Tag: Self-Published

30 January 2024

Bookish Question #315 | What’s the last book you read that made you cry?

The first book I can remember reading that made me cry was Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, which I read in around 1981 (so only a few years after it was published). Anyone who has read the book (or seen one of the movie adaptations) will know why I cried.

The last book that made me cry was Carry Me Home by Dorothy Adamek, where I cried for a similar reason … but won’t say any more because of #spoilers.

But that’s a few years ago now.

I have to admit that I don’t consciously seek out books that will make me cry. If I wanted to cry, I can watch the news.

I read for entertainment, so prefer books that make me laugh or feel good … which is why I favour romance with the occasional segue into romantic suspense, rom com, or women’s fiction.

What about you? What’s the last book you read that made you cry?

12 January 2024

First Line Friday #320 | Muskoka Hearts 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 currently reading Muskoka Hearts, the third book in Carolyn Miller’s Muskoka Shores series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Muskoka Hearts

Toni Wakefield may be a talented artist, but past choices means this single mother never feels the equal of those around her—especially her brother’s best friend, investment funds manager Matt.

Matt long ago fell in love with his best friend’s younger sister, and try as he might, he just can’t fall out of it. And between his crazy working hours and the fact she’s now settled two hours away in beautiful Muskoka it seems they never have any time together.

How can he persuade her to consider to give him a chance, when she’s sworn the only man she can care about is her baby boy?

Find Muskoka Hearts 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!

29 December 2023

First Line Friday #318 | The Road Home by Carol J Post

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from The Road Home by Carol J Post which releases today. This is the second book in the Song of the Smokies series. I enjoyed the first book (Trust My Heart), so I’m looking forward to reading The Road Home.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About The Road Home

She was just one of the guys…everybody’s friend but nobody’s girlfriend.

When his father has a stroke, bad-boy Kyle Worthington drags himself back to Murphy, North Carolina, where his one-time best friend accused him of starting the fire that left her scarred. Though he sees the accusation in everyone’s eyes, he’ll be there for his mother, but he has no intention of visiting his harsh, demanding father…or renewing the relationship he once had with his former best friend.

In spite of Kyle’s denials, Samantha Atkinson knows what she saw, and nothing will convince her otherwise. As circumstances force them together, they struggle their way back to a tentative friendship. Although Samantha has always been attracted to Kyle, she doesn’t have any delusions. She’s seen the kind of women he dates, and she’s not it.

Soon, Sam finds what she has wholeheartedly believed cast in doubt, and Kyle has to take a hard look at his priorities. Together, they just might learn that home really is where the heart is—a place of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation…and love.

Find The Road Home 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!

8 December 2023

First Line Friday #315 | Bidding on a Second Chance by Emily Conrad

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading a review copy of Bidding on a Second Chance by Emily Conrad, which is part of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Bidding on a Second Chance

His bid for a second chance this Christmas might lead to her most disastrous fall yet.

Police officer Graham Lockhart’s life is dangerous enough without accident-prone Piper Wells tripping around in it—at least that’s what she claimed when she declined his marriage proposal two years ago. But he can’t help but wonder if there is more to her refusal.

Piper always cared for Graham, but she is incapable of giving him the one thing he wants more than anything—family. All her orphaned self knows about that is how much it hurts to lose. She’s better off focusing on caring for her nephew and running her business. Secondhand furniture doesn’t break hearts.

When an injury sidelines Piper leading into the holidays, Graham steps up to help her keep her commitment to a Christmastime auction benefiting a local family. Can they overcome the hurdles between them, or will the past and their warring hopes and fears trip them up for good?

Visit Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series of Christian romance.

Find Bidding on a Second Chance online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

24 November 2023

First Line Friday #313 | Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading the Small Town Love Story collection which released a while back, and I’m up to Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo. Isn’t that a great title?

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Whole Latte Love

Addi Merrick is a matchmaker with no match.

Her past is riddled with friends who married and left her behind.

She’s stuck at a job she doesn’t love with a boss who can’t stand her to put herself through college, but there’s a reason God wants her at the right place, at the right time.

Drew Tanner was left at the altar and doesn’t believe in love.

It’s been a year since the woman of his dreams vanished into thin air on his wedding day. Since then, he’s avoided women like her, certain all quiet women were hiding something. Seeing Addi is like watching his past, and he wants no part of it.

When a dating site matches them, not only as a possible match but a perfect match, they must choose to either risk the pain of rejection or the beauty of a love match.

Find Whole Latte Love 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!

17 November 2023

First Line Friday #312 | Tackling the Fields by Janet W Ferguson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently re-reading Janet W Ferguson’s brilliant Southern Hearts series, and I’m up to the third book, Tackling the Fields. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Tackling the Fields

Can Cole overcome his bad boy image and start a new life? His reputation and Audrey’s past are only the first obstacles blocking their chances at love.

Cole Sanders is a changed man. The university quarterback questions his direction in life after serving on a mission trip in Honduras. Things that used to fill Cole’s ego seem empty after witnessing the developing country’s extreme poverty and the death of a precious child.

The one glimmer of hope through his confusion is the fresh perspective he now has about his tutor, Audrey. She possesses something beautiful inside and out—something that might help him become the person he wants to be.

University senior Audrey Vaughn tutored Cole Sanders for an entire year and never imagined the popular quarterback would see her as anything more than a friend. After partnering with him on the mission trip, they are drawn together. And he appears to have changed for the better.

To let Cole into her life, Audrey will have to overcome not only her brother’s distrust, but also the paralyzing fear still lingering from a past she’s tried to leave behind.

Cole can’t walk away from Audrey now that they’re back in Oxford. He’ll have to figure out how to keep her giant of a brother, a lineman on his football team, from killing him when the coach has his back turned.

But can Audrey trust her heart to a player so similar to the one who stole so much from her in the past?

Find Tackling the Fields 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!

10 November 2023

First Line Friday #311 | Second Chance Sweethearts 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. I’m currently reading the Small Town Love anthology, and I’m up to Second Chance Sweethearts by Liwen Y Ho. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Second Chance Sweethearts

Two former high school sweethearts get a surprising second chance at love.

Missy Clark left small town life and her first love when she went away to college. Five years later, she returns to Sun Valley with a secret that’s sure to tarnish her reputation.

Nate Dawson never stopped loving Missy when she left home. Answered prayers have brought her back into his life, but the consequences she bears may destroy their second chance at love.

Can these sweethearts regain the innocence of the past and find hope and healing in the Lord for their future?

Find Second Chance Sweethearts 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!

30 October 2023

Book Review | Remembering the Rancher by Liwen Ho

High school sweethearts Arabella and Maverick Knight married after Bella fell pregnant in her final year in high school. Their son, Hesse, is now twelve and thriving, but their relationship hasn’t done so well. In fact, Bella has just been served with divorce papers when she has a car accident.

She forgets her entire relationship with Mav.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to wake up thinking you’re a high school senior with a crush on your best friend, then wake up to find you’re married to him. I thought Liwen Ho did a great job of showing Bella’s surprise, confusion, and joy at that discovery. It’s fun to read.

But Bella only knows they’re married, not that they’ve been having troubles, so that provides the tension for most of the rest of the plot. Will she find out the truth about her marriage? If so, how will she react? Can Bella and Mav redeem their relationship?

Some readers don’t like reunion romance because they don’t like reading stories about relationships gone wrong. While I can relate to that, we can all see how and why the relationship has gone wrong, and want to see a happy reunion.

I don’t want to give spoilers, but I will say Maverick by name and maverick by nature.

He has a problem and figures out a (bad) solution when he should be admitting his problems to his wife and turning them over to God. But he doesn’t – and that’s (unfortunately) true to life.

I enjoyed seeing Bella and Mav re-establish their relationship, and I loved their son, Jesse. He’s kind, mature for his age, and a solid Christian who wants to see his parents reunited. His faith was an example to his parents, and to the readers.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance, especially those who like amnesia and/or reunion romance plots.

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

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 | Twitter

About Remembering The Rancher

Will her forgotten memories of the past be the key to healing their future?

Annabella Knight would be the first to admit that her marriage has been on the rocks for a while, but she never expected to be served divorce papers at work. Already feeling like a disappointment to God and to her family, there’s plenty that she would like to change about her past. But for now, she needs to find a way to salvage her relationship with her high school sweetheart for the sake of their son.

Since giving up his football dream to support his young family, Maverick Knight has tried his best to be the husband and father they deserve. Poor money decisions, however, have gotten him mixed up with dangerous men. When Annabella’s life is threatened, the only way he sees to protect his wife and son is to distance himself, even if it means breaking up their home.

When a car crash leaves Annabella in the hospital with amnesia, Maverick realizes his family needs him now more than ever. As they learn how to live together as husband and wife, will this loss of the past be an unexpected chance to start over? Or is it just the calm before the storm before old memories surface to tear them apart again?

Visit Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series of Christian romance.

This series is a spin-off continuation of the best-selling Heroes of Freedom Ridge Series with all new characters and traditions, but the same magic of community and romance readers love.

Find Remembering the Rancher online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

23 October 2023

Book Review | Not Quite Mr Darcy by Kim Griffin

Grieving widow Kate Thomas has moved from her US home to Kent, England, to take a role as an in-home nurse for a lady with Alzheimer’s. Kate thinks she’s a Christian when she arrives in England, but soon realises there’s a difference between the faith she’s grown up with and Margaret’s faith.

I enjoyed seeing Kate’s journey to Christian faith, as that’s something I don’t think we see enough of in Christian fiction.

I also enjoyed seeing Kate’s faith develop as she was faced with some difficult situations and calls to forgiveness. This spiritual depth was one of the strengths of the novel. Kate is put in some difficult situations and has to call on her newfound faith to guide her.

There are shades of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs Kip in Not Quite Mr Darcy, although Mr Darcy doesn’t have the same level of polish. In particular, I found some of the dialogue overly formal to the point of being awkward, and not at all how people from London or Kent speak. I did enjoy reading about the location, as my grandmother was born only a few miles up the road.

Not Quite Mr Darcy is Kim Griffin’s first published novel, which she describes as women’s fiction with romance.

That fits the story well. It certainly starts as women’s fiction, as Kate arrives in England and settles into her new role. The romance was also present from early on, but I was less impressed with the romantic aspects. I am not a fan of the “other woman” plotline, particularly as it seemed like it was an issue that could have been solved with a simple conversation. (It was, but far too late in the plot for my taste.) I had the same misunderstanding as Kate (not surprising, as the whole story was told from her point of view). That meant I misjudged one of the characters, to the detriment of my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, Not Quite Mr Darcy was a solid first novel, recommended for readers looking for Christian women’s fiction which considers tough issues like infidelity and Alzheimer’s.

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

About Kim Griffin

Kim Griffin is a former interior designer and homeschool mom who has been leading Bible studies for over 35 years and working in Women’s Ministry for over 25. Several years ago, God led her to begin writing words of hope. She writes Christian women’s fiction with clean romance. Her desire is that her books will draw readers closer to the God who sees all of their imperfections and loves them still.

Find Kim Griffin online at:

Website | Instagram

About Not Quite Mr Darcy

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Mr. Darcy does not exist.”

Many a young woman has spent years looking for her perfect Mr. Darcy, but Kate Thomas knows better. A 29-year-old recently widowed southerner, Kate sets off to find herself on the other side of the ocean in the very country where Mr. Darcy’s life was penned. Looking only to escape reminders of her heartache, Kate journeys to places she never thought she’d go—finding faith, love, and family along the way.

Not Quite Mr. Darcy is not a P&P retelling but the story of a woman’s journey to discover what real love is.

An ocean … it’s vast and powerful. The water that fills it can bring death, or offer life. Kate Thomas moves her life across an ocean to conquer the hold of her past and find new life for her future.

Not Quite Mr. Darcy is women’s fiction with clean romance (kisses only). It tackles forgiving the seemingly unforgivable and the disillusionment many a woman has faced upon realizing that the perfect husband they’ve been raised to look for doesn’t exist. Kate, a recent widow, leaves her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Seeking distance from her past she takes a job in Kingsdown, England, working with a dementia patient in a cottage overlooking the English Channel. What she finds there is much more than she anticipated. Kate learns to find joy even in the hardest circumstances.

Find Not Quite Mr Darcy online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

2 October 2023

Book Review | The Beacon Street Bookshop (Haven Ridge #2) by Carla Laureano

Olivia Quinn is a widowed and newly unemployed fiction editor who lost her husband a year ago and is now figuring out how to raise her teenage stepdaughter alone. Charlie Castro is a contractor turned handyman after losing his licence. Olivia hires him to finish her kitchen, and the two are instantly attracted to each other.

But Charlie is planning to leave, and Olivia feels it’s too fast to start another relationship.

When Olivia is asked to sell some old books by a friend, she and her stepdaughter, Taylor, somehow end up renovating an old building to turn into a bookshop. Fortunately, Charlie is around to help …

I’m not generally a fan of the instant attraction romance because I believe lasting love is built on relationship, not lust. However, the Beacon Street Bookshop shows that instant attraction can convincingly morph into a solid and believable relationship, given the right circumstances and an author who knows wheat they’re doing—as Carla Laureano certainly does.

The Beacon Street Bookshop is the third title in Carla Laureano’s Haven Ridge series, following The Brick House Cafe (a free introductory novella), and the Broken Hearts Bakery. All three stories are set in the slightly weird town of Haven Ridge and feature a romance as well as some tougher issues. In The Beacon Street Bookshop, the issues are around finding love again after losing a spouse, and with a teenager in tow. While that’s worthy, it didn’t have the depth of the issues in The Broken Hearts Bakery.

The Haven Ridge series is clean and wholesome rather than Christian romance. Some readers might find there is a little too much focus on the physical, and the characters clearly aren’t Christians. But there’s no on-the-page sex or violence.

Carla Laureano fans will enjoy The Beacon Street Bookshop, as will bibliophiles and fans of authors such as Denise Hunter and Liz Isaacson.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Beacon Street Bookshop

Ever since Olivia Quinn lost her husband to a freak plane crash, she’s been focused on one thing—making a stable life for her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, of whom she’s the sole guardian. But when she loses her job as a children’s book editor because she refuses to relocate from Colorado to New York, all her hard-won stability is shattered.

Then the opportunity arises to open Liv’s dream bookshop in Haven Ridge, offering not only the solution to her financial problems, but a chance to bond with her stepdaughter and become a real family for the first time. Soon, the wild idea transforms into a thriving nonprofit, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the town—and a handsome contractor who stirs feelings in Liv she’d thought might be gone forever.

But just as she begins to lean into the new life she’s made for herself, a figure from her late husband’s past puts the life she’s been building with Taylor in jeopardy. And Liv must face the possibility that following her heart might just cost her a daughter.

Find The Beacon Street Bookshop online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads