A complete summer read. It appeals to those who save the lighthearted for those hot days of summer. Here the makes are responsive and intuitive and truly beguiling. I found myself laughing at the twists January would find herself in trying to keep all those balls the air. It was truly fun . A great giggle of a book.Happyreading

This was a beautiful story of one woman finding out who she is and her place in this world. January Sanders has been looking for her worth and love in men. She has been heartbroken her whole life with stepdads and boyfriends. After her latest heartbreak, Jan decides to stay with her aunt Doreen.

Aunt Doreen is a Christian and Jan is not. But Doreen gets Jan a temporary job at her church. I liked seeing through Jan's eyes, an unbeliever getting a good dose of the church life. The things she doesn't quite understand and she is even a more unique character by the way her mind works. Everybody just assumes she is a Christian. I mean why wouldn't she be, she works at a church and she is involved in outreach.

I enjoyed the lovely way that the author showed how Jan was lovingly pursued by the man who truly loved her. That part of the story mirrored how she was pursued by the God who loved her. The one that was always there and saw her for all her flaws and strengths. That saw her.

This story definitely took a different path than what I was expecting and I enjoyed every heartfelt, emotional word of it. I hope we get some of the other character's stories as well.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

It seems highly ironic to begin a review of a book titled Love and a Little White Lie by applauding it’s authenticity, but that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Everything about this novel felt so authentic, from the first person, present tense voice of the main character, January, through to the various struggles each of the characters encounters and January’s own unsuspecting journey to faith. And the delightful paradox is, while January was undoubtedly living out a little white lie (that turned out to be not so little after all), she was actually becoming authentic in meaningful ways she didn’t even realise until the end of the story.

But I should probably back up a moment, because world-weary January Sanders is not your typical romance novel heroine, particularly in the Christian fiction genre. She’s grown up with an atheist mother, and though she’s not hostile toward Christianity, she’s not interested in being converted either. But then, she’s never before encountered the kind of authentic (yes, there’s that word again) Christianity she finds at Grace Community Church. The kind that faces the same struggles with health, relationships, loss, and ambition as every other human on the planet. The kind that shows…well, grace.

There’s a very real danger of spoilers if I get more specific in my praise of this novel than I have been above, particularly in relation to the romantic thread of the story, but I will say I loved everything about that too. It subtly subverts some of the tried and not-so-true clichès romance novels tend to promulgate, but really, I can’t say any more than that without it being a spoiler. But…oh, it was so satisfying to get to that ending! It brought everything together, including that very important theme of authenticity and honesty—especially authentic romantic love.

I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

January Saunders has just been hired as an administrative assistant at Grace Community Church, a job she desperately needs. So desperately that she’s willing to work in a church, despite not believing in God or any other higher power. The work isn’t difficult, but working in a new environment does have challenges.

She’s assisting an overworked pastor who covers a broad range of ministries. She soon finds he has more challenges than a lack of ability to organise hundreds of prayer request cards (her first task). Jen also finds herself working with Cameron, the handsome young worship leader who wants a career in music. Cameron is friendly and outgoing, and Jen finds herself spending a lot of time with him.

Jen is staying in a cottage on at her aunt’s wedding ranch, where she meets Dillon, the contractor installing a new gazebo and undertaking other repairs around the ranch. He’s always there, but he’s not the guy Cameron is. For one thing, Dillon is too blunt for Jen’s taste, especially when he calls her on her “little white lie” around her lack of faith.

Love and a Little White Lie is written in first person point of view. I like first person—it does a great job of bringing the reader (me) into the character’s head. I know some people don’t like first person, which is why I mention it. However, I do think it was the right choice for this novel, because it left the reader guessing which guy Jan was going to end up with.

Tammy L Gray consistently writes excellent Christian fiction. This is a bit of a change from her previous novels—a little more comedic, but also deeper in terms of the faith questions. Jen isn’t a Christian, and (as Christian readers) we know the story isn’t going to end with her being unequally yoked, so there is a definite faith journey that isn’t present in a lot of Christian fiction. That was good to read.

Overall, Love and a Little White Lie is a great contemporary Christian romance. Recommended for fans of Courtney Walsh and Kara Isaac.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

y Review:
When I first began to read this book, I was expecting to read an entertaining, clean Christian contemporary romance. This book does have romance in the storyline, but it’s so much more than just a romantic love story.

January Sanders isn’t a believer—-in fact, she’s never even considered that God could exist——but after a failed romance she takes a job as an assistant at Grace Community Church. During the job interview, she fails to mention that she’s not a believer. This leads to some interesting situations in January’s life, and she begins to look closely at her own beliefs. This book gives us a look at what can happen when an unbeliever begins to observe the lives of dedicated believers.

The best thing about this story for me was the people at Grace Community Church. They did not live perfect lives, but the more time January spent with them, the more she saw the difference that a relationship with Christ made in their lives. There’s grace, forgiveness, and the love of Christ all throughout this book, and it shows how sharing God’s love by both our words and actions can make the difference in the life of someone else. It’s an entertaining, romantic story that touches the heart.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

An enjoyable read that explores issues of faith and identity. The theme of truth versus a white lie is perfectly played in a book that is layered with romance and friendship, too.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!!

In this story, January Sanders finds herself in the throes of breakup depression and decides to stay with her aunt who runs a wedding venue. Her aunt is very active in her large church and gets Jan a job interview working for an overworked pastor. Jan has the gift or nuisance of focusing on small details and missing the big picture. Jan gets the job at the church and her little white lie is she doesn’t believe in all that God stuff. She falls for a dreamy church musician but doesn’t tell him she’s faking religion. She’s also getting frustrated with a guy who works on her aunt’s wedding venue and refuses to let Jan slide on anything. This was a sweet romance and a story of a character who struggles with the idea of faith and it’s reality. The author did a great job of showing just how hard it can be to look for things that are not right in front of a person and the main character's obsession with the details played right into this. Great inspirational romance!

I received this book through Net Galley and have left an honest review.

This was a quick and light read. I am not usually a fan of first person narration but Ms. Gray does it really well.
I was very impressed with Tammy Gray's use of an atheist character in an Inspirational novel. That is not something you see very often, if at all, and I thought she did it very well.
I'm born in January so I thought it made a great name!
The book flows well from beginning to end. I didn't feel pushed or like the story was dragging.

This was my first read of Tammy Gray's and I will be looking forward to reading others by her.

I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Love and a Little White Lie" is not what I was expecting, I thought it would be more of a comedy, not quite so … Attention-grabbing on the subject of faith. I took forever to get around to reading it, and I now wish I had read it right away, it was just that good.

January Sanders was a heroine I actually liked from the beginning, I didn't agree with her beliefs, which made me glad I liked her, the journey of learning about God and faith is one that shows God's love in a simple and pure way.

There were so many little things that made this book so, hmmm, I'm not sure what, because it was good, near to perfect and I cannot wait for more books from Tammy L. Gray!

The romance was one that I enjoyed very much and I loved the ending to the story.
I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher/review company. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Love and a little White Lie

If you have read any Tammy Gray books before you know how real her characters are. She creates stories that flow organically and characters you truly get to know.

I struggled to truly connect with January in this book, because it’s really hard for me to view life not believing in God. That being said Tammy did a really good job pulling the reader in. Even though there were moments you wanted to give her a little shake.

I loved any page that had Dillon and his interactions with January. The minor characters were entertaining and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

The ending is so perfect. I literally felt my heart in my chest.

If you love books that create beautiful real characters and a story that jumps off the page then this is the story for you !

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Wow! This was definitely not one I was expecting but it was so real and relatable I enjoyed reading it. I love January's honest and sincere search for the truth and the fact that she worked at knowing what was true. She had a beautiful heart and had been through a lot.
I loved the characters that shaped January's journey to faith quietly and consistently. I loved the friends that didn't let her wallow in her grief and self pity and I love that when she found out the truth for herself she knew it was real.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are solely mine

Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Tammy L. Gray offers up a wonderful story about an agnostic young woman running from her past hurts who finds herself working in the last place she would have ever chosen – a church.

I really enjoyed reading this story because it took a good look at the Christian faith from the perspective of a non-believer. While fictional, the story showed how a person without faith in God would see the world and the situations around them. It allowed me the chance to dig a little deeper into the thinking of one who so desperately needs to experience the love and forgiveness of God but hasn’t yet allowed themselves to accept that gift. The story begins with January Sanders, a heartbroken and rather embittered young woman who has agreed to take a secretarial job at a church – the very last place she should agree to work. Given her unbelief in a “higher power”, she is hoping she can “fake it ’til she makes it”. Thankfully she has been gifted with a photographic memory so even if she doesn’t know all the things she need to, she can recall anything she reads. Her immediate boss is a rather grumpy middle aged man who is overwhelmed with the work he has to do each day. But January is not giving up on this job and hopes if she can get things organized, Ralph might lose a bit of his grump. As she begins her tasks, she meets an attractive young man who leads worship at the church. Too bad she isn’t into churchy-types or she might just fall for this kind and attentive man. Working at the church gives January a real look into what a church does outside of Sunday services and she comes to realize that they are not the self-righteous people her mother had always said they were. She is also staying with her aunt while she allows her heart to heal and finds that what her mother said about her family just isn’t at all true. Sure, they have flaws, but the kindness and welcome she has found here is a balm to her bruised spirit. The only dark spot in her new life is the handyman that her aunt has working on the property. Dillon Kyle seems to find some kind of joy in asking much to pointed questions of January, causing her to analyze herself entirely too closely. Who does he think he is to make such suggestions about her……even if they are true? As January walks the fine line between truth and lies she will find herself falling for the worship pastor. She longs to tell him the truth but if she does, he might hate her forever. Dillon calls her on her deceit and warns her that if she doesn’t tell the truth soon, she will cause more hurt than she knows. If only she didn’t like helping people at the church so much, she might be able to reveal her secrets. But January stands to lose much more than a job if she doesn’t let go of her deceit, hurt and bitterness and let God heal her from the inside out. Will she let go of the tight control she wants to keep on her life or will she see that letting go will give her the freedom of spirit she is desperately longing for in her life? Only she can decide to accept or reject the truth in front of her. As I said before, this story was written with a different and much welcome perspective. It’s rare to see a Christian author focus on the person without faith and their journey to Christ rather than have them as a secondary character. I was glad to see that Ms. Gray created such a relatable and realistic young woman with whom anyone might identify. January is like so many people that we know – looking for Someone to love and heal her and not understanding He is right there to be found. This story was an encouragement to reach out to those around us in love and kindness and perhaps gain the chance to share with them God’s gift of Salvation. I also liked the character of Dillon. He didn’t pull punches and challenged January to take a good look at herself, her motives and what she really wanted in life. Everyone needs someone like Dillon in their lives to make us really see ourselves without the masks we wear in front of others. And as Dillon had flaws and problems of his own, he was exactly the kind of person January needed to see living out the Christian faith. We all have past things that have hurt us but shaped us in some way. God is gracious enough to give us not only the strength to overcome those tough times but bring others alongside us to walk the journey too. I will certainly be recommending this book to others as a very good read with plenty of good content. Hope Ms. Gray’s next book comes out soon and that maybe Cameron and Darcy will finally get together.

I received this temporary, complimentary E-book from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Sweet read that is full of grace! Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray is a contemporary romance novel that is beautifully written about a woman's journey from hurting to healing. The characters are imperfect, which makes them believable and relatable. The main character, January, is a non-believer and finds herself working in a church to make ends meet. She encounters many different people and situations which are woven throughout the pages. The storyline is one I found refreshing and very realistic. The resolutions to problems are not always as expected. It's packed with wit, heartache, grace and truth. It's a book you simply can't put down!

Love and Little Lie By Tammy L Gray. Has a love trangle.but really four. I will let you pick the forth. Faith Hope and Love

I had a hard time deciding if I should read this book.
That title kinda threw me because of my opinion is that the "little white lie" excuse to lie doesn't sit with me. Then I learned that this book is completely in the first person pov (not my favorite way to read a story), and it features a love triangle (probably my least favorite trope of all). However I decided to go ahead and try it because I absolutely loved Mecy's Fight by This author.
With all that said, this was a really well written, well done book.
While dishonesty is a key element of the story I like how it is addressed (ahem...Dillon). This book explores how when dishonesty creeps into our relationships it never is beneficial.

While there was a triangle trope between January and two really good guys I liked how it worked out. I saw how the author used both guys to teach January something powerful about faith and herself.
I was team Dillon from the moment he was on the page. I loved his brutal honesty and sarcasm. He was my favorite character by far!
Jan was a bit hard for me to connect to, but I was pulled into the story and really rooted for her to find her way!
Cam was a real sweetheart, he was so good for Jan to show her a way that she had never known before.
I thought this was a really well written book, I would recommend this book to fans of Nicole deese and Becky wade.
I recieved this book from the publisher through Netgally all the opinions in this review are my honest opinions.

"No need to simplify the exceptional. January is a great name. Means 'month of the wolf’, you know."

Tammy L Gray, once again, has created a beautifully and soulfully written contemporary romance that will make you laugh, cry, hurt, and rejoice in a span of 368 pages. She truly is a master artist who can drape the canvas of her pages with raw, real, unencumbered emotions that will pull you in and not let go. There are themes to ponder - of forgiveness, reconciliation, letting go of fear, owning faith and making it personal, and surrendering all the anger, disappointment, failures and frustrations to the One who will willingly carry and love us.
There are delightfully funny and poignant commentaries about the church as an organization and the broken yet grace-filled people who make up the church spoken through the first person present-tense narrative of unchurched January (Jan). I've been a Christian for most of my life so Jan's thoughtful observations about the church leadership and the daily grind of church administration are enlightening and sometimes quite humorous. Jan's narrative has a way of making you feel like you're right there with her through the entire book and her fun, quirky cleverness, along with her huge and tender heart, will have you wanting to be her best friend. Her emotional and spiritual journey is rocky, but to finally meet the mature, grounded woman that emerges through the heartbreak, self-realization, repentance, and courage is worth the rollercoaster ride next to Jan.

Cameron is a gifted but frustrated musician who's still working out his calling in life. He's incredibly sweet, thoughtful, innocent, and sheltered and truly every young woman's dream. Dillon is a gifted architect who's angry at God for how his life has unraveled in the past year but does have a softer side that comes out as he and Jan become friends. Their banter is so awesome and witty that they had me laughing out loud with tears. There is a group of Cameron and Dillon's friends who have grown up in town and in the church together, somewhat reminiscent of friends from the author's previous Bentwood series, and I'm hoping she is planning to expound on these secondary characters in future books.

Oh, and the music! The power and the beauty of the Spirit within worship music is so vividly painted throughout the book that it gave me goosebumps every time Cameron played.

If you enjoy well-written contemporary romance with depth and heart-rending emotions, you need to read this book. You won't be able to put it down. I received a copy of the book from the author and Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

Love and a Little White Lie is a clean, contemporary, Christian romance novel set in Texas. January Saunders has moved in with her Aunt Doreen after a bad break up. Jan is agnostic, but Aunt Doreen is a devout christian, and gets Jan a job at her church. While overcoming her breakup, can Jan find happiness in life?

I loved this story! There are so many good themes that were hit on in this book: love, faith, forgiveness, trust, overcoming your childhood, finding yourself. It was so enjoyable to read, written in first person narrative, Jan's witty thoughts are fresh and funny. All the supportive characters are well written and totally relatable.

The one thing I didn't like was this book was totally predictable. But I guess that is par for the course in romance novels.

Definitely recommend!

I'd like to thank netgalley Tammy L Gray, and Baker Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and in no way biased.

LOVE AND A LITTLE WHITE LIE is the first book I've read by Ms. Gray, but it hopefully won't be the last. There were things I loved about the book and things I didn't.

January is a unique character, strong, sarcastic, smart, and very broken. She attracts men easily, falls into relationships, makes bad choices, and yet has a good heart that helps heal other people's relationships.

For more conservative readers, there are soft swear words, heavy make-out scenes, and a very weak faith message. The church is very modern with a rock band.

And then there's a quiet, broken man who builds trust and despite his own broken faith, reaches January where she doesn't have any.

A slow story that touches the heart.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

*I was given a free copy of this book at my request by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Whoah, what a ride!
I'm so thankful that Tammy L. Gray deciden not to quit writing!
It's a wonderful book that you won't be able to put down.
It will remind you that God can use any person or situation to accomplish His will. And yes, it might make you cry quite a bit as well but you will love it, after all Gray's books are always awesome.