumps at the excuse to rush to her sister’s bedside when Jane is diagnosed with cancer. After all, Elizabeth did the same for their mother. Perhaps this time, it will make a difference.

As Elizabeth pours her renewed energy into her sister’s care and into her burgeoning interest in Nick, Jane’s handsome coworker, her life begins to evolve from the singular pursuit of her own dream into the beautiful world of family, food, literature, and love that was shattered when she and Jane lost their mother. Will she stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane—and Elizabeth to Nick’s Mr. Darcy—or will she return to the life she has worked so hard to create?

My Review

Elizabeth is the head chef at Feast, a chic New York restaurant. But she’s losing her touch, and when her boss brings in a celebrity chef/marketing expert to restore Feast’s reputation, Elizabeth decides it’s time for a break. She heads to Seattle, Washington, to a home and a father she’s barely seen since she left sixteen years ago. And she heads to an older sister who’s undergoing treatment for breast cancer, the same cancer that killed their mother during Lizzie’s senior year in high school.

Lizzy & Jane has links to Austen, in that sisters Jane and Elizabeth are named for the heroines of their mother’s favourite novel.

It had all the strong writing and characterisation of Dear Mr. Knightley, with the added bonus of an original and compelling plot. Elizabeth has some deep-seated resentment towards Jane, who was never around while their mother was dying. While Elizabeth is in Seattle helping Jane face her health crisis, Elizabeth is also facing her own personal crisis, a crisis of identity and self-belief around her cooking. It’s the one thing she’s always excelled at, yet even that talent seems to be failing her.

There are touches of romance and an underlying Christian theme, but Lizzy & Jane is very much women’s fiction, Lizzy’s story of personal, professional (and spiritual) rediscovery. Recommended.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Katharine Reay

About Katherine Reay

Katherine 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.

About No Less Days

David Galloway can’t die.

My Thoughts

Like I said, No Less Days isn’t the usual book I review.

About Amanda G Stevens

You can find Amanda G Stevens online at:

You can find No Less Days online at:

You can read the introduction to No Less Days below:

Roseanna M White continues to impress me.

About Roseanna M White

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About Wings of Devotion

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Read the introduction to Wings of Devotion:

All Manner of Things isn’t a typical novel.

It’s a strong and profound novel that touches on various themes: love, family, healing, reconciliation, loss.

The writing is outstanding, but it’s not one of those books with lots of quotable lines.

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

About Susie Finkbeiner

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About All Manner of Things

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Read the introduction to All Manner of Things below:

Star Youngblood is rebuilding her life.

I will admit that I had a lot of unChristian feelings for Paul.

Janet Ferguson did a brilliant job of redeeming Paul.

Recommended.

About Janet W Ferguson

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About Star Rising

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Read the introduction to Star Rising below:

What would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you?

As Simon in the photo shop says, the camera never lies.

The Camera Never Lies isn’t overt Christian fiction.

About David Rawlings

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About The Camera Never Lies

Daniel, Kelly, and Milly appear to be the perfect family. But an old camera will expose secrets no one wants developed.

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But Ada doesn’t want to be a national darling.

It’s an original and well-plotted story, with twists, turns, and hidden depths.

As such, Carry Me Away is a treat for fans of authentic historical fiction, with an original plot, likeable characters, and beautiful writing.

About Dorothy Adamek

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About Carry Me Away

Inspired by the incredible true story of an Australian shipwreck and those who survived to tell the tale.

Read the introduction to Carry Me Away below:

Bitter Pill is a novel about character growth and change.

About Richard Mabry

You can find Dr Richard Mabry online at:

About Bitter Pill

Things were going along just fine. Until the miracle fouled them up.

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Read the introduction to Bitter Pill below:

Synapse is a difficult novel to review. Parts were excellent. Parts were not excellent. And parts were downright weird.

There are some big questions around artificial life forms at this level, and Synapse addresses them all in a natural way.

Then there’s Kestrel.

Recommended for science fiction fans.

About Steven James

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About Synapse

Thirty years in the future, when AI is so advanced that humans live side by side with cognizant robots called Artificials, Kestrel Hathaway must come to terms not just with what machines know, but with what they believe.

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Read the introduction to Synapse below:

So it’s up to Marcus to visit Uganda and try and reverse the effects of the bad publicity by offering the Ugandan government some of their new vaccine.

Falling for the Foe is an excellent first novel.

But the price of Marcus’s success might be Nia’s failure, which gives the novel plenty of conflict, and a great I-told-you-so ending.

About Milla Holt

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About Falling for the Foe

She can’t stand him. He blames her for his company’s woes. Now, they have to work together.

Find Falling for the Foe online at:

Read the introduction to Falling for the Foe below:

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today I’m resharing my review of Lizzy and Jane, Katharine Reay’s excellent second novel. Recommended for all foodies!

About Lizzy and Jane

My Review

Lizzy & Jane has links to Austen, in that sisters Jane and Elizabeth are named for the heroines of their mother’s favourite novel.

About Katharine Reay

About Katherine Reay