Welcome to my Fan Girling with Narelle podcast and YouTube show.
In this episode, I’m talking about why I recommend BRIGHTER THAN BEFORE by COURTNEY WALSH to contemporary romance readers who like clean and wholesome romance novels.
Here are the links to my recommendations for Courtney Walsh’s books.
Life has a way of changing your path–and Claire Karadec certainly didn’t plan on a fork in the road in her forties. From New York Times bestselling author Courtney Walsh comes a witty, warm, and uplifting novel about second chances, found family, and the courage it takes to become yourself–perfect for fans of Annabel Monaghan and Sarah Adams.
After a painfully public discovery shatters her marriage, along with her picture-perfect, country club life, Claire finds herself suddenly single and faced with a blank page for a future. On that page she writes a simple list that reads like equal parts dare and daydream–Move to a new city. Make a real friend. Get a job I love–and she vows to accomplish every single one.
Before she can talk herself out of it, she takes a step of faith, puts her old life in the rearview mirror, and leases an apartment in Chicago, the city that has always had her heart. This one step sends Claire on a journey of self-discovery, giving her the courage to conquer her fears, one checklist item at a time, and showing her that life can be a whole lot brighter than she imagined.
She rediscovers a love for baking, stumbles into new friendships, and even allows her daughter, Minnie, to create a dating profile and choose her dates for her. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, is Miles, the charming, off-limits neighbor whose kindness makes it hard to remember why he’s off-limits at all.
Between late-night journaling, disastrous first dates, great big lessons and priceless small victories, Claire learns to quiet the voice telling her she wasn’t enough and listens to the one that asks the harder question . . .
What do I really want?
As old expectations loosen their grip, Claire discovers that belonging isn’t a place you’re invited to–it’s a life you build one brave choice at a time. And the sweetest things often show up when you finally get out of your own way.
Lose yourself in a story that’s equal parts heartwarming, hopeful, and full of joy. Early readers are loving the witty humor, uplifting journey, and sweet, clean romance that makes Brighter than Before such a life-affirming escape. Grab your copy today and discover a second-chance story about courage, connection, and building a life that feels truly your own.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Brighter than Before, a low spice contemporary romcom with women’s fiction themes. The story opens with Claire making an impulsive and ridiculous decision that becomes the catalyst for her choosing to take control of her life. She leaves Colorado and rents a cute apartment in the Chicago suburbs.
Claire is on a self discovery journey and she’s seeking genuine friendships with honest people. She spent the previous twelve months in survival mode, struggling to cope with the brutal way her cheating husband of twenty-three years ended their marriage and convinced their friends to abandon her. Their young adult daughter is overseas, studying in the UK.
Miles is a business owner and landscape gardener who lives in Claire’s apartment complex. Their meet cute is hilarious, ridiculous, and embarrassing for Claire. I loved how Miles became Claire’s friend and helped her create a new life in Chicago. Despite their mutual attraction, he friend zones Claire and teams up with Claire’s daughter, using an online dating app, to set Claire up on a series of first dates.
Claire and Miles challenge each other to deal with their emotional baggage and take a risk on love. I recommend Brighter than Before to contemporary romance readers who like low spice friends-to-more romcoms with depth that include second chances, dating mishaps, and found family themes.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Welcome to my Fan Girling with Narelle podcast and YouTube show.
In this episode, I’m talking about why I recommend ALMOST BY DESIGN by JENNY ERLINGSSON to contemporary romance readers who like Christian romance novels.
Here is the link to my recommendation for the book.
A botched promotion, an awkward reunion, and a fake-dating scheme they never planned to fall for.
Kenya Stewart is so close to getting her dream position at an event agency. When a scheduling blunder risks her promotion, she hopes an upcoming pitch will allow her a second chance. Then an accident at her cousin’s wedding sends her to the emergency room in the care of another wedding guest, Solomon Anruchi, the handsome doctor who ghosted her after their first date.
Solomon’s parents are eager for him to find a business-savvy wife and make the move to New York to take over a recent acquisition by their family’s company. But he needs to buy more time to finish his residency and convince them that staying in Hope Springs is the best path for him. He realizes that Kenya is the perfect person to help, and she needs his connections to land a high-profile client and save her career. Their solution? A fake-dating relationship.
As attractions increase amid their ruse, secrets they’ve kept from each other and the weight of others’ expectations begin to unravel their scheme. Will their carefully constructed plans crumble when the truth comes out?
This charming Southern contemporary Christian romance features humorous banter, second chances, faking dating, and neurodiverse characters in small-town Alabama for fans of Toni Shiloh, Pepper Basham, and Courtney Walsh.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Almost by Design, a delightful small town contemporary romance set in Alabama. Kenya is an events manager who’s on track to secure a work promotion until she’s forced to take leave to recover from an accident at her cousin’s wedding. Solomon is a physical therapist at the hospital who had previously ghosted Kenya after their first date. Their meet cute at Kenya’s cousin’s wedding is an embarrassing disaster for Kenya and they end up visiting the hospital.
Solomon needs a girlfriend to discourage his parents from finding him a bride. His Nigerian immigrant parents have worked hard to build a business empire for their adult children to run. Solomon wants to pursue a physical therapy career but he’s torn because he’s the eldest son with family responsibilities.
Kenya has a complicated relationship with her mother and often feels like she disappoints her mother. Kenya is dyslexic and she tries to hide her dyslexia due to past hurts and unresolved childhood issues.
I enjoyed journeying with Solomon and Kenya as their fun and sweet fake relationship moves into friendship territory and starts to feel real. When their secrets are revealed, they’re forced to deal with their emotional baggage and feelings for each other. Trust issues, the importance of honest communication, the fear of rejection and pride issues are explored in the story.
I recommend Almost by Design to contemporary romance readers who like second chances and fake relationship small town romances with romcom story elements, neurodiverse characters, family drama, Nigerian cultural influences, and relevant faith threads in the story.
Many thanks to Revell and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Happy Friday! I’m sharing a selection of books that are on preorder in a weekly post.
Please check the price before preordering. Amazon will always give you the lowest preorder price and bill your payment method on release day.
Click on the book cover to preorder the ebook at Amazon USA. Direct Sales Links (if listed under the book category) will take you to the author or publisher’s website or a universal link to multiple book retailers.
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment if there’s a book in my post that’s on your TBR (to be read) list. Or, if you’ve already had the pleasure of reading an advanced reader copy. I’m always looking for book recommendations.
Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup – Visit my friend Shannon Taylor Vannatter’s blog, check out her SATURDAY weekly book bargains posts, and discover book giveaways, sales, and more.
Disclaimer: Book information is provided by third parties. Book prices are subject to change. The inclusion of a book in this post is not necessarily an endorsement.
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Welcome to my Fan Girling with Narelle podcast and YouTube show.
In this episode, I’m talking about why I recommend ALASKAN ABDUCTION TARGET by MEGAN SHORT to romantic suspense readers who like Christian romance novels.
Here are the links to my recommendations for Megan Short’s books.
A pursuit for the truth turns into a fight for survival.
When Phoebe Tait suspects her husband’s death was no accident, she heads to Alaska searching for answers—only for her young son to narrowly escape a kidnapping. Officer Jock O’Halloran intervenes just in time, but it soon becomes clear that Phoebe’s investigation has made them a target. Now, with danger closing in, Jock must protect Phoebe and her son while they race to uncover a deadly truth. But can he keep them safe from a threat that will stop at nothing to bury the past—no matter the cost?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Alaskan Abduction Target, a fast paced romantic suspense set in a small town. Phoebe flies to Cordova, Alaska, with her two-year-old son to uncover the truth about the circumstances surrounding her husband’s drowning while working as a commercial fisherman. Phoebe has reasons to believe, based on recent events in Arizona, that her husband was murdered.
Jock is a police officer in Cordova who’s at the airport when Phoebe needs help to keep her son safe. Danger from unknown sources follows Phoebe and her son. Jock is the protector hero who must keep them safe and solve the mysteries.
The high octane suspense plot and town secrets kept me guessing. Phoebe and Jock are forced to spend time together in life threatening situations and deal with their emotional baggage and past hurts. Their romance is sweet and I loved how Jock and his mother bonded with Phoebe’s adorable son. The story explores prodigal and forgiveness themes.
I recommend Alaskan Abduction Target to romantic suspense readers who like single parent and second chances romances with a law enforcement hero, forced proximity, unknown danger, town secrets and strong faith elements in the story.
Many thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy.
I’m delighted to share author interviews with Allie Pleiter, Nancy J. Farrier, Meghan Carver and Christina Rich who have kindly contributed signed-by-the-author paperbacks for our LOVE INSPIRED GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA for AUSTRALIAN READERS (readers with an Australian mailing address).
Can you tell us a little about yourself, and can you tell us what genres you write?
I’ve been writing in multiple genres for over 25 years, and consider myself blessed to have such a long career. While I’ve written contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, chick-lit, and non fiction, I’m currently focused on inspirational contemporary romance and general market cozy mystery. I have two adult children and live outside Charlotte. I’m a passionate knitter and needlepointer, and have yet to meet a pie I haven’t loved.
How would you describe your writing process, and do you have a furry, feathered or other companion who helps?
I’m very process oriented. In fact, I teach and coach may writers in my Chunky Method of productivity for writers. When people ask how I write three to four books a year, the short answer is 1,200 words a day, five days a week. That’s my “chunk.” Of course, it’s a bit more complicated than that, and I enjoy helping other writers find their chunk and unlock a dependable writing practice. I do have a furry companion, my lhassapoo Paisley, who considers herself an essential part of my team. To her credit, I do get many of my best plot idea while we are out for walks.
What impact do you hope your book has on readers?
My books are always about people discovering they are capable of more than they realize. God has a way of uncovering new strengths in us and new hope in situations where we’d never expect it. People read cozy mystery because they want to see an amateur sleuth find justice for a victim, and they read romance because they want to see love conquer all. Who doesn’t want more of that in today’s world?
Dear Readers-
Those of us who tell stories find our purpose in those of you who read them. Thank you for the gift of your time, for entering into the worlds we create for you, and sharing the wonder of story with us. Keep reading!
Can you tell us a little about yourself, and can you tell us what genres you write?
My name is Nancy J. Farrier. I live in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona, USA, where the summers are lava temperatures—at least it feels that way when you’re outside. I am a New York Times best selling author writing Contemporary Christian romance and Romantic Suspense. I’m also published in Historical romance, but have moved away from that genre.
How would you describe your writing process, and do you have a furry, feathered or other companion who helps?
I am a seat-of-the-pants type of writer, which means I don’t outline (shudder), I just write the story. First, I get to know my characters and I have an idea where the story starts and the ending. I let my characters take me on a ride and I’m sometimes surprised at the roads we take. They rarely take me on rabbit trails.
I have two cats and a dog. I used to leave my office open while I worked and the dog would lay on a mat by my treadmill desk and the cats would roam. I had to stop letting them in when my cat, Bebé became insistent in commanding my attention. He would lay on my keyboard and knock pens and papers off my desk. He had a great time, but his actions were a little distracting to the writing process. Now, he often sits outside my door and meows until I go out and hold him and show him some love.
What impact do you hope your book has on readers?
The reason I write is because God called me to do this for Him. It is my hope that my books will encourage my readers in their faith walk. As they read about my characters, I hope the reader will see options for their own situations even though I have no idea what that reader is going through. I’m trusting God will use my words and stories to touch hearts for Him.
Can you tell us a little about yourself, and can you tell us what genres you write?
I fell in love with writing in the sixth grade when I participated in an all-school essay contest. I don’t remember how I placed, but I do remember that my teacher was quite complimentary and that spurred me on to write more. I was an English Literature major in college, and when my dream job of being an editor (not much opportunity for that where I lived) didn’t pan out, I detoured to law school, completing a Juris Doctorate while working full-time for a law firm. When my husband and I started a family, I knew God was calling me to be at home with them. By the sixth child (yes, six!), I was ready to write again.
I write inspirational romantic suspense with Love Inspired Suspense as well as cozy mysteries with a touch of suspense. I have also co-written a true missionary story which was great fun.
How would you describe your writing process, and do you have a furry, feathered or other companion who helps?
My writing process is very structured as I am one of those people who needs to know where I’m going when I start the journey. J I start with an idea or a couple of characters and build from there, adding other necessary characters like the villain; deciding the setting and the weather, which are always good for adding difficulties for my characters; and creating a detailed outline with every idea in its place before I start a rough draft.
Unfortunately, I have severe pet allergies, so I don’t have a furry or feathered companion. But my daughters are avid readers who enjoy brainstorming with me.
What impact do you hope your book has on readers?
I’d like my book to be an escape, a moment to breathe and forget the cares of the world. I would also love it if my book encouraged a reader and helped her to see that God loves us and takes care of us, even in our most difficult moments.
Can you tell us a little about yourself, and can you tell us what genres you write?
Greetings from Kansas! I’m Christina—writing as Christina Rich, though some know me as Christina Bolen. I’m a wife, a mother of five, and a grandmother to fourteen.
Our family story is anything but ordinary, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. One of our sons came to us through foster care. He’s now a man in his thirties—intellectually disabled and verbally challenged. Some might call him nonverbal, but he communicates just fine when people take the time to truly listen. He’s deeply loved, especially by my husband, who has been part of his life since he was a child.
Our family is beautifully diverse. Two of our grandchildren are half American and half Honduran, and four are of Jamaican descent through their father, who is also half Jamaican. That richness of culture, love, and lived experience shapes so much of how I see the world—and how I write.
Creativity is often what people notice first about me, but it’s only part of the story. Everything I do is rooted in intention—from designing my flower gardens to framing a photograph or shaping a scene on the page. Even in the everyday rhythms of work and family, I’m always asking how to create something meaningful. I’m driven by a desire to keep learning, refining my craft, and producing work that resonates and leaves a lasting impression.
In 2014, I published my first novel with Love Inspired Historical, The Guardian’s Promise, set in ancient Judah. It was followed by The Warrior’s Vow. I later expanded into another historical set in ancient Greece before bringing my stories closer to home with a novel set in 1860s Kansas.
Not long after, the Love Inspired Historical line closed, but in 2021 I was invited to participate in a historical continuity project, where I published two additional novels. One of those titles reached the Publishers Weekly bestseller list and earned a reader’s choice award.
In November 2024, I released my first Amish contemporary romance, A Husband for an Amish Bride. That book marked the beginning of a new and exciting chapter. I signed a four-book contract for Amish romance—three of those books have either released, or will release in 2026, with a fourth coming in 2027. And all the ones published so far have made the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list.
And here’s a little secret—you’re among the first to hear it: I recently signed a contract with Barbour Publishing for a novella, another Amish story set in a fictional Kansas town. It’s a direction that feels like home, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.
How would you describe your writing process, and do you have a furry, feathered or other companion who helps?
Oh, do I have furry companions—and I’ll start there, because they’re part of the process whether they mean to be or not.
We have an orange tabby named Deertrack and a calico named Mama. They started as strays, fed by the “crazy” cat lady in the neighborhood. One day, she decided Mama needed to be spayed. Deertrack was so upset by her companion’s sudden disappearance that she ran into our house for safety—and never left. When Mama returned from her unexpected adventure, she followed right behind her. They’ve been our constant companions ever since.
And if you’re wondering about Deertrack’s name… well, that’s a story for my blog when my current work-in-progress releases. So stay tuned.
As for my writing process—it may look a little chaotic from the outside. I’m diagnosed with dual ADHD, so what works for neurotypical authors doesn’t always work for me. I’ve learned to lean into that instead of fighting it. I thrive on deadlines—especially the kind that make most people nervous.
One thing I’ve discovered about my process is that I can’t move forward until I understand my character’s “dark moment story”—the defining event that shapes their fears, beliefs, and decisions. Once I know that moment, and the lie my protagonist believes because of it, everything else begins to fall into place: their goals, motivations, and internal conflict.
Interestingly, that dark moment rarely appears on the page. It’s not something I always write into the story, but it informs everything. It gives depth, weight, and authenticity to the character.
For example, in His Amish Marriage Offer, Malachi’s defining moment was discovering his mother after her death by suicide. That scene never appears in the book, but it shaped his worldview—his fears, his emotional barriers, and the choices he makes throughout the story.
Once I have that foundation, I can usually see the opening scene clearly. From there, the story unfolds—guided by character, shaped by structure, and refined through revision.
What impact do you hope your book has on readers?
I’m not afraid to write the hard things—suicide, widowhood, grief, incarceration, dementia, abuse. Life doesn’t shy away from those realities, and neither do I.
At the heart of everything I write is one hope: that readers feel seen. I want them to know they’re not alone in what they’ve gone through—or what they may still be carrying. Many of the struggles my characters face are ones I’ve experienced myself. I don’t write from a distance; I write from understanding.
In A Husband for an Amish Bride, Naomi wrestles with the belief that she isn’t worthy of love because of her disability. In His Amish Marriage Offer, my heroine is a widow who survived a mentally and verbally abusive marriage—she fears losing her independence and refuses to risk that kind of pain again. In The Amish Widower’s Dilemma, my hero navigates the challenges of single fatherhood while raising an autistic child. And in Falling for His Amish Neighbor, Levi struggles to find forgiveness for the man who once tormented him as a child—now dying and seeking peace.
In my current work-in-progress, my hero has just been released from jail for theft, but carries a heavier burden: the guilt of knowing he should have been held accountable for a drunk-driving accident that left his best friend—the heroine—paralyzed.
These stories are heavy, but they aren’t without hope. If there’s one thing I want readers to walk away with, it’s this: no matter how broken a situation may seem, there is still room for healing, redemption, and love.
For Readers
Your past does not define you. The choices you make today can guide tomorrow. No matter how deep the hurt or how heavy the past, you are never beyond God’s reach. If you’ve ever felt unseen, unworthy, or weighed down by your past, you are not alone—your story matters.
On the eve of her fortieth birthday, a woman wakes up from a pickleball accident with the unexpected chance to relive her twenties in this sparkling novel from a fresh, new voice.
Sutton Layne is almost-forty and fabulous, with a happy marriage, three beautiful children, and a successful interior design business. But there’s plenty of chaos behind the scenes of early midlife. Her preteen son is going off the rails, her husband is bailing on the party he was supposed to throw her, and that thriving business? If she can’t land her next big client, it might all come crashing down. Then a surprise DM from someone in her past sends her spiraling into what-ifs. What if she settled down too young? Walked away from her big break? Never had her great adventure?
Despite her simmering mini-crisis, Sutton can’t wait for the birthday luncheon and pickleball tournament her friends have planned in her honor. But when an accident on the court knocks her out cold, she wakes up somewhere else . . . and is offered the chance to do it all over again. She can revisit her twenties—out of order and on her own terms. And this time around, anything goes: cities, careers, friendships. Even love.
From star-studded Hollywood nights to the jungles of Nicaragua, from the heat of Coachella to the snowy summit of the Matterhorn, Sutton chases the life she fears she might have missed, with unexpected results.
With a wink to the classic It’s a Wonderful Life, Twenty Something Else is a witty, wistful journey through the dreams we outgrow, the life choices that shape us, and the surprising detours that can lead us home.
Clean and wholesome women’s fiction with themes of second chances, identity, friendship, and love.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Twenty Something Else, a fun contemporary fiction novel with magical realism and time travel story elements. Sutton lives in Newport Beach, California, and she’s only days away from her dreaded fortieth birthday. She married young, had children young, and wishes she was young again.
When Sutton is knocked out cold during a pickleball game, she’s transported to an alternate version of her life and has the opportunity to relive her twenties. The catch is her husband and children don’t exist as she navigates different stages in her twenty something life.
I loved journeying with Sutton and discovering how she handled tricky and unexpected situations with the benefit of future knowledge and wisdom from her life experiences. There were consequences for her decisions, both good and bad, depending on her choices. The big question she’s facing is how can she find her way home and what will her old life look like when she returns.
Sutton’s faith is challenged when she’s forced to deal with situations that wouldn’t have taken place if she’d met and married her husband in her early twenties. The story explores forgiveness themes, the importance of truth, and letting go of bitterness.
I recommend Twenty Something Else to contemporary fiction readers who like women’s friendship and magical realism stories with time travel, second chances, romantic elements, drama, and strong faith themes.
Many thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
