Tag: Contemporary Christian Romance

12 April 2025

First Line Friday #386 | The One Who Changed Everything by Tara Grace Ericson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m quoting from The One Who Changed Everything, the final book in Tara Grace Ericson’s Second Chance Fire Station series. I’ve enjoyed this whole series!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About The One Who Changed Everything

I never expected to see him again.

When I met Evan, he was everything I never thought I could have—steady, kind, the kind of man who made me believe in something more. But one reckless night changed everything. By the time I found out I was pregnant, he was gone, and I had every reason to believe he’d never come back.

For fourteen years, I built a life for my daughter, protecting her, providing for her, never letting myself wonder what if.
Evan was a stranger from my past, a man whose wealthy family could take everything from me if they ever found out. But then he showed up in my small town—stronger, haunted, and completely unaware of the little girl who carried his eyes. And the moment he looks at her, I know the truth will come out.

I wanted to keep my distance. I told myself he only cared because of Sophia, that he’d never really wanted me. But every look, every touch, every moment together makes it harder to deny the truth.

Because Evan Mercer wasn’t just the man I lost. He was The One Who Changed Everything.

Find The One Who Changed Everything 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!

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7 April 2025

Book Review | The Voice We Find (Fog Harbor #3) by Nicole Deese

Music producer August Tate is just keeping his financial head above water after relocating from LA to small-town beachfront Northern California to raise his adopted sister after their parents die in a train crash while on a mission trip.

Actress Sophie Wilder has reluctantly relocated from New York to her childhood home, a vineyard now managed by her older brother, the family golden child. She needs a job that doesn’t involve being onstage, so tries out as a voice actor for audiobooks. The two are brought together by Fog Harbor Books fiction editor Chip Stanton, who hires Sophie to narrate and August to produce audiobooks.

I will admit the first chapter confused me, because I thought the introductory line of “August” was when the story started, not the hero’s first name. It didn’t help that the story is written in first person, so it did take me a while to work out August was the character. Once I did, I was hooked.

The Voice We Find, like other books in the Fog Harbor series, has hidden depths. It’s an emotional story, a story about family and families (good and less good), and even has a small suspense element.

August’s sister is deaf, which allows us to see into the deaf community and experience some of their struggles. It’s great to see such positive and realistic portrayals of people with disabilities.

The story also has a strong faith component which was integral to the plot and character development, which I loved.

But the core of the story, the aspect that lifts it from good to great, is the way the character’s personal histories—especially Sophie’s—are woven together so they can each learn and grow … and find their voices.

I hope this isn’t the last of the Fog Harbor series, because Chip still hasn’t got his happy-ever-after ending …

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

About The Voice We Find

Sophie Wilder returns home to California with nothing more than a failed Broadway career and a geriatric cat. Stuck working at the family winery with her egotistical brother and desperate for a way to revive her acting dreams, she takes a side gig as an audiobook narrator with Fog Harbor Books. But getting mixed up in the life of her reluctant sound engineer was never a part of her plans.

August Tate is still reeling from taking guardianship of his teen sister. Determined to find a solution to her degenerative hearing loss and to prevent his private recording studio from going under, he agrees to produce audiobooks part-time. When Sophie breathes new life into his creativity and forms an unexpected bond with his sister, rooted in their common faith, he must confront the reasons he turned away from his own.

Bestselling and award-winning author Nicole Deese weaves an emotionally charged romance rich in the complexities of love and family.

Find The Voice We Find online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About Nicole Deese

Nicole Deese is an award-winning author who specializes in humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels. When not working on her next contemporary romance, she can usually be found reading one by a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She currently resides with her happily-ever-after hubby, two sons, and a princess daughter in Idaho.

Find Nicole Deese online at:

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

28 March 2025

First Line Friday #384 | Resisting the Rancher by Jen Peters

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 Resisting the Rancher by Jen Peters, the second book in her Black Rock Ranch series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Resisting the Rancher

He’s a flirt who won’t commit. She’s a broken-down country singer.

Caleb Black dances and flirts to his heart’s content—that’s all he’s capable of since his high-school sweetheart went off to chase her dreams. He’s made quite a name for himself and the horses at Black Rock Ranch, but watching his older brother fall in love shows him what a hole there is in his life.

Singing and writing music was all Jo Manning ever wanted. But when she breaks down under the relentless schedule and the pressure to produce—and when her manager runs off with all her money—the only place to heal is her family’s small ranch in the Colorado Rockies. Her parents need help, her son needs a place to call home, and Jo? She does not need help from the man she left behind.

Find Resisting the Rancher 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!

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24 March 2025

Book Review | The One Who Risked it All by Tara Grace Ericson

Firefighter Elijah Wells has always had a soft spot for middle school teacher Carla, ever since they were in high school. His father forbids him from having anything to do with Carla or her family—and Carla’s father says the same thing.

But when Elijah’s father has a heart attack, Elijah offers to look after his three nephews while his brother and sister-in-law are on vacation. Carla has also offered to help, and Elijah finds all the old feelings coming back as they spend time together.

Will the family feud keep them apart forever?

Yes, The One Who Risked it All is a variation on the Romeo and Juliet story, but with no poison (well, this is a romance, not a tragedy. Readers expect an engagement or wedding, not a funeral.)

I felt for Elijah and his frustration over his father’s unwillingness to explain the origins of the feud, or to end it. And I felt for Carla and her realisation that she and Elijah can’t have a future until he works out his issues with his father.

I found it a little frustrating that neither Elijah nor Carla disclosed the background behind the feud, until I realised they didn’t actually know.
I loved the will-they-won’t-they tension, and the way they both had to take action to get the ending they both wanted.

The One Who Risked it All is a fun small-town Christian romance, and I’m looking forward to the next story in the series.

Recommended for fans of forced proximity and small-town romances.

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

About Tara Grace Ericson

Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and 3 sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author.

Her first book, Falling on Main Street, was written mostly from airport waiting areas and bleak hotel rooms as she traveled in her position as a sales engineer. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually a good cup of coffee or tea.

Tara unashamedly watches Hallmark movies all winter long, even though they are predictable and cheesy. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living. She wants to encourage her readers with stories of men and women who live out their faith in tough situations.

Find Tara Grace Ericson online at:

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About The One Who Risked It All

Two weeks. One house. Zero chance their hearts come out unscathed.

Elijah Woods is trouble. He always has been. The kind of trouble that makes your heart race and your common sense disappear. Just ask all the girls in town throwing themselves at him. He broke my heart once—walked away like what we had meant nothing—and I swore I’d never let him get close enough to do it again.

I should’ve let him go a long time ago. He’s everything my family would hate—wild, reckless, and, worst of all, a Woods. The feud between our families has been going on for decades, and no good could ever come from crossing that line.

But now, thanks to his brother’s honeymoon, I’m stuck sharing a house with Eli for two weeks, chasing after three energetic boys and trying to pretend that old spark between us isn’t still burning. Two weeks of late nights, quiet conversations, and discovering a side of him I never expected.

He’s kind. Protective. He’s making it impossible to forget why I fell for him in the first place, or why I swore I’d never let him break my heart again.

But the way Eli looks at me makes me question everything. If we give in, we could lose everything. And yet, walking away from him this time might just break me for good. I’m just not sure I can be The One Who Risked it All.

Find The One Who Risked It All online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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3 March 2025

Book Review | Assisting the Athlete by Liwen Y Ho

Sebastian “Bash” Watts is a professional ice hockey player who earned a bad reputation after he lost his family ten years ago. But he’s turned himself around, largely due to the influence of Bekah, and now he’s staying off the drink and away from the girls. Especially Bekah.

Bekah Kendall is a long-time friend who is now one of the physiotherapists supporting his ice hockey team. Sure, he helped her get her foot in the door, but her success is all her own. If only her family acknowledged that.

Bash knows exactly how innocent Bekah is, so when he sees one of his teammates making a move on her, he shuts it down and lets his teammate assume Bash and Bekah are an item. Bekah is shocked when she finds out but plays along … and soon they are both wondering if their fake relationship could become real.

One of the strengths of Assisting the Athlete was the way Liwen Y Ho wove in Bekah’s strong Christian faith. Bekah is a Christian who isn’t afraid to talk about her faith, even to people she shows don’t believe – like Bash.

Assisting the Athlete ticks a bunch of fun boxes.

It’s got sports romance, fake relationship, workplace romance, and friends-to-more (which is one of my favourite tropes). It’s a well-executed and entertaining short read.

Assisting the Athlete is the third book in the Kendall family series, with the first two dealing with Bekah’s over-achieving and overbearing twin older brothers-Devin and Jace. I read and enjoyed Devin’s story (Saving the CEO), and Jace’s story (Rescuing the Rock Star), but that was months ago. I can therefore assure you the stories are each standalone romances, and you don’t have to read or remember the earlier stories to enjoy Assisting the Athlete.

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

About Liwen Y Ho

Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).

In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist

You can find Liwen Y Ho online at:

Website | Facebook | X/Twitter

About Assisting the Athlete

She’s the only one who can melt this hockey player’s heart …

Bekah Kendall has always been under the protective care of her older brothers, but now she’s finally living life on her own terms. She has a new degree, her own place, and a coveted spot on the sports medicine staff for a top hockey team. This job is everything she’s hoped for, except for the excessive attention she gets from the players. But there’s no way she can quit, not when she needs to prove to her family that she can make it on her own.

Watching out for his sister’s best friend comes naturally for Sebastian Watts, so he does everything possible to help Bekah get a job with the Gilroy Gladiators. However, when he realizes his teammates have their eyes set on her, he feels responsible and comes up with a plan to keep her safe from their unwanted advances. As long as the guys believe she’s his girlfriend, they’ll keep their distance. But the longer he and Bekah play pretend, the harder it is to guard his own heart around her.

With all the time spent on the road together for away games, Bekah and Sebastian are forced to face their growing feelings for each other. But will their love withstand the interference of others and a secret from the past

Assisting the Athlete is a fake relationship, workplace romance full of sizzling chemistry, satisfying kisses, and a sweet ending that will have you celebrating romance.

Find Assisting the Athlete online at:

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

28 February 2025

First Line Friday #380 | Assisting the Athlete by Liwen Y Ho

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Assisting the Athlete, the third book in Liwen Y Ho’s Kendall Family series. It’s got a fake relationship and a workplace romance … sounds great to me!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Assisting the Athlete

She’s the only one who can melt this hockey player’s heart …

Assisting the Athlete is a fake relationship, workplace romance full of sizzling chemistry, satisfying kisses, and a sweet ending that will have you celebrating romance.

Find Assisting the Athlete 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!

24 February 2025

Book Review | What Makes a Home by Jaycee Weaver

This is an older title that I picked up as a free download in the Valentine’s Day Stuff Your Kindle promotion. I’m glad I did!

What Makes a Home is a romance featuring party-girl artist Jobie (short for Jobanna) and beige computer programmer Caleb. Caleb decides it’s time to adult up so he buys a do-up house, which happens to be just down the street from his old friend Jenna and Jobie, her hot roommate.

There were three things I loved about What Makes a Home.

First, Jenna’s natural faith.

Jenna and Jobie have been roomates for at least three years by the time the story starts. Although it’s clear from Chapter One that Jobie is not a Christian, it’s equally clear that Jenna has overtly judged her for her lack of faith. That opened th door for my second point:

Second, I loved Jobie’s conversion to Christianity.

Okay, so this could be considered a spoiler except that What Makes a Home is categorised as Christian romance, and good Christian romances do not have couples who are unequally yoked. I loved the natural way Jenna shared her faith with Jobie. And I loved the way Jobie took that on board and reflected it back to Jenna in her time of need.

And third, Caleb was a wonderful hero.

Sure, he has been accusing of being vanilla (and his taste in decor does tend to beige). but he has a good heart an is a perfect gentleman … even if he is a little slow to pick up on the fact Jobie is interested in him.

The other thing I liked about What Makes a Home was the realistic portrayal of physical attraction. No, there was nothing inappropriate (although it is clear Jobie has a history), but it was good to see both Caleb and Jobie acknowledging the temptation of physical attraction.

Overall, What Makes a Home is a wonderful example of a realistic Christian romance that focuses on friendship first. Recommended.

About Jaycee Weaver

When New Mexico resident and USA Today bestselling author Jaycee Weaver isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys dates with her brainiac hubby, crafting, pretending she’s a nature photographer, and making her daughters cringe.

She considers herself a recovering perfectionist and regularly battles the ADHD squirrels. Jaycee appreciates humorous books with banter, characters facing adversity, and guaranteed happy endings, so that’s what she writes. She does her best to live her faith in action, being open, honest, and authentic; letting God be Lord over the good, the bad, and the ugly even when it’s hard.

Find Jaycee Weaver online at:

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About What Makes a Home

An artist looking for love in the wrong places. A bored engineer searching for purpose. Can a fixer upper teach these opposites What Makes a Home?

Jobie Everett has built her life around teaching art to senior citizens, living green(ish), social media trends, and wild pursuits that inspire her muse. When her roommate introduces her to a God who personifies a love she’s never known, she discovers how full life truly can be.

Surely there’s more for Caleb March’s lackluster life than work and computer games. Desperate for change, he buys a run-down house near an old friend and her pretty roommate. Ready for more than “just friends,” Caleb will first have to reconnect with a God he’s been ignoring for far too long.

As Caleb and Jobie bond over renovations, a new development forever changes her and pulls the rug out from under him. Jobie needs a godly man who will support and pursue her. Can Caleb become the man she needs in order to finally give her heart a home?

The Everyday Love Series is a clean, inspirational contemporary romance series set in Albuquerque, featuring ordinary people in lifelike stories that inspire, uplift, and share hope. Stories in which a very real God shows Himself in everyday ways to carry His people through any circumstance.

Find What Makes a Home online at:

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Click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

21 February 2025

First Line Friday #379 | Small Town Harmony by Milla Holt

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading Small Town Harmony by Milla Holt, part of her Rhapsody of Grace contemporary Christian romance series, set in England and featuring three brothers who are Christian musicians.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Small Town Harmony

Faith, fame, and family collide as a Christian music power couple hides a secret discord.

Ezra Falconer’s career with his brothers’ band always took center stage while his shy wife Martha was content to play a supporting role in the background. That all changed when Martha’s hidden talent was discovered and she became a breakout singing star. Shedding her frumpy image, her old-timey name, and 100 extra pounds, she transformed into the sultry and sophisticated “Morgan.”

Ezra, grappling with his own career setbacks, struggles to reconcile the confident superstar with the unassuming woman he married.

Martha returns from a sell-out international tour to a marriage on shaky ground. Unprepared for the pressures of fame, she navigates new opportunities that threaten to pull her and her husband even further apart.

As they hide their crumbling marriage from family, friends and fans, Ezra and Martha are asked to collaborate on a charity album, forcing them to confront the growing silence between them. How can they rediscover harmony while they’re singing in different keys?

Find Small Town Harmony 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!

14 February 2025

First Line Friday #378 | Only You Can Love Me (Trinity Lakes 15) by Carolyn Miller

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 Only You Can Love Me by Carolyn Miller, which is the 15th book in the Trinity Lakes Romance series, and which releases next week. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Only You Can Love Me

Wanted: someone hardworking, honest, humble, with a sense of humor, who can appreciate the simple things in life. Who loves God, loves family, and loves animals. Genuine seekers only.

Dr. Jess Martin–Doc Martin to her local community–might be used to solving the veterinary problems of rural south east Washington, but she can’t solve the problems of her lonely heart. When a dating app specializing in rural connections comes her way she figures she’s got nothing left to lose. Especially when she’s already lost the only guy who had touched her heart, who has made it clear his future lies in Silicon Valley and not in Trinity Lakes. It’s time to let go of the past, once and for all.

Cooper Reilly never pictured himself as finding his future or contentment on a ranch. His heart has always hankered for the finer things of life. But when a corporate reshuffle sees him kicked to the kerb, he finds himself right back where he started. And right back to trying to convince a certain pretty vet to give him a second chance. But she’s not playing, convinced she’s found her Dream Match already. But there’s something she doesn’t know…

Can these two friends look past previous mistakes and find a future? And what does a hunky fireman have to say about a perfect Dream Match?

Find Only You Can Love Me 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!

Stop Press!

I’ve just found out that Carolyn Miller’s first two Trinity Lakes books are onl sale for 99 cents each! Click below to buy …

Love Somebody Like You (Trinity Lakes #5)

Only You Can Love Me (Trinity Lakes #9)

10 February 2025

Book Review | Uneasy Street (Sons of Scandal #3) by Becky Wade

Uneasy Street is the third and final story in Becky Wade’s Sons of Scandal series. I have to say this was my least favourite of the three. I found the conflict between Max and Sloane to be frustrating (even though it was also completely understandable).

The story didn’t really pick up until a couple of twists hit around the halfway point.

The setup is simple: Sloane has offered to care for her teenage niece while Ivy’s parents are working overseas for a few months. They have rented out their house but want Ivy to continue going to her regular school, so have rented an apartment for Sloane and Ivy … an apartment owned by Sloane’s college friend and one-time business partner, Max.

Max may not be a full-on billionaire, but he has all the toys including the private jet (are you really even a billionaire if you don’t have access to a private jet?). But Uneasy Street wasn’t the regular billionaire-meets-poor-girl romance, because Max and Sloane were both involved in the app’s establishment which means Sloane should be as rich as Max, but isn’t. But that isn’t what she resents.

I didn’t exactly like Sloane at first but I did admire her. She resented Max for having pushed her out of Libri, the digital library app they founded in college, not for the millions and millions he’d earned since pushing her out. I did appreciate that Max and Sloan covered off the misunderstanding behind their falling-out fairly early in the book, so the story wasn’t bogged down by that mystery.

Sloan is an etiquette expert whose muse is “Princess Kate” aka the Princess of Wales. This did mean she came across as a bit prissy and perhaps false, because there were times when her manners felt more like how she behaved rather than who she was.

I did enjoy the banter between Sloane and Max, especially when she forgot her etiquette and told him what she really felt.

My favourite character was Ivy, who wasn’t afraid to tell it how she saw it, and who had the typical teenage enthusiasm (and occasional thoughtlessness).

Becky Wade fans, especially those who have rad the first two Sons of Scandal stories, will want to read Uneasy Street. If you haven’t read a Becky Wade romance before, I’d recommend starting with True to You or Stay With me.

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

About Becky Wade

Becky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

These days, you’ll find Becky in Dallas, Texas failing to keep up with her housework, trying her best in yoga class, carting her three kids around town, watching TV with her Cavalier spaniel on her lap, hunched over her computer writing, or eating chocolate.

You can find Becky Wade online at:

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About Uneasy Street

Once upon a time Max Cirillo and Sloane Madison were close friends and business partners. But when their business relationship imploded, so did the friendship.

Now, four years later, Max is a rich CEO. Sloane’s a not-so-rich etiquette expert who returns to Maine to serve as her niece’s temporary guardian and help the girl search for her birth father. Sloane and her niece move into a darling garage apartment but Sloane’s joy in their accommodations soon turns to horror when she realizes their apartment belongs to Max. Thanks to an unbreakable lease, she’s stuck living right next door to him.

Max pulled strings to bring Sloane into his orbit because he needs closure on what went wrong between them. Quickly, though, his scheming comes back to bite him. The world might view him as a cold-hearted rake, but this one woman has dangerous power over his emotions.

They’ll have no choice but to confront their history—and the undeniable spark between them—while living side by side on uneasy street.

Discover witty humor, rich emotion, banter, and charm within the pages of this sweet enemies-to-lovers romance!

Find Uneasy Street online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads