Love is Monumental, contemporary Christian romance, is book 2 in the A Walk in the Park series from Barbour Books.  This time I'm not reading out of order.  I read book 1, Love is a Battlefield, a few years ago and just recently bought the rest of the series.

As the series name hints, these romance are centered at our national parks, and Love is Monumental is set in Washington, D.C. with all the wonderful sites there.  Park ranger Vickie Harris' favorite site to work at is the Washington Monument.  Vickie's friends have dubbed her the queen of first dates, because Vickie always finds something in her men to dissuade her from having a second date. The girl isn't picky, just selective.

As the book begins, she feels that she fallen into a rut. Facing her thirtieth birthday, she is ready to try something different to get some serious romance in her life.  Then she meets clueless bachelor Professor Thatcher Torrey. This can't be love, can it? The man needs a research assistant, and Vickie has the time to help, but often it seems that is all he wants — her help.

Thatcher has his own issues of which he is quite aware, but mostly he just doesn't know what to do to please Vickie.

Love Is Monumental is a cute read. No stress. No emotional angst — though I do believe I teared up in a mom/daughter scene. Vickie does learn how to realign her priorities and expectations. Thatcher learns how to step up and be proactive. The joint theme of learning not to run from problems is a good lesson for all of us.

If you like straight, contemporary Christian romance, I think you will enjoy this series. I didn't see anything not to like.

Everglades is a contemporary romance from Desert Breeze.  A smooth, easy read. Petie offers great details of the everglades, and I would be surprised to learn that she hasn't spent some serious time in them herself.

It was nice to revisit 1980s romance characters where the heroine immediately dislikes the hero for one scowling glance.  Plus, Everglades was a love-at-first sight romance, with the majority of the book covering two days in lives of Skye and Kayli. Their developing relationship is a slowburn lust rather than passionate kisses and too quick sex — so that's cool too.

This novel wouldn't be pegged as Christian fiction, but it had the worldview of God as Creator, some moments of panic prayers, and an Indian guardian angel element of the supernatural.  Plus, the main story theme was trust.

The ending was intense, but the story was so caught up in plot and love relationship that a few threads were dropped.  The heroine never had to fess up to her part in not being honest.  And the political subplot, particularly the villain, left a lot to the reader's imagination how that ended up. But imagination is a good thing, right?

I liked this one for the setting, the instant attractions between hero and heroine, and the action scenes. See if you do, too.

Cooking the Books is an interesting mix of cozy mystery and romantic suspense in that many of the suspects were the heroine's past or current love interests, that the heroine wasn't actually trying to solve a crime, but stay alive, and that all the loose ends were not tied up at the end … as this is the first in a mystery series.

Sloane Templeton is neither extreme in the archetype of female sleuths — a Jessica Fletcher nor an Eve Dallas.  Sloane isn't knowledgeable about a variety of topics. She isn't physically fit, her body honed into a weapon, nor even is she knowledgeable about weapons. Yet she is a defender of underdogs and willing to sacrifice her own comfort to help others.  Of course she has actrocious taste in men.

The problems:  Sloane has inherited half of her mother's bookstore and she has no interest in books. Sloane is divorced and her ex is suing her for her inheritance. A big corporation wants to buy out the building that houses her apartment and the bookstore. Two professors are squabbling over buying a rare book she possesses. Her ex-lover is a gangster. Her current boyfriend isn't that into her. Her mom's business partner wants to buy out her interest in the bookstore. And Sloane would like to get back into the world of computer forensics, but she's still grieving and emotionally unable to take the steps needed to realign her life.

As I've said before, I'm not that into snark, but Sloane didn't seem to be either. I liked her.  I didn't always understand or agree with her decisions, but she never annoyed me to the point where I wouldn't want to be her friend. In fact, if she were real, I would pray for her because I see her potential to be a mighty force for the Lord.

As was, Cooking the Books struck me as spiritually lite. Even Sloane's revelation about her ability to defend herself and not be a victim didn't hold long before she was questioning again. So she may have taken a few baby steps toward healing, but Sloane has a long way to go — which I suppose is okay if it is going to be a long series.

Guess I'll have to keep reading to see.

Conception, Future Savior Book One, by Jennifer Hartz was one of the first Christian fantasy novels Desert Breeze Publishing offered. Of course, I'm late to the game and she has two more books in the series published with the fourth soon to be released.  This is good news, because in this case, when she says series, it doesn't mean loosely joined by a location but stand-alone books, like I mean in my Children of the King series.  Here, the end of Conception leads right into the next book.  So be prepared to read a series. 

Here's what I liked about Conception:  Christian symbolism — all over the place. Know your Bible and you'll see reflections of God throughout the story.

Christina, the sarcastic heroine. She does well under pressure.  Not perfect, but certainly exemplary, given the circumstances of being dropped into a new world/realm/time.

The world building.  I liked that Meric was just a little bit different than earth. I liked that animals were named the same, but maybe a different color, or had extra horns. I liked that I didn't have to work to understand the scenery.  And I liked the insinuation that the atmosphere was the same as pre-Noah days, allowing for longer life.

I liked all the good-looking male characters. I'm not a reader who wants the bumps and worts of real life in my heroes, so I appreciated the prettiness of Jenn's characters. The only problem I had with Shaw's gorgeousness was that he was a shape-shifter, and if I'd been Christina I would have commented on his good taste in choosing such a pretty face rather than just being impressed by his bod.

And speaking of Shaw's shape-shifting, what was that ending about?  During the climax of the novel, did he forget that he had that ability? (I know for plot purposes, Jenn did what she did to bring about the conclusion she wanted — another good biblical mirroring), but I was yelling at Shaw to change back into a skinny kid, and he wasn't doing it.

Read the book and you'll know what I'm talking about.  If you get to books 2, 3, and 4 before me, just tell me it all ends well. Don't be giving away secrets.

Check out Conception at Desert Breeze Publishing.

Warrior's Journey is the second book in the Cuffe sisters' Blood Brothers in Christ series from Desert Breeze Publishing. I haven't read the first book yet, but this one has a waterfall on the cover, and for those of you who know me, you know how much I enjoy waterfalls.

This story had a lot of mystery and the interesting (I've never read it before) setting of a group of environmental activities as the main characters. But this book was a hard read for me because it has those edgy Christian characters that I've mentioned before in reviews. Characters who are so true to how real people are about not staying in character that they make me work too hard to understand their motivations and attitudes.

What I did understand of the characters, I liked. Molly Stuart had great love for her twelve year old son, Sean. Rand, our hero, though carrying a bad reputation and the guilt of some poor choices from his wilder days, was a man of honor and compassion, with the gift of encouragement. The psychos in the story were definitely psychos, and I wondered why everyone couldn't see that.

My biggest issue happened early in the novel, and you know that once I have an issue, then other little things in the book jump out at me too. I didn't get the name RJ for both the twins. I can believe parents would name twin boys Randoph Jackson and Robinson Joseph, but I don't get how they could both be nicknamed RJ. Individually Rand and Robbie, yes, but not both RJ by all the characters at different times.  I mean, I could understand Molly calling Robbie RJ and Rand, Rand.  And Ashley calling Rand RJ and Robbie, Robbie.  But how can both ladies call both Robbie and Rand RJ at different times in their lives. I don't get it.

But if that is the worst that I don't get in a world of green energy, at risk kids' programs, mountain climbing/hiking accidents, secrets, government agency men, and the wonder of sacrificial love, then hey, I'm still doing okay.  And, you know, I might just go back to Blood Brothers in Christ book one and find out if that answers any of my questions. Who reads books out of order because of a waterfalls anyway?

A House Full of Hope is sweet category romance from Love Inspired. No suspense, just the straight-foward romance novel, which usually leaves me wanting a bit more depth. But I found this story well crafted with great backstory that led into internal character conflicts and moved the plot forward through a series of incidents that drew the hero and heroine closer together. Actually, I recommend this book as a decent study of how to write category romance.

Mark Ryker returns to his hometown to make peace with his dad after a fifteen year silence. His dad isn't interested in forgiveness. But Mark meets Hannah Hughes, once the pesky little sister of a girl he dated in high school. Oops, Mark's wild ways had led the sister into a life-long addiction to alcohol … so Hannah isn't interested in forgiving Mark either. Toss in Hannah's mom who is held captive by a spiritual bitterness bondage, and we have a whole lot of Christians not willing to forgive the new Christian (Mark) who is attempting to obey God by returning to his home town.  I guess you can tell who had my empathy.

But once Hannah got on board and realized Mark had no ulterior motives, my emotions engaged with the story, the main characters, Hannah's delightfully individual children (and dog), and the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation.

If you need reminded that money cannot buy happiness or love, you'll find A House Full of Hope just the ticket for a rainy afternoon.

Bound by Grace is a short historical category romance from Heartsong Presents. In the biz, it's what is called a sweet romance. And Bound by Grace is even sweeter than most.

Our heroine, Charlotte Pringle, is nearly a spinster at age 20, but that's mostly because she is more interested in books than boys, in managing her bookshop than in marrying. Though she isn't against the latter, especially after she meets attractive Richard Baxton.

Richard, our hero, finds himself in charge of all aspects of the family business, his mother, and his niece Grace, after his brother's and sister-in-law's untimely death in a carriage accident. He meets Charlotte at her bookstore while shopping for Grace.

This is a story of a courtship of friendship, of like interests in books and compassion for Grace as she learns to live and walk again after the carriage accident. It is a story of bad timing and some unexplained lack of communication, and mostly the honest insecurities that encroach a deepening love relationship. It's a story of honoring duties, including the requests of parents, and listening to the desires of the heart, and still waiting on the Lord.

Bound by Grace is a quick read, with some interesting details of society life in Brandywine, Delaware in 1881, a different location from the usual western America of romance novels set in this time period.

Suspense. Hot topic of child prostitution and sex-trafficking.  A Texas Ranger. A heroine with a huge heart and desire to make a difference in her section of the world. A kidnapped child.

A good read.  A steady building plot, with believable events added each step of the way.  Empathetic secondary characters in the hero's family and the Beacon of Hope girls. Truly horrendous villains from the top to the bottom of the organization.

The characters were spiritual-lite, but the book's themes of trusting God to be with them, recognizing they were not alone, not to give up hope, and to believe that with God all things are possible were brought out through the main story thread and the side issues in the many of the characters' lives.

I enjoyed this first book in the Men of the Texas Rangers series, and look forward to the next one.

The Green Veil, a sweeping historical romance, follows ten years of the life of Colette Palmer beginning in 1841when she is fourteen years old. Her parents decide to leave Michigan and head into the forests of Wisconsin Territory where her father can realize his dream of owning his own saw mill.

Like Promise Me This, the Green Veil is more historical than romance, more coming of age and learning hard life lessons than the pleasures of first-time love or even the courting dance of romance novels. By its very length, the Green Veil covers lots of ground with what, I suspect, shall be memorable characters.

Colette is my favorite type of heroine, smart, beautiful but unaware of it, capable and kind. But she makes the mistakes that are needed to lead her closer to God and more dependent on Him as life leaves the path she'd expected to walk.  Still, by the end of the novel, she shows a determination to see through her mistakes and to allow God to bless her for her faithfulness.

There are three men in Colette's life (beyond her dad and God) who mold her into the woman she becomes: Nase, her childhood infactuation; Joe, her best friend in the new territory; and Harris Eastman, her father's business partner.

Now, Naomi uses one the of fiction conventions that I least like by opening the story with a prologue that actually takes place later in the book. I dislike this means because I feel manipulated as a reader by a high-powered scene before being tossed into a slow-moving story.  This is the case with the Green Veil, too.  Except, as I try to picture how the story would have read without the prologue, I think it would have read as a different story.  For one thing, I would have been surprised by more of plot twists, but I would have lost the underlying tension that I felt throughout the entire book because of the prologue.  Whereas without the prologue, I may have dismayed at Colette's choices, with the prologue I knew they were choices that were going to lead her to a dark place … and I kept reading because I wanted to see her through that dark place.

Naomi Musch writes with clean, engaging language — great descriptions of the Wisconsin woods, wonderful historical information about the logging industry in the 19c, and a deep, tugging theme of perseverance and surrender.  The Green Veil is not humorous, quick escapism. It may even challenge your ideas of marriage, friendship, and the importance of seeking God in every decision you make.

Check it out at Desert Breeze Publishing. She has a second book out in this series, and a third which will release soon.

Legacy of Lies — written by Desert Breeze author Stephanie McGee — is a contemporary romance with inspirational and speculative elements.

Okay, I'll be candid because this is my blog and I don't know how else to be.  First, I believe I was reading the uncopy-edited version, but if I wasn't, you will find a few grammatical errors here. Second, Stephania is a young author and that shows in how she presents her story. Third, I disagreed with a creative choice that she made near the end of the novel that had my discernment antennae wiggling all over the place.

But let's get on to the good stuff:  A story of young love and a plot that engaged me in the search for truth.  In that sense, the story unfolded in fine fashion, keeping back some elements, weaving in others, revealing bits of history, while giving the hero and heroine activities together to draw them close.

While I didn't always agree with the choices the characters made (who does when someone is messing up his life?), I liked Sarah and Jim for not giving up and for pushing through the rough stuff of life. I liked the believability of two kids trying to make their way together the best way they knew how — when neither had had stellar parenting.

The number of povs in this novel added to the depth of the story and brought it together in the end.

And I always like books set in Montana with cowboys.  Sometimes that in itself is enough for a good read.