Review: The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller

Debut Regency Romance

Amazon Description

Handsome appearance counts for naught unless matched by good character and actions.

That's the firm opinion of not-so-meek minister's daughter Lavinia Ellison. So even though all the other villagers of St. Hampton Heath are swooning over the newly returned seventh Earl of Hawkesbury, she is not impressed. If a man won't take his responsibilities seriously and help those who are supposed to be able to depend on him, he deserves no respect from her. In Lavinia's pretty, gray eyes, Nicholas Stamford is just as arrogant and reckless as his brother--who stole the most important person in Livvie's world.

Nicholas is weighed down by his own guilt and responsibility, by the pain his careless brother caused, and by the legacy of war he's just left. This quick visit home to St. Hampton Heath will be just long enough to ease a small part of that burden. Asking him to bother with the lives of the villagers when there's already a bailiff on the job is simply too much to expect.

That is, until the hoydenish, intelligent, and very opinionated Miss Ellison challenges him to see past his pain and pride. With her angelic voice in his head, he may even be beginning to care. But his isn't the only heart that needs to change.

These two lonely hearts may each have something the other needs. But with society's opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way.

Fans of Georgette Heyer, Lori Wick, and Julie Klassen will enjoy the spirited exchanges between the bluestocking minister's daughter and the bruised war hero as they move past pride and presumption to a humbled appreciation of God's grace and the true strength of love.

My Review

The Elusive Miss Ellison is everything a good Regency romance should be: it’s consistent with the writings of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, and features plenty of wit and sparkle in the dialogue, especially that of the titular Miss Lavinnia Ellison. She reminds me of a combination of Austen and Heyer heroines, and there is a definite nod to the BBCs Ehle/Firth version of Pride and Prejudice in terms of the characters.

The plot isn’t P&P (thankfully), but again has echoes of Austen. The big difference (improvement?) is that The Elusive Miss Ellison is clearly Christian fiction: Livvie is a minister’s daughter with a real faith in God, and unwilling to be romantically involved with any man who doesn’t share her faith. Especially not the man she holds responsible for the death of her beloved mother, and who appears to hold too little regard for the wellbeing of his tenants.

Nicholas obviously has his own personal and faith journey, and I think his is the stronger story—he’s the one with the obvious character faults which need to be changed through the influence of a good woman. And perhaps her love as well ...

I’m a big Regency romance fan, so very much enjoyed the authentic Regency voice and attention to detail. Some of the writing was a little shaky, and the pacing was somewhat uneven. Parts of the novel sparkled with wit, but others felt as though the sparkled had been scrubbed out.

All the same, I’ll be keen to read the sequel, The Captivating Lady Charlotte (love the title!). Recommended for fans of Christian Regency romance.

Thanks to Kregel and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Carolyn Miller at her website

Review: Dawn on the Road by Lea Waterhouse

YA Road Trip

Dawn Berlin is a high school senior with her life mapped out for her. At least, her mom has Dawn’s life mapped out, starting with an Ivy League college. But Dawn wants to go to art school and study photography. And her first choice of school has an open day next weekend. Not that she’ll be able to go. No way would her mother allow it.


But then Justin Devenport, her childhood best friend, walks into the diner where she works, and the impossible becomes possible. Justin has a motorbike and a tent, and the time to take Dawn north to Vancouver …

Dawn on the Road is a solid coming-of-age story. 

Sure, there are few glitches. It took a while to get going, and the end was abrupt, if fitting. The story is told entirely in first person, which works for young adult, but which made the repeated I thought” tags feel redundant.

I wasn’t entirely convinced by Justin. 

He was an excellent character—intelligent, ambitious, and growing in his Christian faith. But I wasn’t sure exactly what motivated him to look Dawn up after all those years. I guess that’s one of the down sides of first person—we don’t always understand the secondary characters (because Dawn doesn’t understand him either).

Dawn I understood only too well, the internal battle between doing what she wants and doing what everyone else tells her is the right thing to do.. The desire to try her own way, even just once. And the complete lack of thought over the possible consequences …

Yes, I enojoyed Dawn on the Road. 

It was a quick and easy read, although those readers who prefer the more traditional third person past tense might not agree. Recommended for fans of Serena Chase.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review. You can come back tomorrow to find out more about Lea Waterhouse, as she'll be sharing her Friday Fifteen—her fifteen favourite books and authors.

You can connect with Lea via Twitter or her website.

Friday Fifteen: Toni Shiloh

Today I'm delighted to introduce debut author Toni Shiloh and her novel, Buying Love. Here's the book description:

Will money ruin everything?

Nina Warrenton is ready for the next step in her life plan—marriage, but there is one problem. No one has proposed! Taking matters into her hand, she places an ad in the newspaper hoping to entice a willing stranger. But when she begins to fall for the small-town chef, she realizes how much she wants him to love her and not her money.

Dwight Williams needs fast cash to save the family restaurant. When he sees Nina’s monetary offer for a husband, he goes for it. He’s determined to save the legacy his dad left him, but can he let it go to prove his love for her?

Can Nina and Dwight find true love, once money has entered the equation?

Congratulations, Toni, on your new release!

And now here is Toni's Friday Fifteen: her fifteen favourite authors. Welcome, Toni!

1. Jane Austen

Ms. Austen is the reason I fell in love with romance. I first read her when I was preteen and adored the characters and the story.
(I didn't read Austen until later, but there's something magical about her characters and her writing).

2. Danielle Steel

When I got older, I read Danielle Steel. There was something about her novels that captivated me and transported me into another world.

3. Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

These guys were my first introduction into Christian fiction and I was hooked!

4. Lauraine Snelling

Ms. Snelling was one of the first romance authors I read in Christian fiction. Her Red River of the North series made me long for simpler times.

5. Francine Rivers

Ms. Rivers challenged me to think outside the box. Her characters have real issues that tug at your heart strings.

6. Beverly Jenkins

Ms. Jenkins’ Blessings series pulled me in with the diverse characters and hometown settings. I loved the family atmosphere and hope to incorporate that in my own work.

7. Joanne Bischof

Five words: The Lady and the Lionheart
(On my to-read pile)

8. Heather Gray

I love her characters. Real, funny, and Christian.

9. Lynette Eason

Romance and suspense?! Need I say more?
(No, that covers it.)

10. Dee Henderson

She was the first romantic suspense author I ever read and got me hooked on the genre.
(Me too!)

11. Becky Wade

I adore her writing. Her books touch my heart.

12. Jennifer Rodewald

The emotion in Ms. Rodewald’s books is phenomenal!
(Another author who is on my to-read pile.)

13. Ronie Kendig

Ms. Kendig writes military romantic suspense…at least that’s how I think of it! As former Air Force, I LOVE it.

14. Camille Eide

The Memoir of Johnny Devine hooked me to her reading style and made me a forever fan.

15. Elizabeth Maddrey

She deals with tough subjects and always makes me think.
(And yet another author who is on my to-read pile.)

About Toni Shiloh

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an Air Force veteran, and a member of the body of Christ.

She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She likes to volunteer at her children’s school. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. An avid reader of Christian fiction, she writes reviews on her blog and enjoys helping other authors find readers.

Introducing Barbara M Britton and Providence: Hannah's Journey

Today we welcome debut author Barbara M. Britton and get to know a little more about her. Barbara, welcome!

Thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I am happy to share my writing journey with you and the story behind “Providence: Hannah’s Journey.”


Do you plot or let the story unfold as you write?
I have read articles on whether writers should be plotters or pantsers (write by the seat of your pants). I tend to be a combination of the two. I’m a plantser. I have an outline of where the story is going and I write to meet each plot point. With Biblical fiction, sometimes the Bible gives the entire storyline, but other times it doesn’t. I based Hannah on the servant girl in the story of Naaman in II Kings 5. The Bible doesn’t tell us if that girl was rewarded with her freedom for essentially sending Naaman to the prophet to be healed. I wrote the happily ever after.

Have you ever cried while writing a book?
Yes, definitely. I know I am writing well if I’m crying and my critique partner is crying. The number one job of a writer is to elicit emotion from the reader. I know I have done my job if there are wadded up tissues on my desk.

How well did you do in English class as a kid?
I was A material with spelling words and using them in sentences. I still struggle with comma usage and other grammatical details. I took a grammar class recently and discovered there are different types of sentences. Who knew? I flunked some of the homework assignments. That is why I love my editors.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? If so, what is it and why?
When I taught chapel to elementary students, my husband would always challenge me not to tell a story, but to think of the theology behind it, and why God placed this story in the Bible. Easy, right? So, all my books have a theme. For “Providence: Hannah’s Journey,” the theme is God is in control even in the chaos of life. I let each reader pull out the theology in the novel.

As I reviewed the galley for Hannah’s story, I was battling breast cancer. I needed to remind myself every day that God was in control no matter the outcome. Praise the Lord, for it seems I am cancer free.

What is your favorite comfort food?
Easy peasy. It’s chocolate. But I can be a chocolate snob. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to See’s Candies, so dark chocolate butter creams are my favorite chocolate. I have many, many close seconds. And I am open to discovering new favorites.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would be essential for you?

A cell phone. A cell phone tower. Unlimited fresh water. I know some would say a Bible, but I hope I have enough Scripture stored in my heart that I could recite it to myself. Prayer just comes with the territory—no pun intended.

Do you laugh at your own jokes?
Of course, even if no one else does. Laughter is the best medicine to calming the stress in life.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you so much for reading Hannah’s Journey. It’s exciting to have a book release into the world, but it’s also scary. I am grateful for the support of my readers.

Want to learn more?

My website: www.barbarambritton.com
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

My real name is Barbara M. Britton. The journeys will continue in February with “Building Benjamin: Naomi’s Journey.”

 
Thanks to Barbara for stopping by today. Be sure to pick up her debut Biblical fiction, Providence: Hannah's Journey.
 

---

Visit all the stops along the tour

ACRBA Tour: Mail Order Surprise by Lucy Thompson

5 - 9 September 2016

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is Introducing 

Mail Order Surprise

( Forget Me Not Romances, a division of Winged Publications (April 19, 2016)

By Lucy Thompson

About the Book:

Colorado, 1881. Lydia Walsh is on the run. The quiet rancher she marries and expected to find safety and protection with turns out to have three siblings, next to nothing to live on, and is a crack shot who may or may not be one of the states best cattle rustlers.

Beau Harding wants to keep his family together and do the right thing by them. His mail order bride comes with her own set of baggage: two more mouths to feed and empty hearts begging him to fill. The job he took for some quick money gets him thrown in jail for rustling, and then to clear his name he takes on another job--and learns that his wife may have been the one plotting his family’s downfall all along.

About the Author:

Hi! My name is Lucy Thompson. I’m a stay-at-home mum to five precocious children and wife to the ultra-handy Dave by day and a snoop by night, stalking interesting characters through historical settings, and writing about their exploits.

I enjoy meeting new people from all over the world and learning about the craft of writing. When I can be separated from my laptop, I’m a professional time waster on Facebook (really!), a slave to the towering stack of books on my bedside table, and a bottler, preserving fruit the old fashioned way so I can swap recipes and tips with my characters. 

My home is in central Queensland, Australia where I do not ride a kangaroo to the shops, mainly because my children won’t fit.

Represented by the fabulous Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, I’m a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America.

I have already reviewed Mail Order Surprise, and very much enjoyed it. You can read my review here: Mail Order Surprise by Lucy Thompson

Writing Helps to Heal Author Justine Johnston Hemmestad

by Justine Johnston Hemmestad

In 1990 my car was broadsided by a speeding city bus as I turned out of a parking lot - I was in a coma and had sustained a severe brain injury. I was paralyzed when I woke up from my coma, though I worked hard to walk again within a few months, and to relearn how to perform the basic functions of life.

I began to write when I was carrying my first child Megan, less than two years after my accident, as tool or a way to cope with feeling so alone in my disability and misunderstood. Writing, throughout the darkest part of my recovery—when everyone looked down on me and I had no one to talk to or relate with me—helped me to get my thoughts in focus, to learn new things, and to remember what was important to me. I felt bullied, my thoughts and perception were skewed, and I felt emotionally alone, isolated by my personal lacking (my speech was slurred; my reactions were slow, etc.).

But writing was my Savior. When I was so afraid and so filled with guilt for being disabled, writing offered me a safe and comforting place to go, where I could cry and feel loved. Writing was my confidante and gave me hope when the world was crushing me. Writing even helped me find out who I was, since everything about "me" seemed to have melted away with my TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Writing helped me find my words to speak again. Writing was my purpose, and writing was my healing.

My novella, Truth be Told, is essentially the story of my recovery wrapped up in fictional characters in a different time and place. Everything is symbolic in my novella because symbolism itself taught me how to travel deep inside my thoughts and search until I found the answers. Symbolism aided my memory by the weight of its meaning.

The old man in my novella is symbolic of God, prayer, love of my children, and the inner truth I found when I dug deep, the challenges that stretched my mind and that I knew I had to face when I wanted to give up on life completely.

The Lady is the aspect of my recovery in which I felt lost, even to myself—I didn’t know who I was—but in prayer and meditation I learned to focus my mind, calm my thoughts (which were drowning in the guilt I felt for being disabled) and listen to God’s answer…what defines me?

The knight is the aspect of my recovery that was assaulted by PTSD. Not only was I recovering, but I was recovering amidst a torrent of fear, pain, and false persecution. He represents the survivor’s guilt I had for living as brain-injured, and the part of myself that felt I deserved the lies that people told about me simply because it was easy to lie about me. I illuminated my purpose— the purpose that any recovering person needs to be able to climb out of the darkness—symbolically as Jesus. When people lied about me, writing defended me and made the truth immortal. My purpose, as writing, was the well within me; writing saved me and gave me direction in life (even when I no longer had any sense of direction due to my TBI). There were people who tried to point me in the wrong direction, but my prayer, and written prayer, was always brimming with truth.

My purpose in writing raised me out of the darkness and set me on a new path. As my characters in Truth be Told founded one of the first Universities in Europe, my purpose led me to enter into college, to study tirelessly, and to set goals and reach them. For a person with a TBI, these things stretched my mind to the breaking point. And yet my savior, writing, was always there, so much that my purpose and my goals became intertwined. Every class I’ve had brought me new challenges; every professor’s pushing has helped me more than they were ever aware.

My husband and I now have seven children and I'm still writing, for both have truly been essential to my recovery. I've also earned a BLS through The University of Iowa and am now working toward a Master's Degree in Literature through Northern Arizona University. I’m grateful to have written a book that I felt so strongly, all along, could be of help to survivors, for them to recognize themselves in the characters and to know that they're not alone. I would have recognized myself in this story and it would have given me hope. My mission now is to give other survivors hope.

Justine on Amazon

Justine's Website

Justine's blog

Facebook 

Twitter

Review: Mail Order Surprise by Lucy Thompson

Excellent Mail Order Bride Debut

Amazon Description

Colorado, 1881.


Lydia Walsh is on the run. The quiet rancher she marries and expected to find safety and protection with turns out to have three siblings, next to nothing to live on, and is a crack shot who may or may not be one of the states best cattle rustlers.

Beau Harding wants to keep his family together and do the right thing by them. His mail order bride comes with her own set of baggage: two more mouths to feed and empty hearts begging him to fill. The job he took for some quick money gets him thrown in jail for rustling, and then to clear his name he takes on another job--and learns that his wife may have been the one plotting his family’s downfall all along.

My Review

I do enjoy a good Christian Western—I suspect they are one of my favourite genres of historical because they are full of strong heroines and loveable heroes, and many of them also have a touch of humour (e.g. Karen Witemeyer, Carol Cox). So I was thrilled when I heard Australian author Lucy Thompson had released her debut novel, and even more thrilled when she offered me a review copy.

And it’s excellent: totally on point, as my teenage daughter would say. We’ve got a heroine in a pickle, a hero with a problem (well, three problems in this case, in the form of three younger siblings). There is a raft of lovable minor characters as well, and while many of the elements of the novels are predictable (cowboys, ranches, steers, and a regrettable lack of indoor plumbing), there are also plenty of original touches to keep the reader interested and story moving forward.

There was one aspect to the plot which didn’t quite ring true for me, in that it didn’t seem consistent with what we had been told about the character. However, I was relieved to find that was addressed with a completely unexpected plot twist (and I don’t want to say anything else, as it might spoil the story).

Recommended for fans of mail order bride stories, and fun Western historical romances. I’ll be looking forward to the sequel (there has to be a sequel. There are three more siblings!).

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Lucy Thompson at her website (https://lucythompsonauthor.com/), and you can read the introduction to Mail Order Surprise here:

Review: On the Edge by Theresa Santy

Simply Outstanding

On the Edge is one of the best debut novels I’ve read in a long time. Okay, it takes a while to find itself at the beginning and not everyone will enjoy the first person present tense narration (and that could by why I found the beginning difficult), but it’s worth the effort.

Kristen Craemer is an LA interior designer who is running. She can no longer run in real life, so now she runs in her dreams, and the dreams always turn into nightmares and they always lead her to water—the magnificent Pacific Ocean. Her life is slowly unravelling: she’s making mistakes at work, therapy isn’t helping, and nor is the liquid diet of drugs and alcohol.

Then she meets Jesus-freak Ethan Adams, and soon finds two awkward things: she likes him (as in, really likes him) even though he’s a Jesus-freak, and their mothers are in the same addiction therapy group. So this is a story of a woman whose messed-up childhood is still affecting her adult life, and meeting a guy with a messed-up childhood who seems to have it all together.

One of the difficult parts of writing a review of a book isn't what you put in to the review, but what you leave out. Readers and authors, quite understandably, don't want book reviews to include plot spoilers. But some readers also want to be warned about certain aspects of the book they might not want to read. Some reviewers call these trigger warnings: content that might act as a trigger for some readers.

And here's the problem. I want (need?) to include some trigger warnings for On the Edge, but to tell you any more would act as a spoiler. So be warned: if you read reviews to find out if there's anything in the book you want to avoid, you might be best avoiding On the Edge.

But you’d be missing out. The plot and characters are outstanding. The writing is outstanding—I loved lines like this:

This Kierkegaard writes so deep, he makes my brain ache.

It’s not typical Christian fiction (too much alcohol, too many drugs), but I think this is what Christian fiction should be: real. Telling difficult stories, and showing Jesus in the lives of characters. Not preaching. Basically, the whole book was outstanding, and you should read it. Unless the triggers . . .

Thanks to Breath of Fresh Air Press for providing a free ebook for review. Although I’ve now bought the paperback as well. Yes, it was that good.

You can find out more about Theresa Santy at her website: http://www.theresasanty.com/

Review: Leopard's Heart by Kimberly A Rogers

Book Description:

An assassination attempt on the American president threatens to ex
pose the existence of Therians to the Human world. Baran knows that the Fringe have become bold. In a race to find the next assassin before he strikes, Raina and Baran must travel from Washington D.C. to the Elven capital hidden in the Smokey Mountains. Rising tensions between Therians who respect the centuries-old alliance with the Elves and Fringe sympathizers who clamor to sever all ties between the two peoples make the case and Baran's relationship with Raina even more difficult to navigate. Circumstances have forced them together, but is it only duty that drives his actions? Does Raina's heart belong to her old childhood sweetheart or is the Leopard's heart still to be won?

My Review

Leopard’s Heart is Book One in The Therian Way series, but there is a novella prequel (Tiger’s Paw), and I would recommend people read that first. I didn’t, and found the first half of Leopard’s Heart a real struggle to read. While there was a lot of back story in the first half, I found it confusing as I didn’t see how it related to the central assassination plot, and it slowed the story down. A lot. The first half could have benefited from some cutting, to bring the plot to the forefront, rather than allowing the central plot to be hidden behind the endless interior monologue and world building.

My confusion over the plot wasn’t helped by the writing. The novel is written in first person from the point of view of several characters. Most chapters were from the viewpoint of either Raina (the part-Elf leopard heroine) or Baran (the pureblood Therian tiger hero), but some chapters were from the viewpoint of minor characters. My problem with this was there were several chapters where I didn’t immediately know who the viewpoint character was, if it was Raina or Baran or someone else. I don't like having to flick back to the start of a chapter to work out whose story I'm reading. It should be obvious.

I also thought there was too many characters (mostly related to the problem of toomuch back story), to the point where it distracted from the central plot and the character development. Also, some of the writing seemed to have errors, in that I couldn’t immediately discern what it was trying to say. For example, this sentence appears to either have some extra words, or some missing words:

“I’m the only one in the neighbourhood who has a threatened last week for peace marriage.”

Was that meant to have been “who has been threatened”? Or something else?

I persevered despite my frustration, and the second half of the novel was much better than the first: fewer characters, more focus on plot, faster pace, more enjoyable, and an emotionally satisfying ending. But I don’t think the ending was satisfying enough or the characters interesting enough to motivate me to read further novels in the series.

Thanks to Jansina at Rivershore Books for providing a free ebook for review.

Author Bio:

Kimberly A. Rogers writes in-depth reviews of Christian and secular fantasy as well as articles for Christian fantasy writers at her blog So You Want to Write Christian Fantasy? Of course, only when not in the midst of writing papers and taking exams in the pursuit of her Masters in Religious Education. Kimberly lives in Virginia where the Blue Ridge Mountains add inspiration to an over-active imagination originally fueled by fantasy classics such as the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Twitter Page:
https://twitter.com/KARogersAuthor

Author Website: https://kimberlyrogerscfwriter.wordpress.com/

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.

Reading Challenge: A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter

A book based entirely on its cover

The cover is beautiful! And what’s even better: the rest of the book lived up to the promise. This is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I think. I read it so quickly I might have to go back and read it again just to be sure …

A Noble Masquerade is Regency romance, my favourite historical period and one that is woefully underrepresented in Christian fiction. It’s also got a strong suspense plot, and it’s no secret romantic suspense is my favourite genre. The book is off to a good start …

Lady Miranda Hawthorne might titled and have been raised to be a lady, but she’s not a lady at heart. She has unladylike thoughts and sometimes does unladylike things, and she’s currently bemoaning her single state. For years, she’s been pouring her unladylike heart out to Marsh, her brother’s best friend since his school days. Not that she’s ever posted the letters. A single woman writing to a man is most unladylike.

But after one particularly stressful evening, in which Lady Miranda realises her shallow younger sister is going to eclipse her socially once she is “out”, Miranda finds herself in conversation with her brother’s new valet—his handsome new valet--and writing yet another letter to Marsh. Only the valet finds the letter and posts it, and a week later, Miranda gets a response from Marsh, the mysterious Duke of Marshington who no one has seen for nine long years. Oops.

Things soon get complicated as Miranda finds herself fighting an attraction to Marlow, completely the wrong man, and getting to know Marsh through his letters … and finding herself attracted to him as well. Then the suspense plot takes hold, and I don’t want to say anything more because that would be a spoiler. You’ll just have to read it for yourself to find out what happens.

There were times when it didn’t seem like A Noble Masquerade was the first novel in the series at all. It wasn’t as though I felt I was missing information, more that it felt like the characters had more history together than I was seeing on the page. When I checked Amazon, I found I was right: Kristi Ann Hunter also has a free prequel novella available, A Lady of Esteem. I obviously downloaded this immediately, and am planning to read it right after I finish this review ...

A Noble Masquerade will appeal to fans of historical romance, especially Regency romance. The writing is excellent, with plenty of plot twists and turns, quirky characters and plenty of humour, along the lines of general market author Julia Quinn. But it’s definitely Christian fiction, and the faith elements are handled especially well. Recommended.

Thanks to Bethany House and Litfuse for providing a free ebook for review.

This book contributes towards my 2015 Reading Challenge as a book based entirely on its cover.

Review: Grime Beat by Marji Lane

Fun Romantic Suspense Debut

Dani Foster is a household cleaner with a difference—she works cleaning up crime scenes. But one day, her colleague and best friend doesn’t show up to work. She’s not at home, either, and her placed looks as though it’s been trashed. Dani finds herself arrested for breaking and entering, and now she’s depending on crime scene specialist Jay Hunter to get her out of trouble … and to help her solve the mystery.

Grime Beat is a fast-paced suspense novella with more than a hint of romance. Dani is an excellent character, and there are hints that she’s hiding something as well. While I don’t necessarily related to her compulsion for cleanliness (I’d rather read than clean), I had to like her—she’s hard-working, loyal and intelligent, and knows just enough about policing to get suspicious about some things. Jay is also a good character, honest and professional, and someone who doesn’t like finding he’s missed an important detail. And he suspects he’s missed more than a few here ...

The plot and writing in Grime Beat are excellent. Romantic suspense is my favourite genre, and I’ll look forward to reading further novellas in this series. Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: Saving Justice by Susan Crawford

Not up to my expectations (even for a first novel)

Teacher Kinley Reid works in a rough area of Oklahoma City, doing her best to provide disadvantaged children with a quality education, with God’s help. When Justice, one of her students, gets into trouble for vandalism, she steps in to help him.

Nash McGuire is the real estate professional who grew up in the rough suburb, and who is now renovating his childhood home to sell (personally, if I owned a house in an area run by gangs, I wouldn’t waste money renovating to make it “the nicest house in the neighbourhood”. I’d sell to the first person who made an offer. I certainly wouldn’t park my late-model car outside. After all, real estate is "Location, location, location", and this isn't the location they're meaning).

Nash is concerned by what he sees as Kinley’s naïve approach, while Kinley trusts God to keep her safe and finds Nash’s lack of faith disturbing.

Saving Justice had interesting characters and a noble ideal, but the plot lost me early on, when Nash wants Justice to pay for vandalising his car. Isn’t that what insurance is for, repairing things when the culprit can’t be found or isn’t able to pay? It also seemed completely unreasonable (unjust?) that the child was sentenced to community service within days of the alleged crime, with no apparent input from witnesses or social services, and no defence or advice provided by legal professionals. Really?

Of course, this is the US, a country which only outlawed capital punishment for minors a decade ago. Basically, this felt as though it was nothing more than a contrived plot device to bring Kinley and Nash together, and while I understand plots are (by nature) contrived, I prefer them not to be so obvious.

Between the injustice of Justice’s situation and Nash’s illogical renovations, I was left reading a plot that I felt was too contrived to be believable, particularly in the beginning. It did improve once the relationship between the three main characters was established, but it still felt unrealistic (yes, I know it’s fiction, but the overall tone seemed to be trying for sweet romance in a setting of gritty realism).

Susan May Warren has recommended this novel, and she's one of my favourite authors. I think she's looking at the heart of the novel, which touches issues similar to those raised in some of her own novels (such as Tying the Knot). She certainly can't be recommending the writing, which isn't a patch on her own.

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

Review: Intensive Care by Nicki Edwards

Enjoyable Australian Rural Romance

Kate Kennedy has the perfect life: great job as an ICU nurse, trendy inner-city flat and the perfect boyfriend—until the day she finds he isn’t. She leaves Sydney and gets a job in the rural town of Birrangulla, where she meets Joel O’Connor, the handsome coffee shop owner with the cute Irish accent. But she finds it hard to be accepted in her new job at the hospital, and she finds life lonely without any friends.

A large part of Intensive Care is, as the name suggests, set in the Intensive Care Units where Kate works, and there is a fair bit of medical jargon. This never overwhelms the story (and never hit my “too much information” button with the depth of description. I wouldn’t call myself squeemish, but there are good reasons why I never entered the medical professions).

I found the beginning a bit slow--Kate doesn’t arrive in Birrangulla until around a quarter of the way through, and that’s when the pace starts to pick up. It’s not specifically Christian fiction, but is definitely written from a Christian world view, with an overriding theme of forgiveness, even though it’s obvious that neither Kate nor Joel are Christians.

However, this gives Nicki Edwards the freedom to touch on issues that aren’t often addressed in Christian fiction: alcoholism and abortion. She manages to address each of these issues from a Christian perspective while focusing on the feelings and actions of the protagonists, not by getting ‘preachy’ (as often happens in fiction aimed exclusively at the Christian market).

I will admit to moments of frustration while reading Intensive Care. Why won’t Kate talk to Marcus? Is Kate ever going to admit to herself that Joel is more than just a friend? Is Joel ever going to make a move on her? But this is a romance, and it wouldn’t be a romance without plenty of conflict and tension. Never fear: everything ends as it should, and the ending was definitely worth waiting for.
Intensive Care is the first novel from Nicki Edwards. I thoroughly enjoyed Intensive Care, and recommend it for those who enjoy contemporary romance with a touch of humour.

Thanks to Nicki Edwards and Momentum Books for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Nicki Edwards at her website.

This book counts towards my 2015 Reading Challenge as a book by an author I've never read before. 

Review: A Cry from the Dust by Carrie Stuart Park

Recommended for Suspense Fans

Gwen Marcey is a forensic artist currently employed reconstructing three skulls, remnants of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah. An act of vandalism and a ritualistic murder land Gwen in the middle of a criminal investigation, and she doesn’t know who to trust: it’s Utah, the evidence points to a group of militant Mormons—it seems most local law enforcement officials are linked to the church—and no one believes Gwen.

A Cry from the Dust is a fascinating blend of fact and fiction. The Mountain Meadows Massacre, the murder of 120 men, women and children by members of the Mormon church, is a real historical event subject to a real-life cover-up. This makes it ideal as the basis for a suspenseful contemporary crime thriller, as the secrets from the past and the events of the present begin to intertwine in a fundamentalist conspiracy that could lead to another act of domestic terrorism on the anniversary of the Massacre: 11 September.

The plot is complex, with seemingly small events gradually growing in importance. Gwen is a fascinating character: a woman with an unusual and intriguing professional background combined with a difficult personal background (cancer, divorce and a rebellious teenage daughter) which means people think she’s got mental health issues. She’s intelligent and brave, my favourite kind of heroine.

There was one thing about the writing that was slightly ‘off’, although I was more than half way through the novel before I worked out what it was. Most of the story is written in first person, from Gwen’s viewpoint, but there are occasional short scenes in third person viewpoint, from minor characters. I’m not a fan of mixing first and third person viewpoints, and while I’ve seen it done better I’ve also seen a lot worse. This was the only glitch in an otherwise excellent novel, and I look forward to reading more from Carrie Stuart Parks.

Review: The Songs of Jesse Adams by Peter McKinnon

It's the last week of the year, so I'm burying the reviews of the books I didn't manage to finish in 2014 in the hope that you are all too busy recovering from Christmas to notice.

Hmmm ...

I’m not sure what to think about The Songs of Jesse Adams. It has more of a literary feel than most of the books I read. I can see the story had merits and some of the writing was excellent. It just didn’t resonate with me. I found it hard to get in to (I had to start it twice), and I gave up at around the halfway point because I found I was reading the words and missing the meaning.

I remember, years ago, reading The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, and really enjoying it. I was living in London at the time, and the setting of The Whale Rider was close to where I’d grown up, and it reminded me of my childhood years and school camps down the coast. But I loaned the book to an older man from work, and he returned it, unread, saying the Maori language and setting made it too hard to get in to. He had a PhD, yet found a young adult novel hard to read? Maybe I’m suffering from the same problem with Jesse Adams and his story.

The Songs of Jesse Adams is set in Melbourne, Australia, in the late 1960’s, a unique setting in both time and place. The physical setting was done well, as was the cultural setting, with the use of Australian slang (it seems Australian slang of the 1960’s was similar to the New Zealand slang I grew up with in the 1970’s). But it took me a while to work out exactly when it was set—Woodstock was the major clue, because I didn’t know enough Australian history to be able to pick the date from the information given (hint for authors: you can introduce a book with the time and place, e.g. “Melbourne, Australia, 1967”. It’s a valuable clue for any novel not set in the present).

However, it wasn’t just the timing and the cultural aspects which made the writing seem awkward. It was the way the point of view kept shifting from character to character (most annoyingly, to minor characters), and the “he thought” and “she thought” attributions which made the writing seem distant. This meant I never really got the feeling of knowing any of the characters, and I find it hard to like a novel where I have no emotional attachment—positive or negative—to any of the characters, not even Jesse Adams.

I’m not a fan of allegory in general, because I find the necessity to keep to a predetermined theme or plot line can force the characters to say and do things that don’t actually fit their character. I didn’t find The Songs of Jesse Adams had this problem, partly because none of the characters were sufficiently developed to be manipulated out of character. The greater problem was the sheer number of characters: I identified Jesus (Jesse Adams), twelve disciples, Mary the mother of Jesus (Anne), Mary Magdalene (Annie), the Roman rulers, the Pharisees, and there were probably others. Realising the allegorical connection also meant I was looking to see the links between the stories of Jesus and Jesse rather than focusing on the story.

I’d heard good things about The Songs of Jesse Adams, and I wanted to like it. But I didn’t, to the point where I didn’t care enough to finish it.

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

Review: Heaven Sent by Amanda Bews

A Book of Two Halves

Heaven Sent is a contemporary young adult novel set in Australia and New Zealand. While it had some real strengths, there were also some weaknesses, and these outweighed the strengths, at least for the first half of the novel. The second half was better—but I almost didn’t get that far.

The back cover blurb talks about “one drunken mistake”, a “disappearing boyfriend” and Heaven being “sent to New Zealand to ‘protect’ her father’s reputation”. On that basis, seemed pretty obvious what the “mistake” was, and just left the reader wanting it to happen already, so we could move on with the plot. Well, it took forever. The first quarter of the book was Heaven persuading the reader that she really wasn’t interested in sex. Almost eighty pages, and it could have been covered in ten. Then more introspection while Heaven realises what’s happened and fesses up to the parents (who are having their own relationship issues). All in all, we’re up to page 144 out of 279 before Heaven even sets foot in New Zealand.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if the writing in this first half was good, but it wasn’t. It was slow and repetitive, with too much thinking and not enough action. The entire book is written in first person point of view from seventeen-year-old Heaven’s viewpoint, which perhaps explains the endless navel-gazing, but doesn’t excuse it.

But the really distracting thing was the editing. It seems the author and editors (yes, one editor and two copyeditors are credited) are allergic to the word “said”. No one says anything. They scowl, spit, yell, hurl, pipe up … and that’s just in the first chapter. It gets worse, with the addition of unnecessary adverbs, excessive punctuation (because it adds excitement, perhaps?!), and a minor character who starts as Ted and becomes Tom. On the plus side, the interior formatting was excellent and I liked the cover.

The pace in the second half was much better, and meant it was easier to skip over the writing issues (which were still there). The main problem in this second half was everything moved too fast. I don’t want to give spoilers so let’s just say this is Christian fiction (specifically, Seventh Day Adventist fiction), and 130 pages wasn’t long enough to make the inevitable progression in Heaven’s character arc credible. Sweet, yes, but not believable.

Overall, I give Heaven Sent one star for the first half and four for the second. Recommended for teenagers looking for issues-based Christian fiction, for fans of authors such as Elaine Fraser and Michelle Dennis Evans.

Review and Giveaway: Beyond I Do by Jennifer Slattery

Christian Fiction at a Different Level

Beyond I Do is more overtly Christian than most novels I read, even though most of them are marketed as Christian fiction! The characters quote Bible verses (well, some of them do), although it is a little strange seeing the references in brackets, and are actively pursuing their Christian walk. Well, most of them. But that’s the basis of the story …

Ainsley Meadows has always dreamed of helping less fortunate women—women like her mother, perhaps—but instead she has settled for security: a secure job as a pharmaceutical sales representative, and a safe relationship with Dr Richard Hollis, a psychiatrist with plans to publish the next breakthrough bestseller in his field. But a few chance remarks from Richard and she’s starting to wonder if she’s made the right decision: is he really a Christian? It’s a big question, and certainly one which has to be answered before any marriage can take place.

Meanwhile, Ainsley has a new next-door neighbour, Chris, who has bought a local café and wants to be able to share his faith with the customers. However, it seems the existing staff and customers aren’t so keen on the idea. Meanwhile he’s getting pestered by his sister, who doesn’t want to move their mother to a home which will offer better care, and he’s attracted to his pretty neighbour. The one with the rich boyfriend …

Beyond I Do forces readers to ask some tough questions about our own faith and priorities. Sure, Ainsley doesn’t always have a choice in her situations, but she shows us the importance of seeking God first, and being obedient to His will. A solid first novel.

Thanks to Jennifer Slattery and New Hope Publishers for providing a free book for review. They posted me a paperback (thank you, New Hope!), which means I have one gently-used paperback book to give away to a New Zealand mailing address. Leave a comment if you’d like to be in to win.

If you'd like to find out more about Jennifer, click here to visit her website.

Review: Crooked Lines by Holly Michael

Challenging yet Inspiring

Teenage Rebecca Meyer, of White Gull Bay, Wisconsin, blames herself for the death of her seven-year-old sister, Kara. The seventh of nine (now eight) children, her desire is to finish high school, and then to travel to India. Sagai Raj is also the seventh child in his family, and he also wants to leave his home village of Sheveroy Hills, Tamil Nada, South India, to become a Catholic priest. Both find the journey long and difficult, and have to reconsider their beliefs and ambitions.

“It didn’t occur to me at the edge of the pond that I’d broken the sixth commandment, actually committed murder”.

The attention-grabbing opening line was just one of the things I specifically liked about Crooked Lines. There was also the original plot and setting, particularly the Indian sections with their insight into the Roman Catholic faith and the priesthood. The way the author has pulled off the combination of first person (Rebecca) and third person (Sagai) writing without it seeming contrived—something I’ve rarely seen. The fact that while the book didn’t fit cleanly into a genre, it was clearly Christian in nature, as two teenagers in opposite sides of the world struggle with questions of life and faith, and how to maintain faith when life doesn't work out how they'd planned.

The story spans almost twenty years, starting in 1985 and finishing shortly after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. I usually prefer stories which cover a shorter timespan, as it's generally easier to keep the pace moving. But I never felt the pace lag in Crooked Lines, and I never had the problem I often have with books from two distinct and separate points of view: that I want to read one story more than the other. That's a credit to the author, that she managed to engage me emotionally with both characters.

“Peace is not a place. It’s in your heart. Peace is when you are living the life God intended you to live.”

Crooked Lines is an excellent debut novel, and I'll be sure to watch out for more from Holly Michael.

Thanks to BookRooster and Holly Michael for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Holly Michael at her website or her blog.

ARCBA Tour: The Songs of Jesse Adams by Peter

16 - 20 November 2014

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Songs of Jesse Adams

Acorn Press

By

Peter McKinnon

About the Book:

Set in the turmoil of social change and political unrest of Australia during the 1960s, The Songs of Jesse Adams traces the meteoric rise of a boy from the bush – a farmer’s son who breaks away to follow his heart, his dreams and his love of music. But, as Jesse travels with his band and the crowds gather, it becomes clear that something else is afoot. This rock singer captivates and transforms a host of fans who hear his songs and encounter his touch. 

Lives are changed in unexpected ways and the enigmatic Jesse becomes a symbol of hope and freedom for those on society’s edge. But not all will celebrate the rising tide of influence of this charismatic figure whose words and actions challenge those in power – the media, the politicians, the church. In one tumultuous week this clash of ideals comes to a head – with profound consequences. 

Awash in all the protest and collapse of conservative Australia, the colour and madness that was the sixties, The Songs of Jesse Adams is a tale of conflict, betrayal and tragedy, but ultimately the triumph of love.


*Warning this book contains some language that some readers may find offensive*


About the Author

For seventeen years, Peter McKinnon held senior roles in some of Australia’s largest corporations, with a focus on human behaviour and organisational effectiveness. This culminated in his appointment in 1999 as Executive General Manager, People & Culture, of Australia’s then largest financial organisation, National Australia Bank.

In late 2006, Peter was approached to head up the global human resources function of  World Vision International(WVI), based in Los Angeles. WVI is the world’s largest humanitarian aid organisation, with over 40,000 employees in 100 different countries and countless volunteers working in highly diverse and challenging settings.

When he returned to Australia in late 2009, he committed to pursuing his creative interests more directly and began to write. ‘The Songs of Jesse Adams’ is the result.

Peter has been published in publications as wide-ranging as the ‘Age’, ‘The Australian Women’s Weekly’ and ‘4 x 4‘ magazine and regards winning a Pacific cruise for his writing as his crowning achievement in this field ! He has also written and produced several musicals.

Peter is a qualified psychologist, has studied theology, worked briefly as a minister and served on the Council of the MCD University of Divinity.

He lives in Melbourne with his wife Julie. This is his first book.