Tag: books

Terms and Traditions by Morgan Taylor Giesbrecht//Christian Christmas Fiction

Eliza Noel2 Comments

Terms and Traditions by Morgan Taylor Giesbrecht is a humorous Christian Christmas fiction novel that tackles some heavy topics. It tackles broken family relationships, scars from past relationships, and chronic illness. Despite all of that, somehow the tone remains light and seasonal. If you want a Christmas book that will make you laugh in the mood for the Christmas season read this one.

Audience

Older Teen Girls & Women

Genre

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

Author

Morgan Taylor Giesbrecht

Buy on Amazon

Stephanie is perfectly organized and put together at her job as handsome millionaire Nash’s personal assistant. But her dating life- not so much. It’s anxiety-ridden and pretty much non-existent. Unless you count her 2-year crush on her boss who also happens to be part of her friend group. When Stephanie’s dad pressures her to bring a date to their very dysfunctional family Christmas trip, Stephanie speaks before thinking and asks Nash to be her fake boyfriend. Surprisingly, he says yes.

A few of my favorite things…

  • references to Christmas movies and songs I love
  • just alll the Christmas-y vibes, even the explanations and descriptions were enveloped in Christmas (for example, the exclamation “Sugarplums!” and the description “warm cocoa hug”)
  • Nash’s determination to not sleep with anyone but his future wife
  • Stephanie’s nana’s positive influence in her life, pointing her to Jesus
  • Stephanie’s tight friend group that walks through the ups and downs of life together
  • Nash being protective and deeply caring
  • cute kid characters
  • family holiday traditions

I didn’t care for…

  • clean, but it was still a bit kiss-y for me. At one point, characters sneak into a pantry to make out, but there’s no talk or thought of going further.

Know that…

  • some mean girls speculate that Stephanie slept her way to the top of the company (absolutely not true)

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a Hallmark-y clean Christian Christmas fiction book to read!

If you love reading clean Christian fiction (especially contemporary) sign-up for my email list here.

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham//Clean Regency Romance Novel

Eliza Noel1 Comment

I’m not typically a historical fiction girly, but I’m so glad I picked up this clean Regency romance novel. Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham had me tearing up, smiling, and even laughing. Like a warm cup of tea, it was my cozy go-to novel. I was originally attracted to it because of the cute cover (shallow, I know) and the fact that I’ve enjoyed a few other Pepper Basham books (you can read my Some Like it Scot review here). It inspired me to watch Sense and Sensibility again (it’d been 10+ years) so I could get all the references.

Audience

Teen Girls and Women

Genre

Clean Regency Romance, Christian Historical Fiction

Author

Pepper Basham

Two years ago Emme Lockhart’s heart was broken by the Simon Reeves. She knew his status was way above hers, but he had given her reason to believe they had a future together. And then he called the whole thing off, with no explanation. Now Emme’s aunt is forcing her back into the social scene, determined to have Emme married well. And by well she means with good social standing and plenty of money, love plays no part in her matchmaking. Things become complicated for Emme when Simon returns to the area. Just being near him is still difficult. Yet when she finds out his family’s estate is in trouble, she wants to help him. Even if that means helping him find a bride who is not her.

A few of my favorite things…

  • The fact that Emme is an author, even though that was scandalous for women back then
  • The Jane Austen references and overall Austen feel to the story
  • Sweet, caring and mischievous little kid characters, they always brighten a story!
  • Aunt Bean. Even though her matchmaking skills were terrible she made me laugh!
  • Emme and Simon’s caring and playful friendship
  • Emme’s sweet relationship with her dad
  • Simon’s care for his younger siblings
  • Ballroom social scenes

Know that…

  • There’s a little bit of kissing, but nothing over the top
  • The book ends with a newly married couple kissing and stepping into their bedroom. Nothing else is described.

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a cozy Jane Austen-like read!

Amazon

If you enjoy reading clean fiction, sign up for my email list and I’ll keep you up-to-date with my latest reviews! You can sign up here.

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

Riley + Sam by Ashley Schaller//Christian YA Romance Review

Eliza Noel1 Comment

Riley + Sam by Ashley Schaller is a sweet innocent Christian YA romance book.  Riley Anderson thinks her summer is gonna be pretty chill. She’ll work on some digital art commissions and just relax. Two things shake those plans up. 1) her little cousin Lou-lou is spending the summer with them (not terrible, Lou-lou’s great, but now Riley has some babysitting responsibility on her plate). 2) Sam Hong is back. Sam was Riley’s childhood best friend and neighbor. Once he got famous and he went on tour he left and never looked back. Until now. Now Riley’s got a challenging summer ahead of her because she promised herself she would be one girl who would not fall for Sammy Hong.

Audience

Teen Girls

Genre

Christian YA Romance, Contemporary YA Fiction

Author

Ashley Schaller

Riley’s little cousin Lou-lou starts out hating Sam because she remembers how sad Riley was when he left. But Sam quickly wins her over with his sweet charm. Soon the three of them have made a Summer bucket list. Sam’s sick of the spotlight and he wants to experience normal things (like going through the drive-thru), like a normal person. Riley and Lou-lou decide they’ll make that happen for him with some clever (or maybe not so clever) disguises.

A few of my favorite things…

  • The friends-to-more story
  • Sam helping Riley process grief (her mom died while he was gone)
  • Lou-lou. She’s so sassy, funny, and adorable. I love when stories have little kids as some of their main characters!
  • Sarge, the lovable golden retriever.
  • Riley’s faith. She models “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) well. She also encourages Sam to turn back to the Lord, and use spotlight to bring glory to Him. There’s a part where she describes grace well.
  • “Celebrity sick of the spotlight” is one of my favorite storylines.
  • The humor. I was laughing out loud a lot! Whether it was at a situation, Lou-lou’s attitude or Riley’s inner thoughts.
  • Sweet family relationships. Riley is really close to her dad. They often drink tea together in the evenings. She’s also good friends with her older sister. You don’t often see good family relationships like that in stories!
  • Coffee. Here are some golden quotes: “I swear you barely qualify as a person in the morning [before coffee.” “Am I a mess? Yes. But a happy, coffee-loving one.”
  • Riley’s dream of being a mom. So often girls don’t feel the freedom to say that. They think instead that they have to have a big career plan.
  • A really horrible date that Riley goes on. It’s humorously described, but poor Riley learns her lesson. She doesn’t need to go on a date with just any guy who asks.

Know that…

  • Sam sleeps in the same tent as Riley and Lou-lou. Nothing happens. Nothing’s romantic or sexual about it. But in real life, that wouldn’t be a good idea.
  • There’s lots of times that Riley thinks about kissing. But it doesn’t actually happen except maybe once at the very end.
  • My book friend, Lindsey, has a more thorough content review over on her blog. You can read it here.

Perfect for…

Any teen girl looking for a sweet, innocent summer romance!

Amazon

If you’re looking for other clean Christian contemporary books, check out mine. You can find more information about my Dawn Chandler series here.

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

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh//Christian Contemporary Romance Review

Eliza Noel2 Comments

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh was a sweet Christian Contemporary Romance novel. It’s about a girl who’s always dreamed of being an actress. After years of living month-to-month in New York City, her dream just doesn’t seem to be working out. She’s extra discouraged because all of her childhood best friends seem to be thriving. Desperate, she takes a theater job she knows absolutely nothing about. Turns out, she’s directing a musical acted out by an eclectic group of people in a retirement community. She wonders how this could ever possibly turn out good.

I’m actually running a giveaway for a different Courtney Walsh book now. You can get extra entries from signing up for my email list here.

Audience

Older Teen Girls & Women

Genre

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

Author

Courtney Walsh

A few of my favorite things…

  • Dylan, the moody teenager who really just needs a friend and something to do.
  • The retirement community setting. All the old people in it are adorable!
  • Door County. Love that it was set here! I actually happened to be on a trip there while I was reading it.
  • Lots of side character growth.
  • Rosie’s longing for close friends who know her and then realizing she has to let people into her life for that to happen.

Know that…

  • A female character is caught looking at a male character’s butt (unnecessary in my opinion).
  • A side character gets drunk at a bar.
  • A few very kissy pages I kinda just skimmed.  A kiss here and there is sweet, but I don’t need a front row seat to allll the details.
  • A male and female character accidentally fall asleep on a stage and are found there together in the morning. Nothing more happened despite what other characters hint at.
  • There may have been a few more things I missed…so not squeaky clean, but no major lines were crossed. A lot of cute aspects to the story though!

Perfect for…

Any woman looking for a humorous Christian contemporary romance centered around theater.

Amazon

Other Reviews of Courtney Walsh’s Books:
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley

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.

Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker//Christian Suspense Review

Eliza Noel3 Comments

Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker was a great Christian suspense novel. In some ways, it gave me National Treasure and Night at the Museum vibes because of the treasure smuggling ring. Of course, it was much more serious and heavy than those family movies.  Unfortunately, I somehow missed the fact that it was book #2 in the Tupelo Grove series, so I felt like I spent the first bit of the book trying to catch up on the storyline. I loved the book, “I Think I Was Murdered”, by the same duo of Christian suspense authors, so when I saw this one available on Netgalley I immediately requested it (with little research obviously, haha).

Audience

Older Teens & Adults

Genre

Christian Suspense

Author

Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

Savannah Webster and her ex-husband, Hez, have been through a lot together. They lost their daughter and were almost murdered by a smuggling ring, just to name a few things. Now it seems they’re finally able to process their grief together and maybe even remarry. But then things start going wrong. Something’s off at the university Savannah was recently chosen to be president of. On top of that, someone planted a wine bottle in Hez’s trash can and now Savannah’s afraid he has relapsed into alcoholism.

Read this Christian suspense novel to see what happens next!

A few of my favorite things…

  • The main couple learning to process grief together.
  • A suspenseful ending that demands another book in the series.
  • Unexpected plot twists and turns.
  • An adorable little British boy named Simon.
  • Southern culture and scenery.
  • Fun dog side characters.
  • Complex family history.

Know that…

  • There are heavy topics. Adultery is mentioned in someone’s family history, a couple who divorced but is trying to get back together, smuggling, murder, alcoholism, grief…definitely for an older crowd.

Perfect for…

Someone looking for a Christian suspense series.

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.