Tag: Book Reviews

First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer//Christian Contemporary Romance Review

Eliza NoelLeave a comment

First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer was a sweet Christian Contemporary Romance novel. It’s about a couple, Gracie and Noah, who got divorced 5 years previously, but neither has quite moved on. There’s a sweet side romance between Gracie’s nephew and the girl who was his best friend all through high school. It had me laughing and crying. Also, I absolutely love the clever title!

Audience

Older Teen Girls & Women

Genre

Christian Contemporary Romance, Closed-door Romance, Rom-com

Author

Becca Kinzer

Noah and Gracie never learned how to grieve the fact that they weren’t able to have children. Gracie’s dream had always been to be a mom, and she was absolutely crushed. When she saw Noah continuing on with his professional baseball career, she could only assume he wasn’t affected by it all. So the two of them gave up.

Five years later, Gracie is dealing with a hip injury and a tight writing deadline. Her nephew, Matt, arranges behind her back for her ex-husband to come and take care of her. Saying Gracie is furious would maybe even be an underestimate. How could she possibly focus on her writing deadline with that handsome (and infuriating) face around? The only face she ever kissed?

As Gracie and Noah bicker, Matt is reconnecting with Rachel, his high school best friend he’s always been in love with, but feels friend-zoned by.

A few of my favorite things…

  • The friends-to-lovers story
  • Characters learning to grieve
  • Noah and Gracie are still learning new things about each other after many years of marriage
  • The humor
  • References to classic old movies

Know that…

  • There’s a part where Noah helps Gracie take a bath because she can’t do it on her own. At this point, they’re divorced…so ya, that’s a bit messy…

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a humorous and Christian contemporary romance novel filled with bickering and processing grief.

Amazon

Notes: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m also an Amazon Affiliate, so I receive a commission on anything purchased through links I share.

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham//Christian Contemporary Romance Review

Eliza Noel3 Comments

Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham is one of my new favorite Christian romance novels. I listened to it on audiobook while doing house work and meal prep. It had me laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained! The voices narrating did a great job with the Scottish accents. It definitely gave me Leap Year ( a cute rom-com if you skip a few scenes) vibes.

Audience

Some Like it Scot would be perfect for older teens and women looking for funny Christian romance novels.

Genre

Christian Romance Novel, Clean Rom-Com, Christian Contemporary Fiction, Closed-door Romance

Author

Pepper Basham

Katie Campbell is a 28-year-old well-known writer. While she’d love to be known for her children’s books, that’s not the case. She’s actually known for her travel writing. Or maybe more known for her clumsiness and mishaps while globe-trotting. In fact, people call her, “Miss Adventure”. Katie finds herself on a small Scottish Island where Campbells are disliked because of an ancient feud. As she gets to know the village and the culture Katy feels drawn to it because of her Scottish grandparents. It may be one of the first places that truly feels like home. Ruggedly handsome, Graeme MacKerrow and his sweet loving family definitely contribute to that as well.  Things start to go wrong when a competing writer spreads vicious rumors about Katy across the internet.

A few of my favorite things…

  • That it was a very light-hearted Christian romance novel
  • Downton Abbey, Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice and Jaime Jo Wright references
  • This quote, “It’s not about your hold on God, it’s about His hold on you.”
  • Characters working through grief
  • A 6’ tall female lead character
  • A very protective rough around the edges male lead who is also a loving father figure
  • An adorable little boy with a love for fishing and a crush on Katy
  • A Downton Abbey travel experience where people have to dress and act like that era
  • Katy’s longing for a loving family
  • Nosy older ladies
  • A very lovable sheep dog
  • Family dinners with witty banter
  • The romance was so sweet and made me tear up a few times thinking about my own sweet love story the Lord wrote for me

I didn’t care for…

  • One scene I’ll describe below in the content warning section.

Know that…

  • There’s a pretty lengthy and steamy make-out scene where a character is very focused on the man’s attractiveness without a shirt. To her credit she asks the Lord for help not to have sinful thoughts, but it was still a scene I could do without.

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a closed-door Christian Romance novel that will make them laugh and give them wanderlust!

Amazon

Notes:

I was given a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m also an Amazon Affiliate so I receive a commission off anything purchased through links I share.

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright//Christian Suspense Review

Eliza Noel2 Comments

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright is another Contemporary Christian Suspense fiction new release I’ve enjoyed. Because of its elements of gothic suspense, murders, and mental health struggles, it’s a bit heavier than what I typically review, but still so good. Whenever I need a book I can’t put down, I reach for whatever Jaime Jo Wright’s newest release is.

Audience

Older Teens and Adults

Genre

Contemporary Christian Suspense Fiction, Dual-timeline Historical Fiction, Gothic Suspense, Mystery, Romance

Author

Jaime Jo Wright

Marian Arnold is a young woman facing unique challenges during the Prohibition era. Her family was once wealthy because of their brewery in Milwaukee, but now, with both of her parents gone and the brewery shut down, she’s struggling to survive. She looks to her older cousin as the one who can help her and protect her. But when a dead body turns up on the property, piles of dead butterflies are left as threats, and her cousin brings a bunch of rowdy friends and alcohol into the family manor, things just continue to go downhill.

100 years later, in the same manor, former foster kid Remy is hired as a research assistant to an eccentric old man. The old man is writing a book about the manor’s owner and the unsolved murders of the “Butterfly Butcher”. Things get a little shaken up when a relative, a very handsome one, of Marian’s shows up and doesn’t want the book written. And once again, dead bodies and butterflies start appearing. Could the Butterfly Butcher be back?

Specters in the Glass House is a suspenseful story full of family secrets and broken people helping each other heal.

A few of my favorite things…

  • The characters are going through hard things, but circling back to their hope in God
  • Remy’s coffee obsession
  • A portrayal of a character working through PTSD
  • Seeing a foster child craving familial connections
  • The Midwest setting
  • There’s the suspense and thrill of something possibly paranormal (Spoiler, though: it isn’t paranormal)
  • A sweet old man character

I didn’t care for…

  • One of the murderers was creepy, twisted, and thought of him or herself as a savior of sorts
  • Content mentioned below…

Know that…

  • A female character ends up sleeping in the same room as a male character because she’s trying to help him through his PTSD. They kiss, but nothing more.
  • Some of the murders are pretty violent and descriptive
  • There are several characters with varying mental illnesses

Overall, Jaime’s books are better for older audiences, and if you read one, go in knowing it will be heavy and dark, but have glimpses of hope.

Perfect for…

Someone looking for a Christian suspense novel with a bit of romance, history, and faith.

Amazon

Notes:

I was given a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Also, I’m an Amazon Affiliate, so I receive a commission on anything purchased through links I share at no extra cost to you.

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson//Christian Contemporary Romance Review

Eliza Noel2 Comments

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson was such a sweet and clean Christian contemporary romance novel. Like The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, it made me laugh out loud several times. I just found this one on a shelf at the library, but I’ll definitely be reading more of Melissa Fergusons books in the future!

Audience

Women. I’d say it’s appropriate for older teenagers and up. Nothing inappropriate, just the fact that it is a romance would make me lean towards older.

Genre

Christian Contemporary Romance

Author

Melissa Ferguson

Bree Leake has spent her adult life jumping from job to job. When one doesn’t work, she just tries a new one. Her latest venture is being an actress in one of the oldest theaters. One of the few steady things in her life has been her Nana’s house and all the memories it holds. Her dream is to own it one day. Over dinner one night, her parents offer it to her, with one condition. One very big condition. She has to hold down the same job for a full year. This is complicated by the fact that the theater she works at has decided to switch to musicals (Bree can’t dance) and they’re going to have to cut back on the amount of actors they employ. To make matters worse, Bree has a new neighbor with a ferocious dog. Handsome Chip Mcbride has been on her nerves since the moment he moved in next door. What would any mature young woman do in a situation like this? Declare a prank war of course!

A few of my favorite things…

  • The pranks. Hilarious! Kept me laughing all throughout. My favorite was when Bree put up trees to block Chip’s view of the Appalachian mountains.
  • Russel, the dog who appears ferocious to Bree, but is really quite sweet.
  • Seeing Chip’s deep side come out as he talks about grief and points towards an eternal perspective to help deal with hard things now.

I didn’t care for…

  • The fact that Bree and Chip were each seeing other people as they fell for each other. In real life, I don’t think this would turn out so well and it definitely wouldn’t be kind for them to treat the people they’re dating this way.

Know that…

  • There’s a brief mention of a man (not Chip) touching Bree inappropriately.
  • A child in the book has cancer.
  • It is a romance so there’s attraction (Bree noticing Chip’s muscles) and kissing, but nothing inappropriate.

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a light, happy, cute and clean Christian contemporary romance!

Amazon

Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate so I receive a commission off anything purchased through links I share.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh//Christian Contemporary Review

Eliza Noel5 Comments

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh is the cutest clean Christian contemporary novel. I bought it with a Barnes and Noble gift card knowing nothing about it. I’m so glad I did! It had me laughing and crying and smiling. I often couldn’t put it down! It reminded me a little bit of “A Man Called Otto” since it’s also about a lonely person finding friends. I’ll definitely be reading more of Courtney Walsh’s cute contemporary romances in the future!

Audience

Women. I’d say it’s appropriate for older teenagers and up.

Genre

Contemporary Fiction

Author

Courtney Walsh

On Isadora Bentley’s 30th birthday she realizes how unhappy and alone she is. She decides to conduct a research project on happiness. For research she follows a list of “things to make you happy” found in a magazine. She’s determined to prove those things don’t actually work, but some small part of her hopes they will. As she pushes past her comfort zone by smiling at a stranger, attending a workout class, and many other things she collects a group of friends. Her first ever group of friends that truly loves her and cares about her. Getting to know them helps her unpack baggage from having a mother who was never pleased and a boyfriend who only used her for her research skills.

A few of my favorite things…

  • The whole idea of basically having a bucket list of things to do and seeing if they can bring happiness. In a roundabout way they do, because doing the things brings friends into Isadora’s life.
  • Isadora’s inner voice. Her inner voice sounds like a narrator from Animal Planet and made me laugh many times.
  • Darby, the chaotic mother of 4 who lives across the hall from hermit Isadora and quickly becomes her best friend.
  • Delilah, Darby’s daughter who’s just a little girl with an old soul.
  • Marty, the old man Isadora meets in the park. I teared up every time he talked about his dear wife who had passed.
  • Dr. Cal Baxter’s sweet welcoming family.

Know that…

  • There are mentions of a previous bad relationship.
  • Isadora thinks a character is really attractive and sometimes thinks about kissing him.
  • …and there’s kissing.

Bottom line- it’s a clean contemporary romance. I appreciated how the focus wasn’t solely on the romance, but on friendships and pushing past fears as well. It definitely could have gone deeper if faith aspects had been weaved in, but I’m just happy to find a clean book that made me laugh!

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a light, happy, cute and clean contemporary romance!

Amazon

Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate so I receive a commission off anything purchased through links I share.