cleanromance

About the Book

Book: Sunflowers and Suspicions
Author: Karen Malley
Genre: Christian Fiction
Release date: October, 2021

A Deception Revealed…

When Julie Wagner’s identical twin Jade goes missing, Julie travels to New York intent on pretending to be her sister so she can unravel the truth. There, she meets the the only person who has ever been able to tell them apart. Together, can she and her sister’s neighbor unravel a shady restaurant owner’s mysteries and find Jade?

A Fractured Family Healed…

Matt Callahan has lived across the hall from Jade Wagner for a year, but never understood the pain behind her eyes. When her sister appears in his apartment building, he is amazed at the differences he sees in the twins. As he helps Julie find her twin, he discovers that she just might be the answer to helping his own fractured family.

Click here to get your copy! Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Also Available

About the Author

Karen Malley lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full-time as a scientist but fits writing in her spare time whenever possible. This usually means writing in her pajamas on weekend mornings while the rest of the family is asleep. When not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, playing board games, and especially reading! She loves reading faith-based stories because we can all use a happy ending.

Karen loves to hear from her readers. You can connect with her on her website: www.KarenMalley.com.

My Review

Sunflowers and Suspicions
by Karen Malley
Book 3 in the Pine Springs series
Rating: 4.5/5

It’s always so fun being introduced to new authors especially when they can easily incorporate their faith into their stories. Karen Malley has written a beautiful story of redemption and healing with this third installment from Pine Springs. Although I have not read the first two books in the series yet (I just purchased them), I did not feel like I had trouble following along. It can definitely be read as a standalone novel.

First, the cover is gorgeous! As someone who is always looking for clean reads, I was pleasantly surprised to find one with two Asians on the cover – and not just Asians but twins too! As an Asian American, I’ve noticed more and more the lack of Asian characters and I’m always looking to support books written by and about Asians. Thank you for this.

Second, the story picks up right away and the mystery begins. Julie’s devotion and dedication to finding her twin, Jade, is admirable and relatable. Though the story can get a bit darker, the author is careful to balance that with humor and sweet romance. I enjoyed the detective antics of Julie and Matt a lot.

Third, the chemistry between Julie and Matt was so swoonworthy. They were so well matched, and I loved how Matt could tell the twins apart. Julie’s crush is relatable and so cute.

Fourth, I loved how the author was not afraid to talk about faith and the hard issues. Julie works as an ultrasound tech at a crisis pregnancy center, so there are serious discussions regarding those issues. The author is able to use Julie as a conduit to speak of God’s love and forgiveness that can combat any and all shame and guilt. Julie speaks into Matt’s mother’s life as Matt is able to speak into Jade’s life. This book is definitely heavier and not as subtle about faith but the author communicates a beautiful message about God’s love for us that is unconditional.

P.S. I want to try Sol’s #5 with the works.

Highly recommend if you’re looking for a clean, Christian romance with mystery and some adorable humor.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

More from Karen

Sunflowers and Suspicions is the third full book in the Pine Springs series. While you may discover some spoilers from the previous books, this book can be read as a standalone. I wrote Sunflowers in Suspicions because I loved the characters so much, I wanted their stories to continue!

This was a fun book to write. Julie was a minor character in the previous books in the series, and her story needed to be told. Living in the shadow of a glamorous twin sister hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm for life, but her self-esteem suffered a hit, making it difficult to believe a guy could be interested in her instead of her sister. Most of us have been there! God promises He’s given gifts to all His children, but if our gifts don’t seem to measure up to those we perceive others have, we lose our joy.

Granted, Julie has a lot more than that to deal with – her twin sister goes missing, and her former boss may know more than he’s letting on. Couple that with feelings of inadequacy since all her friends have special guys and the fact the guy Julie starts to fall for seems more interested in her sister, and it’s easy for her to feel second rate. God never wants that for us. While Sunflowers and Suspicions is a tale of suspense and romance, it also taught me a thing or two about accepting myself for who God made me to be. I hope it does the same for you!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 14
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 15
Inklings and notions, March 16
Texas Book-aholic, March 17
For Him and My Family, March 18
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 19 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, March 19
Inside the Wong Mind, March 20
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 21
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 22
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 23
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24
Splashes of Joy, March 25 (Author Interview)
By the Book, March 25
Blogging With Carol, March 26
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of e-copy of Sunflowers and Suspicions, an 11 x 14 canvas print of a sunflower, and some jewelry: two beaded bracelets, one bangle bracelet, a heart necklace, and a keychain!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1b8bb/sunflowers-and-suspicion-celebration-tour-giveaway

Love By Chance: Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie
by Kacy Cross
Rating: 4/5

When I saw that this story was available for review, I jumped at the chance. I am a huge fan of Hallmark Channel Original Movies that just make you cry and feel good inside. I knew I would enjoy the book version of the movie, Love By Chance, because I’d get to read and understand the characters better. It did not disappoint.

What do you do when your mother likes to control everything about you and is obsessed with your love life? Claire is a pastry chef who co-owns a struggling bistro but is determined to make it work. Her mother is determined to find her a husband at any cost. Claire’s mom, Helen, has a sixth sense about these things and considers herself a successful matchmaker. When Helen takes things a tad too far, she meets someone new who she insists is perfect for Claire – Eric, a pediatrician. Helen somehow convinces Eric to go to an art gallery event that Claire is catering. When the two meet, sparks fly and now Eric has a problem. He is quickly falling for Claire but hates lying to her. Meanwhile, Helen is still trying to control everything with Claire while neglecting her own husband and their plans for retirement. What happens when the truth comes out?

I loved reading this version of the original movie because I was able to be inside the head of the different characters and really understand their motivations and thoughts for their actions. Helen still frustrates me to no end but I know her heart’s in the right place. I loved the Epilogue because that wasn’t in the original movie. There’s also a recipe in the back of the book which I definitely want to try out.

The book is basically the movie in written form but with a more filled out story which I enjoyed reading. I highly recommend this book for lovers of Hallmark Channel Original Movies and clean, sweet romance.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.