RomCom | Crystal Caudill

RCR: Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon

Crystal Caudill — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:06 +0000

It’s another month of our Tackle Your TBR Pile reading challenge. So dig through that stack of books you’ve been meaning to read that’s taller than you and start reading!

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2026: Tackle the TBR Pile

This Month: April – Funny Book

Next Month: May – Indie Author

Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon

Genre: RomCom

Can a rundown bookmobile be the vehicle that brings two unlikely hearts together?

Little Creek’s bookmobile is more of a death trap on wheels than a vehicle of literary delights, and circulation librarian Hayley Holt is afraid it’s going to careen down a mountainside with her in it. Yet she sees it as a way to serve her community and be worthy of the liver transplant that saved her life as a child. However, her fears come true when the bookmobile breaks down and a rockslide traps her in the small hollow of Turkey Grove.

Reclusive mechanic Levi Redding lives in tiny Turkey Grove to get away from people. He can handle getting the bookmobile running again, but the endless chatter and unsettling touches from the vibrant librarian leave him overstimulated. When forced proximity leads to a misunderstanding, a note of apology begins an epistolary friendship, proving that sometimes the happiest of endings aren’t contained within the bindings of a book.

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Review

For the most part, the only straight romances I enjoy are the ones with depth to them. Not only does Hearts in Circulation have that beautiful depth, but it’s also funny and has representation for those with sensory processing disorders and organ transplants. Seriously. Sarah Monzon knows how to make you laugh while also twisting your heart, making you swoon, and helping you understand life from someone else’s perspective. I may not have SPD like the hero, Levi, does, but I resonate with being overstimulated by too many sensory inputs for too long or at too loud a volume. And reading about the fear and survivor’s guilt of being a liver transplant recipient was really thought-provoking. I won’t give spoilers away, but the way Levi loved on her and helped her confront those buried feelings gave me ALL the feels. They were both so protective and considerate of one another that it was truly a blessing to read… and so swoony. It did get a little more touchy-feely than I generally prefer, but it stayed well within the boundaries of Christian Fiction.

I recommend this book for those who love romcoms that make you laugh out loud while plunging you to new depths of understanding for those around you. Oh, and those who love a good swoon with a hero who struggles but is oh so sweet to and protective of the heroine.

Giveaway Details – Winner – Claygirlsings

Here’s your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. Comment with what YOU read for your chance to win! Entries close on 7th of each month. Open to legal U.S. residents and international residents. *International winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card in lieu of a book from the prize shelf due to shipping costs.* See Giveaway Policies for more details.

Meet Emily Windsor from Hearts Aweigh by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Crystal Caudill — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 21:58:08 +0000

Shannon Sue Dunlap is a fellow Kregel author, and it’s always fun to have my fellow authors stop by for a visit . . . especially when it’s their characters that come to visit. I’m looking forward to introducing you to Emily Windsor from Shannon’s newest release, Hearts Away. In fact, before we meet Emily, let me share about the book. Oh! And don’t forget to check out the bottom of this post where Shannon is offering a chance to win a signed copy of Hearts Aweigh to one contiguous U.S. resident.

Hearts Aweigh by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Cheeky septuagenarian matchmakers, the “Shippers” are on a mission to secure a dreamy Mr. Right for Abby O’Brien, a sunny, optimistic childcare worker for Monarch Cruises. She loves her job looking after the children of vacationing parents, but harbors one unfulfilled desire: to be a wife and a mother.

With his shy five-year-old daughter in tow, divorced elitist lawyer Spencer Randolph Masterson has anything but romance in mind. His goal on the MS Buckingham is to persuade his mother, Daisy, to leave her ridiculous cruise ship lifestyle and return to New Orleans. But Daisy isn’t interested in life on land. Besides, she and her matchmaking posse have a marriage to arrange.

When a secret from Daisy’s past surfaces and threats of blackmail start flying, the Shippers must protect their own while attempting to convince Spencer’s scarred heart to weigh anchor and boldly set sail for a future with Abby.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Parable Book Store

Now for our interview with Emily Windsor.

CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Emily. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?

EW: Hello, dear. My name is Emily Windsor. At seventy-eight years old, some of you might expect me to stay home and knit, but I’ve got no time for that. God assigned me a special mission for this latter part of my life. If you’ve had trouble finding love, I can help. Come aboard the MS Buckingham cruise ship, where I live with my three friends Daisy, Althea, and Gerry. We’ll give you a thorough interview and track down just the right special someone.

CC: Oh my! That sounds like hoot with lots of potential for trouble. Sounds just lovely. So now to hit you with our questions.

What is it that you want, and what is standing in your way?

EW: I want to help everyone find a love as sweet as my own. Not every story has to have white horses and fancy balls. Sometimes it’s just looking out from the church choir loft and spying a handsome sailor walking in the back doors. God writes the love stories, but I want to be the pen He’s holding. Unfortunately, the main characters don’t always cooperate. Our current hero is a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. Poor Spencer hasn’t experienced a lot of love in his life. I guess that’s why he struggles to show it, even to his own adorable little daughter. But he keeps trying, God bless him.

CC: Oh that poor man. And you must have had a beautiful marriage for you to want to share that sort of love with so many. I’m sure Spencer won’t know what hit him once you’re through with him. Are you still married? Is he on this ship with you?

EW: My husband’s name is Bill, and he’s the one who showed me how good married life can be. Fifty-one years just wasn’t long enough. We’re living apart for a while, but I’ll see him again someday. I imagine he’s helping the Good Lord get my room ready. He always was handy with a toolbox.

CC: Aww. That can be so hard. He sounds like a handy man with a big heart of love.

If you had time to read a book, what would you pick up?

EW: I’ll leave the reading to my friend Gerry. No matter how convoluted the match or dangerous the situation, she makes room in the schedule for her TBR pile. I’m too busy drafting battleplans, compiling candidate profiles, and ensuring our pairs are working out. But I always start my mornings with the Good Book, no matter how chaotic life gets.

CC: That is definitely one book everyone should make time for.

Who do you interact with that confounds you the most?

EW: My dear friend Daisy is making life quite difficult these days. I suppose it’s because I want to set her son Spencer up with one of the Buckingham’s childcare workers. He and Abby O’Brien would be amazing together, but Daisy claims she’s reluctant for Abby’s own sake. If you ask me, Daisy and Spencer could use a little family counseling. She’s one of our matchmaking crew, but her heart isn’t in it lately. It probably doesn’t help that someone is blackmailing her. When I get my hands on that wretch, I’ll make him wish he’d never left dry land.

CC: Oh dear! That makes me wonder what Daisy did worthy of blackmail . . .

Who is the most difficult person for you to interact with?

EW: You might expect me to say Spencer or Abby since their romance is giving us such trouble. Or Daisy because she’s against the match. Or even the blackmailer who’s wrecking our peace of mind. But perhaps the most difficult character to manage is the fourth member of our Shipper posse, Althea. I could set an alarm on every clock on the ship, and she would still be late. Especially if there’s a Bingo game going on anywhere.

CC: LOL I can identify with being late . . . and I know how that can annoy others.

How do you feel about this journey you’re going on this time?

EW: As the spouse of a Navy captain, almost my entire life has been a journey. I’ve lost track of how many places we were stationed, but I loved the adventure of it all. A few years ago, a little health scare left me in a nursing facility for two months while I recovered. The moment I was healthy enough to stand on my own two feet, I walked out the doors and never returned. My greatest fear is that they’ll put me back in one of those prisons. I pray every morning that God will allow me to drop in the harness. I want to keep sailing the world and making matches until the day I see Bill again.

CC: Awww. I don’t blame you. As a caregiver, I pray fervently that I’ll never have to be so confined and cared for.

Let’s wrap up with one more question, but just for fun.

Do you have a criminal record?

EW: Of course not! One night in the brig doesn’t count, does it? Technically, it wasn’t even a full night. Mr. Everson, the ship’s head security guard, is something of a stickler, and he didn’t appreciate us snooping around the staff offices. Someone should find him a wife.

Oh dear. I would totally have been in that brig with you.

Readers, if you like a story with a good laugh, matchmaking little old ladies, and romance, be sure to check out Hearts Aweigh. And don’t forget to check out Shannon’s giveaway.

About Shannon Sue Dunlap

Shannon Sue Dunlap lives in hot and humid Houston, Texas where she writes books with a dose of laughter and a spoonful of love. One of the greatest compliments you can give her is saying her stories made you laugh-out-loud. She likes traveling around the world, singing tunes from classic musicals, and drinking Dr. Pepper. Shannon is a die-hard fan of happy endings and believes God has designed one for each of us.:

Reader Question: If you could go on cruise anywhere, where would you like to go?

Giveaway Info

Here’s your chance to win a copy of Hearts Aweigh. Comment on the blog and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win! Entries close at 11:59 p.m. EST on 7/1. Open to legal U.S. residents. See Giveaway Policies for more details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RCR: Loyally Luke by Pepper Basham

Crystal Caudill — Fri, 31 May 2024 09:00:08 +0000

It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for reading suggestions, I’ve cultivated a page just for that. (Note that it is still being updated throughout the year, so feel free to message me with suggestions.) I recommend you also checking Inspirational Historical Fiction Index or the Facebook Group Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or my Facebook group Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*

Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3

Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.

“For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven.”

May Verse: A time to cry and a time to laugh.
Challenge Theme: A RomCom or a book that makes you cry

June Verse: A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Challenge Theme: A book with a funeral or with a character who is a dancer.

Loyally Luke

by Pepper Basham

Review by: Crystal Caudill

Hallmarky RomCom’s are not usually my thing, but this rough year has brought me to read a slew of them just because of how light and funny they can be. This one, though, took the cake. I got a kick of how pointedly this book played off of and lovingly made fun of the Hallmark movies. From the “Hallmark chime” that showed up at particular points in the story, the blatant pointing out and playing with famous Hallmark tropes, and Luke groaning over how his life had become a Hallmark movie, I couldn’t stop laughing (and cringing in a good way). What I loved most about this book, however, was how the characters dealt with life and each other in a realistic and soft way. Luke may have been a little too perfect, but what good Hallmark guy isn’t? LOL I loved Ellie’s arc and how Luke perfectly complimented her and helped her grow into the person she needed to be despite her past. So yeah, I’d recommend it. 🙂 Especially if you are a fan of the Hallmark channel, or even if you are more like me and roll your eyes at the Hallmark channel.

Genre: RomCom

Plot Overview:

Sometimes love means embracing the good, the bad . . . and even the impossible.

Dear Reader,

My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.

But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.

Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.

Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I’m going to need it.

Loyally,

Luke

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.

*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.