Tag: Australian Author

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #283 | I’ll Always Choose You by Lisa Renee

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from I’ll Always Choose You by Australian author Lisa Renee, the third book in the Trinity Lakes Romance series, which released this week:

Justin Perry slipped behind the Trinity Organics shop counter and took Leah's hand in his.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

 

About I’ll Always Choose You

Leah Thompson is the Sheriff’s daughter of Trinity Lakes, Washington state. No one is good enough for his baby girl. At twenty-four, she should be able to choose who she wants to date, but her dad holds Justin’s past against him.

Justin has loved Leah for years, the woman where no guy has been brave enough to pursue. Who would want the grumpy sheriff as their future father-in-law? No one is that crazy. Except Justin is crazy in love and willing to do anything to win Leah’s heart, even to set her up on a fake date with his neck-tattooed mate from Australia. Surely the sheriff will see Justin is the better choice for his daughter. Until the fake love triangle goes terribly wrong.

A forbidden love, love triangle, small town contemporary Christian romance.
Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find I’ll Always Choose You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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!

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

Book Review | The Ocean Between Us (Trinity Lakes #2) by Meredith Resce

I’m not always a fan of the “other woman” (or other man) trope.

These may be two women interested in the same man, or two men interested in the same woman.

Some authors show all three points of view, which allows us to get into the heads of all three characters, and see why both women like the man. My problems is that I often back the wrong guy (which is why I stopped reading Karen Kingsbury’s Bailey Flanigan novels, and why Sweet Home Alabama is my least favorite Reese Witherspoon movie).

I much prefer it when the author makes it clear which two characters are going to end up together from the beginning.

Meredith Resce does this in The Ocean Between Us.

I also prefer it when there are good reasons why the main character chooses one over the other … but it’s also clear why he was interested in both in the first place. Again, Meredith Resce gets all these things right in The Ocean Between Us. We can see why Caleb and Kyla are together at the beginning of the novel, and there is a clear reason why Caleb and Alanah were not together (the Pacific Ocean).

All in all, I have to say that The Ocean Between Us is one of the best “other women” novels I’ve read. Alanah and Caleb were both excellent characters in an awkward situation: Alanah in having to spend the summer in the house with her teenage crushand having to hide the fact her feelings are all still there. And Caleb choosing to honor his existing relationship even when faced with his teenage crush.

Yes, The Ocean Between Us is a second-chance romance.

And I have to admit that’s one of my favourite genres. I thought Meredith did an excellent job of bringing the two together in a way that felt real and realistic for the characters, and offered plenty of tension for the reader.

All this sounds somewhat serious, but rest assured: The Ocean Between Us is an enjoyable summer romance read.

About The Ocean Between Us

Alanah has set off on a trip of a lifetime.

Her best friend from high school, Sasha Kennedy, has invited her to Trinity Lakes, Washington State, to be part of her wedding party.

South Australia to Trinity Lakes is literally the other side of the world, so Alanah has a full schedule of adventure planned while she’s away. A summer camp counsellor; a trip to Canada; Sight-seeing in New York and Boston; and avoiding Sasha’s twin-brother, Caleb.

But a silly accident puts Sasha out of commission for all the planned adventures, and Caleb is sent to retrieve his former high school sweetheart from the airport. Eleven years should be enough time to have cooled the love Alanah and Caleb once shared. Should be, but apparently not. This is not a great thing to acknowledge considering Caleb has just announced his engagement to someone else.

Six months of avoiding Caleb—worse—avoiding feelings about Caleb—is going to be a long time.

Find The Ocean Between Us online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About Meredith Resce

South Australian Author, Meredith Resce, has been writing since 1991, and has had books in the Australian market since 1997. Apart from writing, Meredith also takes the opportunity to speak to groups on issues relevant to relationships and emotional and spiritual growth.

Meredith is the author of the award-winning ‘Luella Linley – License to Meddle’ series (contemporary Christian romance), and the ‘Heart of Green Valley’ historical fiction series. She has also been co-writer and co-producer in the 2007 Australian feature film production, “Twin Rivers”.

Meredith has worked in Christian ministry since 1983 with her husband, Nick. Meredith and Nick have three adult children, one daughter and two sons.

Find Meredith Resce online at:

Website | Facebook

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #278 | The Ocean Between Us by Meredith Resce

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m quoting from The Ocean Between Us by Australian author Meredith Resce.

This is the second book in the new Trinity Lakes Romance series, set in the small Washington of Trinity Lakes, and featuring an Australian heroine.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Thank goodness the day was over. Caleb Kennedy yawned.

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

About The Ocean Between Us

Alanah has set off on a trip of a lifetime.

Her best friend from high school, Sasha Kennedy, has invited her to Trinity Lakes, Washington State, to be part of her wedding party.

South Australia to Trinity Lakes is literally the other side of the world, so Alanah has a full schedule of adventure planned while she’s away. A summer camp counsellor; a trip to Canada; Sight-seeing in New York and Boston; and avoiding Sasha’s twin-brother, Caleb.

But a silly accident puts Sasha out of commission for all the planned adventures, and Caleb is sent to retrieve his former high school sweetheart from the airport. Eleven years should be enough time to have cooled the love Alanah and Caleb once shared. Should be, but apparently not. This is not a great thing to acknowledge considering Caleb has just announced his engagement to someone else.

Six months of avoiding Caleb—worse—avoiding feelings about Caleb—is going to be a long time.

Find The Ocean Between Us online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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!

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

We aren't perfect, and we'll keep making mistakes, but if we're willing to repent and forgive, we can overcome the obstacles.

Book Review | Never Find Another You by Narelle Atkins

Never Find Another You is the first book in the new multi-author Trinity takes contemporary Christian romance series.

Here’s the series description:

Welcome to Trinity Lakes, the warm and welcoming small town in east Washington state filled with charm, family, and friends, where fresh starts, second chances, and romance abounds. You’ll meet cowboys and swoony bachelors, sweet and sassy ladies, and your new best friends. This series of sweet and clean standalone Christian romances will warm your heart, inspire your faith, and bring a smile to your soul.

Hannah is the owner of a lakefront rowing club, part of the trust set up by her father, ex-golf pro Wayne Gilbertson. Hannah is very much her father’s daughter—not least because she doesn’t get on with her mother. Then there is Hannah’s beloved and opinionated grandmother, who wants to set her up with the new Australian tradesman in town …

Joel Manning has come to Trinity Lakes to escape a bad relationship—and he’s not looking to start another. But perhaps God has other idea. Why else would he have met Hannah, who shares his faith, and so many of his hobbies. Unfortunately, her mother hates him.

While there is an almost instant attraction between Hannah and Joel, they both have several obstacles to overcome if they are to formalize their relationship—such as Joel’s life in Australia, Hannah’s mother, and a newly revealed family secret.

One of my favourite aspects of Never Find Another You was the faith aspect.

Hannah and Joel are both Christians who try to put God first in their decisions. That’s not to say they are perfect (who wants to read a novel about perfect people?) But they are trying, and they remind each other (and the reader) of several significant spiritual truths.

Never Find Another You is an excellent start to what promises to be a fun small-town Contemporary Christian Romance series, featuring a cast of characters from locations ranging from Washington to Australia and New Zealand. Contemporary Christian Romance is one of my favourite genres, and Never Find Another You ticks all the genre boxes—a loveable hero, an intelligent heroine, and a strong faith element.

Recommended for fans of small-town Contemporary Christian Romance.

About Narelle Atkins

Author Photo Narelle AtkinsA fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children.

A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle’s contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Find Narelle Atkins online at:

Website Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

About Never Find Another You

Her heart belongs in Trinity Lakes.

Hannah Gilbertson has deep roots in her small East Washington home town, including a lake named after her family. Sporty and hard working, she loves running the rowing club and supporting the town’s water recreation tourism. She’s determined to avoid dating and becoming entangled in her mother’s matchmaking schemes, and she wants to prove to her successful father that she’s worthy of carrying on his legacy.

Joel Manning left behind his life in Sydney, Australia, and a broken heart, to start over in Trinity Lakes. A tiler by trade, he’s embarking on a year long working vacation adventure, and he’s not looking for love.

The handsome Aussie captures Hannah’s interest when she hires him to do repair work at her rowing club. Joel is drawn to the beautiful American, and values spending time with her. Their shared faith and love for kayaking lays the foundation for their friendship to become something more.

A shocking secret combined with family upheaval leads to more questions than answers, and threatens to push Joel and Hannah apart to faraway shores. Can their love overcome the miles between them?

A fish out of water, opposites attract, small town contemporary Christian romance. Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find Never Find Another You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #273 | Never Find Another You by Narelle Atkins

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m quoting from Never Find Another You by Australian author Narelle Atkins.

This is the first book in the new Trinity Lakes Romance series, set in the small Washington of Trinity Lakes.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Who needed the stress from a busy and complicated big city career when they could work beside a beautiful lake?

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

About Never Find Another You

Her heart belongs in Trinity Lakes.

Hannah Gilbertson has deep roots in her small East Washington home town, including a lake named after her family. Sporty and hard working, she loves running the rowing club and supporting the town’s water recreation tourism. She’s determined to avoid dating and becoming entangled in her mother’s matchmaking schemes, and she wants to prove to her successful father that she’s worthy of carrying on his legacy.

Joel Manning left behind his life in Sydney, Australia, and a broken heart, to start over in Trinity Lakes. A tiler by trade, he’s embarking on a year long working vacation adventure, and he’s not looking for love.

The handsome Aussie captures Hannah’s interest when she hires him to do repair work at her rowing club. Joel is drawn to the beautiful American, and values spending time with her. Their shared faith and love for kayaking lays the foundation for their friendship to become something more.

A shocking secret combined with family upheaval leads to more questions than answers, and threatens to push Joel and Hannah apart to faraway shores. Can their love overcome the miles between them?

A fish out of water, opposites attract, small town contemporary Christian romance. Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find Never Find Another You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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!

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

Many women were making the choice to forgo marriages these days; besides, there simply weren’t enough eligible men to go around.

Book Review | The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper

The Butterfly Collector is a dual timeline novel set in and around Sydney, Australia, in 1868 and 1922.

Verity: 1922

In the 1922 timeline, aspiring journalist Verity Binks has just lost her job at a Sydney newspaper so her job can be given to an unemployed returned serviceman. (A big hurrah to “traditional values” where it was acceptable – even required – to fire a single woman and a widowed mother with no other source of income, simply so their jobs could be given to men … Yes, I understand the men also needed jobs, but so did Verity.)

However, Verity’s editor does say she can still write for the newspaper, and he will pay for any stories he prints. That, combined with an unexpected invitation to the Sydney Artist’s Ball, pushes Verity into researching a story that takes her back to Morpeth, where her father was born.

Theodore and Clarrie: 1868

The 1868 timeline starts in Morpeth, and follows botanical artist and butterfly collector Theodora Breckenridge, general maid Clarrie, and her beau Sid Binks. We quickly work out that Clarrie and Sid are Verity’s grandparents, but it takes longer to work out the link between Verity and Theodora.

Clarrie loses her job when her employer, the local vicar, finds out she’s expecting and not married (something he could have easily fixed if he’d agreed to Clarrie’s request to marry her and Sid, but why let common sense get in the way of bluster and hypocrisy?).

Sid does some research and find that Clarrie can stay with Maud, a local midwife, for her lying-in, and Maud will then look after the baby while Clarrie works. It sounds like a good arrangement, especially as Sid has heard ugly rumours about babies disappearing when placed with other women in the town.

The Butterfly Collector is a fascinating story with lots of links between present and past that get unraveled as the story progresses. It’s clever plotting, and well-written. I loved the way Tea Cooper has captured the character voices in both time periods.

The writing is unpretentious yet fresh, and the book was an engaging read.

Tea Cooper doesn’t specifically write for the Christian market, but several of her recent novels have been republished in the USA by Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. I only noticed one instance of swearing in The Butterfly Collector, and the rest of the content was consistent with other novels from Thomas Nelson or other traditional Christian publishers (allowing for the fact the plot features an unmarried mother and is about illegal activities).

Recommended for fans of Australian historical fiction or books like Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate or The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma.

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

About Tea Cooper

Tea is an award winning Australian author of  historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling. She is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Horse Thief, The Cedar CutterThe Currency LassThe Naturalist’s DaughterThe Woman in the Green Dress and The Girl in the Painting.

Find Tea Cooper online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Butterfly Collector

What connects a botanical illustration of a butterfly with a missing baby and an enigma fifty years in the making? A twisty historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author.

1868 Morpeth 

Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family’s country estate than she is finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby, so she cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before sighted in Australia. With the help of Clarrie, her maid, and her beautiful illustrations, she is poised to make a natural science discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie’s new-born son goes missing and everything changes.

1922 Sydney 

When would-be correspondent Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume and an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball on the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to go. Her late grandfather Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation – an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as she begins to dig, her investigation quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery, a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does?

Find The Butterfly Collector online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Nulla was about as close to the apocalypse as a place could get, and that was saying something, because the world had already ended once.

Book Review | Calor (Nightingale #1) by JJ Fischer

Miss Sephone Winter is a twenty-year-old slave with a gift. Not only can she read other people’s memories, she can alter them. A slave since her parents died when she was a small child, she wants to be able to remember them.

Dorian Ashwood, Lord Adamo, recently lost his wife and daughter. He can’t bear the  memories, and wants Sephone to remove them, which means finding an ancient relic from the world that was.

But Sephone is a slave, which means she has an owner … who isn’t keen to let her go.

Calor is therefore a combination of a search (for the Reliquary) and a chase, which provides plenty of tension, which kept me reading. It also has a unique concept—a post-apocalyptic fantasy world that has a lot in common with the mediaeval-like setting of many other fantasy novels, but where some of the inhabitants have strange gifts.

A lot of things happened in Calor, but there’s also a lot that didn’t happen … so I’m pleased to discover this is the first in a trilogy, which means there is a sequel on the way.

But don’t be put off. While the ending clearly implies a sequel, it does feel like an ending. No, it doesn’t answer al the questions, but it didn’t leave me hanging either (and I say that as someone who loathes cliff-hanger endings).

I was impressed by the writing. I highlighted a lot of lines that don’t necessarily make great quotes out of context, but which are great writing.

Recommended for fantasy fans.

It’s a Young Adult novel, but this not-so-young adult enjoyed it because the plot and characters were original, clever, and well developed, but the story didn’t have any of the explicit content “adult” fantasy seems to include.

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

About Calor

What if you could edit memories with a single touch?

The world-that-was is gone, lost to everything except living memory . . . but remembering comes at a terrible price. Sixty-two years after the apocalypse, a new society has emerged from the ashes of the old world where highly valued memories are traded and nostalgia is worth dying—and even killing—for.

Enslaved by a cruel master, Sephone Winter is forced to use her rare ability to manipulate memories to numb the darkest secrets of the ruling aristocracy.

Then Lord Adamo appears, speaking of a powerful relic capable of permanently erasing memories and recovering Sephone’s own lost childhood. But not everything about the young lord is as it seems, and soon Sephone must choose between helping Lord Adamo forget his past or journeying deep into the land of Lethe, where the truth about who she really is might finally be revealed . . . and a long desired future restored.

The Nightingale Trilogy is a fantasy transformation of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved 1843 tale The Nightingale, with echoes of the myths of Hades and Persephone.

Find Calor online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Koorong

About J J Fischer

J. J. Fischer’s writing dream began with the anthology of zoo animals she painstakingly wrote and illustrated at age five, to rather limited acclaim. Thankfully, her writing (but not her drawing) has improved since then. She is a clinically-trained psychologist but no, she cannot read your mind. When she isn’t killing defenseless house plants, pretending she can play the piano, eating peanut butter out of the jar, or memorizing funny film quotes, she and her husband David are attempting to prevent their warring pet chickens from forming factions and re-enacting Divergent. Honestly, it’s a miracle she finds the time to write any books.

Find J J Fischer online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

 

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #259 | Calor by JJ Fischer

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Calor, the first book in the Nightingale trilogy by Australian author JJ Fischer. I’m not always a fan of fantasy, but this Young Adult novel has a unique hook that might make me change my mind …

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

His father might be in the middle of saving the world, but Dorian was still bored.

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

 

About Calor

What if you could edit memories with a single touch?

The world-that-was is gone, lost to everything except living memory . . . but remembering comes at a terrible price. Sixty-two years after the apocalypse, a new society has emerged from the ashes of the old world where highly valued memories are traded and nostalgia is worth dying—and even killing—for.

Enslaved by a cruel master, Sephone Winter is forced to use her rare ability to manipulate memories to numb the darkest secrets of the ruling aristocracy.

Then Lord Adamo appears, speaking of a powerful relic capable of permanently erasing memories and recovering Sephone’s own lost childhood. But not everything about the young lord is as it seems, and soon Sephone must choose between helping Lord Adamo forget his past or journeying deep into the land of Lethe, where the truth about who she really is might finally be revealed . . . and a long desired future restored.

The Nightingale Trilogy is a fantasy transformation of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved 1843 tale The Nightingale, with echoes of the myths of Hades and Persephone.

Find Calor online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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!

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #258 | Muskoka Blue (Original Six #6) by Carolyn Miller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m quoting from Muskoka Blue by Australian author Carolyn Miller, the sixth book in her Original Six ice hockey contemporary Christian romance series.

It was the perfect time to be brave

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Yes, this book actually comes before Muskoka Shores, which I read a few weeks ago. Yes, you should probably read them in order. I didn’t, but I don’t think that will matter too much. I hope.

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

 

About Muskoka Blue

An ice princess with a broken heart. A pro hockey player with a secret.

For Sarah Maguire, spending the summer at Lake Muskoka was supposed to be about finding the courage to put back the pieces of her shattered life—not falling in love with the charming yet unsophisticated hockey player from next door.

Daniel Walton may have been praying for Miss Right to appear, but Sarah’s ice princess act just cries Miss Wrong. Dan’s summer plans hadn’t included befriending a redhead with a sassy tongue and cute accent, but as Muskoka works its magic he soon discovers that underneath the frost and prickles is the funny, feisty, loving woman he’s waited all his life to meet.

As their friendship deepens, Sarah comes to appreciate Dan’s patience and kindness yet struggles to let go of the past and embrace the future, while Dan, only too conscious of the personal history he wants to forget, questions the wisdom of pursuing a girl whose heart may never be wholly his – who may soon return to live on the opposite side of the world.

Will past regrets lead to further heartbreak? Or can Sarah and Dan learn to leave the past in the past and embrace God’s promises for the future?

Muskoka Blue is the sixth book in the Original Six, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian hockey romance series from bestselling author Carolyn Miller.

Find Muskoka Blue online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Koorong

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!

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #252 | Muskoka Shores by Carolyn Miller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Muskoka Shores, a new contemporary romance from Australian author Carolyn Miller. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

Was there anything more special than watching a man look into his bride's face with that deep look of promise and devotion?

About Muskoka Shores

Serena Williamson loves working at Muskoka Shores, the fancy resort on Lake Muskoka, and making couples dreams come true. But after returning from a celebrity wedding to find her own hopes crumbling to dust, she sets out for self-improvement, and to prove her ex was wrong. But when a misunderstanding concerning the new assistant church minister leads to more self-doubt, can she ever really trust a man again?

Joel Wakefield is looking forward to a fresh start for himself and his sister in this beautiful small town beside Lake Muskoka. He hadn’t counted on meeting a curvy cutie with a gift for hospitality and a gracious heart. Can he show her that it’s what is inside that truly counts?

You can find Muskoka Shores online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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!

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