Tag: Australian Author

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #250 | No Filter by Lisa Renee

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 No Filter by Lisa Renee, an Australian rom-com author.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Melissa Turner's stomach twisted like her camera strap as she strode down the half-decorated church aisle.

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

 

About No Filter

When San Diego videographer, Chance McMillan discovers a food photographer will shoot his friend’s wedding, he’s outraged.

Australian, Melissa Turner isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her fire and spunk surprise Chance, and now he doesn’t want her to leave the US. He offers Melissa a documentary project to extend her stay, but as single parents, could two nations, two broken families build a bridge to a safe middle ground?

Melissa tags along to San Diego as a photographer for Lachlan’s sister’s wedding. Head strong Melissa, who has “no filter” clashes with videographer, Chance, who’s also a single parent.

Can she overcome her misconceptions of relationships and give him a chance before she leaves the US?

You can find No Filter 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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #246 | Flight (Elite Underground #3) by Kristen Young

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 Flight by Kristen Young, the third book in her dystopian Elite Underground series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

They tell me my name is Kerr Flick, Elite Apprentice #540/187503. They tell me I belong to the Love Collective - body, mind, and soul - for as long as I shall live.

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

About Flight

The fight for what is right is also a fight to survive

On the cusp of graduation, Cadence is finally feeling in control. She’s about to become one of the prestigious Elites working in the Hall of Love. Plus, she can take her place as a full member of the underground Sirens who meet secretly in Love City. She’ll finally be able to use her memory skills for good, instead of reporting people as a Watcher.

But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?

Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | 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!

I was thinking he needs a second chance. Like we all do.

Book Review | Big Apple Atonement (Original Six #5) by Carolyn Miller

Most heroes in romance novels are described as attractive or good-looking or handsome. But not Big Apple Atonement. In fact, the heroine thinks he’s ugly (if he was ever handsome, the hockey scars and missing teeth mean he isn’t any more).

An ugly hero is unusual, and it got me hooked from the first line.

Emma Moritello comes from a hockey-loving family so she’s familiar with many of the players, including bad boy TJ Woletsky. Emma works at Hopetoun Children’s Home, a temporary home for children who’ve experienced trauma while they wait to be matched with a foster family.

TJ Woletsky is the bad boy of ice hockey, the one who gets too many fines and suspensions for penalties and rough play … including one move that put one of Emma’s old school friends in hospital. After one hit too many and a lecture about his bad attitude, TJ finds himself traded to New York. It’s his last chance to redeem himself to the team, the critics, and the fans.

And that brings him into contact with Emma via her co-worker and friend, Laura, who is married to TJ’s new team captain. Tim challenges him to up his game both personally and professionally and brings him to the home where he meets Emma.

As TJ changes, Emma’s attitude towards him also changes and a relationship develops.

I loved this plotline, and thought it was handled brilliantly. Often, the two characters in an enemies-to-more plot won’t have any good reason to be enemies. In Big Apple Atonement, there is every reason why Emma doesn’t like TJ. It’s about his character, attitude, actions, and lack of faith, not the way he looks. But as TJ gets serious about changing his attitudes and puts his newfound faith into practice, Emma’s attitudes also change.

The bad-boy-turned-good plot that brought TJ from a reckless player who didn’t take responsibility for his actions to a growing Christian who wants to make things right was both compelling and convincing. It took time, and it wasn’t easy … just like in real life. I appreciated the realism, and the fact there were no quick and easy answers.

Big Apple Atonement is the fifth novel in Carolyn Miller’s Original Six series, about ice hockey players finding love. Each story is a standalone in that they all feature different couples, but they are also linked into that the characters know each other, so we do get to find out more about some of the characters in the earlier stories. You don’t have to read all the novels, but it would probably pay to read them in order.

Recommended for contemporary Christian romance fans, especially those who like sports stories … or redemption stories.

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

About Carolyn Miller

Carolyn MillerCarolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She is married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!).

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn’s novels have won a number of Romance Writers of American (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges we all face at different times.

Find Carolyn Miller online at:

Website | Facebook GoodreadsPinterest | Twitter

About Big Apple Atonement

She’s the saint with a secret. He’s the sinner with a heart of gold.

For Emma Moritello, giving abandoned and rejected children a safe home is her life’s purpose, but pressures at work means her dream may be coming to a close. And just when she thought life couldn’t get more challenging, along comes hockey’s bad boy, keen to make amends. God might want her to love her enemies, but it doesn’t mean she has to like them. Especially this hockey enforcer, who has the nerve to try to stir her heart.

TJ Woletsky has never tried to hide his sins—his exploits are tabloid fodder, and hockey teams love to hate him. Including his own. When a trade takes him to New York he’s confronted with the repercussions of his past, and time spent with the unfortunate helps ignite his desire to turn his life around. Until an incident in a nightclub makes everyone question whether this sinner can ever really change.

This story of second chances is the fifth book in the Original Six Christian hockey romance series, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian contemporary romance series from bestselling author Carolyn Miller.

You can find Big Apple Atonement online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Koorong

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 #234 | Big Apple Atonement 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 Big Apple Atonement by Carolyn Miller, the fifth book in her Original Six contemporary romance series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

He was, quite possibly, the ugliest man she had ever seen.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to read a romance novel where the heroine isn’t attracted to the hero!

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

 

About Big Apple Atonement

She’s the saint with a secret. He’s the sinner with a heart of gold.

For Emma Moritello, giving abandoned and rejected children a safe home is her life’s purpose, but pressures at work means her dream may be coming to a close. And just when she thought life couldn’t get more challenging, along comes hockey’s bad boy, keen to make amends. God might want her to love her enemies, but it doesn’t mean she has to like them. Especially this hockey enforcer, who has the nerve to try to stir her heart.

TJ Woletsky has never tried to hide his sins—his exploits are tabloid fodder, and hockey teams love to hate him. Including his own. When a trade takes him to New York he’s confronted with the repercussions of his past, and time spent with the unfortunate helps ignite his desire to turn his life around. Until an incident in a nightclub makes everyone question whether this sinner can ever really change.

This story of second chances is the fifth book in the Original Six Christian hockey romance series, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian contemporary romance series from bestselling author Carolyn Miller.

You can find Big Apple Atonement 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!

I enjoy talking to animals. They listen but don’t tell you off when you say or do something dumb. And they never repeat what you say.

Book Review | Running Scared by Susan J Bruce

Fourteen-year-old Melinda Green has just started at a new school after her parents had to sell the family farm. Now her mother is in hospital, her dad is unemployed, and they’re living with her vegetarian aunt.

Mel has made friends with the boy next door, despite being told to stay away from him because his brother has disappeared after being accused of a crime, which means his family are a bad influence. However, Rory is in a wheelchair, so probably isn’t the person who is a bad influence … although he does have an obsession with strange animals and has quite the collection in his back shed.

One of his pets is Lucy, a tarantula.

Mel has a spider phobia, so she and Lucy are not going to get on. I have to say I can totally understand Mel’s phobia. Normal New Zealand house spiders don’t bother me, but Australian spiders are a different matter. They’re bigger and badder and more deadly than New Zealand spiders and being afraid of them seems like a perfectly normal reaction to me.

But Mel’s phobia and Rory’s passion does bring them together. As the boy in the wheelchair and the new girl in school, they are both targets for the school bullies, who happen to be linked to the crime Rory’s brother is accused of. So maybe Mel’s father has good reason for warning her to stay away from Rory and his family.

The whole story is told in first person, from Mel’s point of view.

The best part about this was in kept us in Mel’s head and gave us a chance to really get to know her. I found the teenage voice authentic and accurate, with none of the “old person” words I sometimes see in fiction written for teens and young adults (words like dear and folk). It was also great to see the way the story made somethings clear (like the fact that Mel’s school bully lived in an abusive household) without having to spell it out. For much of the novel, I wasn’t even sure if Mel had worked it out, even though it seemed clear to me.

It was good to see a disabled character as a main character in a Young Adult novel. It was even better to see a disabled character who wasn’t a cliche, either as the object of pity or the effervescent hero, and yet is also a main character who plays a significant part in driving the story forward.

Running Scared by Susan J Bruce is a strong debut Young Adult novel, featuring a lonely teenager, a boy in a wheelchair, and a spider. #BookReview #YoungAdult Share on X

Overall, the writing was excellent, the characters were compelling, and the story was a great mix of home and school, with a good bit of suspense thrown in (and not just from Lucy the spider).

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

About Susan J Bruce

Susan J Bruce

Susan J Bruce is a former veterinarian turned award-winning author, professional copywriter and animal artist. Susan’s veterinary background invades her writing and animals run, fly, or crawl into nearly all of her tales. When Susan’s writing group challenged her to write a story that didn’t mention any animals—she failed! Susan lives in sunny South Australia with her husband, Marc, and their furred and feathered family. This currently includes a fat tortoiseshell cat, a rescue cockatiel, and an irrepressible ShiChi (Shih Tzu x Chihuahua) who thinks her mission in life is to stop Susan writing.

Running Scared is Susan’s first novel and was awarded the 2018 Caleb Prize for an unpublished manuscript.

Find Susan J Bruce online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Running Scared

My name is Melinda and this has been the worst year ever … We had to leave our family farm, Mum is in hospital, Dad is losing it and my freak-out-and-run arachnophobia is getting worse.

The one good thing in my world is Rory. Maybe he sees things differently because he’s been in a wheelchair for the past eight years, but Rory always knows how to make me laugh.

Problem is, Dad doesn’t want me anywhere near him. He doesn’t trust Rory or his family, especially as Rory’s brother is wanted by the police.

And now even I’m scared about what Rory might be hiding …

You can find Running Scared online at:

Amazon | 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 | Week #231 | Becoming Us by Kristen M Fraser

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 Becoming Us by Kristen M Fraser, a new-to-me Australian Christian romance author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

How much blood and bodily fluids could one person endure in the space of ten hours?

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

About Becoming Us

What hope is there when the pain of the past revisits the present?

Seven years ago, Melanie Coombes made a heart-breaking decision to protect the man she loved. Broken inside, she accepted her fate, worked hard, and buried her pain and disappointment in her career.

Managing a busy ER in Sea Haven Beach, she never expected to see Wade Acton again. Let alone work alongside him or discover her feelings from years before had never gone away.

But all too soon, old wounds are reopened, and the painful truth she’s harboured for so long is revealed when an unexpected family crisis thrusts her into the role of caretaker for her nephew.

After all their years apart, can Melanie find the strength to trust Wade with her truth? Will she relinquish her brokenness and trust God’s plans for a future filled with hope?

You can find Becoming 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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week #230 | Running Scared by Susan J Bruce

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 Running Scared, the debut novel from Australian author Susan J Bruce. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The scent of frangipani hangs thick in the air, as does the hum of the late afternoon cicada chorus.

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

About Running Scared

My name is Melinda and this has been the worst year ever … We had to leave our family farm, Mum is in hospital, Dad is losing it and my freak-out-and-run arachnophobia is getting worse.

The one good thing in my world is Rory. Maybe he sees things differently because he’s been in a wheelchair for the past eight years, but Rory always knows how to make me laugh.

Problem is, Dad doesn’t want me anywhere near him. He doesn’t trust Rory or his family, especially as Rory’s brother is wanted by the police.

And now even I’m scared about what Rory might be hiding …

You can find Running Scared 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 | Week #228 | Love, Faith and Tender Kisses Collection

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 another novella in the Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses collection—Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

This shouldn't be difficult. There are only a handful of people in the studio.

I’m going to enjoy reading these novellas!

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

 

About Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses

Boy meets girl. Man meets woman. Sparks fly. All good love stories start here and usually face a myriad of challenges before the young couple find that together they are better.

This set of Contemporary Christian romance stories come from writers across both sides of the pond and Downunder, proving that romance is not only a sweet thing, it’s global.

Here’s a set of stories to inspire, encourage faith, and meet all the warm-fuzzy expectations.

 

 

In this boxset, you’ll receive a total of seven novellas from these popular Christian Romance authors:
  • Fake Engagement Mistake © 2021 by Lisa Renee
  • Last Flight Home © 2021 Milla Holt
  • Falling for Maddie Grace © 2021 Meredith Resce
  • The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet © 2021 Lorana Hoopes
  • His Perfect Catch © 2021 Narelle Atkins
  • Originally Yours © 2021 Carolyn Miller
  • Imperfectly Proverbs 31 © 2021 Autumn Macarthur

You can find Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses online at:

AmazonApple| Goodreads Kobo

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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 #227 | Checked Impressions 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 Checked Impressions by Australian author Carolyn Miller, the third book in her Original Six Hockey contemporary romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

And now, may I draw your attention to what I consider the room's finest work if you, like me, are someone who appreciates that first impressions need not last forever.

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

 

About Checked Impressions

Sparks fly when a hometown hockey hero meets a classy art-loving museum guide hiding a secret…

Jai Mullins is used to being the fastest man on ice. Trouble is, his ability to find a genuine woman is tracking at glacial melt levels. He’s trusting God she’s out there, but he’s wary of getting trapped by a superfan, when all he wants is someone with whom he can be real.

Allie Davis has two great loves: impressionist art and hockey. More specifically, a certain hockey player. But between her shyness and her family, she’s convinced she’ll never meet him, let alone connect with him in a non-embarrassing way.

Until she does. And they connect. And romance sparks.

But she is hiding a big secret, and he’s about to find that first impressions sometimes need a reality check. Will they learn to trust and find a way forward, or will half-truths lead to further hurt on opposite sides of the country and lonely lives?

This Windy City romance has plenty of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy kisses in the third book of the Original Six, a sweet, slightly sporty Christian contemporary romance series.

You can find Checked Impressions online at:

Amazon | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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 #226 | Love, Faith and Tender Kisses Collection

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 Fake Engagement Mistake by Lisa Renee, which is the first novella in the new Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses collection. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Paul Standford's elderly client turned the shoebox upside down, and receipts rained onto his mahogany desk.

I’m going to enjoy reading these novellas!

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

 

About Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses

Boy meets girl. Man meets woman. Sparks fly. All good love stories start here and usually face a myriad of challenges before the young couple find that together they are better.

This set of Contemporary Christian romance stories come from writers across both sides of the pond and Downunder, proving that romance is not only a sweet thing, it’s global.

Here’s a set of stories to inspire, encourage faith, and meet all the warm-fuzzy expectations.

 

 

In this boxset, you’ll receive a total of seven novellas from these popular Christian Romance authors:
  • Fake Engagement Mistake © 2021 by Lisa Renee
  • Last Flight Home © 2021 Milla Holt
  • Falling for Maddie Grace © 2021 Meredith Resce
  • The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet © 2021 Lorana Hoopes
  • His Perfect Catch © 2021 Narelle Atkins
  • Originally Yours © 2021 Carolyn Miller
  • Imperfectly Proverbs 31 © 2021 Autumn Macarthur

You can find Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses online at:

AmazonApple| Goodreads Kobo

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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!