Love and a Little White Lie

LOVE AND A LITTLE WHITE LIE by TAMMY L. GRAY is a well written romance novel with a great plot and unforgettable characters. It is a story about broken people, redemption, forgiveness and the importance of honesty in relationships. Although the author deals with the harsh reality of broken lives, there is hope and humour in the way she tells their stories. There is a good Christian message and we are reminded of God's promise to bring good out of all things in the lives of those who belong to Him in Romans 8:28.
Twenty-nine year old January Sanders, heart broken and depressed, moves to stay with her aunt Doreen in Georgia. Through her aunt, who is a committed Christian, she gets a temporary job at Grace Community Church, hoping that her extraordinary photographic memory will help her hide the fact that she has been brought up as an agnostic by her mother, and most of the time does not know what anyone in the church leadership is talking about! She finds her colleagues very friendly and feels accepted, although she also feels guilty for not telling them the truth about herself.
Jan, who has had a difficult childhood, has a lot of baggage. The handsome musician, Cameron Lee, has had a loving childhood and seems totally committed to God and the church. Jan, who has promised herself that she will never fall for another man, because in her experience men have not shown themselves trustworthy, falls hard for him. Dillon Kyle has had a loving childhood and church upbringing, but he is angry and hurting and has turned away from the Lord because of his wife's betrayal.
I am not going to say any more excepting that is is a most enjoyable read and one I can highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I would give his book 10 stars of I could!! It was brilliantly layered with complex characters, wit and humor and spiritual truths. I cried more than once reading it. I love the new direction Ms. Gray has taken in her writing and I so hope she continues it. This book was phenomenal!

I loved January and Doreen !such a feel good story about second chances and love. I so recommend this book for anyone in need of a romance with a biblical feel..

This is the first book I have read by this author. I must say, I am SOLD.

After a major heartbreak, January moves to Texas to stay with her Aunt Doreen and Uncle Jim, who own and run a beautiful wedding venue, the Boots and Lace Ranch. January is desperate for a job, and Doreen refers her to her local (mega) church, even though January does not believe in God. She gets the job and the antics ensue....but they are not necessarily typical, and January's journey is moving and engaging.

Numerous laugh out loud moments...unexpected relational payoffs....realistic resolutions to long held belief struggles, even some that aren't fully resolved in the best way possible...the list goes on and on with reasons why I enjoyed this book. I am on the hunt for more Tammy Gray books -and I absolutely suggest you start with this one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved that this story was unique in the fact that it shows a non Christian young woman who is drawn to two Christian men. Their story and complex issues kept me wondering which one she would end up with and how it all would play out. Each character had fears, doubts and issues. And the lie by omission that January told complicated their lives.
I think this story is a good example of how there are seasons in all of our lives where we question God, can't seem to find him and wonder why things happen. There is a message of hope here that all things happen for good even if we don't see them now.
I recommend this story, well worth the read!
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley but these opinions are all my own.

Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray is an I CAN'T PUT DOWN BOOK! I literally read it in two days and I couldn't stop thinking about it when I put it down. Gray has a way of making this messed up world and the grittiness of it, come across the pages as relatable. Because, the characters are flawed, just as we the readers are flawed. Yet we see the handiwork of God sprinkled throughout. The heroine, January is an agnostic. She has experienced disappointments with the men who have come in and out of her life starting from childhood. However, her life is changed upside down when she gets a job at a church. This book has wit, heartache, romance and restoration. It also offers hope and love and that is what I feel we all crave and desire.
*I was given a copy of this book by Bethany House publishers, and this is my honest opinion.

This book wasn't what I expected, but it was so raw and real that I couldn't put it down! The characters are truly flawed, in so many ways, which made them just a little bit more relatable...you were rooting for them. With an agnostic taking a position working for the church, you knew there were going to be some missteps and funnies (hopefully) along the way, but it all played out well. Having worked in a nursing home, I felt like I was right there beside January as she made here visits...connecting in a very human way. She may struggle with her faith and her job, but it helps her to eventually heal and help.

This is normally not my type of book at all....but I found it very sweet. The characters were great, I felt like I wanted to actually meet them. My kind of people. I read the author was going to give up writing, I'm glad she didn't.

This is a well written book that hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. This is a book you don't want to end, but you just have to know what happens next. This was a very emotional story, it made me laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. I can't say enough good things about this book without letting a spoiler slip out, So all I'm going to say is this is a book you don't want to miss. I hated to see it end. Thank you Bethany House Publishers and Tammy L. Gray via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Such a nice surprise!

January moves to her aunt's property following a bad break-up, and takes a temporary job at her aunt's church. She keeps her lack of faith and belief in organized religion a secret and soon finds herself immersed in the community.

When she meets Cameron, the church's guitarist, there's an instant mutual attraction. Cameron is a believer and writes/plays Christian music, but that still doesn't make January tell him the truth.

I really liked seeing Cameron and January together. He was the perfect boyfriend and treated her so well, which she needed. But I was on edge of my seat for the moment when he found out January's secret.

Then there's Dillon, the landscape architect who works with his dad at January's aunt's property. He's cynical and too direct, but there was something about him that held a hint of hope. His relationship with January develops in a totally different way and I enjoyed their interactions.

I pretty much read it in one sitting and stayed up way too late to read the resolution. Totally worth it.

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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!