Tag: clean romance

A Million Little Choices by Tamera Alexander

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Focus on the Family

Date of publication: November 7th, 2023

Genre: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance, Inspirational

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sometimes secrets just won’t stay hidden . . .
From USA Today bestselling author and Christy Award Hall of Fame inductee Tamera Alexander comes the story of two women from different centuries living in the same house who share strikingly similar journeys.

Claire Powell’s life is turned upside down when her beloved husband admits to a “near affair.” But when Stephen accepts a partnership with an Atlanta law firm without consulting her and buys a historic Southern home sight-unseen—it pushes their already-fractured marriage to the breaking point. Claire’s world spirals, and she soon finds herself in a marriage she no longer wants, in a house she never asked for.

In 1863, Charlotte Thursmann, pregnant and trapped in a marriage to an abusive husband, struggles to protect her unborn child and the enslaved members of her household. Desperate, she’s determined to right the evils her husband and others like him commit. But how can one woman put an end to such injustice? Especially if her husband makes good on his threat to kill her?

Both Claire and Charlotte discover truths about themselves they never realized, along with secrets long hidden that hold the power to bring God’s restoration—if only they choose to let it.

This Southern historical fiction novel includes:
Dual-timeline plot
Thought-provoking treatment of the themes of difficult relationships, infidelity, forgiveness, and trust
Discussion questions—you’re all set for book club!

First Line:

Surely I’d misunderstood. Stephen wouldn’t do this to me.

A Million LIttle Choices by Tamera Alexander

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing of A Million Little Choices is medium-paced.

POV: A Million Little Choices is told from 1st person POV (Claire and Charlotte). There are journal entries written by Claire (and, towards the end, Nettie) that are in 2nd person.

Trigger/Content Warning: A Million Little Choices has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Sexism & Misogyny
  • Slavery
  • Rape
  • Infidelity
  • Domestic Abuse & Violence
  • Divorce
  • Alcohol Consumption
  • Involuntary Pregnancy
  • Miscarriage
  • Stillbirth
  • Childbirth
  • Blood
  • Death of a child
  • Death of a spouse
  • Grief & Loss Depiction

Sexual Content: There is no on-page sexual content in A Million Little Choices. There are scenes where rape is implied, and there is a scene where Claire finds out her husband sexually cheated (nothing graphic).

Language: A Million Little Choices uses no swearing or offensive language.

Setting: A Million Little Choices mainly takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. The first few chapters are set in Denver, Colorado.

Age Range: I recommend A Million Little Choices to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When Claire’s husband, a successful attorney, announces he is taking a job in Atlanta, Georgia, Claire is upset. She gets even more upset when she finds out he purchases a historic Southern home without her knowledge or permission. With her marriage already rocky due to her husband having an emotional affair, the move and the house purchase push it to the brink. The final blow comes when her husband confesses to a sexual encounter with the same woman he had an emotional affair with. Forced to divorce, Claire questions if God is steering her in the right direction and prays for His guidance. But, when she discovers the house she now unwillingly lives in, it could be the guidance she has sought.

Charlotte Thursmann is living a hellish existence. Forced to marry when her beloved husband died a couple of years earlier, she deals with an abusive husband. As a stop on The Underground Railroad, she is committed to helping enslaved people escape their abusers and have their freedom. Pregnant and her beatings becoming an almost daily thing, Charlotte is determined to get her servants out of the house. She is also determined to get herself out. But that is easier said than done. Will Charlotte save herself, her servants, and her child? And how does Charlotte’s story tie into Claire’s? Will Claire be able to forgive her husband?

Main Characters

Claire Powell: I didn’t like Claire. She acted like a spoiled brat when it came to Stephen taking the job in Atlanta. And when they were house hunting, she was awful. Now, I did feel bad for her when it was revealed that Stephen had an emotional affair and again when he confessed to sleeping with that same woman. But, simultaneously, I felt that she had brought it all on herself. Oh, and blaming him for the death of their three-year-old was the biggest thing for me. It was an accident. It would have happened regardless of whether she had been home, and to punish Stephen (and their daughter) was out of line. She did not deserve the ending that she got. I wanted Stephen to sign the divorce papers and be happy with someone other than her. But, since I knew it wouldn’t happen, I had to settle for what I got.

Stephen Powell: I liked Stephen, and I liked that he was willing to rock the boat so he could get ahead. Taking the job and buying the house weren’t the most brilliant things to do, but he did them with Claire in mind. Also, cheating on his wife wasn’t that smart either. But in this case, Claire pushed him into doing it. Claire blamed him for things out of his control and punished him for years. All he wanted was to be treated with love and affection, and he got it from the woman he cheated with. I did like that he fought to win back Claire (not that she deserved it). But, as I said above, I would have rather him find true happiness than work things out with that shrew.

Charlotte Thursmann: I wish more chapters were written from her perspective. Despite the living hell she found herself in, she was a sweet woman. The scenes where her husband beat her were some of the more awful scenes in the book. But she was strong, and she was determined to not only protect her child but do the right thing for the enslaved people in and around her house. And she did, right up until her storyline ended.

My review:

I do not usually review Christian books. I often struggle with relying on God to help out with life issues. Also, I am not very religious (more spiritual/agnostic) and find that most Christian books do lay it on very thick with the religious angle. So, I was surprised when I started reading A Million Little Choices and realized it was a Christian romance. I had skimmed over the blurb before accepting the widget, so there’s that (note to self: read the blurbs more carefully!)

The main storyline of A Million Little Choices revolves around Claire, her husband, his cheating, and the discovery she made. While I didn’t like Claire, I thought the storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. The author did a great job of bringing many dynamics into how Claire and Stephen’s relationship fractured. It was messy and honest, and I enjoyed reading it.

The storyline with Charlotte, her pregnancy, and her drive to help her enslaved people escape was raw. There were times when I thought that Charlotte’s husband killed her, only for her to recover. I also worried about the baby. I was heartbroken at the end of that storyline. It gutted me. But I liked how the author used that to tie Charlotte to another character in the book. I honestly can say I didn’t see that coming.

The author did lay the religious angle on the book a little thick. But, surprisingly, the author didn’t shove it down my throat. The author made the case of the main characters being reborn (or Redeemed) in the eyes of God. But in no way did she suggest that everyone had to do it. I liked that, and honestly, I don’t find much of that in Christian-based novels.

The end of A Million Little Choices was interesting. I liked how the author resolved everything (even if I disagreed with it).

Many thanks to Tyndale House Publishers, Focus on the Family, NetGalley, and Tamera Alexander for allowing me to read and review A Million Little Choices. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to A Million Little Choices, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Tamera Alexander

A Guide to Being Just Friends (Jansen Brothers: Book 3) by Sophie Sullivan

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: January 17th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Fiction, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Clean Romance

Series: Jansen Brothers

Ten Rules for Faking It—Book 1

How to Love Your Neighbor—Book 2 (review here)

A Guide to Being Just Friends—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | Alibris | Powells | IndieBound | Indigo | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

A playful and emotional romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?

First Line:

Salad paid the bills. At least, it was supposed to.

A Guid to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan

I’ll admit this; I didn’t read the blurb when I accepted the invite from St. Martin’s Press. I saw the title and the cover (in the widget email they sent) and made my decision from that. To be clear, I rarely accept books based on the title and/or cover. So, I was a little hesitant when I saw it next on my reading schedule. But, once I realized what series this book was a part of, I was excited to read it.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the 3rd (and final) book in the Jansen Brothers series. While readers can read this as a standalone, I recommend reading the first two books before picking this one up. I recommend this so you, as a reader, can understand some of the relationships discussed in this book.

There are some trigger warnings that I want to warn you about in this book. Hailey (the main character) is fresh out of an emotionally and verbally abusive relationship. In one scene, her ex tries (and stress tries) to verbally abuse and manhandle her, but Wes stops it. Wes’s parents are divorced, and Hailey’s family is dysfunctional (her parents love each other and ignore her). If any of these triggers you, I recommend not reading this book.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a medium to fast-paced book that takes place entirely in San Verde, California. The pacing of the book fluctuates during it.

As mentioned above, A Guide to Being Just Friends is Wes and Hailey’s love story. Hailey has just opened a restaurant that only serves salad (By the Cup) and is focused only on getting it off the ground and making money. She has no room for a relationship or wants one after what her ex-boyfriend has done to her. Wes couldn’t agree more with her. He is still dealing with the wounds of his parent’s divorce and has been on several not-so-great first dates. All he wants is companionship. So meeting Hailey and developing feelings for her was not part of his master plan (the same goes for Hailey). While being in a relationship is not in the cards for either of them, they will settle for being just friends. But their feelings grow, and being just friends is starting to sound not so great. Will Hailey and Wes wake up and see that the person they want the most is standing in front of them? Or will they forever be just friends?

I like going into a book and knowing at least one of the characters. For me (and I don’t know about you), it made connecting with the other main characters easier. I also liked seeing a different side of that character than what was portrayed in other books.

  • Hailey: I liked her. She was super focused on getting her business off the ground and wouldn’t let anything or anyone distract her. She was also one of the sweetest people in the book and didn’t deserve the treatment she got from her parents, ex-boyfriend, and Ana. I also liked that she overcame all the self-doubt and self-esteem issues that her ex gave her. Of course, since this is a romance, I wanted to shake her when it came to Wes. But I understood why she was holding herself back.
  • Wes—I was talking about him in the above paragraph. I liked seeing little glimpses of him in the previous two books. I did have a view of him from what I read. So it was nice for that view to be expanded and for how he acted explained. Wes had a lot on his plate, a lot of pressure from his father and Ana (the CEO of a company he’s trying to buy). Plus, he had awful luck on the relationship front. The blind dates the author showed were horrible. I did like his character growth, though. By the end of the book, he wasn’t afraid to do what was right for him (and yes, that involved Ana and her meddling ways!!)

The secondary characters were interesting. They should be since they were all previous characters in the other two books. A couple of new characters were introduced (Hailey’s cousin and her group of friends), and I hope the author decides to create another series in this world. I would love to see some of those people get their HEAs!!

A Guide to Being Just Friends fits perfectly into the romance genre. I liked that this romance took months to ignite and just as long to get off the ground. I love those types of romances. They seem more genuine, and (because I am a weirdo) I can picture them lasting in real life.

There is sex in A Guide to Being Just Friends. But it isn’t graphic. The author sets the mood, starts the sexual encounter, and ends the chapter. The next chapter is the following day with a satisfied hero and heroine. I am a fan of smut and graphic sex scenes, but sometimes it is nice to let my imagination do what it does best. And it did its best in this book. Also, there were only a couple of sex scenes.

The main storyline is Wes and Hailey’s romance. As I said, the author made this into a slow-burn romance, and I liked it. She also made it as realistic as possible. Hailey and Wes went through what I considered the usual ebb and flow until everything exploded. There was only one thing that I disagreed with: Ana. She was a vindictive, nasty person. What she did to Hailey (and let’s not forget what she tried to do) was pretty low.

Several secondary storylines enriched the main storyline. The secondary storyline that stands out to me the most was the landlord raising the rent on the apartments and shops where Hailey had her business. I loved how the author kept me wondering what would happen there and then melded it into the main storyline. It was perfect!!

The end of A Guide to Being Just Friends made me an emotional mess. I cried during the big reveal scene. I was mad because of what Hailey assumed was happening between Ana and Wes. I was happy because that assumption wasn’t true. And the epilogue. It was freaking perfect!!! I couldn’t have asked for a better epilogue than that.

I would recommend A Guide to Being Just Friends to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and very mild sex scenes. Also, see my content warning above.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Sophie Sullivan for allowing me to read and review A Guide to Being Just Friends. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading A Guide to Being Just Friends, then you will enjoy reading these books: