Category: Christian Fiction

About the Book

Book: To Treasure an Heiress

Series: The Secrets of the Isles #2

Author: Roseanna M. White

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Romance

Beth Tremayne has always been drawn to adventure. During her childhood, she fed that desire by exploring every inch of the Isles of Scilly. As an adolescent, she dreamed of love in London’s ballrooms. Now, stumbling across an old map on her family’s property, she’s found more adventure than she ever craved in the hunt for pirate treasure. Unfortunately, Beth can’t escape the attention of her family’s guest, Lord Sheridan.

Sheridan has spent years pursuing whatever archaeological interests caught his imagination. And when he discovers that Beth’s search connects with one of his favorite pirates of history, he can’t help getting involved. Plus, he finds her irresistible, even though she insists he stole a prized possession of hers.

As they work together following different clues and drawing closer to danger, they start to piece together a story of tragic love and piratical adventure. But the true surprise is the treasure they discover in each other.

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts

To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna M. White is AMAZING! I know I say this every time I read a novel by White, but I really, really mean it this time. As with all of her novels, this book is fast-paced and highly engaging. The prose is perfection. The plot is unique and interesting. The setting is magical and gorgeous. And the historical aspects are fascinating. I had to pause a time or two to conduct my own research on the Scillies and Rupert the Pirate Prince. I adore when historical novels get me to expand my educational horizons.

White’s characters are exceptional and the BEST aspect of this novel. In this story, readers are treated to Beth’s, Sheridan’s, and Senara’s points of view. Beth is the best kind of heroine — she doesn’t need anyone but realizes how those in her life are a true gift from God. She is brave and daring and so, so adventurous. Senara is lovely. Her guilt and shame and pain resonated deeply with me. Of the three main characters, Senara is the character I can relate to the most. And, did I mention already that she’s lovely? Cause she is. Sheridan is PERFECTION. He is, hands down, the best hero ever. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard as I did reading this story and that is all because of Sheridan. His internal monologues are the stuff of comedic gold, and then he opens his mouth and says the quiet parts out loud … SO, SO good. His instant devotion and attraction and love for Beth is the stuff of dreams. Then there are the secondary characters: Ainsley is the voice of reason, Bram is the cantankerous, not-a-morning-person who’s there for the adventure and to support his sister, Libby (from book 1), there’s the all-knowing and wise Mamm-wynn, and Sheridan’s sisters, the hilarious, commanding, and exceptionally intelligent Ladies Abbie and Millicent. And, then there is Lady Emily — poor Lady Emily. Her family situation breaks my heart. I cannot wait to get to her story in book 3.

Families are as unique as an individual’s fingerprints. No two families are the same. And, no two families’ dysfunction is the same. I really appreciate the juxtaposition of families in this story. On the one hand, we have Beth’s, Libby’s, Senara’s, and Sheridan’s families. They are all unique, but they are all wonderful examples of good, supportive people who love each other. It is abundantly clear that these people — brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents — adore each other and have one another’s back. These characters have beautiful families that illustrate love and acceptance no matter what. It’s wonderful, and it’s the way families should be. But on the other hand, we have Lady Emily’s family. Her family is devastatingly bad and hurtful and selfish. They stoop to any lengths to get what they want, and it shreds Emily’s heart. She is the black sheep in her family, and her family’s behaviors towards her and others have hurt her so deeply that she changes. She’s lost her hope of ever belonging to a good, loving family and it weighs her down physically. But that’s the cool thing about family. If you aren’t lucky and blessed to be born into a loving and supportive family then you can create one. We all have the power to give the love and support we wish to have in our own lives. We all have the power to be different in the new families we make. We can break old, destructive cycles. I think that is pretty cool, and I’m hopeful that Emily will come to realize this in book 3.

To Treasure an Heiress is an excellent Historical Romance that I highly recommend. This is a book that must be experienced. Please put this book on the top of your TBR pile today. You do not want to miss this outstanding story.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishers, via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

About the Book

Book:  Tomorrow’s Constant Hope

Series: Texas Promise #3

Author: Naomi Rawlings

Genre: Christian Historical Romance; Western Romance

Release Date: November 15, 2021

The last thing a woman on the run needs is to find herself married to the richest rancher in Texas…

Keely O’Brien has spent the past five months on the run, but no matter what she does, she can’t seem to evade the ring of dangerous criminals that killed her brother in Chicago. When she spots an ad for a wife from the owner of a small ranch on a remote stretch of Texan desert, she knows she’s found the perfect hiding spot. The Wolf Point Ring might be searching far and wide for her, but they wouldn’t think to look in the tiny, sun-scorched town of Twin Rivers, Texas. Now if she can just keep her new husband from finding out why she really married him…

Agamemnon “Wes” Westin’s feet might be firmly planted in West Texas soil, but his heart is running… Running from the loss of his first wife and stillborn daughter, and running from the fear of suffering loss again. Unfortunately, he has little choice about needing to marry, but he does have a choice about who he marries. If he has to share his roof with someone, he wants a woman who works hard and doesn’t complain. That’s why he decides to run an ad for a bride, claiming that he owns a small ranch, rather than the sprawling cattle empire he inherited from his father. After all, what woman is going to be upset when she finds out her husband is one of the richest men in Texas?

When Wes discovers Keely is hiding from criminals who want her dead, he can’t help but protect her—even if she’s irate with him for lying about the size of his ranch. When danger arrives in Twin Rivers, both Wes and Keely find themselves facing their deepest fears. Will they let their pain and past losses ruin their dreams? Or will Wes and Keely find a way to forge a new life together?

From jagged mountains and green river valleys to cattle ranches and vivid sunsets, Tomorrow’s Constant Hope offers a meaningful story about simpler times, sincere faith, and learning to love again after loss.

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My Thoughts

OK, so Naomi Rawlings is completely incapable of writing a bad story. Tomorrow’s Constant Hope is FABULOUS! I have loved every story by Rawlings, but it’s official, Tomorrow’s Constant Hope is my favorite to date. This book is SOOOOOOOO good! First, it’s just so well-crafted. The pacing is superb. I read this beautiful story in less than 24 hours. I was hooked from page one and simply could not put this book down. The setting is glorious. I live in the high desert in California, so I have a soft spot for desert settings. They really do have a beauty unlike any other place on earth, and Rawlings captures this perfectly in her book. Rawlings’s characters are also quite special. She has a wonderful way of creating heroes and heroines who get under the reader’s skin and worm their way into our hearts. I love Wes, and Keely is simply amazing. Both are totally endearing and relatable. And, the themes that Rawlings discusses in her novel are thoughtful and timely. All in all, Tomorrow’s Constant Hope is spectacular and I cannot recommend it enough.

Grief and trauma do terrible things to a person’s heart and psyche. They can make us utter vows we really have no business uttering. My heart hurt so deeply for Wes, the hero of this outstanding story. At the start of this novel, Wes is still reeling from the loss of his first wife and unborn child when he marries Keely. He is reeling so deeply that he marries Keely in name only. He swears he will never ever love a woman again, and he will never ever get a woman pregnant as long as he lives. To many, Wes’s vows appear completely over the top. I mean how can anyone stop the heart from loving? How can anyone predict what the future holds? We aren’t God, so how can Wes utter these silly vows with so much fervor and certainty?

My husband and I have actually walked a mile in Wes’s shoes. When we got married we wanted to get pregnant right away. I was 30 and he was 40. We weren’t spring chickens! So we got pregnant right away. Everything was going as planned until I reached the 6-month mark. Then things got bad. I got very sick, our daughter came three months early, I almost died the night of her birth, and she almost died three times over the course of 3 1/2 months. To say my husband and I were traumatized would be an understatement. We may have uttered oaths similar to Wes. It happens. We want so badly to control things, to protect those we love, to protect ourselves, that we say things we very much mean in the moment. Yes, we play God. We don’t mean to put ourselves in God’s place, but we do so while in the fog and haze of trauma and deep-seated fear.

It has taken my husband and me many, many years to actually place our trust in God and give our lives, and the life of our daughter, over to God completely. It’s not easy and we still have days where PTSD strikes and we say and do dumb things. We’re human! What I love so much about Tomorrow’s Constant Hope is how we get to see things through Wes’s perspective. We get to see WHY he feels the way he does. We get to see him wrestle with his trauma and his fears, and we get to see him work all this out with God and with Keely. I can personally attest that Wes is one of the most real heroes I’ve ever read. And, it is pretty cool to see myself and my husband reflected through this character. This book, in many ways, is an exceptionally cathartic read and I am very blessed to have read it.

As with all her novels, Tomorrow’s Constant Hope is absolutely phenomenal. It is a story I will never forget. If you are a fan of well-written, heart-gripping Western Romances filled with well-crafted characters and timely themes, then Tomorrow’s Constant Hope is the book for you!

***Recommendation*** Tomorrow’s Constant Hope can easily be read as a standalone novel; however, I personally feel that to get the best reading experience you should read Tomorrow’s First Light first.

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the author, Naomi Rawlings, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

About the Book

Book: Lost in Darkness

Author: Michelle Griep

Release Date: November 1, 2021

Genre: Regency-Era Gothic Romance

Even if there be monsters, there is none so fierce as that which resides in man’s own heart.

Enchanting Regency-Era Gothic Romance Intertwined with Inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein  
 
Travel writer Amelia Balfour’s dream of touring Egypt is halted when she receives news of a revolutionary new surgery for her grotesquely disfigured brother. This could change everything, and it does. . .in the worst possible way.
 
Surgeon Graham Lambert has suspicions about the doctor he’s gone into practice with, but he can’t stop him from operating on Amelia’s brother. Will he be too late to prevent the man’s death? Or to reveal his true feelings for Amelia before she sails to Cairo?

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts

Frankenstein is my #2 most favorite book in the whole world. I adore Shelley and her novel more than words can say. So, as soon as I saw that Michelle Griep was publishing a Frankensteinesque novel I knew I had to have a copy of this book. I am SO glad I read Lost in Darkness — it is EXCELLENT. I love all the nods to Frankenstein; original character names used throughout for secondary characters in this book, a letter from Mr. Walton to Amelia, the fact that a young Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (before she was Shelley) takes tea with Amelia, Colin’s monstrous form, a mad doctor, etc. OH! It was so fun to read. I love when modern-day writers extrapolate meaningful, timeless themes from works that came before and create new and outstanding pieces of literature, yet humbly give credence and recognition to those remarkable authors of the past. I find it to be a sign of respect, and Michelle Griep does this perfectly in Lost in Darkness. Griep also perfectly tells a unique story all her own. Lost in Darkness is an excellent read. The pacing is superb. The storyline is mesmerizing. The characters are excellently crafted. My heart hurt for Colin, I fully related to Graham’s innate need to do right but not fully knowing how, and I loved watching Amelia journey from “modern” woman needing no one to “modern” woman realizing she needs to pay attention to her heart’s yearnings. Then there are all the timely and thought-provoking themes that Griep addresses. There are so many quality things to discuss — this book would make an excellent book club read! Truly, Lost in Darkness is an unputdownable book, one I just cannot recommend enough.

You know what frustrates me the most about being a follower of Jesus? All those moments I think I’m doing things right only to realize I’ve totally stepped off His path. When Jesus says in Matthew 7 that the path to Him is narrow and only a few traverse it, He ain’t kidding. So, there is this scene in Lost in Darkness where Amelia steps out of her church and looks across the street to where a small street girl is desperately attempting to sell flowers. Almost every person walking out of the church ignores this girl, but for some reason, she calls to Amelia’s heart. As she contemplates how to help, Amelia accidentally walks into Mr. Lambert — so wrapped up in getting to the girl she just doesn’t see his handsome form before her. While they are gathering themselves and engaging in another round of romantically charged chit-chat, a very Pharisaical church-goer screams at the young girl to get out of his way and pushes her to the ground where she is at the mercy of his horses’ hooves as he has pushed her under his carriage. Mr. Lambert rushes to the rescue — he is the hero of this story in more ways than one for sure. Unbidden, as I was reading this moment, a thought popped into my brain: Jesus would never have gone into that church. He would have stayed outside with the people the church members didn’t even recognize as human. WHOA! For a second I had to pause. Clearly, Jesus needed me to see that image of Him refusing to go into a church. Then I got God-bumps — you know, those goosebumps that come when it’s super clear God is talking to you? Yeah, those bumps. I started to get really sad. I was then reminded of Matthew 8:20 where Jesus says that “the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Then I got to thinking about myself. Am I the “good” girl who goes to church every Sabbath, but then treats people like garbage the rest of the week? Am I the Pharisee in this scene? Do I value life or only my own? Would Jesus want to come to me or would He realize that I am not one of His kids? Would He find a place to rest His head with me? What about you, dear reader? Would Jesus find a place to rest His head with you, or are you guilty of Pharisaical moments too? What a wonderful story to get the reader to contemplate such important and profound questions!!!

Lost in Darkness is a FANTASTIC story that I won’t soon forget. There is something truly special about this book. Please, purchase yourself a copy today. You will not regret spending your hard-earned money on this gem.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Barbour Fiction, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

About the Book

Book: Crossed Lines

Author: Jennifer Delamere

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: August 31, 2021

Genre: Historical Romance

Emma Sutton knows she should be satisfied with her position at London’s Central Telegraph Office. But ever since she was orphaned young, she’s longed for a family of her own. Things look up when a handsome engineer is thrown into her orbit and he sends Emma the love note of her dreams.

Mitchell Harris’s sharp wit and facility with a pen have enabled him to thrive despite serious obstacles. That the woman of his dreams works just one floor above his should make life perfect. But a childhood accident has left Mitchell convinced he’ll never draw a woman like Emma Sutton’s attention. When his best friend–who once saved his life–falls in love with Emma, too, and asks for help writing her love letters, Mitchell is torn between desire and loyalty.

Believing the writer of the letters is the answer to her prayers, but confused over her growing attraction to Mitchell, Emma’s heart must decide where to call home.

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts

Writing this review is a bit of a struggle for me. I am not a fan of love-triangle tropes and I really don’t like Cyrano de Bergerac. Because of this, Crossed Lines by Jennifer Delamere took me two weeks to read. I want to be crystal clear — Crossed Lines is a very well-written and engaging story. The plot is well paced and the action throughout is constant. In no way is this story boring. I found the characters well crafted, unique, and endearing. Mitchell’s feelings in regards to his deformity are extremely relatable and very realistic. Emma’s desire to be loved and her want for a permanent, loving, stable home is the stuff of most every girl’s dreams. And, Christopher’s infatuation with the pretty girl is quite typical of early romantic feelings. The various conflicts each character deals with in this story are all relatable and realistic. Overall, Crossed Lines is a great Historical Romance that I wholeheartedly recommend. To me, Crossed Lines is a must-read sequel in what is a very excellent series.

My issue with the love-triangle trope is the lack of depth to the lovers’ romance. Because authors have to give time to each pairing (boy #1 + girl and boy #2 + girl), and typically their books are roughly 300 pages in length, there is not enough “time” for real feelings to develop in a believable manner. Generally, it’s just lusty chemistry rather than deep, true love. There are some ways around this. For example, one of the couplings, say boy#1 + girl, have been good friends for most of their lives. Establishing a preexisting relationship in the love triangle helps make romantic feelings a little more believable. In Crossed Lines, Emma has not known either Mitchell or Christopher for any real length of time. For me, the brief time of knowing two very unique men ruins believability when it comes to a love match. It’s more a lust match or a relationship-of-convenience match. Yes, there is such a thing as love at first sight, but that doesn’t really work when there are two men to get to know in a 300-page book. This is just my opinion. I know a lot of people love the love-triangle trope.

My issue with Cyrano de Bergerac has always been with the shallowness of the characters and the lying they’re OK with doing. When I was six years old, my parents took me and my brothers to the drive in. I loved going to the drive in. That particular night was a two-for one special. The first movie was some kiddie movie that I can’t remember, but the second movie was Roxanne starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah. I was supposed to be sleeping during the second movie cause that was the rule. Kids get the first movie, then we go to sleep in the car for the second. Well, I didn’t sleep. I watched the “adult” movie instead. I can remember being very disturbed by the film. The girl only liked the pretty boy because he was handsome. I was totally offended that she couldn’t see how dumb the pretty boy was. I also hated how she made the star of the movie, the real love interest, a second choice. I was offended for this man. I was disappointed that he was OK with being the girl’s seconds. And, I really hated the lying. Nothing good comes from lying no matter how you spin it, especially when it’s lying during the brand-new, baby stages of a relationship. I just did not like the themes of the story. When I was older I had to read Cyrano de Bergerac for a class. I had no idea Roxanne was based on this play. I started to read the play and images of Roxanne came rushing to my brain. I tried really hard to like the play, but I just couldn’t. I felt the same as I did when I was six. In Crossed Lines, I struggled the same as I did with Roxanne and Cyrano de Bergerac. I will say that Delamere does a great job addressing the lying issue, and she even acknowledges the 2nd-choice problem. In Crossed Lines, the best man for Emma wins her hand and it doesn’t feel like she is resigning herself to a second-best option. I appreciate that Delamere rectified these issues in her story.

Jennifer Delamere did an excellent job taking the Cyrano de Bergerac storyline and making it her own. Crossed Lines is a good book; one I do highly recommend. If you are a fan of well-written, engaging Historical Romances, if you appreciate the love-triangle trope, or if you love stories with happy endings then Crossed Lines is the book for you!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.