GRR Reviews Courting the Cowboy by Liz Isaacson

May just got her ultimatum from her dad... Even though she had been running the restaurant for a decade and thus has no love life (or any life) to speak of, she needs to find a husband in 12 months... or the restaurant goes to her sister (who's married, but has NO business running the restaurant). Unfortunately, Grape Seed Falls only has cowboys for dating and she's burned out on cowboys. She went for online dating, and was surprised to find someone how's a good match... he turns out to be foreman of a local ranch... Kurt, who's just as a workaholic as she is, except on a ranch. Now May is conflicted... she thought she sworn off all cowboys but Kurt is nice and sweet enough to make her reconsider, but he's a bit too close to home... and her family is driving her nuts with all the expectations. How's a woman supposed to balance her heart and her restaurant?

Not as angst-y as you'd expect, and the whole thing is kept very Christian and sweet (no sex, no swearing), not even overtly Christian message except occasional praying. 4/5

GRR Reviews An Encore for Estelle by Kimberly Rose Johnson

Estelle Rogers has turned her life around, thanks to a small town called Oak Knoll, and a woman there who taught her Christian ways. Six years later, her restaurant is thriving, and she wanted to give back to the community that gave her so much. She agreed to help the local children's theater and encountered Blake, there for his own tragedy... // Blake lost his wife and daughter to an auto accident on the way to a rehearsal. He wanted to help the theater, but he wasn't ready for Estelle and the feelings she evoked...

While the story is indeed, clean, and Christian, the pacing somehow just feels... off. There are complications like Estelle was sorta dating her executive chef, and kinda gave him the wrong idea. Then the manager was covering up her own malfeasance by NOT mentioning the problems. The darkest hour just doesn't quite felt that dark. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Dreams of Sweetwater River by Lisa M Prysock

Jill is a travel writer on the east coast, and a war widow, raising three kids. She lost her faith when a routine mission in Afghanistan claimed the life of her husband. When all three of her kids started having issues, she decided to move back home to Wyoming, which is when she ran into Logan, an old acquaintance of her family, and a childhood crush, until she found her man in uniform. // Logan was a pro bullrider until one too many injuries had him retire from that life. His faith was what allowed him to hang on through the downs. Now he's determined to turn his father's ranch into a dude ranch resort. Finding Jill again was a blessing... But Logan can't be with someone who had lost her faith...

Okay, inspirational, yes, Christian, sure. But starting EVERY chapter with a Bible quote or a hymn quote... well, feels slightly overdone, but that's just my personal feelings on this matter. Romance was low-key simmer, and kids were a bit underused. But overall, it's still a good story, just not great.

3.5/5

GRR Reviews Blind Date with a Billionaire Professor by Evangeline Kelly

Abby tends to go for players, but when her friend set her up with college professor Colin, she's hooked... Even a handshake send a tingle up her arm... Until she realized Colin has absolutely ZERO polish... Either he can't think of anything to say... or he rambles on and not letting her get a word edge-wise. So she friend-zoned him... // Colin was devastated after being FZ'ed, but he knew he can't spend the rest of his life alone. He's just unsure about himself, as his father had multiple failed marriages... But for Abby... he'd try again... So he thought of an excuse... He'll help Abby shop for a new car... In exchange, Abby can teach him some social graces... in 3 meetings. They learned both are faithful Christians... and perhaps there is some sizzle between them... Colin needs to come out of his shell, and Abby... well, Abby ended up learning some things about her best friend Nate that she never suspected... Perhaps, Colin may prove to be the right choice after all...

The flip from friends to lovers, IMHO, could have gone a little smoother, but friend-zoned transition was handled pretty well, as well as some shade thrown at the pickup artist culture, and revealing Nate to be not quite the person she thought he was. Like it, but not extraordinarily so.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Knoxi's World by James Nathaniel Miller II

(Also see reviews for Book 1 and Book 2 of the series, and there is very little romance here, mostly adventure.)

Knoxi Musket is going to the University of Texas at Austin on a basketball scholarship. At the announcement ceremony, where she encountered the atheist reporter Rolf Sagan, who had nothing good to say about her religious views. She and her security team, plus friends were intercepted by bad guys... along with a famous Tejano singer Glorietta... in disguise as a police officer. The singer revealed she was actually a human trafficking victim named Alexis. After a harrowing rooftop escape, they got to Moon River Ranch, only to find another injustice... a pregnant woman on a horse running away from hostiles toward them. Knoxi, and her parents Cody and Brandi have to take down the corrupt sheriff and the local tycoon, then help Alexis recover her son Zorro. But when Zorro disappeared, the trail ran cold. And the evil was only the tip of the iceberg, for the bad guys belong to the Syndicate, a huge global conglomerate of evil. Knoxi had to go to one person she would never ask for help: Rolf Sagan... and discovered a surprising connection... Now Knoxi must embark on a journey, disguised as a nun, rescue young Zorro from clutches of evil Caribbean pirates, and save herself in unfamiliar terrain... all alone... if she wanted Sagan to release enough info on the Syndicate to bring it down permanently...

There certainly is a LOT of adventure going on, and the cast of characters is long. It's a bit of Clancy-style quick cuts from location to location, and as in other novels in the series, there will be a miracle that is unexplained except to the faithful. The "sci-fi" part can be ignored safely. It's way too fantastic to be scifi, IMHO, and it's mostly used for comic relief. There is some romance, as Alexis had to take on a third identity to be married to Cameron, who rescued her, and she became a baseball wife while learning English and acclimating to a normal life, even as they learn to live with each other. Knoxi was paired up with Ryan, the technical genius. But the book really is mostly adventure.

Category: Contemporary / Adventure

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 rounded up

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews No Pit So Deep Book 2 by James Nathaniel Miller II

NOTE: See Review of Book 1 here

Cody Musket has married Brandi, and their daughter Knoxi is now seven. Cody is a baseball star, but he's also secretly funding a band of vigilantes, using his charity "Planned Childhood" as a front, rescuing trafficked women and children around the world... A secret he even kept from his wife. But when the cartel retaliated by kidnapping Knoxi and took her to South America, things couldn't be worse... But Cody has a plan, and Knoxi is well trained. Soon, the 14 battle-hardened mercenaries, many of them seeking their own redemption, have rescued Knoxi and several dozen children. But rescue is days away as they must reach the coast by boat, and both food and water are running out. Yet with faith, miracles can happen, but great sacrifices will have to be made, as the enemy close in...

This is NOT a military thriller, so the combat is rather minimal. In a way, it reminds me a lot of the movie "Tears of Sun (2003)" starring Bruce Willis and Monica Belluci. There were also quite a few miracles and deus ex machina moments that seemingly came out of nowhere, but that's the whole idea of a Christian novel, right?

The extended heaven sequence (the timeline jumped to Cody got gravely wounded due to a police shooting) was pretty darn good. It's a little weird, but it did bring tears to my eyes. I normally don't get tear-y eyed over a novel, but that part really got me choked up. And it did end on a miracle.

But it's NOT romance. It's more about faith and redemption and hope.

Category: Contemporary / Adventure Action

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Ruthless BIllionaire by Evangeline Kelly

Poor young woman Aria who just lost her job accepts a house-cleaning position from young and ruthless heir Lucas. He had to marry a shallow socialite on his father's list... a marriage in name only to secure his inheritance, for he feels broken and unworthy of love. She just wanted to save enough money to find her brother, who disappeared after being separated in the foster care system. They should not want each other, esp. when he had lost his faith long time ago. But Aria believes in Lucas... If he will allow God back into his life...

The Christian theme is there, but not too heavy. The self-loathing, however, is pretty heavy, esp. Lucas. There's enough trope trauma here on Lucas that it felt a bit melodramatic (he's both verbally and physically abused, suffers from abandonment issues, and his father, through his will, continues to mess with him from beyond the grave). Even the ending, felt a bit deus ex machina (who knew the "bad" choice turned out to be most profitable for him?). Still, I like the polish.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Prudie's Mountain Man by Elaine Manders

Prudie had failed to keep her brother in check and lost the entire family merchandising business, despite being one of the first provisional female students of Harvard, and ready to take over the family company. With friends already married, she did the only way out: become a mail order bride to help run a general store in the middle of Wyoming. // Erich spent his time in the wilderness of Wyoming after his mother died and his father became a hermit with him. His facial scar from a cougar attack didn't help. But when he inherited the general store in Bent Fork, he needed a bride to help him run it. But soon he realized Prudie has her own scars to deal with... and when their ideas clash, and someone is embezzling money from the store, will there actually be love between them?

Clean, Christian, but I honestly don't know about Erich, who's so Christian he doesn't feel like a mountain man at all, unless his papa, who decided to become a hermit, is actually a preacher (and he wasn't). It's like he doesn't want to press charges in all sorts of problems. Argh. It's clean alright, along with some TSTL moments. Overall, it's simply mediocre.

Category: Historical Western

Overall Rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up)
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NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below

GRR Reviews Cry of My Heart (Montana Skies Book 1) by Linda Ford

Cry of My Heart attempted to portray a painful "going home" scenario where a man found redemption with God and found love as well with her neighbor. But the forced cohabitation scenario was really weak and the spiritual message about going back to church and reestablish one's faith seems a bit heavy-handed.

To recap, Nicole lost her father at a young age and resigned to live her life as drama free as possible, dedicating her life to run her antique store and help care for her sister and grandma, even though she's a young vivacious person on the inside. She did not count on encountering Ace Conners, former neighbor, who left a long time ago. Ace was just back to settle the affairs of his aunt Millie. He'd gladly dump the whole house, but the stuff needed sorting, and his neighbor Nicole would love to sell a lot of the antiques (it's just junk to him) in her store and insist on helping him sort them. Ace hadn't had a home for a long while, having spent most of the time on the road working. And encountering Nicole gave him pause to contemplate his life... and his disconnection from God. Had he been running away all this time? When an enemy from Ace's past resurfaces, Ace and Nicole will have to confront the danger together... or lose their happiness.

Neither Ace nor Nicole connected with me. Sure, they are former neighbors, but they literally have NOTHING ELSE in common (except their fondness of the now dead Aunt Millie) and they didn't really fall in love much... I have no problem with Nicole trying to get Ace to go back to church and get a sense of belonging as part of his grieving process, but that doesn't really make a romance much.

Category: Contemporary / Christian

Primary Plot: Man going home to settle his dead aunt's things falls for the neighbor he hadn't seen for a very long time, found God again

Tropes: clean, Christian, small town, return, family secrets, different worlds

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews A Good-Hearted Man by Barbara Kaylor

A Good-Hearted Man is a Christian Romance about forgiveness and faith. There are barely any kisses and definitely no sex, and liberal doses of Bible quotes and Christian values. However, the plot was actually quite good, and it followed all the romance structure, from the meet-cute to the escalations up to the darkest hour, and even the resolution. The main problem, however, was the pace, as the novel just feels... SLOW.

Sarina Bridges is on her own. After death of her parents and constant berating by her two spinster aunts that she's worthless and useless, she finally leaves for Nashville, but her plans were ruined by theft of her travel funds, and she drifted into town, and sought shelter in a shed, after trespassing onto private property, only hoping to spend the night. That's where Jess Slinger found her. Jess was a former wrestler, and now the town farrier. He had inherited the farm from the couple who took him in at his lowest, at death's door and lead him to the Lord. He had desired a wife and family, and the appearance of Sarina can only be a sign from High Above, so instead of calling the sheriff, Jess offered a helping hand, and earned the enmity of bitter locals who are afraid of strangers, esp. the "law-breaking kind". Jess is determined to protect Sarina, but is Sarina staying around, or will she leave to give Jess peace? Esp. when Sarina was accused of a crime she did not commit? In times of need, will the couple turn to love and faith of each other?

If you need a feel-good novel that is really slow paced, this book should be quite good, and it could be even YA even though the characters are quite a bit older. Non-religious folks may be a bit turned off by liberal use of Bible quotes and vast amount of faith displayed by both. It didn't bother me.

Category:  Contemporary / Christian / Clean Spiritual

Primary Plot:  Girl with nowhere to go; Guy wanting a wife and family; A Town Weary of Strangers; Is there a happily ever after?

Tropes: different worlds, spiritual, clean, christian, woman in peril

Overall Rating:  4/5  (rounded up from 3.5/5)

GRR Review Hook, Line & Sinker: A Deep Haven Nove by Susan May Warren

Hook, Line, and Sinker was better than I expected. After all, how exciting or romantic can you make a Christian fishing competition?

Ross wanted to make a mark at the college and the annual Deep Haven fishing contest trophy seems the perfect way. However, it also brought back the only woman he loved... and lost... Abigail. Abby doesn't fish, but she learns fast, and she'd love to show Ross how she REALLY feels about him... It'd be a battle... of the hearts AND minds. 

Susan May Warren managed to carry out the impossible... Make religion AND fishing at least somewhat romantic! As a novella that barely filled 60 pages, a lot of stuff was in the backstory between the MC's, Ross and Abigail, and how this fishing competition managed to reunite them, and have them admit their love for each other rather than just drive each other nuts. Not like great great, but definitely fun.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Fishing competition managed to bring former lovers to enemies back together...

Tropes:Reunion, sports, Christian

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Review Christmas Mail-Order Brides: Four Mail- by Susan Page Davis

Christmas Mail Order Brides is a collection of four very clean Christian Christmas Romances about how love and trust in God saw each of the brides through their respective crisis.

Annika arrived in Wyoming only to find her intended didn't intend to marry her (but his brother does).

Jolie's trip to Nevada was interrupted by a stagecoach robbery and was forced to marry and different man upon arrival...

Elizabeth went to Nebraska with a lot of secrets, like she doesn't know how to sew or cook (but can read and do figures) as well as she's still in contact with her ex-lover...

Amelia, who is going to California for one final matchmaking, but her client has a different candidate in mind.

They are all sweet, short, clean, and while they may sound a bit too religious, they seem to be the right tone for Christmas tales. I rather enjoyed them despite my mostly agnostic attitude.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Collection

Trope: Holiday, mail order bride, clean, Christian

Overall Rating:  4/5  (rounded up from 3.5/5)