Category: Contemporary

About

When Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston from an eastern finishing school, she’s stunned to find her father in ill health. Though she loves him, he’s only ever focused on what she’s not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run their family business, Renard Shipping.

Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family’s greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole’s father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping’s good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father’s work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father’s rivals–the Jenkins brothers–on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.

Darius Thornton needs a secretary–someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana, Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he’s determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won’t distract him from his important research.

The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she’ll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can’t remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn’t fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves.

Review

It is always such a joy to get my hands on a Karen Witemeyer novel! My thoughts:

What I liked:

How uncomplicated her romance novels are. Sometimes you just want a straight romance novel that will make you sigh in the end and that’s what this is.

Darius. He’s a bit of the absent minded professor, but you can’t help but like him. More to the point, once he starts focusing in on Nicole, he really becomes endearing. I loved reading about him falling in love.

Nicole. She’s both beautiful and smart and to some degree, fully capable of taking care of herself. There are certain elements about her that are really unique and helps make for a very fun heroine.

The premise, because it allowed Nicole and Darius to get to know each other before they fell in love.

Spiritually, there is this great theme of grace and how you don’t have to do penance for things in the past. That’s what Jesus was for.

What I didn’t like:

There was a moment or two when I felt like Nicole was making a mountain out of a molehill about something. But the book doesn’t stay there.

Overall, such a fun, delightful romance that is completely enthralling!

Romantic Scale: 9

**I received this novel from Bethanyhouse. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

Review

Being an avid reader of Christian romance, I will say that most Contemporary Christian Romance novels have a tendency to feel contrived to me. Problems usually feel created. But not so with Becky Wade! I love her writing and My Stubborn Heart is one of my favorite novels of all times. But, now, here are my thoughts for this one:

What I liked:

The beginning. It completely pulled me in and allowed me to become totally invested in Celia. Rarely, and I do mean rarely, do I connect with a heroine as much as I connected with Celia. Even Ty couldn’t pull me all the way over to his side.

The premise. It is not often that you have in a Christian novel, hidden babies. I was super excited to see it here even though there really isn’t a good reason to hide a kid from his/her dad. But, it worked here! I got why Celia didn’t tell Ty about their daughter.

I love stories that deal with parents falling in love with their children. Watching Ty get to know his daughter was so sweet. I also liked when the Porter clan was introduced to his daughter.

Ty. I liked that Ty was not like other heroes. He didn’t make up his mind right away about Celia and that really added some extra anxiety to the story.

The romance. It was slow, but it had a nice simmer to it. And I must say, love is nicely portrayed in a Becky Wade novel. It’s giving, it’s compromising, it’s putting someone else first. Beautifully done.

Spiritually, there is this great theme of forgiveness and what that really looks like. I thought Celia’s learning to follow God and letting go of the past was realistically portrayed. Her reactions came across as genuine and really understandable. There’s also something to be said about obedience here. I think Ms. Wade does a wonderful job with the spiritual message of not being too subtle as to have you wonder if this is a Christian novel, and yet the messages are not so overpowering so as to not fit the tone of the novel.

What I didn’t like:

Ty. This might be confusing because I liked that Ty was different. But, he was so confused about his feelings about Celia. And it’s not that that is a bad thing per se, but I didn’t trust him anymore than Celia did. I liked Ty, I just didn’t understand Ty.

Romantic scale: 9

Overall, very cute, original, fun, and romantic.

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

About
The search for a woman who disappeared in 1906 has lead cultural anthropologist Erin Dawson to Cedar Canyon, where the iconic terrain of red rock walls and mesas keep Navajo traditions—and maybe criminal evidence—well hidden. When Erin’s search leads her to cross paths with tribal policeman Adam Silverhorn, it’s hardly love at first sight. But everywhere she turns, Adam is                 already there.

Fighting their feelings for each other, the two are suddenly thrust into a battle far more dangerous—a common quest to rout an insidious drug cartel that has spawned the recent rise in gang violence on the reservation. Adam’s position of authority gives Erin a rare glimpse into Navajo life few outsiders like her ever see—and into a crime ring that                 no one dares to imagine. As danger mounts, Adam and Erin begin to wonder if they will live to tell how they really feel.

Review
I discovered Lisa Carter with Carolina Reckoning. And while I enjoyed that novel, this one persuaded me to add her to my must buy list! Beneath a Navajo Moon is unlike most novels you will find on the shelves because it has this interesting combination of past and present that completely merges. So without further ado,
What I liked:

The American Indian culture. I learned so much about the Navajo both in the past and in the present. The novel also tosses in some WWII history that I think rarely gets the attention it deserves.

Adam. He’s got a lot going on. He has to balance his Navajo culture vs. “American” culture and consider how far he is willing to go in his duty as a cop. But, he’s also really funny and sweet, and still makes you want to slap him at the same time. Ha! I liked him.

Erin. She’s a great heroine who surprises you time and time again.

The romance. I really liked that Erin and Adam were such good friends even as you could tell that they were falling for each other. Honestly, sometimes I felt like I was reading a chick-lit and I loved it.

The mystery/suspense was a part of the novel and yet, the characters were the focus. But when it was suspenseful, it was suspenseful.

Spiritually, I love the way you watch Adam fall for Jesus. It’s slow, but makes sense. I also loved that you see Erin deal with the idea of falling for someone unsaved and how she deals with it.

What I didn’t like:
They kept saying that Erin was obsessed with her history research and while clearly she had to be because she did so much to get there. Once she was there, it didn’t seem to be that much of a focus for her.

At one point, it felt like the novel slowed, but turn the next page. It picks right up again.

Overall, I had so much fun with this one. Read it!

Romantic Scale: 8.9
*I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

About

Eden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen’s cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career. She dreamed of making a name for herself as a reporter, but is stuck writing obits—and starting to fear she doesn’t have the chops to land a major story. If only someone would step up to mentor Owen . . . but she knows better than to expect help from team veteran and bad-boy enforcer Jace Jacobsen.

Jace has built his career on the infamous reputation of his aggressive behavior—on and off the ice. Now at a crossroads about his future in hockey, that reputation has him trapped. And the guilt-trip he’s getting from Eden Christiansen isn’t making things any easier. But when Owen’s carelessness leads to a career-threatening injury and Eden stumbles upon a story that could be her big break, she and Jace are thrown together . . . and begin to wonder if they belong on the same team after all.

Review

This novel is the second book about the Christiansen family. The first one, for me, was a solid read. This one, however, I didn’t want to put down. Maybe it was just the lure of Jace, he is quite the hero. And a great hero can make for a great novel. So, here are things I noticed about the book:

Eden was a borderline heroine for me. I’ve noticed that I’m fairly harsh to the females in romance novels, so I really tried to put myself in her shoes, with her thoughts. And while this helped me understand her a bit more, she still managed to come off a bit self-absorbed sometimes. That said, I really liked that she was straightforward and so the novel didn’t suffer from self-absorbed-ness and lack of communication. Yet, there were times where I really liked her. And so, she was on the tightrope as a heroine.

Jace was amazing (why do men’s flaws make more sense?!). He’s a hockey player who is trying to redo his image. He’s also a good friend and someone who cares for others deeply. He does have a tendency to jump the gun, but I think he does a great job fixing it. I really did like him with Eden though. There’s a lot of chemistry there and more importantly you could really see them fall for each other and that was cute.

There’s this great side mystery in the book that brings Jace and Eden together. It’s kind of a sad mystery (when you find out all the facts), but completely intriguing.

Ms. Warren has a tendency in these novels to have two romances running alongside each other. Well, not so much in this one. It’s more like one romance and Jace’s friend’s pov. And frankly, I liked it more that way.

Spiritually, there is a lot going on, but what struck me is how you have to trust that God loves you and cares about you far more that you can grasp or think.

Overall, this is a wonderful novel and it reminded why I love Susan May Warren. I will admit, it deals with some tough topics that may play with your heart a bit, but you won’t want to put it down.

Romantic Scale: 9

P.S. Really enjoyed the prequel as well!