romance

Book Review: When Tides Turn

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When Tides Turn
Waves of Freedom #3
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

Tired of only being used as a saleswoman in her job and wanting to be useful to the war effort, Tess Beaumont joins the newly established Navy WAVES program for women. She knows her tendency to be outgoing and peppy makes her look shallow to someone like Lt. Dan Avery, a deeply serious man who hopes to make admiral someday. Unfortunately, he’s been taken off the sea and assigned to a position that he doesn’t feel is as helpful to the Navy or to his own career advancement. As both Tess and Dan struggle to make themselves more useful, they also struggle to not be distracted by each other.

I’d put this book somewhere between the first (3 stars) and the 2nd (4.5 stars) in the series. Tess is a fun, energetic character, though difficult for me to identify with, since she’s far more outgoing than I am. I appreciated her desire to be known as more than just a pretty face (though again, I can’t identify, because that’s not an issue I’ve ever had) and actually be useful. Dan drove me crazy for a while with his strict workaholic ways, but I think that just made his character’s progression in the book that much more satisfying to me. I liked the emphasis on rest and integrity in his arc.

The mystery in this book was less engaging than the mysteries in both of the previous books. I think that was at least partly because it’s really just Tess alone working it out. Dan helps a little when he’s on land, but I like the way the mystery stretched across both MC’s stories in the previous book, and that didn’t happen here at all. In fact, after a while, I tended to start skimming during the scenes when Dan was at sea. I struggled to understand or frankly care about the work being done to help the Allies be able to find and combat German subs–not that that wasn’t super important work during WWII, but I’ve known Sundin to make history much more interesting in the past than this book did. That’s probably just personal preference though.

Overall, this is not my favorite of Sundin’s books or series. Still, I think many others wouldn’t be as bothered by those things that detracted from the book for me, so I do recommend it for fans of Christian romance, especially those set during WWII.

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Book Review: Jane Eyre

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Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë
Read by Nadia May

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Classic gothic romance

I haven’t been quiet about the fact that I haven’t read many classics in my life and that now that I’m starting to read more of them, I don’t connect with many of them all that much. I’ve watched an adaptation of this book, so I already knew the story (I’d forgotten some of it, but not the main “reveal”). The only reason I finally decided to read the book, though, is because I came across the audiobook narrated by Nadia May, whom I have greatly enjoyed as narrator for other classics. I still liked her narration, but the story itself was not my favorite.

I really appreciated many of the aspects of Jane’s characters. Despite being mistreated through much of her childhood, she’s an independent young woman with a strong moral compass. She holds her own against some forceful personalities (mostly men) who try to bend her to their wills. I can’t fully place myself into Jane’s shoes, partly because I’m far removed from that time period and culture and partly because her upbringing was vastly different from mine, but I would definitely have made some different choices than her. I’ve seen this book hailed as a feminist work, but to me at least, that mostly just comes across in how terrible both of the main men in the book are. Mr. Rochester, with whom Jane has a romance that so many swoon over, is deceptive, manipulative, overbearing, and willing to trick Jane into an immoral (and illegal) situation. St. John is whiny, cold, overbearing, and abusive—seriously, when he tells her that if she turns him down, she’ll be saying no to God, I immediately lost any tiny bit of respect I may have had for him. Yet, Jane consistently sees both of these men as good, noble, righteous, defending St. John by saying how pious he is or whatever…so the strength of character Brontë gave Jane sort of dissolves in the presences of these strong men.

Add to all of that the long descriptions, which are generally lost on me, more detail to Jane’s adolescence than I really feel was necessary, and some underwhelming plot choices, and this book was never destined to rise above “okay” for me. I didn’t hate it, but I really didn’t like it much. I have a feeling that a lot of what one gets out of this book is going to depend on what they bring to the book. I didn’t quite bring the right stuff to it, but others clearly do and if you’re interested in the book, maybe you will too.

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Book Review: Storm Warning

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Storm Warning
by Elizabeth Goddard

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Remi Grant has come to Hidden Bay, a remote resort where visitors come to watch storms on the coast, to try to recover memories lost during a traumatic event that seems to have left her a target by unknown persons. Hawk Beckett has come to Hidden Bay to forget a recent tragedy that cost him his job and the life of a friend. When a masked menace seems to be stalking Remi and Hawk saves her life multiple times, they realize that they may already be more connected than they realize.

The thing I liked most about this book was the setting—the descriptions of the ocean, forest, and storms were all really immersive. Unfortunately, I found the characters and story only okay. I didn’t get much of a feel for Remi’s character at all, and the only real personality I could ascribe to Hawk is that he’s protective (which is fairly standard fair for the MMC in a book like this). I do like that he’s trying to track down a certain person (don’t want to spoil anything) to try to turn him around (from the “dark side” as is so often said by different characters). The book takes place over only about 4 days, and by the end of the first day, which is quite a ways into the book, Remi and Hawk are already trying to talk themselves out of wanting a future with each other. It’s just too fast of a connection like that for my taste, though I understand that a romance book with such a short timeline would require a quick connection. I didn’t see that connection as natural, though, and besides, maybe in a case like this, it doesn’t always have to involve romance that is actually acted upon by the end of the book. 

The writing is a bit stilted as well, both in the prose and in the dialog. I struggled a lot with the flow and pacing and ended up skimming a lot to get past multiple paragraphs that rehashed the same musings about Remi’s missing memories or Hawk’s difficulties. The book is billed as Christian, but it’s barely that. Not that I need every Christian-genre book to have some kind of strong message, but it’s mostly silent, single-sentence prayers every once in a while, pleading with God for other characters to be all right. Hawk, at least, does have a bit of a progression of his faith, but it’s fairly meager as well.

I don’t think the book was bad, exactly, but I’m learning that this sub-genre of books may just not be for me. It’s clean overall—no language and light on the violence—and though the Christianity in it is a little light, based on other reviews, I think it’s safe to say that if you’re interested in this type of book, you should check it out. There are plenty of reviews in favor of it, so be sure to read some of those too.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Publication date: February 18, 2025

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Book Review: Midnight on the Scottish Shore

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Midnight on the Scottish Shore
by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When staying in the Netherlands becomes too dangerous for Cilla van der Zee, due to her connections with the Dutch resistance, she sees a way out in becoming a spy for the Nazis, who will send her to Britain, where she can disappear. But in these dangerous times, nothing is as simple or safe as she hopes, and she’s captured upon landing. Naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie believes her to be the German spy she’s portraying and turns her into the proper authorities. As thanks for his actions, Lachlan is forced to work alongside the spy when she becomes a double agent for Britain’s MI5.

There was a lot for me to like about this book. The uncommon setting of the Scottish shore during WWII was brought to life well; the storyline about double agents was exciting and well-researched; and I genuinely liked both of the main characters, their personalities, backgrounds, and dynamics. So many heroines in books like this are demure, self-conscious, uncomfortable, etc., which is the exact opposite of Cilla. Not that the other type is bad, it just seems so common. Cilla may be a bit on the silly side, but given her situation and that of the world around her, that silliness is often just what was needed. And her transformation was one of the things I loved most about the book. Lachlan has his own journey, which I also loved.

Even though the connection between Cilla and Lachlan is inevitable, given the genre, I felt that the obstacles they had to overcome were greater than usual and found the progression (mostly) natural and enjoyable. I appreciated that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. Though they’re not technically in a series, this book does connect to Sundin’s previous book, Embers in the London Sky, but you really don’t need to read the other (which I liked but not quite as much as this one) before reading Midnight on the Scottish Shore. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction from this time period in the Christian romance genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Anchor in the Storm

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Anchor in the Storm
Waves of Freedom #2
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

When Lillian Avery moves to Boston to be a pharmacist in 1941, she has a long way to go to overcome her boss’s prejudices against her as both a woman and a handicapped one at that. She’s determined to win him over, but her task is made more difficult when suspicious prescriptions come in to be filled. Arch Vandenburg, naval ensign serving aboard a battleship, has some questions of his own when some of the men on his ship are acting drowsy on duty. Lillian and Arch will have to work together to get to the bottom of what’s going on in Boston.

After finding the first book in this series only okay, I was pleased to enjoy this one all the way through. Arch was in the previous book, the best friend of the male main character. He came across as a bit of a player, at least to me, but Sundin was already setting up his backstory, his baggage. As the heir to a fortune, Arch tends to attract the wrong kind of woman, which has led to trust issues. Lillian has her own version of the same, having been hurt badly in the past by a man who was controlling and at least a little abusive. The progression of their relationship is mostly natural and sweet, though it also becomes a little predictable about halfway through the book. Despite some clichés (and more kissing than I need in a romance book), the backstories and personalities are well set up, and I enjoyed the follow-through.

My preference when reading romance is that it not be the only focus of the plot, and I got my wish with this book. The mystery side, while not exactly a twisty whodunit, was intriguing and kept me engaged. When the romance went the way of cliché, the mystery sped up a bit, which evened things out for me. I was really caught up in it by the end. I also want to mention that Arch’s best friend Jim, the male MC of the previous book, is also Lillian’s brother. And there is a moment in the book where Arch does/says something really stupid and Jim reacts exactly how I wanted to react. I practically cheered! I recommend this book for fans of Christian romance, especially those set during WWII.

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Book Review: Christmas in Bethel

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Christmas in Bethel
by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Contemporary romance

Leigh Beth Stilton has been abused by men throughout her life and experienced many other horrors as well. She has plans to end her life on Christmas day, but after reading a book by an author she’s never read, she finds the strength to carry on. Fast forward ten years, and a chance encounter with “her author” leads her into a whirlwind of fancy dinners, expensive gifts, and a hectic book tour schedule. Beth and J.D. Harper form a quick connection, but the pain in her past threatens to ruin everything.

First things first—this is not really a Christmas story. It takes place from before Thanksgiving to after Christmas, and some festivities are involved, but they’re really just background. It’s really just a contemporary romance that happens to take place at Christmastime. Not a deal breaker for me, but it’s good to make sure potential readers are aware. Also, you might see this marketed as Christian fiction in some places. It’s not. I’ve only read a few of Evans’s other books, but I’ve never gotten the impression that he was a Christian author, or even a Christian who is an author. The book doesn’t mention God once, unless you count the explanation of the meaning of the word “Bethel” (house of God). The two main characters become fairly intimate pretty quickly, though it’s pretty vague whether or not they actually sleep together and there’s nothing graphic. And there is a minor character who is somewhat-subtly gay. None of these things would bother me normally, but when the book is listed as Christian fiction (at least on Amazon and NetGalley), it definitely confuses me.

As for the book itself, I found the plot to be shallow and a bit muddled, and I didn’t really connect with the characters. I questioned so many things while I read. For example: Beth’s first name is Leigh (presumably pronounced like “Lee”), but she goes by Beth. So why did she give her name as “Lee” to the barista at Starbucks? Why, to give her the coincidental chance to meet J.D. Harper (whose real name is Lee), of course…though that could have still been worked out without her using her first name that she never uses. And why didn’t Beth recognize J.D./Lee? Sure, his picture isn’t on his books, but apparently his visage is widespread enough on TV and the internet for him to be recognized like crazy when he’s out at restaurants and stores…yet Beth, who has been halfway in love with him for ten years, doesn’t recognize him? I have other examples, but I don’t want to extend the review too much or come across like I’m ranting.

Not a fault of the book, but I don’t really connect with the heavy abuse in both of the characters’ pasts. But more than that, I felt that the romance was hurried and lacked any depth. They connect quickly, but then Lee stars inviting Beth to all sorts of events and even to his home, with barely any time to get to know each other. I guess the romance is mostly supposed to be in Beth falling in love with Lee through his writing, but since we don’t get to read any of his writing, it falls flat for me. In fact, I’d really like to know…anything about his books, especially the one that saved her life. We get only brief glimpses and are basically told that he writes about love so poignantly that he’s a big-name author. Maybe a romance based around the impact of fictional books works for some people, but it didn’t for me.

When I started to realize the little twist that was coming, I thought it might go a different way, but in the end, I did appreciate the way this story ends. It wasn’t nearly enough to salvage the rest of the book for me, though. I also have realized that I don’t really care for Evans’s writing style—I thought before that it was just his YA style, after reading most of the Michael Vey series, but now I know it’s just his style in general. I don’t personally recommend this book for anyone, but if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please check out other reviews at the link below. They’re way more positive than not (which is pretty normal for me).

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Sense and Sensibility

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Sense and Sensibility
by Jane Austen
Read by Nadia May

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Classic romance

For my second Jane Austen, I went with an audiobook, after feeling like it would have been better with Pride and Prejudice. Plus, I found an edition narrated by Nadia May, whose narration of Wives and Daughters I love. And though some of the characters made me want to throttle them, I enjoyed the book overall. Probably a little more than Pride and Prejudice, though I don’t think I can really compare reading one and listening to the other.

The plot of this book meandered a bit, but I don’t really remember being bored at any point. Again, that was probably helped by listening to an audiobook with great narration. I admit that I wish there had been a little more chemistry and even friendship build-up between some of the characters and maybe a little more in the way of showing their feelings and admissions of such. Overall, though, I enjoyed my time spent with this book and recommend the narration by Nadia May if you’re considering listening to the audiobook.

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Book Review: An Honorable Deception

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An Honorable Deception
The Imposters #3
by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When a young socialite who seeks the Imposters’ help in finding her missing ayah is subsequently shot, Yates knows there’s more to this case than it first appeared. And since two of his team are semi-incapacitated, it’s easy to accept help from his old friend Lady Lavinia, who is still reeling from the betrayal uncovered in her family in a previous Imposters case.

Yates was a semi-side character in the previous two books, but there were always sections from his POV, giving us a chance to get to know him as an Imposter, brother, and earl. In this book, he’s in the forefront, and his history with Lavinia shown in the first book is expanded upon. I always liked Yates, so I was happy to see more of him. And though his sister Marigold is married now, I love their sibling relationship in this book.

Besides Yates, this book has two other POVs—Lavinia and Lady Alethia, the woman whose ayah has gone missing. Alethia has her own dark past, and the way Lavinia and Alethia help each other through their healing is one of my favorite things about this book. There was one quote in particular that I found very moving:

“‘Whoever made you think you’re not worth it— they’re wrong. So very wrong. And you let them win when you keep thinking those thoughts. You are precious….You must not take any unnecessary risks. Your life matters.’”

After reading the first book in this series, I already knew I needed to read other books by Roseanna M. White, and after reading the author’s note and finding out that some characters from another series of hers appeared in this book, I’ll definitely be starting with that one. The ending makes it seem like there’s more to come in this series, though I don’t know if that will be the case, or if it will spill into a different series like the Shadows Over England series did into this one. I’ll definitely keep an eye on White’s future books, but in the meantime, I highly recommend this book for fans of Christian historical mystery (this is set during the Edwardian era in London).

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: November 19, 2024

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Book Review: I Think I Was Murdered

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I Think I Was Murdered
by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
read by Karen Peakes

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian mystery, romance

After Katrina’s beloved grandmother dies and the FBI goes after the CEO of the tech company for which she is legal counsel, she retreats to her hometown to figure out her next steps. She also lost her husband a year previous, and she eases her grief by talking to an AI chat program that is loaded with her his texts and emails. But then an innocuous question to her the bot returns a response that sets her world spinning even more: “I think I was murdered.”

The premise of this story intrigued me greatly, and the mystery aspect of the story was suspenseful and engaging. The book mostly takes place in a small town in California, where Katrina grew up with a Norwegian father and grandmother (called “Bestemor”), and there are a lot of references to Norwegian food and traditions, which I enjoyed. There is romance, but it’s not quite as front-and-center as a lot of these Christian romantic suspense books tend to be. The main male character has family issues that don’t connect to the main story, though they do provide an in-depth backstory for him that make him a well-rounded character.

However, there are several side stories, and I’m not sure all of them are particularly beneficial to the story. There are a couple of minor twists in the book, one of which I suspected from pretty early in the book. I don’t know if it was just that obvious or if I simply took a leap that happened to be correct. In the end, the book wasn’t a stand-out read for me, but I did enjoy listening to it. The narrator is decent, differentiating voices well enough to make the story easy to follow, though there were times when it seemed like her voice was more distressed-sounding than it needed to be. Overall though, I’d recommend this book for fans of Christian romantic suspense/mystery novels, especially those who are interested in the AI angle.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: November 12, 2024

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Book Review: Through Waters Deep

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Through Waters Deep
Waves of Freedom #1
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

Mary Stirling enjoys her job as Boston Navy Yard secretary, as long as it never puts her in the spotlight. When she encounters Jim Avery, an old friend who is now an naval officer, the two renew their friendship, bonding over some curious incidents that happen in the shipyard and aboard Avery’s ship, acts of sabotage that escalate in severity.

After reading and enjoying all of Sarah Sundin’s most recent works, I wanted to go back to some of her older books. This was not my favorite, for multiple reasons, though I did still enjoy Sundin’s style and the research and history she puts into her writing. However, the romance is heavily focused in the physical department for a while. There’s nothing graphic, but I don’t personally care for a lot of leering and pointing out of muscles and curves in Christian fiction. It’s always felt like a crutch, to me, a way to push the romance without having to put too much thought into what would attract two people to each other mentally or emotionally.

Also, both of these characters had some kind of major (maybe not so major in Mary’s case) trauma in their past that affected their lives so heavily, they both have a sort of mantra that they live by—”don’t hoist your sails.” For her, this means not to make too much of herself and become prideful. For him, this means not to stick his neck out or make a bold choice, but instead to “float” through life. They both have taken this to an extreme by this point in their lives, and while this does give both characters a chance to be dynamic throughout the story, it becomes a bit ridiculous and repetitive. Add to that the mystery that had way too many names involved and became convoluted and a bit far-fetched in the end, and this book was just okay. Fans of WWII stories, especially in the Christian romance genre, might enjoy this, especially if you’re not bothered by my complaints.

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