Book Recommendation - Uneasy Street

 

Becky Wade is one of the many fantastic contemporary romance authors in the Christian fiction community. Her current series, Sons of Scandal, follows the 3 sons of retired pro football player Felix Camden. Because of Felix's affairs, all of his children were considered sons of scandal. This series touched on each one (as well as his ex-wife Fiona, whose story thread stretches through each book). Uneasy Street is the 3rd and final story and is about Max, whose mother was the housekeeper for the Camden family. Here's a bit about the book:

Once upon a time Max Cirillo and Sloane Madison were close friends and business partners. But when their business relationship imploded, so did the friendship.

Now, four years later, Max is a rich CEO. Sloane’s a not-so-rich etiquette expert who returns to Maine to serve as her niece’s temporary guardian and help the girl search for her birth father. Sloane and her niece move into a darling garage apartment but Sloane’s joy in their accommodations soon turns to horror when she realizes their apartment belongs to Max. Thanks to an unbreakable lease, she’s stuck living right next door to him.

Max pulled strings to bring Sloane into his orbit because he needs closure on what went wrong between them. Quickly, though, his scheming comes back to bite him. The world might view him as a cold-hearted rake, but this one woman has dangerous power over his emotions.

They’ll have no choice but to confront their history—and the undeniable spark between them—while living side by side on uneasy street.

Discover witty humor, rich emotion, banter, and charm within the pages of this sweet enemies-to-lovers romance!

About the author:

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas.  It was during her years abroad that Becky’s passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances for the general market, put her career on hold for many years to care for her kids, then eventually returned to writing. She loves penning sweet contemporary romances laced with sizzling chemistry, mystery, faith, banter, and humor. Her twelve novels and five novellas have been recognized with a Carol Award, INSPY awards, and a spot in the Christy Award Hall of Fame.

When she’s not at her computer, you’ll find her power-walking her neighborhood, driving carpool, eating chocolate, doing yoga, or admiring her Cavalier spaniel.

Uneasy Street releases February 14, 2025 wherever books are sold. For more information, check out the following links:

Becky Wade's website: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckywade

Becky Wade's Facebook page: https://beckywade.com/home/

My full 4-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7244085660

Book Recommendation - Some Like it Scot

 

Any time I'm looking for a light-hearted, but still deep story, I know I need not look any further than Pepper Basham. I absolutely adored her recent Skymar series and so when I saw her next book took place in Scotland, I knew I wanted to snatch it up, so I jumped at a chance to read an early copy. And it did not disappoint! Here's a bit about the book:

An American travel writer who has never found a place to belong and a reclusive Scot with a surprising secret find a shocking connection when she enters a Highlands manor house that has been turned into a three-week long Edwardian experience.

Katie Campbell has traveled her entire life. As the daughter of an army chaplain, changing homes--or even countries--was commonplace, so when her wild childhood storytelling turned into a lucrative career as a travel writer, she thought she'd found her perfect match. But as she's nearly thirty with no real place to settle down, she's starting to wonder where "home" actually is. Her own family hadn't felt like home since her sister's death left them all limping through life.

When a lengthy project in Scotland promises to not only give her travel fodder for months but also a shot at a coveted editing position, she accepts and is sent to spend three weeks in the newly created Craighill House, a Scottish home redesigned to offer guests an Edwardian experience. But her entrance to Craighill introduces her to a quirky group of characters and a surly Scot who is helping refurbish the magnificent woodwork of the estate house.

As Katie attempts to live "Edwardian," she learns that all that glitters does not a comfortable lifestyle make . . . and surly Scots may turn out to be dashing and creative uncles raising their orphaned nephews. When a few escapades from the Downton era lead Katie on hunts for mermaids and dragons or to a fireside chat with a family who has grown stronger through tragedy, Katie begins to wonder if "home" looks a whole lot like rolling green hills, magnificent braighs, and a few extra "ayes" thrown in for good measure. But can her world-traveling lifestyle fit in with a Scot whose heart is double-knotted to home?

This book had it all - laugh-out-loud moments, character growth and development like no other, a sweet romance, found family, a boy and his dog, and a lovely Scottish brogue to boot! This one definitely has potential to be my favorite read of the year! This book releases April 8, 2025, wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out!

For more information, check out the following links:

Pepper Basham's website: https://pepperdbasham.com/

Pepper Basham's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/pepperbasham/

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7197671089

Book Recommendation - The Voice We Find

 

Nicole Deese is a newer voice in the realm of contemporary Christian stories, but she's on my short list of auto-read authors and authors whose backlist I plan to complete this year. Her current series is the Fog Harbor series. Fog Harbor is a fictional publishing house and the books take on views of various elements of publishing, in a minor sense (it's what ties the series together). This book looks at audio book production, which is the avenue through which our main characters meet. Here's a bit about the book:

Sophie Wilder returns home to California with nothing more than a failed Broadway career and a geriatric cat. Stuck working at the family winery with her egotistical brother and desperate for a way to revive her acting dreams, she takes a side gig as an audiobook narrator with Fog Harbor Books. But getting mixed up in the life of her reluctant sound engineer was never a part of her plans.

August Tate is still reeling from taking guardianship of his teen sister. Determined to find a solution to her degenerative hearing loss and to prevent his private recording studio from going under, he agrees to produce audiobooks part-time. When Sophie breathes new life into his creativity and forms an unexpected bond with his sister, rooted in their common faith, he must confront the reasons he turned away from his own.

Bestselling and award-winning author Nicole Deese weaves an emotionally charged romance rich in the complexities of love and family.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed Sophie's and August's stories, I enjoyed the story as a whole even more. I loved the element brought by Gabby and the deaf community at large. I loved the friendships with Chip and with Dana. I loved the way Natalie came out of her shell with Sophie and how she blossomed towards the end. This story is definitely a redemptive tale as well as being a love story and was thoroughly enjoyable in its own right. This book releases April 15, 2025 wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out! For more information, check out the following links:

Nicole Deese's website: https://www.nicoledeese.com/

Nicole Deese's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nicoledeeseauthor

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7259414701