Tag: small town

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #370 | Always In My Heart (Trinity Lakes #14) by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I admit: this isn’t actually the book I’m reading today. But it is the book I’ve read over and over this year, because it’s my second book, and it’s releasing on Christmas Eve!

You can preorder from Amazon for 99 cents (the price will go up to the regular $3.99 right after release).

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Trent Thomas took a seat in the reception area of Stirling, Wright and Noble, one of the most respected—and expensive—law firms in Seattle.

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

 

About Always In My Heart

Sparks fly when an aspiring attorney comes face to face with his past mistakes.

Always In My Heart by Iola GoultonBroke solo mother Maya Allen is raising her daughter, Sarah, as well as her dead best friend’s daughter … who just happens to be her own daughter’s half sister (thanks, cheating college boyfriend). When her lowlife landlord doubles her rent, she realizes it’s time to make a new plan and return to New Zealand with her children. First she has to do the make contact with her ex and compel him to relinquish his parental rights so they can legally leave the country … and not let her still-strong feelings for Trent get in the way.

Trent Thomas is an intern competing for a role in a prestigious Seattle law firm known for their family values. He figures he’s got the job sewn up when Sterling, Noble and Wright send him to his hometown of Trinity Lakes to research a dodgy property deal under the guise of offering the townsfolk pro bono legal services. After all, no one will know the ins and outs of small-town Trinity Lakes gossip better than a lifelong resident.

But he hadn’t bargained on Maya, Sarah, and Kacey stealing his chance to get his dream job, stealing his opportunity to leave Trinity Lakes behind forever, or stealing his heart.

A second-chance small town contemporary Christian romance.

Find Always In My 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.

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!

There was an ease here, like she was coming home, even if she hadn't lived in Trinity Lakes for years.

Book Review | Love Somebody Like You (Trinity Lakes 5) by Carolyn Miller

Lexi Franklin has returned to Trinity Lakes after an incident on the job in Australia. She needs somewhere to rest and recover, but still wants to be able to make herself useful. So when she realises she can use her nursing skills to help a local family, she’s only too happy to offer.

Jackson Reilly runs the family ranch outside Trinity Lakes with help from his sister—who would rather not be stuck on the ranch—and his mother, who has health issues. He also has a stud bull who’s not doing his job, and a black hole in the ranch finances, and no idea how to fix any of his problems.

As with Carolyn Miller’s other novels (both historical and contemporary), Love Somebody Like You has great characters, strong writing, and a solid faith thread.

Love Somebody Like You is the fifth book in the Trinity Lakes Romances series (following mine!), but it can easily be read as a standalone. In fact, I think it was the first book in the series I read. It also involves characters from some of Carolyn Miller’s other series, but you don’t need to have read them either (although a couple of Reilly brothers do make a cameo appearance, which fans will appreciate).

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance who like a solid faith element and characters overcoming true-to-life problems.

About Carolyn Miller

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

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

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

Find Carolyn Miller online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads| Pinterest | Twitter

About Love Somebody Like You

For Lexi Franklin, returning to Trinity Lakes feels a little like running home with her tail between her legs.

But what’s a girl to do, when her life has been turned upside down on the other side of the world? She needs a place to regain hope and healing – just didn’t count on meeting a cowboy whose own battered heart might need nursing back to health too.

Jackson Reilly has his own set of troubles, between caring for his ranch, his mom, and the black hole of finances. So when a pretty redhead with a sassy tongue offers some distraction – and a potential solution to one of his most pressing concerns – he’s not going to say no.

But as they spend time together, questions soon rise about their future, and whether faith can truly win over fears. Will Jackson be able to save his ranch, and his hopes and heart, before Lexi returns to Australia?

An opposites attract, small town contemporary Christian romance. Book five of the Trinity Lakes Romance series (can be read as a standalone). Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Find Love Somebody Like 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!

As much as Mallory loved a beautiful home, she never wanted to create one that valued possessions more than people.

Book Review | Second Time Around by Melody Carlson

When Mallory inherits a run-down family store in small-town Oregon, she decides to relocate from the big city to run the business, but discovers property developer Grayson Matthews wants to buy the shop and knock it down to make way for a fancy mall. Yes, that’s a fairly typical set-up for contemporary Christian fiction, but Melody Carlson treats it in a way that’s a little out of the ordinary.

As the title suggests, Second Time Around is a second chance romance.

What makes it a little different from most romances is that it features an older couple—Mallory and Gray are both the empty-nest parents of adult children. They’ve both been single a long time and effectively raised their children alone, Mallory after her husband decided he wasn’t interested in being a father, and Gray after the death of his wife. I liked the fact they were both intelligent, competent adults who acted in a professional and respectful way towards each other.

I also liked the fact the story was low angst.

The set-up is familiar in small-town romance, but inevitably sets the story up to have a winner and a loser, and part of me always feels a little sorry for the loser (inevitably the one who wants to knock things down). There are also occasions when I suspect knocking the buildings down is the right solution, but that’s rarely the outcome in small-town romance. Without wanting to give spoilers, Mallory and Gray quickly reach an amicable agreement, which allows plenty of time for a slow-burn romance to develop. Other problems were quickly solved in a similar low-angst way.

I particularly enjoyed the setting of Seaport, even though we didn’t get to see much (if anything) of the sea. The author does a great job of describing the store and the renovations—this is one novel where the illustration on the cover is exactly what is described in the story.

Overall, Second Time Around is an enjoyable contemporary Christian romance, recommended for those who like small-town romance, second chance romance, and romance featuring older characters.

About Melody Carlson

Author Photo: Melody CarlsonMelody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year.

She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

Find Melody Carlson online at:

Website

About Second Time Around

Who doesn’t love a second chance?

When empty nester Mallory Farrell inherits her grandmother’s run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon, it seems the only sensible thing to do is to sell it. But when her former secret crush, Grayson Matthews, wants to buy the property in order to complete his plans to redevelop the funky town’s business district into a soulless, cookie-cutter outdoor mall, Mallory digs in her heels and decides to renovate the property herself.

With a lot of hard work and a little bit of help, Mallory makes incredible progress turning the store into an eclectic home décor shop called Romancing the Home–all while trying to ignore the depressing and decrepit apartment she’s living in on the second floor. When the shop catches the eye of a popular renovation TV show producer, Mallory is thrilled–until it becomes clear that her apartment is to be part of the segment as well.

She’s tempted to abandon her dreams and the town under a cloud of shame. But perhaps there’s more to Grayson than meets the eye. Can he swallow his pride, change his plans, and help Mallory romance her own home–and possibly her life?

Find Second Time Around online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #272 | The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’ve just downloaded my review copy of a book I’ve been looking forward to reading for ages, The Broken Hearts Bakery, the April 2023 release from Carla Laureano:

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

If Gemma Van Buren had learned anything in her thirty years on this planet, it was that heartbreak demanded chocolate.

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

 

About The Broken Heart Bakery

Fifteen years ago, the town of Haven Ridge failed its most important mandate—to be a sanctuary for heartbroken citizens in need. Now it’s getting a second chance to set things right …

When Gemma left her hometown of Haven Ridge, Colorado, years ago in a cloud of controversy, she swore she would never return. And she’s kept that promise, instead building her reputation as one of LA’s preeminent family law attorneys. But when her lifelong best friend begs her to come stay with her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, while she’s on a business trip, Gemma doesn’t have the heart to refuse. She’ll simply keep a low profile, do her honorary aunt duties, and be gone before anyone knows the difference.

But Haven Ridge seems to have a mind of its own, dragging Gemma unwillingly back into the community she’s tried so hard to leave behind and she soon finds herself caught up with new friends and old rivalries. When Taylor is the object of an ugly bit of teen bullying, Gemma does the only thing she knows how to do: ply her honorary niece with baked goods and words of affirmation. Soon, her temporary digs are ground zero for teenage girls seeking sugar and consolation for shockingly adult problems—which the girls soon dub The Broken Hearts Bakery.

Complicating matters is an unexpected reunion with Gemma’s high school sweetheart, Stephen, who is determined to change her mind about him, the town, and the nature of love itself. Because as it turns out, her niece isn’t the only one nursing a broken heart…

Find The Broken Heart Bakery online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

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

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

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 200 | When Love Returns by Lorana Hoopes

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 When Love Returns by Lorana Hoopes, a new-to-me author (and the book was on sale, which is what enticed me to check it out). Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

There it was. The one stoplight Brandon thought he'd never see again.

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

About When Love Returns

Can a daughter’s love rekindle an old flame?

Presley Hays and Brandon Scott were best friends in High School until Morgan entered their town and stole Brandon’s heart. Devastated, Presley took a scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu, but five years later, she is back in Star Lake after a tough breakup.

Brandon thought he’d never return to Star Lake after Morgan left him and his daughter Joy, but when his father needs help, he returns home and finds more than he bargained for.

Can Presley and Brandon forget past hurts or will their stubborn natures keep them apart forever? This sweet romance can be read stand alone or as part of the series, so click above and start the journey today.

You can find When Love Returns online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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

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

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

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

Do you prefer to read small town or big city settings?

Bookish Question #189 | Do you prefer small town or big city settings?

(And is that related to where you live or have lived?)

I spent most of my school years living in small towns. The first had a population of around 5,000 people. I knew everyone at my small primary school. There were only two classrooms when I started, so I knew or knew of all the families in the area with school-aged children.

I enjoyed living in that small town, but there were disadvantages. The high school wasn’t great, so it was probably good that we moved before I reached high school age. Our next home was in an even smaller town, population around 1,500. There was one primary school, and we were all bussed to the next two (population around 10,000) for high school.

I’ve also lived in cities. I lived in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, for nine years. I lived in London, England, for ten years. Living in a big city has advantages—more facilities, better jobs— but it also has disadvantages—more traffic, more crime, more expensive.

I’ve also lived (and am still living) in a mid-sized city (population around 100,000). Well, that’s big for new Zealand, but mid-sized for the rest of the world.

I’ve lived in tiny towns and big cities. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

And it’s the same with books. I enjoy small-town series where the characters are linked, and there are common characters across all the stories. I’ve enjoyed stories where the setting is almost another character. But small-town stories can get a little predictable, because there are usually only a limited number of occupations that make sense in a small town.

Big city settings open up a lot more opportunities in terms of careers and therefore characters and plots. I also like novels where the characters have unique careers, and these are usually set in big cities (e.g. Elizabeth Camden and Washington, DC, and Roseanna M White and London). Their characters have ranged from librarians to spies, but all needed the city setting.

I don’t mind whether a novel has a big city or a small town setting.

What is important is that the setting is right for the plot and characters.

What about you? Do you prefer small town or big city settings? Or both?