Tag: fiction

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson//Lighthearted Romance Book Review

Eliza Noel2 Comments

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson is a lighthearted romance book that I highly recommend. It kept me smiling and made me want to keep reading. I caught myself several times saying I’d be done at the end of a chapter and then skimming the first few pages of the next chapter to see what happened. As an author, I loved reading about another writer and her struggles.

Audience

Older Teen Girls & Women

Genre

Lighthearted Romance, Clean Contemporary Romance, Rom-com

Author

Melissa Ferguson

Buy on Amazon


“And for the love of all, pick different names. This is not an opera. You can have Renaldo. You can have Cecilia. You cannot have both.”

…this is just one of many strongly worded notes Savannah Cade finds in the margins of her manuscript. It upsets her at first to find someone has been reading her manuscript. Her private manuscript written under a pen name, not to mention. Savannah works as an editor in a publishing house where romance is strongly frowned upon. Because of that, she stores her manuscript in a secret room inside the Victorian office. When she finds out someone else has found the room and her manuscript she’s terrified. But when she realizes the secret editor’s comments are actually improving her story she begins taking their advice. The pressure of a tight deadline is only made more stressful by the fact that her sister will soon be marrying her ex-boyfriend and she’s meant to just grin and bear it all.

Like all the other Melissa Ferguson books I’ve read, I found myself smiling through it all.

A few of my favorite things…

  • the Victorian house setting
  • a grumpy, but lonely male MC
  • a somewhat awkward, insecure and real female MC
  • the behind-the-scenes of publishing houses

I didn’t care for…

  • I can’t think of anything!

Know that…

  • most of the romance is through notes, so it’s fairly clean!

Perfect for…

Any women looking for a lighthearted romance that will keep a smile on their face!

If you love reading clean Christian fiction (especially contemporary) sign-up for my email list here. I send reviews and giveaways here and there.

Books for Jane Austen Fans (& one movie)

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It’s a rare occasion when I meet a woman who doesn’t love at least one of Jane Austen’s stories. Something draws us to her characters even if they are prideful, passionate, or obnoxious (what excellent boiled potatoes). When it comes to humor, I believe Jane Austen was far ahead of her time. While some people may think her stories are better left untouched, I’ll continue to be drawn to new spins on her stories (even if they don’t match up to the original). There is just something so comforting about characters and storylines that feel familiar. Here are just a few books that feel like Jane Austen in some way or another.

Books for Jane Austen Fans

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham

Amazon//Goodreads

  • Sense & Sensibility references
  • regency romance
  • matchmaking mishaps
  • ballroom social scenes
  • cute children
  • a scandalous secret (well, for that time period, anyways)

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller (The Silver Teapot #1)

Amazon//Goodreads

  • contemporary fiction
  • Darcy-like male mc
  • restoration of a Pemberley-type home
  • written by an Australian author which almost makes it feel more authentically British

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George

Amazon//Goodreads

  • dual timeline historical/contemporary fiction
  • British setting
  • cozy-by-the-fireplace vibes
  • Jane Austen with a modern twist

Movie for Jane Austen Fans

Sense & Sensibility: A Modern Retelling

  • cheesy (but at the same time well done) modern version of Sense and Sensibility
  • Christmas scenes
  • clean girly movie
  • Jane Austen characters redone well

Tell Me About Your Love for Jane Austen

I’ve been a lover of Jane Austen stories since before high school. Pride and Prejudice was a long time favorite, but I’ve grown a new appreciation for Sense and Sensibility. Even Emma (whom I originally loathed) has grown on me. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m passionate about both literature and health. I even named my self-taught health coaching package Elinor Dashwood because it’s an independent course just like Elinor is an independent character. You can learn more about it below.

If you’d like to talk more about this package you can email me (eliza.noel.writes@gmail.com) or…

Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson//Squeaky Clean Mystery Book

Eliza Noel1 Comment

Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson is a squeaky clean mystery book that I highly recommend. It was probably one of my top fiction reads next year. Picture the perfect blend of Murder on the Orient Express, Knives Out, and Clue. It’ll be published next month, so be sure to pre-order a copy!

Audience

Older Teen Girls & Women

Genre

Squeaky Clean Mystery, Clean Contemporary Romance, Eccentric Murder Mystery, Rom-com

Author

Melissa Ferguson

Buy on Amazon


“It’s that bad isn’t it?”
“Perhaps a double shot of espresso. We don’t typically allow triple shots given the number of pacemakers on board, but just this once, I could slip you a third upon request.”

Growing up, one of my favorite books was “Cherry Ames, Cruise Nurse“. Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson reminded me of that one. They’re both mysteries that take place on a cruise ship. I’ve read a number of Melissa Ferguson’s books now, and this one is my favorite. It tells the story of Pip, the assistant to an eclectic group of well-known authors. After organizing a cruise for them and all their fans, she finds the body of her boss, Hugh. The most likely suspects are the other authors, people she thought she knew and trusted. Overall, this book was the perfect blend of mystery, romance, and comedy! I definitely recommend it.

A few of my favorite things…

  • the fancy cruise ship setting
  • author MC’s
  • a protective and manly male MC
  • a mystery that kept me guessing the whole time

I didn’t care for…

  • I can’t think of anything!

Know that…

  • a man sleeps in a woman’s room to protect her from the lurking murderer, nothing sexual
  • the romance doesn’t go further than a few kisses (nothing over-the-top)

Perfect for…

Any women looking for a lighthearted mystery that will keep them guessing!

If you love reading clean Christian fiction (especially contemporary) sign-up for my email list here. I send reviews and giveaways here and there.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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.

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.