When I Fall In Love

Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace’s faith will face its toughest test yet.

Grace and Max are both from tight knit families, each with desires of their own to make a difference. Grace's dream is go to culinary school and become a caterer. Max wants to leave his mark on hockey and earn a place in the hall of fame.  Grace steps out of her comfort zone to go to Hawaii.  Max goes every year and is asked by Grace's sister to keep an eye out for Grace.   Both of them have fears to overcome and difficult decisions to make.  Can they help each other?   Meanwhile Grace's brothers have their own problems that will change everything.  Another great installment in this gentle read series. 

Susan May Warren's newest book in the Christiansen Family Collection, When I Fall In Love,  has won over readers' and critics' hearts alike. With critical reviews like, ". . . an exquisite romance. Profoundly touching on the topic of facing fears, this book is a true gem," and more than 60 five-star reviews at Amazon, When I Fall in Love is sure to please.

Susan has teamed up with some amazing food bloggers for a fun food challenge and a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway!

  One grand prize winner will receive:

• A KitchenAid Mixer
• The first three books in the Christiansen Family Collection.
• Melissa Ringstaff’s Kitchen Planner
• Jackie Brown's Freezer Inventory sheet

Grab your aprons and wire whisks and buzz on over to the When I Fall in Love website to learn more and enter the Hawaiian Chef Showdown! Susan is challenging you to make a Hawaiian-inspired dish using coconut, mango, or one of the other ingredients mentioned in the book. You’ll get extra points for creating your own recipe—plus she might share it on the When I Fall in Love site! Or if you're not up for an adventure in the kitchen just click one of the icons below for easy entry.

Hurry, the giveaway ends on August 10th. All winners will be announced August 13th at Susan's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Susan's blog on the 13th to see if you won!

Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists.
Connect with Susan:  Website, Facebook


This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from LitFuse and Tydale House Publishers and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

The Breakthrough

After years of turmoil, Boone Drake seems to be back on track. He is the youngest bureau chief in Chicago Police Department history, he heads the city’s Major Case Squad, he has a new family, and his relationship with God has never been better. Still, Boone can’t fight the feeling that something is about to go terribly wrong . . . again.

When disaster strikes, it seems Boone is destined to repeat the past, as tragedy threatens those closest to him. And when his own family’s safety is at stake, Boone is forced to make a difficult choice: stay with his wife, Haeley, who desperately needs him, or pursue a human trafficking ring from the narrow streets, alleys, and hovels of the famed hutong district in Beijing, China, to the ancient city of Tianjin. The stakes have never been higher for Boone as the all-too-personal case grows increasingly dangerous . . . and time is running out.

This is book 3 in the Precinct 11 Trilogy. Even though it stands alone well, reading the first 2 books enhances the reading of this one. Like the first two, this was a page-turner. I did not understand the why of what happened to Haeley and thought it could have been left out. The tension and suspense builds up and then is tied up a bit too quickly for me.  I really like Boone and hope he makes a return appearance.  The character's faith is explored but it not too preachy.  Overall I enjoyed this book despite a couple of issues I had with it.

Author: Jerry B. Jenkins
Published: August 2011
Pages: 387
Genre: Christian Fiction/Police Thriller
Source:  Tyndale House Publishers
Finished: 10/3/12
Book One - The Brotherhood
Book Two - The Betrayal


This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Tyndale House Publishers and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

Promise Me This

Michael Dunnagan was never supposed to sail on the Titanic, nor would he have survived if not for the courage of Owen Allen. Determined to carry out his promise to care for Owen’s relatives in America and his younger sister, Annie, in England, Michael works hard to strengthen the family’s New Jersey garden and landscaping business.

Annie Allen doesn’t care what Michael promised Owen. She only knows that her brother is gone—like their mother and father—and the grief is enough to swallow her whole. As Annie struggles to navigate life without Owen, Michael reaches out to her through letters. In time, as Annie begins to lay aside her anger that Michael lived when Owen did not, a tentative friendship takes root and blossoms into something neither expected. Just as Michael saves enough money to bring Annie to America, WWI erupts in Europe. When Annie’s letters mysteriously stop, Michael risks everything to fulfill his promise—and find the woman he’s grown to love—before she’s lost forever.

We meet Owen, Michael and Annie before the Titanic sets sail for it's historic voyage.  The way Michael gets on the ship had me wondering just how many stowaways there really were. I loved Owen and Michael right off, but had a hard time liking Annie, but understood her personality. Just when we think they are getting on with their lives after the tragedy, the War begins.  It is almost unbelievable what Annie's Aunt Eleanor did, and what a roller coaster ride we are put on before the characters are reunited. An enjoyable read.

Cathy Gohlke is the two-time Christy Award–winning author of William Henry is a Fine Name and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires, which also won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Award and was listed by Library Journal as one of the Best Books of 2008.

Cathy has worked as a school librarian, drama director, and director of children's and education ministries. When not traipsing the hills and dales of historic sites, she, her husband, and their dog, Reilly, make their home on the banks of the Laurel Run in Elkton, Maryland.

Author's Website



3 Bears

This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Tyndale House Publishers and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.