Tag: Christian Romance

Meet me at the station if you think there's any future for us. And here she was.

Book Review | These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

Two years ago, when Katie was pregnant, alone and afraid. Jonathan Ables—Jonty—offered to marry her to protect her reputation and so she’d receive his service pension given he was unlikely to survive the war.

(As an aside, I hadn’t realised what horrifically low chances rear-gunners had of surviving the war. That put some aspects of my family history into perspective.)

Despite several near-misses, Jonty survives the war. But his relationship with his wife is non-existent and they are living with her family, which isn’t exactly conducive to having a private conversation, let alone establishing a lasting relationship. Then there are their own personal challenges they have to deal with—Katie and her family, and Jonty and his only surviving relative.

These Long Shadows is a moving story of faith and reconciliation.

Katie and Jonty both have difficult paths to tread before they can reach their happy-ever-after ending. It’s an emotional story, but restrained in a very British way.

These Long Shadows was a wonderful conclusion to the Victory’s Wings series, and those who have read the earlier books in the series will especially enjoy seeing Maggie and Grace again, along with their now-husbands.

Recommended for fans of historical romance.

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

About Jennifer Mistmorgan

Jennifer MistmorganAward-winning Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan sometimes feels like she was born in the wrong era. So she writes romantic historical fiction set in the 1940s, against the backdrop of WWII and its aftermath. She infuses her sweet romances with wartime drama, gentle faith and a dash of intrigue. She lives in Canberra with her family and a wonky-eared West Highland terrier.

Find Jennifer Mistmorgan online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

About These Long Shadows

How do they rebuild a marriage that wasn’t real in the first place? 

London, 1945: Two years ago, Jonty Ables married Katie Baines to save her and her unborn baby from shame. But now the war is all but over, the baby is gone and they must work out where their shaky marriage fits into lives irrevocably changed by war.

Clinging to the memory of a time before all happiness evaporated, Katie works hard during the day as a seamstress. At night she comes home to a tiny terrace on a bomb-scarred street, crammed with her extended family and their problems. Years of estrangement sit between her and her recently demobilised husband. She’s not even sure she loves him. So why is she so crushed that he calls out another woman’s name in his sleep?

Jonty is determined to honor the vows he made no matter how many ghosts plague him. But with such separate lives, his wife is more of a stranger than ever. When Katie’s friend goes missing, Jonty seizes the opportunity to help her find him just so they have reason to talk. But the war casts long shadows over their efforts, and fighting for their future might just be the hardest battle of them all.

Find These Long Shadows 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 #382 | These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

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 These Long Shadows by Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan, the third book in her On Victory’s Wings series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The restaurant swam around her, but at least the nausea had eased enough for her to be out of bed.

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

 

About These Long Shadows

How do they rebuild a marriage that wasn’t real in the first place? 

London, 1945: Two years ago, Jonty Ables married Katie Baines to save her and her unborn baby from shame. But now the war is all but over, the baby is gone and they must work out where their shaky marriage fits into lives irrevocably changed by war.

Clinging to the memory of a time before all happiness evaporated, Katie works hard during the day as a seamstress. At night she comes home to a tiny terrace on a bomb-scarred street, crammed with her extended family and their problems. Years of estrangement sit between her and her recently demobilised husband. She’s not even sure she loves him. So why is she so crushed that he calls out another woman’s name in his sleep?

Jonty is determined to honor the vows he made no matter how many ghosts plague him. But with such separate lives, his wife is more of a stranger than ever. When Katie’s friend goes missing, Jonty seizes the opportunity to help her find him just so they have reason to talk. But the war casts long shadows over their efforts, and fighting for their future might just be the hardest battle of them all.

Find These Long Shadows 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!

Why do married people always think everyone else should be married too?

Book Review | Uncharted Mercy (Uncharted #14) by Keely Brooke Keith

Uncharted Mercy is the latest book in Keely Brooke Keith’s Uncharted series. The series is a unique mix of historical and futuristic romance as the series is set in the future, after Earth has experienced a nuclear war and chaos reigns … everywhere except the Land, which has been stuck in the 1860s because of the strange atmospheric disturbance surrounding the Land.

Uncharted Mercy is the story of Bette Owens, a widow with two young children who makes her living as a hatmaker. When her interfering in-laws decideher son should live with themwhile Bette marries a man she has never met, Bette vents her frustrations to herneighbour, Noah Vestal. Noah proposes a novel solution—marriage.

It’s pretty obvious that Noah has feelings for Bette, but he then worries that he may have coerced her into marriage. I really liked Noah and his attitude—it showed he was a man of honour. Unfortunately, Noah has a secret (that series readers have known for the last two books, but which Bette and the other villagers don’t know). That secret is about to put Noah’s home and livelihood at risk.

This is an excellent romance, a marriage of convenience that turns into a real relationship. I loved the way Bette and Noah’s relationship developed, and the healthy way they integrated Bette’s children into their relationship. (Or is that the healthy way Bette integrated Noah into her family?)

I really liked the ending. Without giving anything away, it showed how a good Christian marriage is a partnership of equals, even in a patriarchial setting.

All the stories are standalone titles, so you don’t need to read the whole series for this book to make sense. However, you’ll probably want to read at least The Land Uncharted (#1 inthe series) and Uncharted Grace (#12, Caroline’s story) to best appreciate Uncharted Mercy.

I’ve enjoyed all the Land Uncharted series. I particularly enjoyed Uncharted Mercy because of the marriage of convenience trope, because we got to see more of Connor in this story, and because of the strong Christian characters of both Bette and Noah.

Uncharted Mercy by Keely Brooke Keith is an excellent Christian marriage of convenience romance with a unique blend of historical and speculative tropes. Share on X

Recommended for fans of historical romance with a speculative twist.

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

About Uncharted Mercy

A marriage of convenience uncovers secrets that spark a battle for inheritance, family, and a chance at love.

Lonely bachelor Noah Vestal longs for a family of his own. His inherited farmhouse feels empty, and working the expansive orchard doesn’t keep his mind off his life in America before being shipwrecked on the Land. When he learns the lovely widow next door is being pressured to marry a man she’s never met and to leave her son behind, he offers to marry her. She could have a home and keep both of her children, and he could fill the orchard house with the family he longs for. But when Noah’s inheritance is contested by someone claiming to be the orchard’s rightful heir, he stands to lose everything—including his new family.

Bette Owens has made the best of things since losing her husband three years ago, but now her forceful in-laws want rid of her. When they persuade her parents to help separate her from her son, she has nowhere to turn but to the generous bachelor next door. She has always admired Noah and misses the protection and companionship of having a husband, so when Noah proposes a quick marriage, it seems like a wise remedy. Just when her children are settling into their new home—and love between Bette and Noah seems possible—she discovers Noah isn’t who he says he is.

While the Good Springs elder council becomes judge and jury over the orchard’s ownership, Noah’s dreams of supporting a family and being part of a community slip away. And as Bette’s friends side against her, she finds herself in an unimaginable fight for her family—and for love.

Can their marriage of convenience withstand the battle for inheritance, family, and love?

Find Uncharted Mercy online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About Keely Brooke Keith

Keely Keely Brooke KeithBrooke Keith writes inspirational frontier-style fiction with a slight Sci-Fi twist, including The Land Uncharted (Shelf Unbound Notable Romance 2015) and Aboard Providence (2017 INSPY Awards Longlist). Keely also creates resources for writers such as The Writer’s Book Launch Guide and The Writer’s Character Journal.

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely grew up in a family that frequently relocated. By graduation, she lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools.  When she isn’t writing, Keely enjoys playing bass guitar, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Keely, her husband, and their daughter live on a hilltop south of Nashville, Tennessee.

Find Keely Brooke Keith online at:

Website | Facebook

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 #375 | Uncharted Mercy by Keely Brooke Keith

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 Uncharted Mercy, the 14th book in Keely Brooke Keith’s excellent Uncharted series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Steam rose in a soft column from the kettle spout, giving Bette a perfect blend of heat and moisture to shape another hat brim.

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

 

About Uncharted Mercy

A marriage of convenience uncovers secrets that spark a battle for inheritance, family, and a chance at love.

Lonely bachelor Noah Vestal longs for a family of his own. His inherited farmhouse feels empty, and working the expansive orchard doesn’t keep his mind off his life in America before being shipwrecked on the Land. When he learns the lovely widow next door is being pressured to marry a man she’s never met and to leave her son behind, he offers to marry her. She could have a home and keep both of her children, and he could fill the orchard house with the family he longs for. But when Noah’s inheritance is contested by someone claiming to be the orchard’s rightful heir, he stands to lose everything—including his new family.

Bette Owens has made the best of things since losing her husband three years ago, but now her forceful in-laws want rid of her. When they persuade her parents to help separate her from her son, she has nowhere to turn but to the generous bachelor next door. She has always admired Noah and misses the protection and companionship of having a husband, so when Noah proposes a quick marriage, it seems like a wise remedy. Just when her children are settling into their new home—and love between Bette and Noah seems possible—she discovers Noah isn’t who he says he is.

While the Good Springs elder council becomes judge and jury over the orchard’s ownership, Noah’s dreams of supporting a family and being part of a community slip away. And as Bette’s friends side against her, she finds herself in an unimaginable fight for her family—and for love.

Can their marriage of convenience withstand the battle for inheritance, family, and love?

Find Uncharted Mercy 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!

The type of women he was interested in weren’t eager to go out with a thirty-year-old entry level warehouse worker with a GED.

Book Review | So Into You by Kathleen Fuller

Artist Brittany Branch is a YouTube influencer with almost half a million followers … the perfect occupation for someone with chronic social anxiety because it means she doesn’t have to leave the house except to visit her favourite local art supplies store.

Warehouse worker Hunter Pickett is trying to turn his life around after becoming a Christian in prison. He wants to reconcile with his parents, and also wants to get to know the cute YouTube artist better … especially after he runs into her at the local art supplies store.

Teacher Amy Branch is wondering if it’s time to start dating again given it’s close to two decades since she divorced her alcoholic husband and her daughter seems to be coping with her anxiety.

Daniel Branch is out of jail, off alcohol, and thanking God he has a solid job as a chauffeur for the wealthy Pickett family and is reconciling with his estranged daughter.

Given each of the four main characters are keeping secrets about who they know and how they’re related to the other characters, it’s pretty obvious there is going to be a show-down at some point and all the secrets are going to come out.

And they do come out (of course).

I’m always a little apprehensive when I can see a scene like this coming, in case it gets awkward. I’m happy to say it didn’t go at all how I thought it would—it was so much better.

So Into You is primarily a romance, but it’s also a powerful and moving story that touches on a lot of social issues including anxiety, alcoholism, prisoner rehabilitation, and family dynamics in general. It’s well-written, with realistic characters making realistic decisions that drive plenty of relatable conflict and kept me reading.

Recommended for fans of Christian romance with depth.

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

About Kathleen Fuller

Kathleen Fuller

With over a million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, the Amish Letters series, the Brides of Birch Creek series, the upcoming Mail Order Brides of Birch Creek, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. She has also contributed to numerous novella collections.

She and her husband James live in Arkansas and have three adult children. When she’s not writing, Kathleen is avidly crocheting, reading, and traveling, sometimes all at the same time. She runs the Facebook group Books & Hooks, which combines her love of books, crochet, and collecting recipes that she’ll never have enough time to make.

Find Kathleen Fuller online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

About So Into You

Opposites attract when an introverted vlogger and a reformed party boy exchange lessons on art, confidence, and yacht rock.

Artist Britt Branch has a successful online channel where she teaches a variety of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own. But she also has a huge problem–severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she’ll ever have the courage to move out and move on. When her best friend announces she’s getting married, Britt decides it’s time to make a change.

Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks, applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he dealt with being the black sheep of the family by drinking and using drugs. By his third year of sobriety, he’s still dealing with aimlessness. Late one night he catches Britt’s channel and ends up watching her videos. He’s not interested in art . . . at first. And when he sends her an online message, he’s surprised she responds. Before long they are chatting every day, and once they start meeting in person, a spark-filled friendship begins.

But both of them are keeping secrets. Big ones. When all truths are revealed in one pivotal moment, Britt and Hunter are at a crossroads. Will he fight for the happiness he’s worked so hard to obtain? And will she continue to hide from life, or can she finally step out of her own shadow?

Find So Into 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 #363 | So Into You by Kathleen Fuller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading a review copy of So Into You by Kathleen Fuller, who is more well-known for her Amish romances. It looks like this is her first venture into rom-com, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Lights? Check. Sound? Check. Script? Check?

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

About So Into You

Opposites attract when an introverted vlogger and a reformed party boy exchange lessons on art, confidence, and yacht rock.

Artist Britt Branch has a successful online channel where she teaches a variety of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own. But she also has a huge problem–severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she’ll ever have the courage to move out and move on. When her best friend announces she’s getting married, Britt decides it’s time to make a change.

Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks, applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he dealt with being the black sheep of the family by drinking and using drugs. By his third year of sobriety, he’s still dealing with aimlessness. Late one night he catches Britt’s channel and ends up watching her videos. He’s not interested in art . . . at first. And when he sends her an online message, he’s surprised she responds. Before long they are chatting every day, and once they start meeting in person, a spark-filled friendship begins.

But both of them are keeping secrets. Big ones. When all truths are revealed in one pivotal moment, Britt and Hunter are at a crossroads. Will he fight for the happiness he’s worked so hard to obtain? And will she continue to hide from life, or can she finally step out of her own shadow?

Find So Into 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!

Sheltering us from the world doesn’t spare our eyes from seeing evil—it spares evil from the light that would reveal it. It provides the cover it seeks.

Book Review | An Honorable Deception (Imposters #3) by Roseanna M White

An Honorable Deception brings back the Imposters, the secret private investigation agency created by Lord Yates Fairfax and his sister, Lady Marigold, their cousin Graham, and Gemma, the daughter of the family’s former steward.

The story starts with Yates in the church, meeting his prospective client under cover of the confessional box. But their meeting doesn’t go as planned, and his new client is shot as she leaves the church.

Yates takes Lady Alethia home to keep her safe, and places her in the care of his sister as they investigate who could have harmed Lady Alethia and the whereabouts of her missing ayah (nanny).

The story takes us straight back to the Fairfax family home in Northumberland, which gives us a chance to meet the menagerie again

That’s a lot of fun.

Lord Yates Merritt, next-door neigbour Lady Lavinia Hemming, and client Lady Alethia Barremore are all point of view characters, which provides the romantic tension: who will Yates choose? This could have been really awkward, but White handled it brilliantly and I was completely satisfied with the result.

And there was also the suspense element of the plot: who has kidnapped the ayah? Who shot Lady Alethia? What is the secret she’s hiding? These questions were all answered with perfect timing and the perfect amount of information.

Yes, I loved An Honorable Deception.

I loved Yates from A Beautiful Disguise, where we first met Lavinia. I love the characters and the way they mix skill, intelligence, humour, and a genuine Christian faith. I loved the way the romance worked out perfectly, even if it didn’t work out the way I’d originally anticipated.

An Honourable Deception is the third book in Roseanne M White’s The Imposters series, and I hope weget to see more of Yates, Marigold, and the rest of the Imposters. If you’re read White’s other historical romances set in England, you’ll recognize a few of the characters who pop up toward the end of An Honourable Deception, like Barclay. I’d love to read a crossover series Upstairs Downstairs or Downton Abbey style with Yates, Barclay, Mr. V, and their associates … hint hint.

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

About Roseanna M White

Roseanna M WhiteRoseanna 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:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube 

About An Honorable Deception

As the leader of elite private investigative firm the Imposters, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon dangerous secrets.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects there’s more to her oldest friends than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. Happy as she is for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing to bring laughter back into her life–her friendship with Yates–lands her squarely on the bad side of her best friend, his sister.

Tormented by a past that she doesn’t dare to voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the darkest of society’s secrets, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia soon learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble . . . and truth isn’t always honorable.

Find An Honorable Deception online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Bookish Question #337 | Which do you prefer: jilted bride or runaway bride?

Interesting question!

I’m not a big fan of either trope, and can’t remember the last time I read either a jilted or a runaway bride.

A jilted bride is always going to have my sympathy …

As long as she’s a likeable character–and romance heroines tend to be likeable.

A good novel always needs a good story question, and a jilted bride is a great story question: why has he jilted her?

For a jilted bride story to work as a romance for me, one of two things need to happen. Either the initial couple either have to end up together (which means he needs to have a really good reason for jilting her in the first place, and he needs to convince me he’s not going to do the same thing again).

Or she ends up with a different guy, one who will treat her right. For this to work, we need to find out something about the first fiance which shows she never really knew him.

Otherwise, I’m left wondering if she really knows what it means to love someone until death us do part.

A runaway bride is similar but different.

For a runaway bride story to work for me, I have to understand why she ran away. Did she decide she didn’t love him enough (or at all)?

Did she discover something about him that shows her he’s not the man she thought he was (this probably works best in romantic suspense, when she finds out he’s an assassin for hire or something similar).

If so, be the runaway bride. Leave before the wedding.

Even in real life, I would absolutely say to anyone that if they are having any second thoughts about marriage, they should call off the wedding. Despite the inconvenience and the expense, that’s going to be easier than working through a divorce later.

What about you? Do you prefer a jilted bride or a runaway bride romance?

That’s the thing about change; it just shows up, and it never asks permission. You never know how it will affect you until you’re forced to face it.

Book Review | Walking in Circles by Amy Matayo

High school senior Emma Lee and her mother have just moved to Pendleton, South Carolina, population 3,084. After an embarassing and awkward first day at her new school, she makes a fool of herself (again) with neighbour and school hottie Shane Michaels.

Emma has a temper. She also comes from an abusive household—that’s why she and her mother have moved, to get away from Emma’s father. Unsurprisingly, this has also left Emma with a distrust of men. So she’s not keen on developing any kind of relationship with Shane, or with Old Will, her neighbour. But Old Will, with the benefit of age and wisdom, manages to break through her barriers.

I will admit that I didn’t really read the book description before I bought the book or before I read it. It was a new book from Amy Matayo. What else did I need to know?

Walking in Circles has similarities to her previous books: great characters in messy relationships, strong writing that pulls the reader in and doesn’t let up (well, this reader anyway), and a subtle faith arc that shows rather than tells God’s truth.

It is a novel about surviving domestic violence and physical abuse, and there are a few other triggers as well (including sibling death). But it’s also a novel about finding hope in the mess and brokenness.

Recommended for Young Adult readers looking for fiction that examines how broken people can find joy in a broken world.

About Amy Matayo

Amy Matayo is an award winning author of  The Wedding Game, Love Gone Wild, Sway, In Tune with Love, A Painted Summer, The End of the World, The Thirteenth Chance, The Whys Have It, Christmas at Gate 18, and the upcoming Lies We Tell Ourselves.

She graduated with barely passing grades from John Brown University with a degree in Journalism. But don’t feel sorry for her–she’s super proud of that degree and all the ways she hasn’t put it to good use.

She laughs often, cries easily, feels deeply, and loves hard. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and four kids and is always working on her next novel, whichever one that may be.

Find Amy Matayo online at

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter/X

About Walking in Circles

“When you’ve been hurt the worst by the one who should love you most, trusting anyone is a dangerous game.”

Emma Lee was four the first time her dad hit her, eight when he left without a word, and nine by the time she’d developed a serious case of Male Trust Issues. So, when her mom moves her from their beloved California city to a small South Carolina town, the last person she wants to get to know is her elderly male neighbor. But the man won’t stop talking to her. And it isn’t like she can avoid him. She passes his house twice a day on her walk to and from school.

Old Will knows a fractured soul when he sees one, and his young new neighbor is certainly that. Emma wears a cautious demeanor like an old sweater, and it tugs at his heartstrings. His late wife would have his hide if he didn’t welcome the girl onto their front porch and treat her like one of their own. And if his grandson Shane happened to come by and meet her…well, that wouldn’t be his fault, would it?

Shane Michaels is the school jock, prom king, all-around popular kid, and miserable. He’s already lost so much in his eighteen years, more than his classmates could ever understand. And he is lonely. So, when Emma moves into the house next to Old Will, Shane makes it his mission to meet her. He invites her on a walk. He joins her on Old Will’s front porch. He asks her to dinner and to prom and eventually spills the secret he’s been keeping for years, the secret only his parents and Old Will know about.

That is, until a tragic accident brings everything into the open and throws their newly formed bond into chaos. A bond Emma hadn’t seen coming until she’d already learned to depend on it. But isn’t that how life works?

Sometimes learning to trust people is only a matter of meeting the right ones.

Find Walking in Circles online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

This is God’s proof to me that He is the only Father whose approval I must seek.

Book Review | Uncharted Peace (Uncharted #13) by Keely Brooke Keith

I didn’t enjoy Uncharted Peace as much as I’ve enjoyed previous novels in the Land Uncharted series. I think there are two reasons for that. One was because the romance was largely completed via letters before the story started. The second was because the “secret” hinted at in the book description is something the dedicated series reader already knows, because it was revealed in the previous book in the series, Uncharted Grace.

Rather than being a story of Lena and Phillip’s romance, it was a story about how an obscure law almost prevented their marriage … a plot device that felt a little contrived, given it hasn’t been mentioned in the twelve previous romances in this series. We read romance to watch the couple fall in love. Sure, we know there are going to be a few problems along the way, but Uncharted Peace seemed to be mostly problems with not enough of the falling-in-love phase of romance.

I’m also not a big fan of marriages where there is a big age gap between the hero and heroine. It wasn’t immediately obvious, but Philip Roberts is much older, and he does sometimes seem almost patronising in his attitude towards Lena. I didn’t find that attractive, which made it harder to want their relationship to move forward.

The best part about Uncharted Hope is the Christian element.

Despite being older and a preacher, Philip Roberts still had a few things to learn about God and life, and it was good to see him learning those lessons.

Overall, Uncharted Peace wasn’t my favourite in the series, but I’m still looking forward to the next book.

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

About Keely Brooke Keith

Keely Keely Brooke KeithBrooke Keith writes inspirational frontier-style fiction with a slight Sci-Fi twist, including The Land Uncharted (Shelf Unbound Notable Romance 2015) and Aboard Providence (2017 INSPY Awards Longlist). Keely also creates resources for writers such as The Writer’s Book Launch Guide and The Writer’s Character Journal.

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely grew up in a family that frequently relocated. By graduation, she lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools.  When she isn’t writing, Keely enjoys playing bass guitar, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Keely, her husband, and their daughter live on a hilltop south of Nashville, Tennessee.

Find Keely Brooke Keith online at:

Website | Facebook

About Uncharted Peace

Lena’s stay at The Inn at Falls Creek leaves her torn between loyalty to her family and marrying Philip for love.

Lena Vestal enjoys spending her days cooking for her siblings and her nights curled up with a good book… or a letter from Philip Roberts, the overseer of Falls Creek and only man ever to capture her heart. It’s safe to dream of a future with him while she is still sheltered by the older brother and sister who raised her. When Philip’s final letter announces his forthcoming arrival to take her to Falls Creek, Lena must leave all that is familiar to make her dream a reality.

Philip Roberts takes his duties as the overseer of Falls Creek seriously, not only to please God but also to prove his competence. Having been in the pastoral position for two years, Philip’s dissertation is anticipated by all the overseers of the Land, particularly his father. Producing a work of great merit would prove his worth, as would setting an excellent example of holy matrimony in his church.

Lena’s yearning for the security of Philip’s love compels her to spend a month without her siblings at the isolated Inn at Falls Creek. To prepare for their nuptials, Philip informs her the Land’s tradition requires they compare family lineage. When she receives hers from her sister, a shocking secret about her true origins means she must choose between protecting her family and marrying the man of her dreams.

And when Philip’s published book is distributed before he can check it, both feel their hopes dissolve.

But at the Inn at Falls Creek, no one is alone and everyone is worthy.

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