A light romantic story with themes of friendship, injustice, and forgiveness.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

The premise of this historical romance quickly caught my attention. A woman who has undergone five years in prison during the late 1800s is now starting over and gets hired as a lady attendant to a dentist. Being a die-hard fan of historical fiction with strong female characters, I was curious as to how Furham was going to tackle this subject.

A Lady in Attendance turned out to be a lighthearted quick read, which is fine, except that it's not what I expected. It's a clean sweet romance with the male lead Gilbert being a recluse dentist, which I thought was different and interesting as a choice, and the female lead Hazel a reformed rebellious teenager. The descriptions of Gilbert's work as a dentist in the late 19th century was something I have not yet encountered in a historical novel so kudos to the author for bringing this to life in a novel.

I think the flawed characters made this realistic, however, the writing style left me wanting more. It had a modern feel to it with much of the story and its descriptions taking place through dialogue.

If you're looking for a light romantic story with themes of friendship, injustice, and forgiveness without deeper explorations, this one has a good pace and will keep you engaged.

Rachel Fordham has long been fascinated by all things historical or in the words of her children “old stuff”. Often the historical trivia she discovers is woven into her children’s bedtime tales. Despite her love for good stories she didn’t attempt writing a novel until her husband challenged her to do so (and now she’s so glad he did). Since that time she’s often been found typing or researching while her youngest child naps or frantically writing plot twists while she waits in the school pick-up line. In addition to her passion for storytelling she enjoys reading, being outdoors and seeing new places. Rachel lives with her husband and children on an island in Washington state.

Learn more about current projects at rachelfordham.com. You can also follow Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, and Goodreads.

Ends Nov 5, 2021

Every so often, I enjoy reading a rom-com, especially when the premise involves an original storyline.

​How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she's handed a strange present at the latest wedding--a 1950s magazine article of "ways to get a husband"--she decides there's nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can't get any more single, can she?

Her brother's roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love--Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it's an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she's looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Every so often, I enjoy reading a rom-com, especially when the premise involves an original storyline. Husband Auditions caught my eye because of the premise: Meri, a single woman, is given a 1950s magazine article of "ways to get a husband" that she decides to explore while being filmed for a reality show. It promised to be a fun read, and for the most part, it was.

I particularly liked that the main male character Kai is Hawaiian and I thought he was the best character in the book. Meri came across as a bit juvenile at times. The story is told from both Kai and Meri's point of view in alternating chapters. This is not your typical romance as the end has a twist. The story made me sympathetic toward young women who are looking to get married and cannot find Mr. Right, however, I questioned why Meri, who was a Christian woman with moral standards, was looking for a husband everywhere else but at her Church.

If you're looking for a clean sweet read with some funny moments, this one will entertain you.

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there's nothing else she'd rather write about.

Ends Sept 14, 2021

A Dance in Donegal is a historical fiction novel set in a small town in Ireland and filled with its culture and traditions.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

A Dance in Donegal is a historical fiction novel set in a small town in Ireland and filled with its culture and traditions. It's well-written and lovers of "the auld Irish ways and language" will delight with the details of town life in 1920s Donegal. 

When Moira decides to travel from Boston to Ireland after accepting the post as the new schoolteacher, she encounters a frosty welcome from most villagers which immediately has the reader wondering what happened with her mother in this village. Moira makes friends with some God-fearing neighbors and eventually comes to discover the mystery surrounding her mother and what it means to be a true Christian.

For the most part, I enjoyed this story which has a good pace and a great setting. Moira has a good heart and she is compassionate and empathetic, however, I did find her quite clueless for a schoolteacher. She looked confused when people whispered about her behind her back and did not take the initiative to ask her friends what people were speculating about until more than halfway into the story. It wasn't clear to me why her mother never disclosed to her what happened to her, and why in heaven's name she would want her daughter to go to a village she herself fled from. I felt that there were missing details to the story. I had so many questions that were never answered by the end of the book. 

There was an incident with a dirt-poor student that had me wondering about his parents, and how could Moira and even her God-fearing friends wait to see what she decided to do when he was deathly ill before helping him. That whole episode had me somewhat shocked. As a parent, it really upset me. And there was another grave incident with a gentleman that I felt was unnecessary and did not add much to the story except to make me see how gullible Moira was. 

This book is heavy on scripture, which felt preachy at times coming from a character who did not attend church and practiced Irish traditions clearly based on superstition and pagan origins. Apart from these foibles, I enjoyed being transported to an Irish village to follow the journey of a young woman searching for answers.

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and other publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children.