inspirational romance

A fire. An old girlfriend. A new identity.

/ Dora Hiers

“Winter, since you saved our new house from burning to the ground, can we talk you into joining us for pizza?”

His new house? 

Pizza?

Winter swallowed the giant clump in her throat. Tanner lived here now? In Promise Lake? Next door? How could this have happened without her knowing? Granted, she spent long hours on the job, and lately she’d been hanging out at the Henderson place. Apparently, she needed to pay more attention to the home front. A felon could have moved into her neighborhood and she wouldn’t have known. 

Or worse. 

Tanner Random could have moved in.



Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy.

But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When love triumphs…

When Love Triumphs is part of the newly launched Pure Amore line, available by subscription with Pelican Book Group. Subscribe and receive a year’s worth of pure romances for as low as $48.

On My Kindle ~ The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter

/ Dora Hiers
Purchase on Amazon

Sharing my review~
Chef PJ McKinley, the youngest of the McKinley clan, is out to prove to her loving family that she can take care of herself by winning the Wishing House, an ancestral home that’s being awarded to a deserving business by a Chapel Springs philanthropist, and turning it into a thriving restaurant and B&B. 

Cole Evans, a former foster kid who blames himself for the accident that stole his family, plans to win the house for Crossroads, a transitional home for foster kids who turn eighteen during high school and are forced onto the streets. When they present business plans to the eccentric philanthropist, she grants Cole the upstairs and PJ the bottom floor for the restaurant. Both are challenged to make their ventures work before the deadline.

I’m a huge fan of cute meets, and The Wishing Season doesn’t disappoint, but I won’t spoil it for you. And all those chance meetings at the front door or in the kitchen were charged with romantic tension. Just enough for me to keep turning pages. 

“I can’t stop thinking about you.” Her breath hitched at the husky timbre of his voice. At the words. He advanced slowly, purposefully. His eyes, locked on hers, were filled with longing.


“Is that so?” Was that her breathy voice? She gripped the edge of the counter before she could do something stupid like pulling him into her arms and kissing his neck.

“Yeah, that’s so.”He stopped when he was close enough to make her body hum, and cradled her face in his hands. Then his lips were on hers. Not slow and lazy like last time, but deliberate, full of want. Finally.


What do you think? Would that keep you flipping pages past your bedtime? The Wishing Season wasn’t all fun and fluff, though. Hunter balanced some heavy moments with some lighter ones, but she also offered spiritual nuggets to combat the lies that each character believed.

“If your heart’s telling you you’re not capable, it’s lying. What’s God telling you?” 

PJ made a face. “Honestly? I haven’t asked in a while. I’ve been too busy trying to make a success of myself.”

Mom squeezed her hand. “Well, it’s never too late. We all have thorns, you know.”

“Thorns?”

“Those things that rise up around us, strangling us. Thorns don’t keep a seed from sprouting, but they’ll keep it from producing fruit.”


Phew! How many of us have been there? I appreciate how everything wasn’t wrapped up in a neat little package just because it’s an inspirational romance. Overall, The Wishing Season was the perfect book to curl up with on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Actually, it’d be the perfect book to spend any afternoon. 🙂

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing The Wishing Season and for the free copy I received in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. This opinion is my own, and I received no compensation.

On My Kindle ~ The Yuletide Angel by Sandra Ardoin

/ Dora Hiers
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What a fun premise! A Good Samaritan makes weekly deliveries during the weeks leading up to Christmas, delivering precious supplies to the needy in the community, and the next door neighbor who secretly loves her catches her in the act. 

Violet Madison considers herself plain and socially inept, but this small act of kindness emboldens her. Hugh Barnes sees beauty and a kind heart in Violet, and he determines to protect her during her clandestine missions. It was neat to see how Violet and Hugh grew over the course of the story, Violet morphing from shy and quiet to bold and empowered and Hugh dealing with past hurts inflicted by his brother.

“…what is it you want?”

Kit settled into the nearest chair, crossed his legs, and propped his hat on his knee. After a moment of silence, he said, “Forgiveness.”“

We discussed this situation five years ago. You’re forgiven.” Even as he spoke, Hugh recognized the statement as a lie. Forgiving his brother meant a renewal of their relationship.

Haven’t we all experienced a toxic family member, someone who hurts us repeatedly with their vicious zingers whether with words or deeds? This hit home for me, so I was glad to see that Kit had truly changed. Even so, I appreciated that their relationship wasn’t restored immediately and that it took Hugh a little while to come to grips with his brother’s new behavior.

The Yuletide Angel was a quick read with a clever plot and spiritual depth that kept me turning pages. For my taste, I would have liked more romantic interludes (read kissing) between Hugh and Violet, but I understand that society in the late 1800’s didn’t permit much of that. 🙂 Overall, The Yuletide Angel was a pleasant way to spend a couple hours, and a great read for all seasons.

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and the author for allowing me the privilege of reviewing The Yuletide Angel and for the free copy I received in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. This opinion is my own, and I received no compensation.