Review: The CEO and the Christian Girl

Review: The CEO and the Christian Girl - For Love and Money #1

The CEO and the Christian Girl book cover on blue background

In light of mentioning Canada, it made sense for me to review a local author's book! I was so pleasantly surprised to discover that this author was from the same province as me, a rarity unless you're Janette Oke 😉

I had seen this book recommended to me on Kindle Unlimited after reading books from other independent authors, and I'm so glad that Nicole Lam popped up. I've since read as many of her books as I can! The For Love and Money series has characters whose stories are interconnected, but each book is compelling in its own way. They also have catchy titles, such as the first one in the series: The CEO and the Christian Girl.

Book Synopsis

Alexander Steele is cold-hearted. Hard-headed. Absolutely jaded. And he doesn't believe in love—or expect that any of the above will change with the marriage contract he signs.

Katerina Devereaux is gentle. Selfless. Just as stubborn as her future husband. She doesn't know if she can change him—but she has faith that God will.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

What impressed me most about The CEO and the Christian Girl is how unapologetically Christian it is, right down to the title. Faith permeates each scene and shows the transformation that Jesus can have on people's lives. Dual point-of-view narration allows readers to see how Alexander's heart changes over time while better understanding Katerina's motivation for her persistence, particularly in a situation where her circumstances are out of her control but her responses are not. Alexander's actions brought to mind the Parable of the Two Sons from Matthew 21:28-32, where one son says that he will not work in the vineyard but later does. While Alexander's words convey his unwillingness to let others in, his actions remain kind, gradually softening so that he is able to be congruent in what he says and does. Katerina, on the other hand, remains strong in her conviction that her "first duty is to God" and demonstrates this through a loving but unwavering manner.

Some of the fun things I appreciated in this book were the setting of Montreal, Quebec, the usage of French names and sentences, and the introduction of Alexander's family members (I love Abigail's story and hope to read Georgia's full story one day!). This contemporary story is fun, uplifting, and shows that modern tropes can be done well in a way that is glorifying to God. Nicole has the ability to hook readers in at the end of every chapter so that her books are quickly devoured in no time; it took me less than a week to read her whole trilogy! Based on this book, I am looking forward to her upcoming release with the Love Inspired line called Saving the Single Dad's Bookstore.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...

Fallen

This is a post that I wish I didn't have to write. Please understand that I recognize that we are all fallen; therefore, everything that we create is marred, imperfect, and tainted due to sin. What I'm exploring is what happens when there are authors or other creators who have acted in a way that harms others and there is little-to-no news of repentance or reparations being made. I'm not writing anything investigative as many skilled and brilliant Christians are already doing so. I'm more writing as a bystander who is grieved at some of the news that has come up and attempting to process it all. The first news that really impacted me was learning about the passing of Jennifer Lyell, former Lifeway Vice President, whom headlines have also called a Southern Baptist Convention abuse survivor . This hit close to home for a multitude of reasons even though prior to yesterday, I hadn't heard of her story. One of the reasons it affected me was because the professor who was...

Diverse Stories

One of the things I've been challenging myself to do this year has been to read more Christian books written by authors from other countries. I love that the body of Christ spans the four corners of the world and that we get to benefit from hearing so many different perspectives. I've also appreciated getting to know some amazing authors and readers online from other nations and continents as it's enriched my understanding of how Christians experience life. It helps me realize that the views I take for granted may only be limited to where I am situated, geographically and culturally. I haven't read all of the authors below yet, but here are a few Christian fiction authors who write from outside of North America if you're interested in reading more: Africa Ivy Emerson Enewerome Anna Jensen Tope Omotosho Asia Joanna Alonzo Joy Crain Australasia Narelle Atkins Liz Chapman Iola Goulton Jessica Kate Bessie Le Couteur Carolyn Miller Jennifer Mistmorgan Honey Stone Jessica...