Growing up I read a lot of romance even if it was only for young readers. Some of my favorites were Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley High series), Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook), and Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty.

Maybe it was because I had trouble relating to the opposite sex in a romantic way (#singlenotsurehowtomingle) but one of my favorite authors growing up was actually Karen Kingsbury because of her use of biblical themes and verses throughout her book and romance in her plotlines but unlike the authors mentioned above, her books were written in a clean yet still heart-thumping way where I couldn’t turn the page fast enough.

Debut author Sara Beth Williams brings that same Kingsbury-like essence to the genre but with a fresh voice. The storyline kept my interest. The characters had tremendous depth, and the writing overall was very well put together and flowed so very nicely.

Something I’ve noticed as an avid reader of romance is that scenes that contain a little extra heat sometimes read very awkwardly but Williams kept all the spark and had no spoofs.

As a fellow romance writer myself who hopes to release my debut( a rewrite of my previous novels) sometime in the near future, Williams novel reminded me that the genre holds a lot of promise, even from a Christian perspective.

And I am honored to be her friend and colleague. I can’t wait to see what she puts out next, and that is 100% Biblical truth.