ARCBA tour - Ehvah After

1 - 5 August 2016

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing 

Ehvah After

(August 25, 2015)

By Rose Dee

About the Book

Ehvah Rowe’s life is in freefall. Her teen queen status is long forgotten, and with a childhood of tragic loss, no family save a diabolical aunt, and no career prospects, her L.A. celebrity world holds no future.

It will take a murder, an escape to the Australian tropics, and the friendship of an Aussie bodyguard, for her to discover healing, faith, and a way forward.

David Blake knows how to be a soldier. His army training equipped him to fight and protect. But when it comes to helping a fear-filled celebrity navigate the same post-traumatic stress symptoms he has suffered, David discovers the challenge in forsaking his own strength for God’s plan.

Rose Dee weaves a story of mystery, drama and romance, in her trademark tropical North Queensland Australian style. 

About the Author

Rose Dee was born in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel. Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, decided to try her hand at writing. 

The result of that attempt is her first novel, Back to Resolution. Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Rose's other releases include Beyond Resolution - the second book in the 'Resolution' series. And A New Resolution  the final book in the series. 

Rose has also co-written a novel in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian Authors: The Greenfield Legacy. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

My Review

I worked with Rose on the editing for Ehvah After, and it's a great story in her trademark Aussie style. You can read my review at Suspense Sisters Reviews: Ehvah After.

ACRBA Blog Tour: Shoes Off Feet Up by Ellen Carr

6 – 10 June

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Shoes Off Feet Up
(By HopePost Publishing, 25 November 2015)

by  Ellen Carr

About the Book:

Shoes Off, Feet Up: Poems of everyday life and faith invites you to sit down, put your feet up and read awhile. It celebrates life with all its fun and adventures, its blessings and encouragements and its challenges. Some of Ellen's poems touch on the light-hearted and humorous side of life, some rejoice in the joys of life and nature, while others deal with the deeper issues of living with faith in God. 

You are invited to dip into this book and find some treasures. You will be blessed, encouraged and amused by these poems, and occasionally you will be challenged. Shoes Off, Feet Up ~ poems you will want to return to again and again. 

Ellen Carr is an award winning author who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She writes about life, nature, things of amusement, and of her faith in God. She enjoys seeing the funny side of life, as well as pondering things of more serious importance.

About the Author

Ellen Carr lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband,Rod. She has two adult daughters, Sarah and Alison, who have flown the nest. When she isn’t busy writing, Ellen delights in pottering about, drinking coffee, singing in a community choir, volunteering as a Christian religious studies teacher, travelling, and spending time with family and friends. A retired teacher, Ellen has always enjoyed writing. She has written educational material, radio scripts, short stories, and of course, poetry. Writing from her heart, her works are about life, nature, amusing situations, and her faith in God. Her faith and her daily walk with God are high priorities in her life, followed by family, friends and fun. She enjoys seeing the funny side of life as well as pondering things of more serious importance.

Many of her award-winning poems and stories have been published at FaithWriters.com, an online Christian writers’ website, and some poems appear in Glimpses of Light, an Australian anthology, which raised money for CBM (formally Christian Blind Mission).

Several of her pieces will appear in the upcoming series, Mixed Blessings. Her poem, Twelve Long Years, included in this collection, was awarded a Judges’ Commendation in the Tabor Adelaide Creative Writing Awards competition.

In addition, her poems have been read on the radio program, Songs of Hope, on 88.3 Southern FM, in Melbourne, Australia. She also wrote the lyrics for a song, The Peace of God, played on that same station. Other poems have appeared in church news sheets, religious educational material, magazines, and on Ellen’s blog.

You can find more of her work, and a link to her blog, at her website: Ellen Carr, Postbox Poetry and HopePost Publishing, at: postboxpoetry.wordpress.com

Book Review: The River Girl's Song by Angela Castillo

A Lovely Story

I listened to The River Girl's Song as an audiobook, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd actually read it. The audiobook felt very slow—I'm a fast reader, and could have read it much faster than it was being narrated. The narration was clear, although there were a couple of words I had trouble picking up because of her accent (which Americans probably wouldn't even notice, but I'm from New Zealand).

But the story was lovely. Zillia Bright is orphaned at the age of sixteen, and left to care for her newborn baby brother. Her stepfather leaves the two of them alone on the farm, taking with him everything of value, leaving Zillia to struggle with the farm, and with raising her brother.

She has the help and support of her some of her neighbours, especially Soonie and Wylder, the half-Comanche sister and brother who live on the next farm over. As well as befriending and helping her, they show God's love, and teach her that God will listen to the her song and answer her prayers.

A sweet Christian romance with a real feel-good ending. And there is a (free on Kindle) sequel, which follows Soonie's story. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Thanks to Angela Castillo for providing a free audiobook for review. You can find out more about Angela at her website (http://angelacastillowrites.weebly.com/), and read the introduction to The River Girl's Song here:

ARCBA Review: The Pounamu Prophecy by Cindy Williams

7 - 11 March

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Pounamu Prophecy

(Rhiza Press, 1 October 2015)

by
Cindy Williams

About the Book:

Since she watched her village burn to the ground, Mere’s life has been anything but dull. Now as an older woman she has come to stay with Helene and James to finish writing her life story – a tale of injustice, revenge and reconciliation.

But Helene and James have their own problems. After five years together, their marriage has become dull, predictable, boring … and it starts to unravel. 

Weaving fiction with the traumatic history of the Ngati Whatua tribe of Auckland, The Pounamu Prophecy sweeps from the sultry heat of Australia to the verdant shores of New Zealand.

About the Author

Cindy Williams lives in Sydney with her husband and teenage son.

As a child growing up in a culturally rich part of New Zealand she enjoyed writing, not copious screeds, but short intense pieces that brought tears to her eyes and made people think. She marvelled at the power of words to inspire far beyond the intentions of the author.

Then she became a dietitian – all science and seriously researched facts. She completed a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Diploma in Communication and spent many years encouraging and inspiring people to live a healthy life.

She writes a nutrition blog – www.nutritionchic.com – and is working on her second novel, set in first century Israel. She teaches scripture in schools, and swim and cycles. She is also studying for a Diploma of Theology and trying to improve her abysmal French! 

My Review

James and Helene are both too busy chasing their respective careers (as graphic designer and doctor, respectively) to have time for each other, and after five years, the spark has gone out of their marriage. Mere comes to stay, looking for a quiet place where she can write her memoirs without interruption. Helene especially values Mere’s quiet advice, shared from a place of having come to terms with knowledge, suffering and forgiveness.

The Pounamu Prophecy is a split timeline story. In the present, it’s the story of Brisbane couple James and Helene, their disintegrating marriage, Mere, their visitor from New Zealand visitor, and the way Mere subtly encourages them to think with a different mindset. In the past, it’s Mere’s story, the story of a Ngati Whatua child growing up in Okahu Bay, Auckland, in the midst of the Maori land protests, and her reactions to the age-old grievances.

I live in New Zealand. I remember the Bastion Point protests, although I was only a child and too young to understand what they were about—or how far back the grievances went. I’ve driven past Okahu Bay more times than I can remember, and visited Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World (now Kelly Tarlton’s SeaLife Aquarium), which is built in the old sewage tanks mentioned in The Pounamu Prophecy.

I enjoyed that combination of familiarity and new information, and I thought The Pounamu Prophecy was an outstanding novel. I liked the characters (well, I liked Mere better than Helene or James, who both needed a good talking to). I liked the way the two stories were integrated.

I especially liked the sensitive way the novel brings out the Maori culture and the injustices of the time—a combination of greed and perhaps patriarchal thinking. The injustice is plain: it seems the New Zealand Government of the time had a lot in common with the biblical Laban. Overall, The Pounamu Prophecy is an excellent story of rising above difficult situations, and learning to forgive what some might think can’t be forgiven.

Recommended.

Review: Mystery at the Hot Pond by David DeVowe

Book Description

IT WAS THE LAST DAY OF OUR LIVES, AS WE KNEW IT.

Very little had changed at Stoney Creek for eleven-year-old Arthur (Shoe) Makinen until MaryAnne DuPree upset his school year in 1924. Shoe discovers evidence that a double drowning at the sawmill may have been murder. MaryAnne’s faith is a mystery to Shoe as he suspects MaryAnne is intertwined in the investigation. What is she doing here? Was it an accident or murder? Will life ever be the same?

My Review

Mystery at the Hot Pond is an enjoyable middle grade adventure story, set in the 1920’s in the small mill town of Stoney Creek. The story is narrated by Shoe, an engaging child who doesn’t like change but does enjoy a good puzzle.

These two things combine in Mystery at the Hot Pond, when Shoe’s pleasant life is disrupted by MaryAnne, the new girl in school, and a mystery at the mill where his father works, and which involves MaryAnne’s father. Neither Shoe nor MaryAnne expect to get mixed up in this, but their uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the right time (or is that the right place at the wrong time?) means they become key to solving the mystery.

I found the beginning a little slow, as it was more around Shoe’s conflict with MaryAnne than the promised mystery, but once the story got going it was a good read, sure to appeal to young readers (the writing was definitely more suited to younger readers than a more sophisticated teen audience). I especially liked the way the author wove the Christian themes into the plot.

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

Review: Until the Dawn by Elizabeth Camden

Pure in Heart

Amazon Description

Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie van Riijn sees no harm in setting up a rooftop weather station for her work with the newly established Weather Bureau. While the villagers are suspicious of the mysterious estate and its tragic history, Sophie has come to see it as her own enchanted piece of paradise.

The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover Sophie trespassing on his land.

Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie yet find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark can no longer be kept in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?

My Review

I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Camden’s historical fiction. The characters are strong, intelligent men and women. They all have a romantic element, but it’s never an easy road for the hero and heroine. The research and the writing are always excellent (in fact, in terms of the writing, I think Until the Dawn is the best yet). And there’s plenty of conflict to keep the plot moving.

There’s certainly plenty of conflict in Until the Dawn: Dierenpark is owned by Quentin’s family, but Sophie treats it as her own—and isn’t pleased when she learns of Quentin’s plan to destroy the historic mansion. And Sophie is a committed Christian while Quentin is an atheist, refusing to believe in anything he can’t experience with his own senses. But he and Sophie bond over science and over Quentin’s son.

Quentin considers Sophie to be too sunny, too cheerful, to have any conception of what the world is really like. I’ve met people like Sophie, and it’s tempting to consider them naïve, but Until the Dawn got me thinking. Sophie is “pure in heart”, and sees the world through that veil rather than through a veil of cynicism. This got me wondering how I see the world, and I have to admit it’s more likely to be through Quentin’s veil of cynicism than Sophie’s purity. It’s a challenge, to consciously decide how we are going to see the world, to actively try to see through a pure heart, to see God. To walk with God.

Recommended.

Thanks to Baker Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

ARCBA Review: Next of Kin by Carol Preston

7 - 11 February

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Next of Kin
(Rhiza Press, May 2015)

Carol Preston

About the Book:
Fanny Franks was raised to believe in honesty, equality and acceptance, regardless of background or circumstances. When she meets brothers Jack and Jim, she is drawm to them by the alienation and injustice which seems to pervade their lives. She is determined to intervene and help them find happiness, until a trauma in her own life brings discrimination and shame for which she is ill prepared. While she deals with her own struggle she comes to understand what Jim and Jack are going through - and they find where they truly belong.

About the Author

Carol lives in Wollongong with her husband, Neil. She is a psychologist and has a part time private counselling practice, as well as being an author and speaker. Carol enjoys spending time with her children and four grandchildren, as well as bushwalking, gardening and holidaying overseas with her husband. One of her hobbies over many years has been family history research. 


It was this research which started Carol on the journey of writing novels. Her first trilogy is about the Oakes Family; Suzannah’s Gold, Rebecca’s Dream and The Price of Peace, which takes the reader from 1838 when her great great grandmother, Suzannah Casey was transported from Ireland, through to the end of the First World War. Carol’s fourth novel, The Face of Forgiveness, is about two young women who are transported to Australia in 1839. 

Carol has also written the Turning the Tide Series, based on her mother’s family, which begins with the First Fleet of convicts to Australia in 1788. These include Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets, and Truly Free. Next of Kin is her ninth novel. For more information about Carol’s books and her other interests she can be contacted on her website: www.carolpreston.com.au, on her Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/writingtoreach or her Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston

My Review

Next of Kin is another of Carol Preston’s historical novels set in the early days of Australia. She covered the convicts in her first books, then moved onto the early free settlers and their relationships with the freed convicts. With Next of Kin, she moves further forward again, to an Australia that is attracting more and more immigration … not all of it desirable.

Her storytelling and writing continue to improve, and while I’d like to say this is her best yet, I’ve already read the sequel and it was even better. So I’ll settle for saying Next of Kin is Carol’s best work to date. There is plenty of issues and conflict, and excellent characters. Well done.

Next of Kin is available via Amazon (Next of Kin) and Light The Dark (Next of Kin).

Review: Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Goosebump Good

I was a little apprehensive about reading Secrets She Kept, because I was one of the three judges who awarded Cathy Gohlke the 2015 Inspy Award for General Fiction, for her novel Saving Amelie. After reading a book as good as Saving Amelie, I’m always a little worried that the author’s next book won’t meet the high expectations set by the earlier title.

Well, Secrets She Kept blew Saving Amelie out of the water. Yes, it was that good. Goosebump good.

It’s a split timeline story—the modern story is set in 1972, where Hannah Sterling’s mother has just died, and Hannah finds her mother was never entirely honest with her. For starters, Lieselotte wasn’t Austrian . . . No. She was German, living in Germany during the rise of Hitler and during World War II. The past story is Lieselotte’s, during those life-changing war years. It’s not a happy story, but as we journey with both Hannah and Lieselotte, we discover what made Lieselotte the distant mother she was: the secrets she kept.

The writing, the research, the characters, the plot—all were outstanding, and it’s one of the few split timeline stories I’ve read where the past and the present stories were equally compelling. Recommended.

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

Review: Rescue Me by Lara van Hulzen

Solid End to Trilogy

Amazon Description

Keith is a soldier with a wounded heart.
Torie’s secrets haunt her.
Can they trust love enough to mend what’s broken?

Torie Walker is a police officer with a past she’d like to stay hidden from. Staying at her best friend’s cabin in the mountains over Christmas is just what she needs. However, when a handsome cowboy saunters into her life, she takes the risk and trusts him with her secrets.


Keith Scott is a United States Marine. Home for the holidays, he intends to spend a quiet Christmas with his family. What he doesn’t plan on is Torie Walker, a woman who mends his heart and makes him want to love again.

My Review

Torie and Keith are both damaged in their own ways, Torie through her difficult upbringing (understatement) and Keith through his overseas services with the Marines. Their respective pasts means they are both hesitant about entering into a romantic relationship, despite the sizzling chemistry between them. There is also the faith aspect: Keith believes in God, but Torie hasn’t got to that place yet despite attending church with a friend.

Rescue Me is Christian romance, but a little more edgy than some (and some readers might not like the fact that Torie’s journey to faith is implied rather than explicit—or the fact Keith becomes attached to her even without her being a believer). However, it’s definitely a clean read even as Keith and Torie explore their attraction and try and see whether they are ready to get over their respective pasts and make a relationship work.

While this was a perfectly good romance, I did miss the suspense present in the first two books in the series, Remember Me and Come to Me. In contrast, while Rescue Me promised a suspense subplot at the beginning with the mention of Torie’s father, it turned into more of an underutilised thread. However, Rescue Me can be read as a standalone novel, and anyone who hasn’t read the first books in the series isn’t going to be bothered.

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

Review: Jacqueline by Jackie Minniti

Outstanding Historical Novel for Children

Amazon Description

When ten-year-old Jacqueline Falna hears her mother's scream, she is unaware that the axis of her world is about to tilt. Her father's plane has been shot down by German fighters. In the midst of poverty, food shortages, air raids, and the grinding hardship of daily life under Nazi rule, she forms an unlikely alliance with David Bergier, a twelve-year-old Jewish neighbor who poses as her cousin after his family is "relocated" by the Nazis. When Rennes is liberated, Jacqueline meets an American soldier and becomes convinced that he has been sent to reunite her with her father. Based on a true story, "Jacqueline" is a tale of family, faith, unusual friendships, and the resiliency of the human spirit set against the backdrop of occupied Rennes in 1944. With the drama of fiction and the authenticity of personal history, "Jacqueline" is both a story about family and a family's story.

My Review

Jacqueline is a unique story, because it is based on a real person, the Jacqueline for whom the author was named. I’ve found novels based on true stories often don’t work, perhaps because the author is too concerned for remaining faithful to the truth and forgets that fiction writing has to be about the story. Jacqueline doesn’t make that mistake: it works well as a story.

This could be because of the conflict inherent in the plot. Jacqueline is a twelve-year-old French girl living in the town of Rennes, in German-occupied France in World War II, a time and place where people survived under incredibly difficult circumstances. The story is narrated from Jacqueline’s point of view so does gloss over some of the issues a girl of her age wouldn’t have been understood, which is appropriate for a novel aimed at children.

Jacqueline is an engaging character, and the author brings her to life along with her mother, their Jewish neighbours, and a stray one-eyed cat. It’s an excellent story, and also a way of introducing children to the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust in an age-appropriate manner. Recommended.

Thanks to Anaiah Press for providing a free ebook for review.

For More Stops On The Tour, Click Here.

I'm Reviewing at Suspense Sisters Reviews!

Today I'm over at Suspense Sisters Reviews, reviewing the brilliant When Fall Fades, the debut romantic suspense novel from Amy Leigh Simpson.

Click here to come over and join me.

Review: The Peacock Throne by Lisa Karon Richardson

Unimpressive Christian Regency Romance

I love Regency romance and I love adventure stories and I love non-US settings. The Peacock Throne had all these things, so I should have loved it, yet I didn’t. Why not? It started well, with the two main characters brought together by murder: Lord Anthony Danbury’s father and Miss Lydia Garrett’s cousin.

There was a lack of romantic tension. I never got the impression that Lydia was interested in either of her potential suitors (although it was a nice touch to have two men interested in one lady, rather than the more common “other woman” plot).

And I guessed the identity of the evildoer too early, which raises another point: I felt the whole rationale behind the adventure plot was a little strained, and the Christian content was subtle to the point of being almost non-existent (although that’s not a bad thing: it’s better than a novel where the characters stop to sermonise each other every chapter).

The characters were interesting, there were plenty of exotic locations, but the indifferent writing and lack of pace at what should have been exciting moments made this an easy book to put down, even at what was supposed to be the climax. While I didn’t dislike it, nor did I feel engaged with the plot or the characters, and it was a struggle to finish.

If you’re looking for a historical adventure novel with foreign settings, I’d recommend you read Christine Lindsay or Rita Stella Galieh instead.

Thanks to Lion Hudson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: The Outlaw Takes a Bride by Susan Page Davis

Too Obvious

I like a good mystery as much as anyone, but I like it to be a mystery. I’d pegged the villain by Chapter Two, and reading a couple more chapters only deepened my conviction. So I was naughty: I skipped to the end, found out I was right, and was left wondering why the ‘hero’ hadn’t guessed.

I’m sorry, but I have no desire to spend four or more hours reading a whodunit when it was obvious. It didn’t help that the romantic leads hadn’t met each other by the time I gave up. But it seemed obvious from the 10% I did read that their early relationship was going to be defined by lies, and that didn’t seem like a fun read either.

I usually like Susan Page Davis, but this failed to engage me.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: The Fruitcake Murders by Ace Collins

Bad. Really bad.

It’s the holidays in New Zealand, so I’m taking the opportunity to ‘bury’ reviews of books I didn’t finish or didn’t enjoy.

The Fruitcake Murders started with a Christmas 1926 murder in Chicago, then skipped forward to December 1946 and another murder. I’m guessing the two were related, but I didn’t get that far. The first murder (the Prologue) was mostly told, as there was only one person in the scene until the end.

The second murder was overshadowed by “witty” banter between Lane Walker, a detective, and reporter Tiffany Clayton. The dialogue was torturous, and the dialogue tags made it unbearable. Here’s an example:

“I’m guessing it is murder,” she sadly observed as she pulled a pad and pen from her purse.
“Your observations were always brilliant,” he cracked,
“Not much to it,” she noted, “you’re from homicide.”

There was a note at the beginning of the book that this is an advance reader copy “which has not been edited or proofread”. That accounts for the comma after “cracked”, but it’s no excuse for having “noted” three times in two pages, or for the completely distracting dialogue tags (most of which were inappropriate, like using “explained” when the character wasn’t actually explaining anything. That's plain old bad writing. Or possibly mansplaining).

There might be a good murder mystery hiding here, but I found the writing too distracting to motivate me to persevere.

Thanks (?) to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: Christmas with the Colburns by Keely Brooke Keith

A lovely early Christmas present!

Keely Brooke Keith sent me a complimentary copy of her Christmas novella as a thank you for reviewing the three novels in the Uncharted series. She didn't ask for a review, but I'm thrilled to write one. 

Amazon Description

It’s Christmastime in Good Springs, and Lydia Bradshaw is eager for the light at the end of her year—the Colburn family’s big holiday gathering. When she discovers none of her siblings are coming back to the village this year, she believes Christmas will be ruined. As Lydia faces a gloomy holiday in the Colburn house, an unexpected romance brightens her favorite season. Will it be enough to rekindle the light of Christmas? Spend Christmas with the Colburns in this inspirational holiday novella. Holiday recipe included!

My Review

Christmas with the Colburns is a Christmas novella that follows on from the Uncharted trilogy, all of which I’ve read and enjoyed—and it’s probably best to have read the Uncharted novels first, both because they give the history of the Uncharted island, and because there will be some spoilers for those who haven’t read them.

However, it’s a little different in terms of plot: rather than following a romance and a mystery, as the earlier novels did, it’ s about Lydia’s disappointment at the prospect of not having a traditional Colburn family Christmas, and how an unexpected gift changes her attitude.

It was a short but enjoyable story which gives a little more background to the Colburn family, and hints at some future changes (and romances) in the village of Good Springs. Recommended for anyone who has enjoyed the Uncharted series.

Review: Christmas Star Sapphire by Hallee Bridgeman

Christmas Romance

Madeline Viscolli is studying for her Masters degree when she meets Cru leader Ps Joe Westcott (Cru, for those of you as old as I am, is the new name for Campus Crusade for Christ). She’s attracted to him, and believes he’s equally attracted to her, but he does nothing about it . . .

I did find it weird that Madeline and Joe called each other Miss and Mr for a lot of the story—it came across as dated rather than respectful, especially he introduced himself as Joe when they first met. But it’s Alabama, the Deep South. Maybe that’s really how they talk there. Maybe it was meant to be a joke. Or maybe it was a deliberate erecting of barriers, so they could pretend they weren’t interested in each other.

However, the characters and the storyline were more than strong enough to compensate, and the story managed to get more spiritual depth than most full-length Christian novels I read. However, this flowed naturally out of the story and never felt preachy or forced. Joe has issues in his background, and while Maddie may have had a privileged upbringing, she’s no hothouse flower with no understanding of life outside her rich Christian bubble. I will admit to a bit of eye-rolling at the cliché ‘rich heroine’, (and why are we so fascinated by the rich, anyway?), but it was dealt with well: sure, Maddie comes from money, but we should judge her on her own intelligence and character. And she is an excellent character.

Joe is perhaps a little harder to get to know. He’s got the whole man thing going, but does manage to open up to Maddie and share some of his secrets. After that, it’s good to see him let his guard down a little and understand his character and what Maddie sees in him. All in all, he’s a loveable hero, and that’s what we want to read. Especially at Christmas!

This novella is apparently inspired by Bridgeman’s Jewel series, which I haven’t read. However, Christmas Star Sapphire can easily be read as a standalone story, and may even inspire you to read the Jewel series (right after the other 39 books on my to-review list. And 64 in my to-read list). An enjoyable short romance with some yummy recipes at the end!

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

Review: Operation White Christmas by Nicki Edwards

A White Christmas Dream . . .

Australian Hollie Douglas has always wanted to experience a white Christmas, so has planned a pre-Christmas wedding to Steve, followed by a two-week honeymoon at Niagara Falls (yes, the Canadian side). But things don’t always go to plan, and a series of unfortunate coincidences sees her stranded in a near-blizzard and sharing a house with the handsome Jim Bell and a baby llama called Roo (because what else would you name a baby llama? In Canada?).

It’s a novella, which makes a quick read that left me with an ‘aww’ feeling, because it was that sweet. It’s a sweet romance about two mending people coming together and find a possible future together.

Operation White Christmas is the third book in Nicki Edwards’s Escape to the Country series, but is easily readable as a standalone story. It is set in Canada, not Australia, and is more contemporary romance than medical romance (good news for those who don’t like blood!). Recommended.

Thanks to Momentum Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

ACRBA Review: Star! Stable! Saviour! by Cameron Semmens, Illustrated by Rod Allen

6 - 10 December

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Star! Stable! Saviour!

(Wombat Books 1 December 2015)


By

Cameron Semmens

About the Book:

“Forget the kids! It was me who loved this in our house. OK, the kids did too!” – Sally Smith

The traditional Christmas story has been told and re-told for nearly two thousand years – but never quite like this. Poet Cameron Semmens’s quirky and alliterated re-telling of it in Star! Stable! Savior! brings a totally fresh perspective on the ancient Christmas story.

Originally published in 2007 under the title The Story of The Star, The Stable and The Saviour, the book sold out after only a few years. Now it’s back with a fresh, punchy new title,

About the Author



Cameron Semmens is a poet, entertainer and poetry educator with 15 books to his name. He makes his living through words: performing, running workshops and book design. He lives in the Dandenong Rangers with his wife and two children.

My Review: Fun!

Star! Stable! Saviour! is the familiar Christmas story, retold for preschool children by Australian poet Cameron Semmens, and “supercharged with a startling stream of S’s”. Yes, it’s the Christmas story with alliteration. Yes, there are a few changes from the traditional version (the wise men are scientists, and wear snazzy sneakers), but it keeps as closely to the account in Matthew as is possible given the emphasis on words beginning with ‘S’.

Yes, it’s a little contrived at times, but it’s a quick and fun read, and small people will love the repetition and the alliteration. The illustrations are bright and colourful, and sure to attract the attention of said small souls. You might even find the alliteration rubs off on you …

Recommended for those looking for a different take on a well-known story. Thanks to Wombat Books for providing a free paperback for review.

Review: Carry Me Home by Dorothy Adamek

Outstanding Debut

Orphaned Finella Mayfield arrives in Australia in 1875, expecting to marry the preacher on Phillip Island, but instead finds herself as nanny/companion to fourteen-year-old Molly Jones, in the care of her brother, Shadrach, a simple farmer. It’s a far cry from the life she was expecting, and she records her thoughts in her Everlasting journal.

Shadrach, the son of a convict, would have been attracted to Finella even if he hadn’t promised the preacher to marry her and care for her . . . not that he’s dared tell Finella that titbit. He just hopes he can convince her to stay, despite only being able to offer dirt, hard work and poverty—the opposite of the life she deserves.

Finella was a distant character, especially in the beginning, which made her hard to get to know. Despite this, she was easy to sympathise with, arriving in a strange place, knowing no one, and having her expected future stolen from her. We got to know her gradually, through her journal and through her outbursts towards Shadrach, and it occurs to me that this is how we get to know many people in real life: gradually, as people open up more once trust has been established.

Shadrach was equally likeable, a noble character despite the misfortunes of his upbringing, and someone who occasionally did stupid things to get the attention of the woman he loves. But I think my favourite character was the spirited but simple Molly, who did more than anyone to bring Finella out of her shell. The plot was also excellent, with more than one unexpected event, and I was blown away by the depth of the historical research, and the way it was subtly layered into the plot.

I rarely cry when reading novels. That might be that I deliberately don’t pick emotion-packed stories to read, or that I’m too hard-nosed to cry. But I definitely teared up reading Carry Me Home, which is a testament to the quality of the writing, both in the way it made me care about the characters, and the way it inspired emotion. An excellent debut, recommended for anyone looking for a historical romance with a difference.

Thanks to Dorothy Adamek and Relz Reviews for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: A Secret Voice by Bob Nailor

Amish with a Difference

The Secret Voice is an intriguing historical novel with a unique setting: a small town in northern Ohio in 1961. It focuses on two main characters, Daniel Yoder, a fourteen-year-old Amish boy with a desire to attend high school, and Julie Bronson, the new schoolteacher—and the first black person to ever live in Centretown.

Their stories are separate, for the most part. Daniel has to convince his father and the Bishop that wanting to go against Amish culture and continue his education isn’t rebellion or testing the Amish faith, while Julie has to fight bigotry and convince the townspeople that she is a competent teacher despite the colour of her skin. The two are brought together when Daniel finds he has to study Chorus in order to stay in high school, and Julie finds the boy in the odd clothes has an outstanding voice.

There were a few oddities: that such a tiny high school would be able to have a specialist Chorus teacher, for one (she may have taught general music theory or other subjects, but this wasn’t mentioned), that the Amish spoke Amish (not German), and one other that’s a potential spoiler. The writing wasn’t as strong as it could have been, but the story and the characters were strong enough to make up for it.

The Secret Voice is a strong story of two characters seeking to find their place and fit in to a strange and sometimes hostile environment in a time of unprecedented social change. Well worth reading for an insight into two different cultures.