Brush Creek Cowboy: a second chance romance

Brush Creek Cowboy is the first book in the Brush Creek Cowboy series by Liz Isaacson. Walker Thompson is a former rodeo champion who now trains horses at the Brush Creek Horse Ranch with his ten year old son, Michael. Tess Wagner is a widow who came to Brush Creek with her son, Graham, for a fresh start after the tragic loss of her husband. It has been a quiet life until Walker, out of the blue, asks her to dinner. Neither wants to endure the pain of loss again, but is willing to take a chance. However, when Tess’s breast cancer comes back, Walker backs off. He begins to feel the hole their presence left in his life. He must decide if the risk of loss is worth the love they could share in the meantime? Can they lean on God in order to find a happy ending? 

Brush Creek Cowboy is a clean, Christian romance. I love a second chance at love and the doubts and questions of blending families. I enjoyed Walker and Tess’s introduction and back stories. However, everything about this story was abrupt and had no time for development in their relationship. I was bored. I needed more. The potential for an emotional story was there but I needed more. There was no real depth in their emotions and it was too short. Even if Walker and Tess had known each other for years, their relationship seemed rushed. I did like the faith discussions and the reliance on and leaning to God in times of trouble and joy. Overall, Brush Creek Cowboy was a decent story but I felt no investment. I most likely will not be continuing this series. If you like clean, Christian romance with cowboys, I recommend Brush Creek Cowboy. 

Brush Creek Cowboy is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Trouble With Love: a best friend's brother romance with a realistic look into faith and God

The Trouble With Love is the first book in the Faith and Fortune series by Toni Shiloh. Holiday Brown has it all. A successful singing career with a platinum record and a multi-million dollar home in Manhattan that she shares with her two closest friends. Everything was looking great until her roommate’s brother came to stay. W. Emmett Brown has been a thorn in her side for a long time. He is annoying, stubborn and a know it all. He is also the most gorgeous man she has ever seen. Suddenly dynamics charge as Emmett’s sister has a stalker who is getting closer and more threatened. Holiday soon finds that Emmett’s faith isn’t as annoying as it was and he has a softer side that she had failed to notice before. As the two get closer, Holiday starts to question faith, belief and God in ways she hadn’t thought about before. Will it bring Holiday closer to God? 

The Trouble With Love is a slow burn, enemies to lovers, best friend’s brother, clean romance. It sounds like a lot, so many tropes in one story, but it works. Once I started this story, I could not put it down. One of my favorite quotes is “The trouble with love was it always smacked you in the face when you least expected it,” which is so true! I fell in love with Holiday, Emmett and her roommates, Tori and Octavia. I loved the banter and teasing between Holiday and Emmett. I loved the interactions between all the characters. The friendship and love between the women. I loved the in depth, realistic look into the struggles with belief, the questions and doubts and the honest real answers from the believers in the story. Even before I finished Holiday and Emmett’s story, I knew I would be continuing the series. I highly, highly recommend The Trouble With Love. 

The Trouble With Love is available in paperback and eBook

Someone to Trust: an inspirational story about faith, hope and joy

Someone to Trust is the second book in the Life Unexpected trilogy by Melanie D. Snitker. Chess Summers never got a “real” family growing up. Entering the foster care system at a young age and he grew up feeling alone. As an adult, he created a makeshift family with other former foster kids that finally gave Chess the sense of belonging. However when his insecurities from the past threaten his future, Chess sees everything he holds dear begin to fall away. Brooke Pierce has had a tough life but her trust in Christ has kept her going. She has harbored a crush for Chess but he has made it clear that he saw no future for them. When Chess begins to see Brooke differently and as Brooke starts to move on, Chess must ask himself the difficult questions, especially his own doubts about God and faith. 

Someone to Trust is a wonderful inspirational Christian novel that hits the tough questions about the power of faith, hope, and the joy found in redemption. I enjoyed Chess as he struggles with his doubts and the honesty in his questions. I also enjoyed the answers that he received as real and honest. There was no flowery, everything will be perfect in their answers but faith helps the struggles lighter. One of my favorite quotes from Chess’s brother, Joel, as he answers Chess’s questions: “We can’t control what happens around us, Chess, but we can control the choices we make in the midst of it all.” So very true! I devoured this book and I look forward to reading the third and final book in the trilogy.  I highly recommend Someone to Trust as well as the first book in the trilogy, Safe in His Arms.

Someone to Trust is available in paperback and eBook

Fear Has a Name: Christian suspense with real issues and real struggles

Fear Has a Name is the first book in the Crittendon Files by Creston Mapes. A stranger breaks into the home of Jack Crittendon while his wife, Pamela and young daughters were home. As the police chalk it up to another in a string of home invasions, something feels off. Only personal items were taken and personal items destroyed. As a journalist, Jack is put on a story of a missing pastor, who reportedly left a suicide note. His investigation leads him into a dark world of lies, greed and danger. When a name surfaces from Pamela’s past, is there a connection between their home invasion and the missing pastor? It is a race against the clock as Jack knows he must uncover who this person is and what he wants with Jack’s family before it’s too late. 

A Christian suspense? An oxymoron? No, this story is filled with suspense, intrigue and faith. As a Christian, I find many Christian fiction to be too overly positive. The same goes with books labeled as Christian suspense. With the same basic, repetitious sunshine and rainbow versions of faith and believers, the story would fall flat. However, the Christian message in Fear Has a Name is real and deep which didn’t shy away from the issues that many Christians struggle with. These characters aren’t perfect, they are deeply flawed and struggle with their faith and their human nature. Fear Has A Name is a slow burn suspense story with a fast paced ending that will leave you hooked. Overall, I enjoyed Fear Has a Name. If you enjoy suspenseful stories with a Christian message, I recommend Fear Has a Name. 

Fear Has a Name is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook