Tag: Christian Romance

9 December 2024

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

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

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1 November 2024

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:

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.

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!

21 October 2024

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. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna has a slew of historical novels available, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia.

Find Roseanna M White online at:

About 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

27 June 2024

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?

8 April 2024

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!

11 March 2024

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 Brooke 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.

Find Uncharted Peace online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

25 September 2023

Book Review | Heart in the Clouds by Jennifer Mistmorgan

Australian Flight Sergeant Alec Thomas is the pilot of an Avro Lancaster bomber, with an ego to match. Women’s Auxiliary Air Force radio operator Maggie Morrison has sworn off men. Including arrogant pilots. Especially arrogant pilots who aren’t good Christian men.

Alec and Maggie meet in London while on leave, then find they have both been deployed to the same air base – RAF Bottesford in Lincolnshire. Alec initially pursues Maggie because of a bet (so we know there’s going to be drama when she finds out), but the more he gets to know her, the more he is interested in her regardless of the bet.

I enjoyed watching the to-and-fro as Alec and Maggie got to know each other as colleagues, then friends with the possibility of something more. There was plenty of drama as well – relationship drama, family drama, the inevitable war drama, and the added drama of a thief on the base.

It’s evident that from Heart in the Clouds that Jennifer Mistmorgan has a deep love of World War II history. (It’s even more evident if you follow her on social media.) She has also researched the subject in depth, and that depth and breadth of knowledge shines through in the novel without ever overwhelming the story. I’ve recently discovered my grandfather served in Bomber Command in WWII, and Heart in the Clouds reminded me afresh of the difficulties of war, and the importance of being able to rely on God in such horrible times.

Recommended for fans of Sarah Sundin, Carrie Turansky, and World War II Christian romance.

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

About Heart in the Clouds

He’s a charismatic Australian bomber pilot used to beating the odds.

She’s the radio operator he speaks to each night before he flies.

He makes a bet that he can steal a kiss….and ends up getting much more than he bargained for.

RAF Bottesford, November 1942: Maggie Morrison joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force for a free ticket into the romance she craved, away from her sleepy life as a vicar’s daughter. But the men of Bomber Command are careless with the hearts of women. She hides the pain of her broken heart and mother’s sudden death behind calm confidence on the airfield radio, as the last voice men hear before they fly into danger.

Australian pilot Alec Thomas is a gambling man on a winning streak. Every night when he flies with RAF Bomber Command, the odds of surviving are fifty-fifty. And every night so far, he’s made it back to English soil. But as the battles over Europe intensify, Alec’s luck feels less certain.

When Alec bets with his crew he can get Maggie to kiss him before the year is out, he has no idea it’s the most important wager he’ll ever make. But pursuing her leads Alec to reexamine everything he believes about his so-called luck, prompting him to question what—or who—is behind it all.

Even if Alec can win his bet, can his risk-taking ways win her heart? Or will his luck in the brutal air war over Europe run out before their first kiss?

Find Heart in the Clouds online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

22 September 2023

First Line Friday #304 | Heart in the Clouds 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 Heart in the Clouds by debut Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Heart in the Clouds

He’s a charismatic Australian bomber pilot used to beating the odds.

She’s the radio operator he speaks to each night before he flies.

He makes a bet that he can steal a kiss….and ends up getting much more than he bargained for.

Even if Alec can win his bet, can his risk-taking ways win her heart? Or will his luck in the brutal air war over Europe run out before their first kiss?

Find Heart in the Clouds online at:

Amazon

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

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

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11 September 2023

Book Review | All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Mackenzie enjoys her job as a graphic designer, where she works with her best friend and housemate. But she’s less than thrilled when her boss says she’s up for a promotion to a supervisory role that will mean supervising staff and working more closely with clients, even though it will mean a pay rise—which she needs to pay for her mother’s nursing home.

Sofiya has pitched Mackenzie against Jeremy Fletcher, her longtime secret crush, and someone who always has the right words to say. But Mackenzie has to try, for her mother’s sake. And she’s noticed something about Sofiya’s promotion strategy: promotions always happen around Christmas, and always go to the person who does the best job of bringing Christmas cheer to the office.

I have mixed feelings about office romances in general, and about the trope that pitches the hero and heroine against each other for a promotion (which is probably a hangover from years working in HR).

I think Sarah Monzon managed those two aspects of the plot brilliantly.

It was funny and believable and romantic. And while the story certainly delivered on the romance front, that wasn’t what made it special.

I loved the way the story featured a main character with a mental health issue—social anxiety–in a sensitive and realistic way.

I loved the way the story struck just the right balance between believing God for healing while acknowledging that God sometimes uses modern medicine to perform that healing.

I appreciated the acknowledgement that mental health issues are health issues, that doctors can help, that it’s not enough to think positive or practice gratitude or even pray for healing.

I especially loved the way we gradually got to know the real Jeremy and watch as he began to see–and fall for–the real Mackenzie, social anxiety and all.

Like Kiss Me on Christmas, All’s Fair in Love and Christmas is a fun Christian Christmas romance which delivers all the romantic feels along with a healthy view of people with mental health challenges. (If you enjoy this, I also recommend checking out Sarah Monzon’s 2022 release, Kiss Me on Christmas).

Recommended for anyone looking for a Christmas rom-com or for a Christian workplace romance with a serious side.

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

About Sarah Monzon

A Carol award finalist and Selah award winner, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.

Find Sarah online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About All’s Fair in Love and Christmas

Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.

Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham–Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they’ll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she’d be a contender in her company’s holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?

Jeremy Fletcher’s life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year’s promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she’s his rival, he can’t stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he’s afraid that if he can’t get his head on straight, the promotion isn’t the only thing he’ll end up losing to Mackenzie.

Find All’s Fair in Love and Christmas online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

20 August 2023

First Line Friday #299 | A Hopeful Heart by Cecily K Wolfe

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. A Hopeful Heart is a new release from Cecily K Wolfe, and appears to be her first contemporary story. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About A Hopeful Heart

In the midst of her picture-perfect marriage, Lilly’s world shatters when her husband abandons her for another woman. Now, with her baby Catherine, she retreats to the comforting embrace of her hometown, Heart Lake. There, Matthew, a childhood friend turned compassionate pediatric nurse, steps in, stirring unexpected emotions.

Matthew prays for guidance as he navigates these new feelings, while Lilly’s protective sisters watch with wary eyes. When a health scare threatens Catherine, Lilly leans on Matthew, only for her estranged husband to reappear, begging for forgiveness.

Caught in a whirlwind of faith, love, and second chances, Lilly faces a tough decision. Will she forgive her husband or open her heart to the possibility of new love with Matthew? Unravel Lilly’s poignant journey of heartbreak and healing in the heart of Heart Lake.

Find A Hopeful Heart 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.