Can their second-chance romance overcome the challenges of his fame and the tragedy in their past?
Though rock star Gannon Vaughn and his band, Awestruck, have conquered the music industry, he can’t overcome his feelings for the woman he’s loved since high school.
The impacts of mental illness and almost a decade of separation stand between them, but Adeline Green is still one of the few people who cared for him before he made it big. Acting on faith and the persistence that made him famous, he’s determined to win her back.
Following the tragedy that severed her relationship with Gannon, Adeline has found a measure of peace by doing good where she can in her small town home of Lakeshore, Wisconsin.
When Gannon descends on her quiet life, their connection is as powerful as ever. If only getting close to him didn’t mean facing her worst mistakes, both privately and in front of reporters eager to dig up the sordid details of their past.
Can they trust grace and forgiveness enough to overcome shame and embrace another chance at love?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading To Bring You Back, the first book in Emily Conrad’s Rhythms of Redemption Romance series set in Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior. Adeline is burdened by guilt from decisions she made years ago that had devastating consequences. At the start of the story she can’t forgive herself and she doesn’t truly believe that God can forgive her, either. She’s working in a food truck and the church office, her goals and dreams from long ago a distant memory.
Gannon is a rock star and front man for the famous Awestruck band. He lives in L.A. and has history with Adeline in Wisconsin that has haunted him for years. He plans to spend the summer hiding out in Lakeshore, knowing Adeline lives there, to focus on creating new songs for the next album.
Gannon and Adeline have a truckload of baggage to deal with before they can rebuild their friendship, let alone consider a romantic relationship. I loved how they challenged each other to work through issues and past hurts.
The side characters are interesting and the story touches on issues relating to grief, mental health, and drug dependency. I loved seeing the redemption and forgiveness themes play out in the lives of the characters. I recommend To Bring You Back to contemporary romance readers who like second chance romances with depth that include celebrity musicians and a strong faith element in the story.
He’s there to uncover her secrets. She’s determined to hide them. Can he gain her trust without blowing his cover … or falling in love? If you enjoy gripping wartime romance with a dash of mystery and intrigue, you’ll love The Mapmaker’s Secret!
May 1943, Lincolnshire, England: Grace Deroy’s family estate is requisitioned by the Air Ministry, so she takes a job in the new cartography facility to protect what used to be her home, a small cog in the vast machinery of war. When the new American intelligence officer Jack Marsden arrives, she has no idea he’s been sent to spy on her.
Jack has little experience with espionage, but his real task is simple enough: get close to Grace and find out whether she’s leaking Air Ministry secrets to the enemy. It should be a dream assignment, but Jack finds himself tongue tied and awkward every time he comes in contact with his target––a sure sign he’s falling in love.
Grace isn’t the Nazi sympathizer that MI5 suspects, but that doesn’t mean she’s got nothing to hide. When compromising stories about her appear in the press, Grace fears someone she trusts––someone working in her own home––is trying to expose her. Can she find out who before all the shameful secrets from her past are laid bare? And can she trust this quiet new American to help her work out who the real traitor is?
Book 2 of the On Victory’s Wings series, The Mapmaker’s Secret is easily read as a standalone novel.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Mapmaker’s Secret and I’m looking forward to reading more books in the series. Grace is a strong and independent woman who signed up for the WAAF when her family’s country estate was procured for the war effort. She’s living in a small cottage on the estate and works in the mapmaking facility that’s operating in her childhood home. Grace is hiding a scandalous secret from her past that took place before she came to faith.
Jack is an American intelligence officer who’s given the job of spying on a beautiful English lady. MI5 have reasons to believe that Grace might be a Nazi sympathizer due to her family’s aristocratic connections. Jack’s a widower who’s totally captivated by his first meeting with Grace and, as a result, he can barely string a coherent sentence together in her company. He wants to believe she’s innocent, and he can’t let romantic feelings cloud his judgment and derail his mission to get close to Grace and collect espionage evidence.
Grace is intrigued by Jack, who’s working with her and seems interested in getting to know her. Their romance is sweet and I loved how their relationship is challenged when the mysteries in the story unravel and reveal secrets that have massive consequences. I recommend The Mapmaker’s Secret to historical romance readers who like WW2 spy novels set in England with mystery, intrigue, and a relevant faith element in the story.
Many thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy.
I’m excited to share that my Sydney Sweethearts series of ebooks are on sale during March. The sales dates are staggered (US/UK then international stores) because Amazon is complicated. Books 1-3 are available to borrow in KINDLE UNLIMITED.
One kiss didn’t mean much. One kiss could mean everything.
When Ellie Reilly returns from a dream overseas trip, a too-long hug from her best friend Jasper Cohen clues her in that his feelings might be more than what she suspected. He’s unsure about pushing their friendship further, and doubly uncertain when her European friend, Sebastian, seeks her out in Trinity Lakes.
Uncertainty is something Ellie knows all too well. Since returning from her vacation, Ellie feels like she doesn’t fit at her family’s ranch or in small town life. When she is asked to take on responsibility for reopening Trinity Lakes’ historical museum – a dream she’s always wanted – she can’t help but wonder if settling for life in the familiar is all that God has for her, or can she dare trust Him for more?
Can these two best friends push past mistakes and insecurities and find a future together?
I never questioned my decision to marry Faith the day she turned eighteen.
She needed to get out of her situation at home and, at nineteen, I already knew everything about everything, so in my mind it made perfect sense. We’d been pals for years.
I loved her.
She had no idea.
But she was desperate for somebody to rescue her, and a marriage of convenience with me was a better—safer—choice than anything else she could find.
Since I lived away at college, no one even had to know. It worked great until the end of the semester.
And then she walked out.
And I let her.
I occasionally do some digging, just to check that she’s okay. And every now and then I think about the divorce papers I drew up but never sent.
Now she’s here. Literally on my doorstep. Begging me, once again, for help.
She walked out on their blind date four years ago. Why should she give him a second chance now?
Romance is great for other people, but not for Juni O’Neill. Wouldn’t anyone have trust issues if they had her father? Her current teaching job in Galena Landing is temp, and she’s dabbling in creating and selling crafts at the farmers market to fill her time. If only her shared stall wasn’t directly across from the musician’s booth – the guy she walked away from on a blind date back in college.
Zadok Shirkowski accepted custody of his younger siblings when their parents died. Now he’s operating a tire shop in northern Idaho to make ends meet. The only part of his life he loves, besides his siblings, is leading worship on Sundays and performing at the farmers market. But when his teen brother quits caring about school, Zadok is forced to enlist the help of one of the teachers, who just so happens to be someone he’d once hoped never to see again.
And she’s still not willing to look him in the eye.
Divorce was never in the plans for Genevieve Stewart. Only four years into marriage, and everything has gone wrong. Why stay where she’s never going to be happy? If only she could find her way back to the way things were before Scott’s job took all his time and energy, leaving nothing for her.
Scott Stewart achieved his goal of becoming a high school principal younger than most in the state. Everything in life seems to be going exactly as planned until Genevieve threatens to leave. Suddenly, his dreams aren’t as clear as they once were. He desperately wants to stay married, but he can’t let down his school, either.
Their friends and family remind them of their lifetime promises and urge them not to give up. But the way back to love isn’t easy when you’ve grown used to taking each other for granted.
Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle and manages it with aplomb. But the daily challenges and irritations of a fast-paced job and a demanding boss are starting to get to her. Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather’s fishing lodge in Idaho because it was the only job she could find after graduating with her hospitality degree. She’s grateful for the work but longs for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan life she’s just not going to find in this backwoods town.
The solution to both their problems seems obvious. Just for the summer, they’ll swap jobs and lifestyles. But they never anticipated swapping love interests . . .
In this fabulous new twist on an age-old fable, award-winning and bestselling author Melody Carlson introduces you to two career-focused women who are about to discover that there’s more to finding happiness than just switching up the scenery.
He’s there to uncover her secrets. She’s determined to hide them. Can he gain her trust without blowing his cover … or falling in love? If you enjoy gripping wartime romance with a dash of mystery and intrigue, you’ll love The Mapmaker’s Secret!
May 1943, Lincolnshire, England: Grace Deroy’s family estate is requisitioned by the Air Ministry, so she takes a job in the new cartography facility to protect what used to be her home, a small cog in the vast machinery of war. When the new American intelligence officer Jack Marsden arrives, she has no idea he’s been sent to spy on her.
Jack has little experience with espionage, but his real task is simple enough: get close to Grace and find out whether she’s leaking Air Ministry secrets to the enemy. It should be a dream assignment, but Jack finds himself tongue tied and awkward every time he comes in contact with his target––a sure sign he’s falling in love.
Grace isn’t the Nazi sympathizer that MI5 suspects, but that doesn’t mean she’s got nothing to hide. When compromising stories about her appear in the press, Grace fears someone she trusts––someone working in her own home––is trying to expose her. Can she find out who before all the shameful secrets from her past are laid bare? And can she trust this quiet new American to help her work out who the real traitor is?
Landry Hutton has spent three years rebuilding her life behind the secure gates of The Haven, an exclusive resort on the outskirts of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. After serving as the artist-in-residence, Landry is finally ready to settle in permanently to give her daughter, Eliza, a safe home in which to grow up.
Former Marine Callum Shaw always knew he would someday join his family’s construction business in Gossamer Falls. He longs for a family of his own but has almost given up on that ever happening. The beautiful artist who has hired him to build her new house is funny, gifted, and everything Cal could ever want in a partner, but he vows to keep his distance. He’s loved–and lost–someone like her before.
When Landry’s pottery is destroyed in a suspicious fire, it becomes clear that Landry and Eliza are in grave danger–but from whom? Cal will have to risk his heart again if he has any hope of protecting them.
The perfect boyfriend only exists on paper…doesn’t he?
Fresh off the heels of a bad breakup, Chloe Anderson poured her heart into penning the perfect boyfriend—and the result was an off-the-charts debut beach read that resonated with women worldwide. Now, Chloe’s scripted hero is headed for Hollywood, with her book destined to become a major motion picture.
When Chloe gets wind that silver screen bad boy Liam Hamilton has been cast as the ideal-in-every-way hero of her novel, she’s horrified by the film director’s choice. How could a player like Liam possibly do Chloe’s perfect hero justice? Unafraid to speak her mind, Chloe lets her executive producer know she’s one hundred percent opposed to the casting. And oops—the call is on speakerphone, where the annoyingly attractive Hollywood star hears Chloe’s unbridled outrage firsthand.
With Liam’s reputation already on the rocks, his agent concocts a PR plan to upgrade Liam’s image while putting the story—and the film—in the spotlight. The catch? During the movie’s filming in Chloe’s cute hometown of Stillwater, North Carolina, Chloe and Liam will fake a wholesome, committed relationship. Both stand to gain something from the arrangement. Liam’s fans will see him in a new light, while Chloe can boost her struggling social media following and further her writing career. What could possibly go wrong?
As author and actor navigate the waters of the PR relationship, they’re unprepared when their professional agreement turns into an actual friendship. And when serious sparks start to fly—well, that’s an unread chapter for both of them.
Hazel loves Bennett and wants to be happy with him, but she doesn’t believe in marriage. Bennett wants the promise, or he can’t see a future for them. If they can’t resolve their differences in worldview, their relationship will die, and Hazel might lose all hope for a life beyond her isolated existence.
There doesn’t seem to be a solution either can accept.
Meanwhile, Hunter and Janie are euphoric, planning their wedding and looking forward to their life together at the Splendor Lodge. But when a stranger wanders into Janie’s Café with a life-altering claim, Janie isn’t sure she can navigate through the truth.
Will Hazel become the bitter, lonely woman she sees in her future? Or can she and Bennett overcome all that threatens the unexpected love that they’ve found? And will Hunter and Janie work through the sideways shift in their world?
Come back to the majestic beauty of Elk Canyon Lake, a remote and breathtaking wonder hidden in the stunning Montana Mountains. There you’ll find unexpected romance, the redemption of broken pasts, and hope dawning anew.
Feeling unappreciated by her husband and burnt out at her job, Leah Kamuela needs to clear her head. Traveling to Laumua Island, she stays with her cousin, Sabrina, for a fresh start and to finally heal old wounds she’s covered up for years.
Jayson Kamuela has spent his life climbing the corporate ladder and his upcoming promotion will give him the life of his dreams, but at what cost? His wife has left him. He’s hit rock bottom. Maybe it’s time for him to change.
When Jayson is forced to go on sabbatical, he goes to search for his wife. Leah, however, after seeing Sabrina’s business success, believes she could also have a successful business on the Suamalie Islands.
With Leah needing to start on a new path and Jayson finally seeing the errors in his ways, how will the two of them work it out to finally have a happily ever after?
Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.
Single mother and baker Eden Lambert arrives in quaint Village Green looking for a home for herself and her 18-month-old son, Jake. Her warm welcome by her elderly hostess, Mary Jo Piermont, is offset by the cold disdain of Mary Jo’s self-appointed protector, Joe Wolfe.
At first, the long-legged blonde and her kid look like trouble to Joe. Mary Jo saved the builder’s life years ago, and he will do no less for the woman he considers a surrogate mother. But as he keeps an eye on the unwanted guests, Joe’s suspicions soon become replaced by admiration and respect for Eden’s resolve and dedication to her son. With his background of abuse and abandonment, Joe is aware of the dangers facing the vulnerable and wants better for Eden and Jake. He offers her a business arrangement—he’ll build her a bakery, and she can run it.
As they join forces to start the bakery, can they overcome the scars of the past to find a recipe for love?
HEALING THE LAWMAN’S HEART: He lost his family once. Was he strong enough— brave enough— to take that risk again?
Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Julia Harrison is the last person Tanner Reddington should get involved with. Tanner lost his trust in the medical system when he lost his wife and unborn child. Healthy young women don’t just die. It had to be somebody’s fault. There had to be someone to blame. Grief-stricken and angry, he vowed to limit personal risk. But the state trooper’s protective instincts outweigh his misgivings when he meets Julia.
Julia Harrison never throws in the towel easily, but a cheating husband and his size four mistress, both working in her boys’ school district, made staying in Central New York impossible. Kids shouldn’t have to field questions about their parents’ improprieties. Chin raised, she headed west to join her father and brother in Kirkwood Lake.
There’s nothing weak about Julia. She’s there to open a medical practice and establish a clinic to help struggling women while raising two small boys on her own. Plagued by memories of the family he lost, Tanner fights the pull he feels toward Julia and her kids. But when an orphaned newborn brings Tanner and Julia together, they begin to consider their future together… as husband and wife.
After she rejected his public proposal, Frost Winslow didn’t expect to see Zoey Lane again—with his infant twins in tow. Now Frost is determined to do right by his babies. But when the emotional support dog he’s training keeps gravitating toward Zoey, it’s clear she’s hiding something more. As Frost grows into his new role as daddy, could a real family be in their future?
The last thing Lane Bromley wants is to leave his remote mountain cabin. But when his struggling daughter shows up with a grandson he didn’t know he had, Lane’s search for the boy’s father leads him to the other surprise grandparent: veterinarian Julia Frasier. They can’t seem to agree on anything, but maybe they can find common ground long enough to create a loving environment for their grandchild…and each other.
Leaving his troubled past behind, Luke Christianson returns to his hometown to care for his grandmother—and discovers he’s a father. Now he’s determined to make amends and do right by his family, but Maddie Anter—the mother of his child—is on her own road to redemption. As Luke gets to know his daughter, he and Maddie grow closer. Could old feelings reignite, or will a family conflict stand in their way?
Dedicated to protecting his daughter and the town of Sweetwater, widower Constable Jack Wells will do anything to stop the vandalism at their beloved wildlife preserve—even partner with its new veterinarian. But fighting his attraction to Emerson Parker might be the greater challenge. Soon their on-duty stakeouts evolve into off-duty family outings. But with heartbreak in his past, is he ready to risk a second chance?
When her employer’s son returns after eight years living with the Englisch, Henrietta Koffman fears she’ll lose her home renovation job—but ends up with a helper instead. Chandler Gingerich doesn’t mind taking orders from Henry, and soon neither can deny their attraction or the underlying problem—Chandler isn’t Amish. Recovering from an alcohol addiction, he fears he can never be Amish again. With a little faith, can an unlikely pair become a perfect match?
Cassie Weaver dreams of opening a bakery—but that dream hinges on her good friend Martin Beiler. Martin once fled their Amish community due to his struggles with autism. Now he’s back to fulfill his promise to help Cassie set up her longed-for bakeshop. But when everyone suspects they are secretly courting, Cassie encourages the matchmaking. Because she’s hoping she can convince Martin this is where he truly belongs…
After Emery Duncan is abducted and dumped in a lake, private investigator Roman Wolfe and his bloodhound partner rescue her from an icy death. Someone doesn’t want Emery to find out what really happened the night her father confessed to attempted murder. To keep Emery and her baby nephew safe, they must uncover the connection between her father’s confession and the attack…or they’ll be silenced for good.
Narrowly escaping death after being attacked, photojournalist Kylie Robertson flees to the mountains with her ex, former navy SEAL Josh Harvath. She doesn’t know who’s after her—or why they want the flash drive of photos she took. Together, they must piece together the mystery behind the pictures. But with killers running them down, will tackling a dangerous conspiracy become a second chance they won’t survive?
Following the suspicious death of his partner, DEA agent Nick Anderson goes undercover to expose a drug cartel and a mole in his own agency. The last thing he expects is his late partner’s widow, Alexis White, conducting her own secret investigation. Now his cover is blown and it’s up to Nick to keep Alexis alive. But with killers on their heels, the search for answers could be his deadliest mission…
A groundbreaking discovery catapults biochemist Vienna Clayton into a world of danger when her laptop is stolen and her boss is murdered. Vienna flees onto stormy Lake Superior—only to be rescued by park ranger Hudson Lawrence. She’s framed for crimes she didn’t commit, and they’re determined to clear her name, but with the clock ticking down, it’s the threats they can’t see coming that could cost them their lives…
Interrupting an attempted murder—and leaving with incriminating evidence—makes Sissy Spencer a serial killer’s next target. With a flash drive in her possession containing disturbing proof of multiple murders, Sissy has no choice but to trust her ex-boyfriend, private investigator Beau Brighton, to keep her safe. But can they unravel the clues and track down a killer…before he catches them first?
When his sister is kidnapped, rancher Cade McNeal will do anything to prevent his baby nephew from being next. Now Officer Ashley Hanson and her K-9 partner are on the case, and it’s up to them to track down the assailant and keep Cade and his nephew from harm. But as the suspect list grows and the attacks escalate, will they bring a kidnapper to justice…before he strikes again?
A second chance. Destiny Reed went to Africa hoping to make a difference, but when a dangerous group kidnapped her and another woman, her life took a dark turn. Recovery has her working as the executive assistant at Vanguard under the watchful eye of the team who rescued her. She might be willing to help the company that saved her, but if she lets go, the people she has at arms’ length will discover her dark secret.
A fight for the future. Detective Jasper Hollingsworth compartmentalizes his life out of necessity. After all, his personal life could tear apart the professional world he’s built. He loves his job as a cop, but one wrong move will bring it all crashing down. While the police department hunts a deadly kingpin, Jasper grapples with his own history and his place in a world that bleeds blue.
When he spots Destiny at a high society party, Jasper realizes things aren’t what they seem. As the surface of who she is now peels back, what he finds is far beyond his expectations. And everything he’s ever wanted.
Each Benson First Responders story is a stand-alone Christian romantic suspense.
For single mom Erica Keyes, a normal day swiftly changes to one of terror when someone intentionally runs her off the road, endangering her and her son’s life. Already unsettled by the encounter, strange things begin happening at the B&B she owns, leaving her watchful and on edge. Unable to find a connection between the events, Erica is grateful for a handsome guest who insists on helping.
In the right place at the right time.
In Destiny to scout a new location for his private security employer, Cole Shepherd rents a room at the Tranquil Bed & Breakfast. When he realizes someone is harassing the lovely owner and her son, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep Erica and Peter safe.
The missing piece.
As the danger escalates and the suspects grow increasingly desperate, it’s clear that Cole and Erica are missing a key piece of information. Can they stay one step ahead long enough to figure out who is behind it all and thwart their evil plans?
When country music star Oaken Fox joins survivalist Mike Grizz’s new adventure show in the Alaskan wilderness, he just wants to boost his fan base. But when tragedy strikes, and Air One Rescue must save them, Oaken just wants to quit. Too bad his producer has other plans—signing him on with Air One Rescue as a recruit and making a reality show…
EMT Boo Kingston did not join Air One Rescue to train a celebrity. But she’s a rookie to the team, so yes, she’ll train Oaken and keep him alive and not for a minute pay attention to his charm…
And then five women go missing from a resort during a bachelorette weekend gone south. Now, Air One and the rescue team will have to use all their skills–and manpower, including Oaken–to find them before a blizzard settles in. But can they work together before tragedy strikes?
After narrowly escaping arrest, Luciana Betarrini hurtles back to medieval Italy. Once there, she and her brother, Domenico, must decide how far they’ll go to be part of the family, and if they’re willing to risk their lives to hunt down an assassin.
Meanwhile, Lady Tiliani Forelli’s family has disappeared in enemy territory. Fearing for their lives—and secretly hoping to cross paths with the Fiorentini she loves—Tiliani goes to Firenze intent on either rescue or seeing justice done. Yet a trap is closing around them all.
Together, the Grecos and Betarrinis must find the Forellis’ nemesis and force him to confess to his role in the murders. They assume he has slipped into the serpentine streets of Firenze to evade them. But will they find him in time to save the Forellis?
With the future of the Arctic Circle Murder Club teetering on rocky ground, the team members have scattered. But it’s not long before they realize some bonds can’t be broken.
Fearing an adversary from her past will find her, Simmy Samuels runs, determined to find a new place to hide. But Ranger Garrett isn’t about to leave Simmy out in the cold and alone. He’s determined to both protect Simmy and to search for his daughter, whom he thought was dead.
As Ranger and Simmy set out to find his little girl, danger follows them into the vast wilderness of Alaska. Challenges meet them at every turn: unyielding danger, truth that feels more like fiction, and reality blurred by deception.
Will they survive long enough to set things right? Or will this be the end of the road for the murder club?
Navy SEAL K-9 handler Beau “Danger” Maddox is at the top of his game—until an op goes south, leaving him physically and mentally scarred. Separated from the Navy, he’s determined to requalify as operational and get back in the action so he can take down the deadly South American cartel that killed his team. The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of a beautiful new neighbor and her dog…
Trafficking survivor Paisley Reyna became a trauma counselor to help others after a harrowing captivity at the hands of the notorious Guerrero Cartel. When she unexpectedly inherits her cousin’s home and retired military working dog, Riot, she seizes the chance to eke out a quiet life in a small town in Texas. However, the Dutch shepherd upends her plans, destroys her belongings, and repeatedly escapes next door to the intense former SEAL, who poses a threat to her peace—and maybe even her heart.
When the local sheriff asks for Danger’s expertise and Paisley’s dog to intercept a trafficking deal, they’re quickly caught up in a battle against the very cartel that marked both their souls. Along with a paramilitary team, they plunge deeper and deeper into the Venezuelan jungle—all too aware that making it out alive a second time will take nothing short of a miracle.
After the death of her fiancé, Olivia Leighton takes solace in her work as a wedding planner—until she receives threatening messages. Hiding out isn’t an option if she wants to keep her business afloat. But when she’s attacked and almost kidnapped, it becomes frighteningly clear the lengths her stalker will go to.
Texas Ranger Cole Donnelly is horrified by the assault on Olivia. In order to keep her safe, he agrees to go undercover as her assistant. But being close to the stunning woman, and witnessing firsthand her kindness and fortitude, leaves him questioning the reasons he’s locked away his heart.
With each bridal gown fitting and cake tasting, the peril mounts as Olivia’s stalker grows bolder. Cole will do anything to protect her, but their forced proximity creates its own complication as he and Olivia grow closer. Can he capture her stalker before it’s too late? Or will the next event Cole plans be Olivia’s funeral?
Sam Elsner is the quiet type, especially when someone hurts him.
He caught the love of his life with another man. He isn’t the type to face her. If he did, he might get angry which isn’t his way. So he let her go, but he’s never forgotten her.
Now she’s at Wayside but it’s not for second-chances. She’s there as a patient.
Sam knows that only space and care is going to bring Kelly back from all the pain she’s endured. When they dig carefully into their past, secrets come to light that might blow Kelly’s kidnapping case wide open, and put a target on Sam’s back.
But he won’t let anyone touch her again.
Kelly Chambers only wants a normal life, but that seems way outside God’s plan.
She committed her life to Jesus in her darkest moment, but she feels so separated from humanity that she can’t believe for a moment that He cares about her. As Sam tries to gently peel back the layers of distrust and pain, Kelly wants to escape the pain of healing.
But when her captor threatens the man she loved, can she find the strength to accept the new life Jesus and Wayside offers, or will she sink back into the belief that nothing and no one can save her?
A man running from his past. A woman facing an uncertain future.
Wrongfully imprisoned for a crime and disowned by his family, Levi Callahan endeavors to put the past behind him. When he travels to the Idaho Territory and secures a job on a small farm, he has no idea he’ll once again be defending the vulnerable.
Norah Hammett knows what it means to suffer loss. After her husband leaves her and their children for a “better” life and her hired hand steals from her, she is left to run the farm alone. When ruthless men attempt to steal Norah’s Idaho farm, can Levi, a man running from his past, help her save it? Or will he prove to be disloyal like the rest of the men in her life?
Will God use desperate circumstances to bring two hurting hearts together?
After Amaya Alvarado lost her fiancé to a senseless tragedy, she vows never to love again. Two years later, at her grandmother’s request, she travels to Poplar Springs to assist with the mercantile and help care for her ailing grandfather. During a stagecoach accident and a confrontation with nefarious outlaws, she crosses paths with a man named Silas McFadden who rescues her and the other passengers. A bond between them soon forms.
Silas is not the man he once was. After a stint on the wrong side of the law, he’s now a respectable rancher in Poplar Springs, Wyoming. After becoming a man of faith, he determines to live his life for the One who gave him a second chance. He just never imagined that second chance might include Amaya. Now all he has to do is ensure his past doesn’t return and destroy his and Amaya’s fragile relationship.
Amaya’s and Silas’s friendship soon grows, and she begins to trust him with everything but her heart. Can she push her growing feelings for him aside? After all, isn’t it betraying her fiancé to care for another man the way she has grown to care for Silas?
When the past comes back to haunt him and revenge is sought, can Silas protect the woman he has come to love?
In the opulent and perilous world of high society’s most elite–and most dangerous–families, two investigators must set aside their broken hearts to uncover the truth.
Gemma Parks is known to the London elite as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talents to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the firm’s members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren’t for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.
Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his heart in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma to not only restore the missing boy, but to also win back the only woman he’s ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham and Gemma must devise a noble scheme to save the boy’s life and heal their hearts.
One fateful night will change their destinies forever. . . .
Convinced that his stepmother and half brothers have been wrongfully evicted by cattle king Eli Dearing, Asher Ellis uses the cover of an extravagant ball to break into the Three Cedars’ ranch house to search for proof. On the verge of discovery, he flees, but a boy’s cry compels him to make a daring rescue.
Spunky and independent Samantha Dearing balks when she learns the ball her father is hosting is nothing more than a matrimonial ambush. Taking a break from unwanted suitors, Samantha spots a thief fleeing her home. When the stranger ends up saving her brother’s life, she hides the only clue to his identity left behind–his boot–and resolves to find him herself.
When Samantha encounters the older brother of a student she tutors, all thoughts of the bootless mystery man vanish. Asher values family above wealth, a rare trait that opens her heart. Afraid she will discover his past misconduct, Asher tries to keep his distance, but when a series of suspicious accidents befall her, he vows to protect her, even though saving her life could mean losing her love.
She’s desperate to save the homestead she’s poured her life into…but is a marriage of convenience with him the answer?
Alone in the Kentucky wilderness, Keturah Elliot finds herself bereft of family and facing the looming threat of losing all she has left. After toiling alongside her demeaning father for two years, she cannot bear losing the homestead they built with their own hands. Keturah has no choice but to trust the Lord’s urging—she must marry to protect all she holds dear. But when a candidate presents himself in the form of a wealthy dandy from back East, can she find enough redeeming qualities to accept him?
Haunted by his mother’s death and a lifetime of failure and isolation, Daniel Scott sees little hope of a better situation when he’s sent to a remote Kentucky station. But when he meets a captivating Scottish woman in need of a husband such as he, he’s determined to break the cycle and prove himself once and for all.
Brought together by circumstances beyond their control, can these two opposites overcome their challenges to build the future they both crave?
They were forced into this marriage of convenience, but there’s more at stake than their hearts on this wagon train through the mountain wilderness.
When Rose Jackson and her Irish immigrant family join a wagon train headed for a new life in South Carolina, the last thing she expects is to fall for the half-Cherokee wagon scout along the way. But their journey takes a life-changing turn when Rose is kidnapped by Indians. Daniel comes to her rescue, but the effects mean their lives will be forever intertwined.
Daniel prides himself on his self-control—inner and outer—but can’t seem to get a handle on either when Rose is near. Now his life is bound to hers when the consequences of her rescue force them to marry. Now it’s even more critical he maintain that self-control to keep her safe.
When tragedy strikes at the heart of their strained marriage, they leave for Daniel’s home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As they face the perils of the journey, Rose can’t help but wonder why her new husband guards his heart so strongly. Why does he resist his obvious attraction for her? And what life awaits them at the end of love’s winding road?
Introducing a new series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.
Evelyn Benson’s husband perished in the Bataan Death March but not her faith. The World War II Gold Star widow is taken in by her brother and soothed by the love of his wife and children. Evelyn refuses to cower to grief. She may not understand God’s mysterious ways, but she has never questioned Him—until the circus fire.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train chugs into Hartford, Connecticut, on a sweltering day one month after the Allies invaded Normandy. Among the roustabouts is a reluctant clown, Hank Webb. He may hide from his murky past behind grease paint as Fraidy Freddie, but God wants to offer Hank a chance to be found. Though first, what little Hank believes about God will endure a fiery trial.
On Thursday, July 6, 1944, a devastating blaze of unknown origins consumes the circus tent along with Evelyn’s hopes and Hank’s anonymity.
In a world turned upside down by war and betrayal…will his role as a spy bring them closer…or tear their future apart?
The war that Julia Dodd prayed to avoid is now reality, and with it, her world has been turned on its head. Her fellow citizens, who stood with her in their support of the union, have crossed firmly to the side of the south. And her mother, lost in her grief over the loss of her husband and children, can think of nothing but protecting Julia’s brother’s inheritance. She insists that her daughter seek a wealthier husband than Ashburn Mitchell.
Ash knows what his fellow citizens think of him when he refuses to fight for the Confederacy. Shouldering the accusation of being a coward and refusing to hide behind his limp, Ash remains in Vicksburg to support his family as a saddler while his two best friends join the fight. Struggling to increase his business so he can marry the woman he loves, Ash becomes a spy in support of the Union. He can’t fight for the South but won’t raise a musket against them.
As tragedy instigates Ash to risk greater danger to speed the end of the war, Julia can only pray it won’t cost them everything. She’s already lost her father and two siblings. Must she lose the man she loves too?
Avalina is a woman trapped in silence. Stolen from her home in Ireland and sold as a slave to a Barbados plantation owner, the trauma of her past has left her mute, wrapped in a prison of loneliness and isolation amid an island of beauty. Though she longs to be free from the cruelty of her overseer, her heart yearns for a greater freedom…something just beyond her grasp.
Josiah Holland has been born into a South Carolina slave-holding family but all it takes is one trip to the island of Barbados to open his eyes to the ugly cruelty that abounds beyond the confines of his plantation. With the aid of fiery abolitionist Benjamin McGee, Josiah forges a new future, fighting the very ideals he was once a part of.
When Avalina and Josiah’s lives entwine, will their spark engulf them in destruction, or ignite a revolution?
Apron Strings Series ONE COOKBOOK CONNECTS THEM ALL… Book three in a string of heartfelt inspirational stories, featuring different women throughout the decades from 1920 to 2020
In the post WWII era of 1946, Priscilla Hadley dreams of being a wife and homemaker, but there’s one big obstacle in her mind—Priscilla has been told she can’t cook to save her life. However, she’s out to prove that wrong, especially to handsome but annoying Aaron Johnson, her twin brother Jeremy’s friend and fishing buddy, who also happens to be the local police lieutenant.
In an effort to polish up her culinary shortcomings, Priscilla joins a local cooking club. A woman from the club gifts Priscilla a cookbook that could very well put her on the path to realizing her dreams. Much to their surprise, Priscilla and her family find much more than recipes within the cookbook’s pages. What will be its greatest blessing?
With an ailing father and the Wisconsin family farm to help keep afloat, in the absence of two brothers who died in the war, where will Priscilla find the time to learn to cook? Will she renew her faith in the presence of adversity or allow her present fears and past losses dictate her future?
Readers of inspirational women’s fiction will be encouraged by Priscilla and her struggle for identity and her love for family and will find themselves tearing up in one scene and laughing in another. With relatable characters, Priscilla is an easy read but yet one not afraid to delve into the fundamental questions of faith.
The heart finds its way when one least expects it–even in the most unforgiving frontiers.
Invited by a friend to trek west and help establish the newly formed town of Cheyenne, Edward Vogel is prepared to leave the haunting memories of his wife and son’s deaths behind him. The only problem is the corrupt new railroad town wants family men who can establish law and order, and desperation leads Edward to his friend Marybeth with a proposition of marriage.
After her father’s death leaves her with no means of support, Marybeth Kruger is in danger of having her two-year-old half sister taken from her. So when Edward Vogel, the widower husband of her late best friend, offers her a marriage of convenience to escape both their troubles, she has no choice but to accept.
He’s the worst person she could possibly marry, but somehow she finds herself walking down the aisle toward him…
Lindy Marsden once dreamed of having a husband, a house, some children, and maybe even a sewing machine. But since she grew ill five years ago, those dreams have become too much to hope for. Now she just wants to provide for herself and help the abandoned children she found living in the woods until their father returns… and avoid doctors for the rest of her life. Their medicine never leads to any good, and she has the scars to prove it.
Seth Harrington loves being a doctor, but treating patients in the small town of Eagle Harbor is nothing like working at a prestigious Boston hospital, especially with the other doctor in town trying to steal Seth’s patients. When he’s called to treat a reluctant woman, Seth finds Lindy Marsden’s fiery dislike for him rather insulting. He has the ability to help her, but she wants nothing to do with him.
Until she brings a young boy to his doorstep one night…
But when saving the boy’s life leads to rumors about the two of them, Seth finds himself standing at the front of the church while the last person he ever thought he’d marry walks down the aisle in a white dress…
German-Brazilian Isabel Neumann delights in creating seashell art, but it’s her mathematical ability that lands her a job at the American air base in Natal, northern Brazil during World War II. She doesn’t need a calculator to determine the correct weights and balances for the Air Transport Command’s cargo planes.
Daniel Lambert, an American transport pilot based at Natal, endures the taunts of combat pilots that he is “allergic to combat.” His flying skills win him respect, however, and his friendship with Isabel deepens, even as a new source of trouble looms.
Isabel is caught in the crosshairs of a German saboteur who is obsessed with her. He insists that she belongs with him, and demands that she help him sabotage the Allied base. Her growing relationship with Daniel angers the Nazi, who will do anything to get rid of him. What will happen to Isabel if the madman captures her?
A dangerous scheme could bury their long-held dreams forever. . . .
From the time she was little, Martha Jankowski has been digging in the dirt, much to the dismay of her mother. Now she dreams of being a paleontologist and is determined to make her parents proud by uncovering the next big discovery. When Martha finds what she hopes to be a fully intact dinosaur skeleton–one that could win her an acclaimed exhibit–she learns another team is competing against her and could steal her chance at being recognized for this momentous discovery.
Paleontology student Jacob Duncan has fulfilled his dream of digging for dinosaur bones at last. In a race against time, he and his team are bent on unearthing a complete skeleton to claim a museum exhibit with their names on it. But when Jacob meets their charming competitor Martha and uncovers foul play within his team, love and danger grow hand in hand until a menacing ruse threatens to destroy it all.
Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella’s greatest work–a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.
In 1879, Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists’ pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella’s sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen.
Last year, Arianne Rayne was playing college basketball and looking forward to a permanent future with her boyfriend.
This year, she is learning to live with disability.
After walking away from an accident he’d caused by reckless driving, her boyfriend walked away from her. The uncertainty of how life would look now that she had lost mobility was enough for him to break the relationship, and her heart.
Coming to Trinity Lakes to live with her stable, unflappable grandparents is hope for a new beginning and a chance to heal her heart. Away from her parents’ cloistered, cotton-wool approach, she hopes to learn how to live independently with the help of physiotherapist and trainers at the local gym.
Until she meets Matthew Kennedy. He might be buff and good looking, but he has no idea about how to relate to someone living with disability. He’s eligible, and he is certainly accessible, given he is one of her personal trainers, but will he ever see beyond her wheelchair? Arianne’s heart tells her it’s unlikely.
Until she is stranded, and Matthew is her only hope of getting home.
Book #8 of the Trinity Lakes Romance series (can be read as a standalone)
An enemies to lovers, small town, contemporary Christian romance.
Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Over the Rainbow, Book #8 in the Trinity Lakes Romance series. Full disclosure: I’m an author in the series and inherently biased. I rarely write book recommendations for books in series that are connected to my own books. I chose to write this recommendation because Meredith’s story includes important issues and subject matter that I don’t often see in Christian fiction.
The story opens with Arianne learning to live with the consequences of a car crash six months earlier that has left her with life changing physical injuries. Arianne is navigating life in a wheelchair and she’s determined to regain as much strength and mobility as possible. It’s the hidden emotional injuries, and the pain and hurt caused by those closest to her, that Arianne finds harder to heal. She’s wrestling with God as well, and not finding the answers she wants to her many questions.
Arianne appreciates the chance to escape San Francisco and start over in Trinity Lakes. Her grandparents welcome her with open arms, encouraging Arianne to meet people at their church and make new friends. The country club has a gym and pool where Arianne can undertake her intense rehabilitation program. She has learned that some people are intolerant and insensitive, and can’t cope with her disability. Other people are ignorant and don’t know how to relate to her.
Matthew is a personal trainer at the country club gym who hasn’t been specifically trained to handle rehabilitation clients. He’s a nice guy but he’s clueless. Matthew’s first encounters with Arianne are an embarrassing disaster. His redeeming character traits are his solid faith and the fact he’s prepared to admit he’s wrong, make amends, and learn how to do better.
A beautiful friendship develops between Arianne and Matthew that has the potential to become something more. They both have issues to address and problems to overcome as their growing feelings for each other challenge them to step outside their comfort zones. The complexities of faith healing and forgiveness themes are explored in the story.
I liked seeing cameos of familiar characters from previous books in the Trinity Lakes Romance series and Daring Mr. Darcy novella. For readers who are new to the Trinity Lakes story world, I suggest reading the books in order to avoid accidentally reading spoilers for earlier books in the series.
I recommend Over The Rainbow to contemporary romance readers who like enemies to love romances that include a main character with a disability and a strong faith element woven into the story.
Many thanks to Meredith Resce for the advanced reader copy.
For the first time since September 2013, I’ll only be blogging at one group blog: Australasian Christian Writers (ACW).
In 2013 we set up the ACW blog on the Blogger platform and made the switch to WordPress in early 2019.
ACW has an active Facebook Group community for both writers and readers and we share the ACW blog posts into the group. We also have an ACW Facebook Page that’s attached to the group.
Our regional focus at ACW is on Australasia, but we have welcomed many blog members and Facebook friends in the group from around the world. USA is our largest demographic after Australia and New Zealand.
We share a monthly ACW recent releases blog post that includes books in all Christian fiction and nonfiction categories, and general market books that are consistent with a Christian world view.
We support Omega Writers – a Christian writing community for Aust/NZ writers – and we share regular updates on their group activities that support our writing community.
Our ACW blog schedule is Mon-Fri and the posts go live at 5am Sydney/Melbourne Australia time zone. For our USA friends, that’s during the early afternoon through to the evening Sun-Thurs, depending on the time of year. Daylight savings moves the times around.
Readers can subscribe via WordPress to receive the new blog post notifications via email.
We have a flexible opt-in blogging schedule for our members. Sometimes we don’t have a blog post scheduled every weekday. Life is busy and the world doesn’t end if we don’t have a blog post published. The blog calendar on our website lists who is scheduled to post. We have a weekly Tuesday book chat post where we ask a bookish question.
If you haven’t heard about ACW, check out our blog at the link below:
Dear Reader, My name is Isabelle Louisa Edgewood—Izzy, for short. I live by blue-tinted mountains, where I find contentment in fresh air and books. Oh, and coffee and tea, of course. And occasionally in being accosted by the love of my family. (You’ll understand my verb choice in the phrase later.) I dream of opening my own bookstore, but my life, particularly my romantic history, has not been the stuff of fairy tales. Which is probably why my pregnant, misled, matchmaking cousin—who, really, is more like my sister—signed me up for an online dating community.
The trouble is . . . it worked. I’ve met my book-quoting Mr. Right, and our correspondence has been almost too good to be true. But Brodie lives across an ocean. And just the other day, a perfectly nice author and professor named Eli came into the library where I work and asked me out for a coffee. I feel a rom-com movie with a foreboding disaster nipping at my heels.
But I’ve played it safe for a long time. Maybe it’s time for me to be as brave as my favorite literary heroines. Maybe it’s time to take the adventures from the page to real life. Wish me luck.
Authentically,
Izzy
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Authentically Izzy, an epistolary contemporary romance set in North Carolina and a fictional island nation in the North Sea. Izzy’s parents perished in a plane crash when she was twelve, and she was raised by her aunt and uncle. Izzy’s three cousins, Josephine, Luke and Penelope are close siblings who have claimed Izzy as one of their own. Izzy is a librarian who adores books. She’s painfully shy, socially awkward, and puts everyone else’s needs ahead of her own.
The story is revealed via emails, text messages etc. and follows Izzy’s journey to love and authenticity via her charming and often hilarious online dating experiences. Can she trust Brodie, the bookish guy she met online who lives on an island in the North Sea, to be the real deal?
I loved seeing the banter between Izzy’s family members. Brodie is an adorable hero who has his own quirks that make him the perfect guy for Izzy. I recommend Authentically Izzy to contemporary romance readers who like epistolary novels with bookish main characters and a relevant faith element in the story.
Fans of Emily Henry and Gilmore Girls will adore this swoon-worthy enemies-to-love romance about how faith, family and small towns are never as simple as they seem.
Bubbly newspaper editor Ashley Anderson is ecstatic to finally call this small town in Washington State ‘home’—until she accidentally angers her newspaper’s biggest advertisers, and they boycott. Her neighbor Justin has the family connections to get the town back on her side—but asking for help from the man she’s nicknamed ‘Dracula’ is a last resort.
Living next door, rebel-with-a-cause teacher Justin Hastings can’t escape Amity Creek fast enough. But when a good deed goes awry, it’s his fault that Ashley’s car is out of action, and they’re forced to carpool until he can make things right.
Thrust into one another’s daily lives, Ashley and Justin learn that little is black-and-white—not small town life, not family, and not each other. But there’s a fork in the road, and these two are destined for separate paths. Can the road less travelled ever lead them back to love?
Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in this must-read inspirational romance about the complexities—and the beauty—of true love in all its forms.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Drive You Crazy, an enemies to love romcom set in a fictional Washington small town. Ashley is struggling to fit in and find her place in the world. From a distance, Amity Creek looks like a charming small town where Ashley can start over after her mom’s passing and put down roots.
Appearances can be deceptive, and the backlash Ashley receives for buying the town newspaper, and daring to switch the format to online in an attempt to make it profitable, is horrible. The Hastings’ family, and their matriarch, rule the town with an iron fist.
Ashley bought the house next door to Justin, and his initial impressions of her aren’t great. She’s a journalist who’s nosy and noisy. He dislikes her loud conversations that he can’t help overhearing and her loud musical theatre soundtracks that aren’t his jam. Ashley thinks Justin is grumpy and she tries to avoid him.
Justin regrets temporarily moving back to Amity Creek. His parents’ marriage is in tatters and his mother is now living in Australia. Next year, when Justin’s substitute teaching contract is over, he’s leaving behind the town that’s ruled by his domineering father and paternal grandmother.
When a neighbourhood tree lopping activity goes pear-shaped, Justin and Ashley are stuck spending a whole lot of time together. They start to see beyond external appearances and question their initial assumptions about each other.
Justin is adorable and his love language is baking to-die-for cakes. Ashley’s love language is conversation, and Justin gets to see the real Ashley who’s warm, caring, and struggling with abandonment issues.
Their sweet romance has many LOL moments as they negotiate difficult family relationships and move from enemies to friends to more-than-friends. I recommend Drive You Crazy to contemporary romance readers who like small town romcoms with depth that include fish out of water and ‘I hate you’ romance tropes with a relevant faith element in the story.
Many thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy.
A decade ago it was easy to subscribe to an author’s newsletter email and receive every newsletter email they sent.
Like clockwork, the emails would land in my inbox (not my spam folder) and I could open them at my leisure to catch up on the author’s news. It didn’t matter if I missed opening the emails for 3 or 4 months because they’d continue to arrive unless I unsubscribed.
Fast forward to 2024 and the world of newsletter emails is very different.
There are strict anti-spam laws in place in countries around the world to try and prevent our email inboxes from being attacked by a tsunami of unsolicited emails.
Every day I’m confronted with unwanted email from unknown sources that clutter my inbox. A large portion of these unwanted emails are malicious spam. I now auto-delete emails every day without opening them.
Why aren’t I receiving emails from the authors who I want to hear from?
I have been researching this question because I believe that author emails should be a reliable way to receive information from authors. I’ve found this often isn’t the case and it usually isn’t the author’s fault. There are things I can do, as a reader, to try and maximise my success in receiving the emails I want to read.
My tips for receiving newsletter emails:
After I subscribe, I always look for the follow up email and click on that email to confirm I want to receive the emails. This is called double opt-in and it’s an industry standard for best practice.
I open every email I receive, even if I’m not planning to read it straight away. An active subscriber is someone who has opened an email within the last 90 days. Many authors only send emails to active subscribers because email open rates matter. Poor open rates can negatively impact future email deliverability.
If I haven’t received an email in a while, I will go back and subscribe again. This can reset my email address to active subscriber status.
If my email address has somehow bounced an author newsletter email, it’s unlikely that I can resubscribe and receive future emails using that email address. This is when I switch to a different email address and start over as a brand new subscriber.
There are many ways to follow authors and I’ve found author emails are a good option for receiving timely information with minimal effort on my part.
If you’re not receiving emails from authors you follow and want to hear from, reach out to them via contact forms on their websites. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.
Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle and manages it with aplomb. But the daily challenges and irritations of a fast-paced job and a demanding boss are starting to get to her. Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather’s fishing lodge in Idaho because it was the only job she could find after graduating with her hospitality degree. She’s grateful for the work but longs for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan life she’s just not going to find in this backwoods town.
The solution to both their problems seems obvious. Just for the summer, they’ll swap jobs and lifestyles. But they never anticipated swapping love interests . . .
In this fabulous new twist on an age-old fable, award-winning and bestselling author Melody Carlson introduces you to two career-focused women who are about to discover that there’s more to finding happiness than just switching up the scenery.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Just for the Summer, set in Seattle and rural Idaho. Ginny has been a hard working employee at a Seattle boutique hotel for years, and she’s now managing the hotel. Ginny’s boss, Diana, is a horrible bully boss who blames Ginny for everything that goes wrong at the hotel, including Diana’s own mistakes. As a result, Ginny is a workaholic who’s always stressed and utterly miserable. When she comes across a job swap opportunity at an Idaho fishing lodge for the summer, she’s keen to try something new and different.
Jacqueline is bored and frustrated in her job where she’s managing her grandfather’s fishing lodge. She’s like a round peg in a square hole, and dreams of a more glamourous life in the city that’s more in keeping with her L.A. upbringing. The opportunity to swap jobs with Ginny for the summer seems like an amazing opportunity for Jacqueline to live in the city and use her hospitality degree.
I loved seeing how the job swap plays out in the story, and the different journeys and lessons learned by the characters. The romances that bubbled along in the background were sweet, and the side characters were delightful and often hilarious. I recommend Just for the Summer to contemporary fiction readers who like fish out of water stories with strong romantic elements and a relevant faith thread in the story.
Many thanks to Revell and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
