I really enjoyed this romance novel! You don’t need to be a Christian to get into this story and feel the warmth of it all!

A real feel good story.

I loved this book so much! It's amazing how life can take you on a path that you never saw coming. I enjoyed getting to know January, as she tries to pass off being a Christian, all the while falling in love with the life she is building. I highly recommend this delightful, soul searching story!

Love and a Little White Lie was an unexpected breath of fresh air. Jan's personal and spiritual growth unfolded in such a natural, unforced way, making her poignant progress that much more impactful. The unexpected joys and frustrating struggles faced by Jan are extremely relatable, no matter where one might be in their own faith journey. A cast of well-rounded characters and deft storytelling kept me engaged and eagerly anticipating the next chapter. I especially loved the quick witted banter between Jan and Dillon - those types of interactions always put a smile on my face make my heart happy. Reading this novel felt like being wrapped in a warm, comforting hug and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Love and a Little White Lie was sadly a disappointing read for me. It was written well, but I didn't love the main character or the love triangle/romance.

January was deceptive with Cameron in a way that really bugged me. Also, love triangles are not storylines I typically enjoy and that was the case here... just not for me.

All in all, Love and a Little White Lie was not a book for me. I know others really enjoyed it, so I may be in the minority here. I do plan on continuing the series and hope the next storyline is more my cup of tea. :)

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

This was a beautiful contemporary romance. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I think the characters were well written and the plot was done well. I LOVED the quotes within this book as they had me really thinking over my own life and views.

January is dealing with a breakup and decides to move in with her aunt and work at her church. However, she doesn't believe in God and her own mother is an atheist. She works to get over her heartbreak, but as she gets more involved with the church and its people she begins to learn the truth. I enjoyed her growth from beginning to end. Her sarcasm was everything, but she was definitely pessimistic when it came to her own life. Seeing her change was beautiful.

Aunt Doreen was amazing! I loved how kind and loving she was. She was sweet and knew how to help with love. She had a heart for God and His people and it showed.

Cameron is a love interest and he's your typical pretty boy church musician. I wasn't a big fan of him because when things were revealed he reacted terribly. He was still a little boy and not the man he claimed to be.

Dillion was everything and my favorite the love interests. He was blunt, he spoke truth and he cared. I loved seeing how he worked and thought. I loved seeing how he tried to live and have fun despite his own personal issues. He was simply amazing.

The romance was alright. It was too quick on aspect, but when the shift took place I began to thoroughly enjoy it.

Faith aspects were amazing! I loved seeing God work in January's life and how she felt the pull through the grace and love given to her by the church and Dillion.

Overall, I look forward to reading the sequel and more from Tammy L. Gray!

This was such a great read. This is a story about a depressed young woman discovering herself finding what she needed all along. Tammy L. Gray is now one of my new favorite Christian fiction authors. I like the way she writes. We only get the heroine January’s perspective and in 1st person, too. She was a good character. The heroes Dillion and Cameron were good as well. This book was different from most other reads because January didn’t believe in God. The love triangle wasn’t as heartbreaking as I thought it would be. But she ended up choosing the right man for her and vice versa for the man.

I like that January’s journey to faith and love wasn’t rushed but genuine. I can’t wait to continue this series! I recommend this read!

New to me author -- Gray presents a story with strong character development, and descriptive narrative, and faith elements that aren't preachy.

This is my first experience reading something by Ms Gray, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were well-developed and realistic and it was easy to relate to them. The main character of the story is not big on faith, but finds herself working as a church secretary. January struggles to hide her faith from everyone while working there, especially from two men who have caught her attention. This is a beautifully written story that is inspirational and really touches your soul. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading more by this author.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I actually read this out of order.by reading book two first. I didn't realize it at the time and I do admit it was a bit of a spoiler to read book one after book two. But . . . this author is fantastic and even though I knew what was going to happen in the end it was still a wonderful read. I would definitely recommend reading in order to avoid the spoiler aspect!

Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray is book 1 in the State of Grace series. This is not your typical Christian romance. It is even better. Often, I think characters are relatable or realistic. Here, the author's characters go beyond this. I would call them broken and vulnerable and full of emotion. This leads to quite an interesting, unconventional story. I love the author's approach. This is what the church should look like. I adored this book. It was not at all what I expected but it is just perfect for today. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

A well done Christian Contemporary Romance. At first I was worried this would turn out to be a pushy, preachy, over the top unrealistic story. But I was pleasantly surprised when it showed all the real struggles and scars of everyday people. I love the realness of responsibilities in ministry and what a mega church looks like from that point of view.
The story ended up stealing my heart and I loved all the characters. The men were swoon worthy and I didn’t even mind the love triangle. Those usually make me crazy but this was done well. This author is new to me and I definitely want to read another book of hers.
Thanks to Bethany House Publishers via Netgalley for this ebook. I’ve voluntarily and freely given my honest review.

I loved this book and could not stop reading!! I kept turning the pages and did not want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

Adrift after a break-up, January Sanders heads to her aunt's homestead to take a break and try to regain her footing. Musician Cameron catches her eye on the first day at her new job, her church-based organizational assistant job. The lure of a relationship with a good guy is too strong and non-believer January plunges in, without considering the consequences from Cameron's point-of-view. Nevermind that this is a boomerang relationship, too close on the heels of her break-up. General contractor Dillion Kyle is a fixture at the aunt's business, a wedding venue with overnight cabins. Dillon is struggling after the death of his mom, followed by the betrayal by his now ex-wife. He vows to keep it real with January, providing them each with a friend they desperately need.
Yes, it is a love triangle, but it is also a look into relationships and friendship and what can truly stand the test of time.

This book was absolutely positively fantastic. I always love a book that pulls me in from the beginning and this one did that! I highly recommend this and any other book by Tammy L Gray!

4.5 Stars

Don't be fooled--this looks and sounds like a light novel, and though there are tons of moments that are light and hilarious, this book is so much more. I was stunned by how deeply it touched me.

The romance is perfectly paced, not too fast and not too slow. It's a delicate dance that bobs and weaves into love triangle territory without fully committing to the trope. And the characters are wonderful. Everyone is struggling with something, which makes the characters rich and real. I appreciated that Gray didn't try to smooth over the struggles or sweep them under the rug; instead, she showcased how wrestling with our faith can actually strengthen our faith.

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All expressed opinions belong to me.

I loved this book! We have an atheist hired to work in a church and serve as a ministerial assistant. Ah, what could go wrong? We have a meddling aunt who wants to see her niece saved and healed up from her rejection issues. Who could blame her?

The story was the perfect mix of humor and insight. I highlighted a hundred places of either strong prose, LOL moments, or insightfulness, along with my notes for this review.

The heroine’s quirkiness captured my attention. She’s original and I enjoyed being in her head. We have first-person, oftentimes present-tense narrative. We learn about the other characters through rich storytelling, but we never leave January’s perspective.

At times the heroine’s relationship thoughts seemed juvenile, especially for a late twenty-something. She’s supposedly experienced in relationships, yet her infatuation and "daydreamy" mentality seemed a bit too young. That may have been a generational thing. Also, I read the ARC and this element may have been addressed in rewrites.

I loved the church setting and the musical moments. Years ago, I wrote an unpublished novel around music and worshiping God, and this story reminded me of that during some musical scenes. Watching the heroine discover God’s presence, His Spirit, was delightful. Yet we didn’t delve into a secular world too deeply. True to character, the heroine had thoughts about karma as well as her conviction God doesn’t exist, but we know she’s discovering truth and hope.

We see contrasts throughout, and yet the author doesn’t steep the story in red-or-green mentality. (some might call it “black or white” or “light vs darkness") We find layers and realism without harshness. I loved that balance. The heroine, for example, carries a heavy burden from a complicated past. While Cameron, the musician from church, is full of joy, lightness, and a whole lot of innocence.

The heroine is at a crossroads of faith, though she wouldn't describe it that way. She thinks she's trying to get She’s also good at helping others, though she wouldn’t describe herself that way. I liked how she found other talents besides the quirky one she half despises.

Ah, then there’s that budding friendship with the landscape artist. The banter these two share in their unfiltered conversations is delicious. So well done. It was refreshing watching them be real with each other. His name is Dillon, and he’s my favorite character in the book. He’s honest, courageous, unyielding, as well as unafraid to speak his mind and require that of others. He delights in pushing January's buttons too. Since he works on the property, they keep running into each other. Loved their interactions.

Many of the secondary characters were very well drawn and memorable. I appreciated Darcy’s warmth and friendliness, especially.

Overall, a delightful read. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed reading Love and a Little White Lie. It is the first book I have read by Tammy L Gray and would love to read more by her in the future. Four stars.

Well written romance. Great plot, believable characters and a nice setting. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley this is my unbiased review.

"Here's the thing about being depressed: you lose all the little joys that make life worth the effort. Laughter becomes a memory and, in some ways, a painful reminder of all you've lost."

The story starts with off January, having just had a relationship ending in heartbreak, going to live her with Aunt Doreen and accepting a job at Grace Community Church. Religion, Christianity and faith play a big role in the book. January however is a non-believer and hence where the white lie comes into play. Working in a Church, she is not very forthcoming about her beliefs and views on religion.

January has a very special relationship with her Aunt Doreen and doesn't understand why her mom doesn't speak to her sister and why she refuses to have anything to do with half the land that was left to her. Aunt Doreen turned half of her property into a beautiful and scenic wedding destination. Living on the property she discovers the beauty of the place and all it has to offer. January also uncovers the truth as to why her mom and Aunt are no longer in speaking terms.

While working at the Church, and building relationships with those around her, January learns what it means to have faith, to trust and to accept and love others. As she learns to heal her heart, she helps others find their way.

"You can't truly know someone from a distance, January. Every one of us had out own set of secrets and demons and quirks. You just have to decide if it's worth taking the time to learn them. And if you're willing to let someone close enough to learn yours."

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!