Review: Hidden Identity by Carol J Post

2015 Reading Challenge: Mystery or Thriller

I’m always a fan of a good romantic suspense story, and this one ticks all the boxes: intelligent heroine with a secret, handsome and godly cop, and more twists than I usually find in a full-length novel, let alone a shorter Love Inspired Suspense. Even better, I didn’t see the twists coming …

Meagan Berry faked her own death and moved to Cedar Key, Florida, to escape her ex-fiancé. But then her face makes the news after she rescues a man from a plane crashed in the water … a man who turns out to be a senator. Now strange things are happening, she’s convinced her ex is here to get her, and she doesn’t want to end up like his last fiancé.

Police Office Hunter Kingston is attracted to the town’s pretty new resident, but he’s soon convinced she’s hiding something (duh). And she’s not a Christian. But that doesn’t stop him wanting to protect her … especially when it seems someone is after her.

Meagan and Hunter were both excellent characters. Hunter’s only problem was that he was perhaps too larger than life, too perfect, but that fault is easy to forgive in a romance novel. Meagan was a more complex character as we didn’t find her secrets all out at once, which added to the tension. She had plenty of struggles, both personal and spiritual – growing up surrounded by abusive men meant she found it hard to trust men at all—even the almost-perfect Hunter—and she found it even harder to trust God. If He's really on her side, why do all the bad things happen?

Anyway, Hunter was the perfect hero for a woman with issues about trusting men and trusting God, and I enjoyed getting to know him and see the way he was able to both keep Meagan safe and show her that not all men were abusive. There was also one powerful scene where he did show himself as less than perfect, and I liked the way that threw even more conflict into his relationship with Meagan.

This is the second book in the Cedar Key series (following Deadly Getaway), but can easily be read as a standalone novel. It sounds like a great location for a holiday, as long as you don't mind all the murderous crazies the town seems to attract!

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

Review: Seaside Proposal by Narelle Atkins

More than the usual

Billie Radcliffe has taken a temporary job in Sapphire Bay Beach, and is hosting her family for Christmas—and her sister’s friend from church, Zach Montford, who is running a youth camp at the beach over New Year. There’s an immediate attraction between Billie and Zach, but their different views on Christianity are an issue. She gave up on church as a teenager; he’s considering giving up his career and going to Bible college. But she has an ulterior motive in staying in Sapphire Bay, and while she’s secretly attending Riverwood Community Church, it’s not about her faith.

With a title like ‘Seaside Proposal’ and an engagement scene on the cover, there’s not a lot of doubt around the will-they-won’t-they of the romance. But Seaside Proposal managed to pack a lot more into the story. Those who have read the earlier books in this series may remember that Billie and her sister Julie are both adopted. Julie was reunited with her birth mother in the last book, and now it’s Billie’s turn. Of course, that’s not something she’s shared with her family … or with Zach.

As a result, the story was perhaps a little more complex than the regular Heartsong Presents, yet without skimping on the romantic elements. Sure, there was the romance plot, but there was also the adoption subplot, and a related subplot about Billie reconsidering her faith (or lack thereof). Zach might have been a little too perfect as a character, but Billie was very real, facing big decisions and learning again that life doesn’t always go to plan.

Yes, the ending was perhaps a little too perfect, but this is a romance novel, not real life. It’s meant to be entertainment, and it certainly succeeded in that. Recommended, for managing to be more than a simple Christian romance.

Thanks to the author for providing a free book for review. You can find out more about Narelle Atkins at her website, www.narelleatkins.com.

Review: Winning Over the Heiress by Narelle Atkins

Fun Yet Thought-Provoking

Yes, the title is a little cliché, but that’s what we expect from Heartsong Presents (where references to billionaires and heiresses are almost obligatory). However, the plot is a welcome turnup on the more typical cliché of the pretty female falling for her rich male boss.

Julia Radcliffe has taken a temporary job as church secretary while the current secretary is on maternity leave. It’s a change from her previous roles, but she’s enjoying the challenge—except for the website work. The church hires an IT person, who turns out to be Sean Mitchell, the bad boy brother of her best friend’s husband. Julia soon finds Sean has changed and developed a faith in God, although he’s still as attractive as the last time they met.

Sean has the same trouble with Julia as he does with his parents: they don’t believe he’s changed, and they don’t believe he’s good enough. It’s a good reminder to see that while on one hand none of us are “good enough” for God, He loves and forgives us regardless. It’s a lesson Sean and Julia each have to learn, in their own different ways.

Winning Over the Heiress is a sequel to Her Tycoon Hero (Ryan and Cassie’s story), but can easily be read as a standalone novel. It’s an enjoyable way to spend a summer afternoon, with an almost-perfect combination of romance and Christian truth.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Narelle Atkins at her website.

Review: Her Tycoon Hero by Narelle Atkins

3 - 7 November 2014

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Her Tycoon Hero

Heartsong Presents

By

Narelle Atkins

About the Book

Cassie Beaumont Believes in Second Chances 

Set on proving to everyone that she's no longer a party girl, Cassie is focused on her career as an event planner. But her dad's top executive, Ryan Mitchell, proves to be a handsome distraction. Especially when someone from Cassie's wild past tries to get her tangled in the life she's worked hard to escape.

Ryan is taken with his boss's beautiful daughter. But having been fooled by a brother who ran in her same circles, he is slow to trust. When Cassie's newfound faith works its way into his heart, Ryan soon finds he wants to claim both her faith and Cassie as his own.

About the Author

NARELLE ATKINS writes contemporary inspirational romance and lives in Canberra, Australia. She sold her debut novel, set in Australia, to Harlequin's Love Inspired Heartsong Presents line in a six-book contract. She is also a member of International Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers group blogs.
http://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com
http://australasianchristianwriters.blogspot.com

Narelle is a co-founder with Jenny Blake of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance (ACRBA). http://acrba.blogspot.com

Her debut book, Falling for the Farmer, will be a February 2014 release, followed by The Nurse's Perfect Match in May 2014 andThe Doctor's Return in August 2014.

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com

Blog: http://narelleatkins.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarelleAtkinsAuthor

Twitter: @NarelleAtkins https://twitter.com/NarelleAtkinshttps://twitter.com/NarelleAtkins

Not Your Standard Heartsong Presents Novel

Cassie Beaumont is twenty-six and “no longer the unreliable daughter with a drinking problem”—if only her father would see that. And if only members of her family would stop trying to set her up with dates, especially with men who don’t share her newfound Christian faith. She especially doesn’t want to be set up with Ryan Mitchell, her father’s right-hand man, and the brother of her irresponsible ex-boyfriend, Sean. However, Ryan isn’t what she was expecting ….

Heartsong Presents romance novels are known for being more overtly Christian than other category romance novels (such as the Love Inspired series). They are also known for being more conservative, and I often find that combination comes across to me as unrealistic, as many seem to feature characters who live in a conservative Christian bubble in which nothing bad ever happens, and no one has any serious life issues (to be fair, it’s not just Heartsong that has this issue, as illustrated by much of the Amish romance genre).

Narelle Atkins doesn’t write those kind of novels, and Her Tycoon Hero takes this further than her previous novels, both in the topic and in the language (I’m surprised “screw up” got past the editors. Perhaps it means something different in the US). While Cassie has had a privileged upbringing in Sydney, Australia, it hasn’t been saccharine-perfect, as evidenced by her history of alcohol abuse and her past choice in boyfriends. No, it’s not typical Heartsong Presents, but it is typical of life. There are more Cassies (and Seans) out there than we know, and it’s good to see them working through their issues in Christian fiction.

I enjoyed Her Tycoon Hero, and I’ll be looking forward to meeting Cassie and Ryan again in the next book in the series.

Thanks to Narelle Atkins for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Narelle at her website. You can also find her blogging at Australasian Christian Writers, International Christian Fiction Writers, and Inspy Romance.

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