Tag: 2020 Release

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #311 | Second Chance Sweethearts by Liwen Y Ho

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading the Small Town Love anthology, and I’m up to Second Chance Sweethearts by Liwen Y Ho. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

One line ... one line. Please, let it be one line.

 

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

 

About Second Chance Sweethearts

Two former high school sweethearts get a surprising second chance at love.

Missy Clark left small town life and her first love when she went away to college. Five years later, she returns to Sun Valley with a secret that’s sure to tarnish her reputation.

Nate Dawson never stopped loving Missy when she left home. Answered prayers have brought her back into his life, but the consequences she bears may destroy their second chance at love.

Can these sweethearts regain the innocence of the past and find hope and healing in the Lord for their future?

Find Second Chance Sweethearts online at:

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #305 | In Spite of Ourselves by Jennifer Rodewald

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. The box set of the first three books in Jennifer Rodewald’s Murphy Brothers series was free last weekend.
I’ve already finished the first in the series (Always You), and I’m looking forward to reading the next book this weekend. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:
Of all the ways he could have imagined this weekend going, this had never entered his mind. Not once.

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

About In Spite of Ourselves

Who could build a life on such a monumental mistake?

Jackson Murphy: family prankster, class clown… and now, smack in the middle of a Vegas-sized mess. All he’d wanted was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. After failing that goal, he slipped into a deep, sulking valley, only to emerge from it with a much bigger problem. He’s married. To a complete stranger! Forget making a world-class marathon so that his family will believe that (1) he’s capable of being grown up and serious on occasion and (2) he doesn’t need the ongoing pity about his brother and a certain ex-girlfriend. Now? Now he has no idea what to do.

Mackenzie Murphy: independent woman and excellent student—but not a med student. Because those pesky MCATs were H-A-R-D. She doesn’t particularly mind that much, seeing as she’s never really wanted to be a doctor, but her mother will be…uh, displeased. Exceptionally. That’s nothing, however, compared to how Mother will respond if she finds out what else happened in Vegas.

Mackenzie wants out. Jackson wants a chance. Neither of them is prepared for what’s coming. Caught in the middle of a disaster that keeps getting bigger, they hardly dare ask: Can God take their monumental mistake and turn it into a beautiful life?

Find In Spite of Ourselves online at:

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Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #298 | The Fault in Firelight by Emily Dana Botrous

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I recently bought The Fault in Firelight by Emily Dana Botrous on sale based on the recommendation of one of my newsletter subscribers. I’m a trivia fan, so this first line has definitely got me hooked:

“Next question. What company makes Twinkies?”

Have you read any novels by Emily Dana Botrous? What did you think?

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

 

About The Fault in Firelight

He knows the pain of betrayal. She has a past that could ruin her future. What can heal their brokenness?

Tony Coniglio loves being single again and the freedom that comes with it. But when he’s pressured to ask out the next available woman, he agrees, just to get his family off his back—even though she’s the town’s all-too-serious cop.

Officer Stacy Kallisto is by the book. Maybe it’s because she once broke the rules and has regretted it ever since. When trouble around town leaves Stacy searching for the culprit, she keeps running into Tony, the one man who wants to know more about her than she wants to share.

As sparks fly and secrets are revealed, Stacy wonders if there’s room in her heart for a man so different from herself—and for the God she wrote off long ago.

Find The Fault in Firelight online at:

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Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #291 | Lavender and Lace by Tara Grace Ericson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’ve heard lots of good things about Tara Grace Ericson’s books, but I think this is the first I’ve bought, so I’m looking forward to it … especially the opposites-attract You’ve Got Mail part!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Lavender's bedroom at Bloom's Farm tripled as an office, film and photography studio, and occasionally--a place to sleep.

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

About Lavender and Lace

In their online writer chatroom, they are getting serious.
In the real world; He thinks she’s shallow, and she thinks he’s out of touch.
When their worlds collide, will their hearts survive?

Lavender Bloom is a social marketing expert and influential fashion blogger. Always focused on the perfect image, she shows the world a flawless version of herself, except to her family and her nameless online best friend. Her broody new client certainly doesn’t understand her or why she prefers to hide behind her computer.

Reclusive author Emmett Drake spends his days writing his award-winning fantasy saga and his nights chatting online with the woman of his dreams. When he is forced to hire an image consultant to please his publisher, he despises everything the woman stands for, even if he sees hidden depths beneath her polished façade.

Lavender is determined to help Emmett embrace the power of social media, convinced he has the platform to make a difference. Meanwhile, he is determined to uncover the woman hiding behind the carefully scripted marketing lingo. Their struggle to find authenticity in a world centered on likes, comments, and shares will challenge them both to embrace God’s purpose for their lives – together.

Return to Bloom’s Farm in Lavender and Lace and embrace the joy of family, faith, and true love in this nostalgic modern nod to the romantic classic, You’ve Got Mail.

Find Lavender and Lace online at:

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Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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How could he choose between his mother's life and a cause that was so close to both their hearts?

Book Review | Shatter the Silence (Harmony Grove #2) by Carol J Post

Domestic violence survivor Tia Jordan runs a women’s shelter in the small town of Harmony Grove, Florida. Everything is going well, especially when she receives the welcome news that her shelter has inherited a property from a local woman—a house that will allow Tia to expand the shelter and protect more women and children.

But this is romantic suspense, so we know things are going to turn to custard soon. First, Tia gets a call from a parole officer to say her abusive ex-husband has been granted early release from prison. Then she meets the dead woman’s grandson, who is none too impressed that he has only inherited the contents of the house, not the house itself. Finally, there is an incident after one of the shelter’s residents accidentally lets slip where she is staying, and her violent ex turns up.

That gives us plenty of potential evildoers.

The different characters (good and bad) and their conflicts added layers to the plot and gave plenty of opportunity for twists. I appreciated the complexity—my complaint about the first novel in the Harmony Grove series (Flee the Darkness) was that it was pretty obvious who the evildoer was, which meant the romantic suspense was mostly about waiting for the inevitable to happen, with little or no surprise.

Shatter the Silence was almost the opposite. While there is an understated romance, the suspense definitely took first place. And that made sense. Tia is an intelligent and capable woman, and I would have thought less of her if she’d made a silly mistake like falling too fast for the first handsome man who looked her way. As a survivor, she needed to give Jason time to prove himself, and she did.

I liked the fact the novel looked at the real-life issue of domestic violence, and how easy it can be for women (and men) to find themselves in an abusive or violent situation.

The other thing I liked was the Christian aspect.

Both Tia and Jason were Christians from the beginning, and their faith was shown by their actions in a range of low-key ways. Overall, Shatter the Silence was an excellent Christian romantic suspense novel with wounded yet believable characters and plenty of twists.

Shatter the Silence by Carol J Post is an excellent Christian romantic suspense novel with wounded yet believable characters and plenty of twists. #BookReview #ChristianFiction Share on X

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

About Carol J Post

Carol J PostFrom 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:

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About Shattered Silence

The hidden wounds bleed the worst…

Tia Jordan almost died at the hands of an abusive, cruel husband and carries the scars, both inside and out. She is using those experiences to help other women and children find solace. Right now, her abused women’s shelter is bursting at the seams. When she learns she’s heir to a huge two-story house outside of town, she thanks God for unexpected blessings, until a grandson shows up with another will, threatening to contest hers.

For the past several months, Jason Sloan has kept his nose to the grindstone, watching his mother’s cancer treatments dwindle away his savings. When he learns the inheritance he counted on has been left to Tia and her shelter, he’s torn. With his mother and him having been forced to flee an abusive situation themselves, Tia’s cause hits too close to home. All disagreements take a back seat, though, when he and Tia find themselves working together to fight an unseen foe. But which one of them is the target?

Find Shatter the Silence online at:

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Read the introduction to Shatter the Silence below:

"I thought grandmothers were supposed to be nice." "She was Italian."

Book Review | Everywhere to Hide by Siri Mitchell

Siri Mitchell is an incredibly versatile writer. She’s written contemporary rom-com (e.g. Kissing Adrien). She’s written historical fiction (e.g. She Walks in Beauty, and her general market novels written as Iris Anthony) and historical romance (e.g. Love Comes Calling). And now she’s writing suspense.

Mitchell’s first suspense novel was State of Lies, which I thought was excellent. Everywhere to Hide is even better.

The main character (and first-person narrator) is Whitney Garrison, who works two jobs while studying for the bar exam in Arlington, Virginia. She’s recently moved to escape an abusive boyfriend, and worries he might find her. But that becomes the least of her worries when she discovers a dead body behind the coffee shop where she works, and sees the likely murderer fleeing the scene.

Whitney suffers from face blindness. She literally can’t remember faces … which is bad for Whitney, but good for the murderer. As such, Whitney’s condition is a major plot point, and brings an extra layer of meaning to the title. Because the murderer literally does have everywhere to hide: Whitney will never be able to pick him out of a lineup.

Things get worse when someone breaks into her new apartment …

Yes, this is a story that starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. It’s full of twists and turns, and is anything but predictable. That’s what I like in a suspense novel. It also has touches of humour (as you can see from the quote above), and some romance. What it doesn’t have (which is perhaps a surprise, given the publisher) is overt Christian content. However, it doesn’t have any graphic language, violence, or sex either.

Mitchell says in her author’s note that it was difficult to write a character who couldn’t pick up emotions from facial expressions they way most people—and characters—can. It’s a testament to the strength of her writing that I didn’t even notice this as I was reading. Yes, I noticed that Whitney was odd even before she revealed her face blindness. But I never felt the story was lacking in any way. Instead, it serves to give Whitney a strong and unique character voice.

Overall, Everywhere to Hide is an excellent suspense novel, and Whitney’s condition provides a unique source of conflict. Recommended.

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

About Siri Mitchell

Siri MitchellSiri Mitchell is the author of 14 novels. She has also written 2 novels under the pseudonym of Iris Anthony. She graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and has worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo. Siri is a big fan of the semi-colon but thinks the Oxford comma is irritatingly redundant.

Find Siri Mitchell online at:

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About Everywhere to Hide

How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?

Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.

But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.

The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.

As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.

Find Everything to Hide online at:

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People considered him homeless because he didn't have an address of his own, but Harvey James would have been homeless even if he owned the turreted mansion of State Route 460.

Book Review | The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

The Edge of Belonging is one of the best debut novels I’ve read in years.

It’s a dual timeline story where the past and present are only twenty-four years apart and feature the same characters.

In the present day, Ivy Rose Lashley is a school counsellor who loves her job and the children she works with, and is engaged to the handsome Seth. But that all unravels after her grandmother’s death, and she returns to her hometown where she finds her grandmother has left her a puzzle to solve—the mystery of her birth and subsequent adoption.

In 1994, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn, so takes her back to the camp he calls home.

But he doesn’t have baby milk or diapers or anything needed to care for a newborn, and he doesn’t have money to buy any. He finds supplies in an unlocked church, and proceeds to name the baby Ivy Rose, and to care for her as his own.

I know this is supposed to be Ivy’s story, but I thought Harvey was the more interesting and sympathetic character, because his problems were not problems of his own making. Having said hat, nor were Ivy’s. At first, I thought Ivy’s problems with Seth were the result of her own bad judgment, but as the novel progressed it became obvious that their relationship was the result of her own emotional needs weaknesses, many of which stemmed from being adopted.

But Harvey was the character who tugged at my heartstrings.

He’s had a rough deal in life but hasn’t let it turn him bitter. In fact, he doesn’t seem to realise how bad it’s been. Instead, all he wants to do is love and protect baby Ivy, and you can’t hold that against him. At the same time, the present story gave an idea of the direction the past story would take, and that tugged the heartstrings even more.

There were lots of twists in the story, most of which only became obvious towards the end so I won’t give spoilers. Let’s just say that I started by saying this is one of the best debut novels I’ve read in years, and I stand by that opinion.

Edge of Belonging has a great dual-timeline plot, wonderful characters, a strong underlying Christian message, and writing that is good enough to make the strongest person weep. Recommended.

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

About Amanda Cox

Author photo - Amanda CoxAmanda Cox is a blogger and a curriculum developer for a national nonprofit youth leadership organization, but her first love is communicating through story. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and theology and a master’s degree in professional counseling. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children.

Find Amanda Cox online:

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About The Edge of Belonging

When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames–she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy’s adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he’s ever loved.

In this dual-time story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth–both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others–takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.

Find The Edge of Belonging online:

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Read the introduction to The Edge of Belonging:

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It was difficult to motivate herself to get home in time for yet another tiresome dinner party populated by the most boring young men left in London.

Book Review | Portrait of Loyalty (Codebreakers #3) by Roseanna M White

Lilian Blackwell spends her days volunteering in Charing Cross Hospital … at least, that’s what her mother thinks. She actually spends her afternoons in the basement of the Admiralty building, retouching and manipulating photographs to be used in the war effort. Propaganda—something Lily and her mother have opposing views on.

Cryptographer Zivon Marin escapes Russia in the fourth year of World War I, escaping the rise of the Bolsheviks … and the murder of his fiance. He ends up in London, working for the British Admiralty, although he doesn’t think the British trust him, especially not after certain photographs show up.

The two meet when Lily’s father invites Marin home for dinner, and start getting to know each other. But it’s not an easy relationship, as the Admiralty aren’t sure if they can trust Marin, as it’s not clear which side of the Russian Revolution he supports. What does become clear is that he is on one side … and his brother is on the other, which places Marin in danger …

Portrait of Loyalty brings in more history than simply the backdrop of World War I, and that is a strength.

The other nod to history (which I should have seen coming) is the Spanish Flu arriving in London from Kansas via half of Europe. And that’s not pretty, particularly given what we now know about living through a pandemic. So if you’re one of the people avoiding pandemic books, you might want to wait before reading Portrait of Loyalty.

Overall, Portrait of Loyalty is another excellent installment in Roseanna M White’s Codebreaker series. The characters are people of faith, so it’s clearly Christian fiction. It has romance, suspense, and tragedy, and the writing is excellent.

A Portrait of Loyalty is yet another brilliant World War I Christian romance from Roseanna M White. Recommended! #ChristianFiction Share on X

It’s a standalone novel, so you don’t have to have read earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. However, if you have, you’ll recognise some characters. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

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:

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About A Portrait of Loyalty

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both have secrets they’re unwilling to share, and neither is entirely sure they can trust the other. When Zivon’s loyalties are called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple’s future dreams–it becomes a matter of ending the war.

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You came, you saw, you insulted. I believe your obligation has been fulfilled.

Book Review | Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L Gray

January Saunders has just been hired as an administrative assistant at Grace Community Church, a job she desperately needs. So desperately that she’s willing to work in a church, despite not believing in God or any other higher power. The work isn’t difficult, but working in a new environment does have challenges.

She’s assisting an overworked pastor who covers a broad range of ministries.

She soon finds he has more challenges than a lack of ability to organise hundreds of prayer request cards (her first task). Jen also finds herself working with Cameron, the handsome young worship leader who wants a career in music. Cameron is friendly and outgoing, and Jen finds herself spending a lot of time with him.

Jen is staying in a cottage on at her aunt’s wedding ranch, where she meets Dillon, the contractor installing a new gazebo and undertaking other repairs around the ranch. He’s always there, but he’s not the guy Cameron is. For one thing, Dillon is too blunt for Jen’s taste, especially when he calls her on her “little white lie” around her lack of faith.

Love and a Little White Lie is written in first person point of view.

I like first person—it does a great job of bringing the reader (me) into the character’s head. I know some people don’t like first person, which is why I mention it. However, I do think it was the right choice for this novel, because it left the reader guessing which guy Jan was going to end up with.

Tammy L Gray consistently writes excellent Christian fiction.

This is a bit of a change from her previous novels—a little more comedic, but also deeper in terms of the faith questions. Jen isn’t a Christian, and (as Christian readers) we know the story isn’t going to end with her being unequally yoked, so there is a definite faith journey that isn’t present in a lot of Christian fiction. That was good to read.

Tammy L Gray consistently writes excellent Christian fiction, and Love and a Little White Lie is no exception. A great contemporary #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

Overall, Love and a Little White Lie is a great contemporary Christian romance. Recommended for fans of Courtney Walsh and Kara Isaac.

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

About the Author

Author Photo Tammy L GrayTammy 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:

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About Love and a Little White Lie

January Sanders grew up believing karma was more reliable than an imaginary higher power, but after suffering her worst heartbreak in 29 years, she’s open to just about anything, including taking a temporary position at her aunt’s church. Keeping her lack of faith a secret, January is determined to use her photographic memory to help Grace Community’s overworked staff, all while scraping herself off rock bottom.

What she doesn’t count on is meeting the church’s handsome and charming guitarist, who not only is a strong believer, but has also dedicated his life to Christian music. It’s a match set for disaster, and yet January has no ability to stay away, even if it means pretending to have faith in a God she doesn’t believe in.

Only this time, keeping secrets isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. Especially when she’s constantly running into her aunt’s landscape architect, who seems to know everything about her past and present sins and makes no apologies about pushing her to deal with feelings she’d rather keep buried.

Torn between two worlds incapable of coexisting, can January find the healing that’s eluded her or will her resistance to the truth ruin any chance of happiness?

Find Love and a Little White Lie online at:

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God is good and He is mighty. Sometimes we simply have to stand back and let Him do His thing.

Book Review | Closer Than She Knows by Kelly Irvin

Kelly Irvin made her name in Amish romance before publishing Tell Her No Lies, her first romantic suspense novel, in 2018. I was impressed by that novel, but was less impressed by Over the Line (I’m from New Zealand, and the story was too pro-gun for my tastes, especially in the aftermath of the Christchurch shooting).

Closer Than She Knows takes all the strengths of Tell Her No Lies and builds on them to deliver a powerful novel.

Teagan O’Rourke is a court reporter. She’s not a journalist, but the person who sits in the courtroom and transcribes every word spoken during a trial. That’s new—I’ve never read a novel featuring a court reporter before. It was interesting to find the court reporter is also responsible for the physical evidence in the trial, and that’s where Closer Than She Knows starts …

Teagan is transporting trial evidence under police escort when her escort is shot in the head. That’s shocking enough, but when Teagan’s next-door neighbour is stabbed to death and another friend attacked in Teagan’s house, then the police suspect Teagan is also a target. Notes found by the bodies leave Teagan’s father, a retired policeman, suspecting the murders might be related to one of his cases—a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer.

What follows could be a typical chase-type romantic suspense novel, but it’s more than that.

There’s also Teagan’s relationship with Max, the youth leader at her church. He thinks she’s not interested in anything more than friendship because he’s a recovering alcoholic. She’s not interested … but for a completely different reason. Max challenges her on her reasoning, partly out of selfish reasons (he disagrees with her), but more because he says her belief is limiting God. That was an interesting and welcome twist.

Yes, Closer Than She Knows is definitely Christian fiction, and it isn’t afraid to address some of the hard questions in life and faith: why do bad things happen to good people? Can we go against something we believe in when the people we love are in danger? Can we trust God with the hard things? And more …

There was plenty of tension which kept me turning the pages until the satisfying end. But there were also touches of humour and some tender moments amid the suspense and the introspection. Overall, Closer Than She Knows is an excellent example of Christian romantic suspense, with a great balance between faith, romance, and suspense, and a cast of believable and interesting characters.

Recommended for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

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

About Kelly Irvin

Author Photo: Kelly IrvinKelly Irvin is the bestselling author of the Every Amish Season and Amish of Bee County series. The Beekeeper’s Son received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, who called it a “beautifully woven masterpiece.” The two-time Carol Award finalist is a  former newspaper reporter and retired public relations professional. Kelly lives in Texas with her husband, photographer Tim Irvin. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to read books by her favorite authors.

Find Kelly Irvin online at:

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About Closer Than She Knows

Teagan O’Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She’s slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She’s listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she’s never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be a victim.

Until now.

A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels.

Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she’ll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God’s “tough love” he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he’ll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out.

As Teagan, Max, and Teagan’s police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .

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