She’s looking for her birth mother. He’s looking for a thief.Will each find what they are searching for?Paige McDonald, an avid book collector, discovers a forgotten Bible. When the Bible reveals that she was abandoned on the steps of a fire department, she begins a journey to search for her birth mother.Hamilton Bryant, a Patrol Officer, has sworn off romance, reserving his passion for the town … romance, reserving his passion for the town he’s sworn to protect. When Paige’s arrival in Whitman coincides with random thefts and threats against the mayor, Hamilton is compelled to investigate the newcomer.
When the danger gets personal, can Paige save her reputation before she ends up in jail for crimes she didn’t commit?
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The second book by author Gina Holder, I really enjoyed it and now I need to read her first book.
A complex plot with well developed characters, No Greater Love held my interest through out. I did get a little confused by several statements that ended in a question mark but that would have been a proofreader mistake. And in the beginning Paige did a lot of tucking her hair behind her ear but hang in there. It’s an intriguing story and well worth overlooking the couple of minor details.
Of course being a reader I enjoyed the concept of the second hand bookstore. I’d love to visit! I found the characters to be well developed and extremely likeable. Well, some of them were. Every story needs a bad guy and this story has surprising twists in this sense. I really couldn’t figure out “who done it” and that kept me reading. I stayed up late to get to the end.
A good mystery with not only a clean romance but a deep faith in God, I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
Are you a fan of really good romantic suspense? Do you voraciously read novels by authors like Cara Putman and Rachel Dylan? If so, then I highly recommend you check out No Greater Love by Gina Holder. This story has it all: mystery, suspense, thievery, politics, family drama, and romance. No Greater Love gave me papercuts on my fingers I was turning pages so quickly, and I have dark circles under my eyes because I read well past my bedtime.
There is so much to like about this book, I’m not sure where to even start. I love the characters, they’re so unique and endearing and realistic. And I appreciate the various conflicts throughout the story. They’re what kept me turning pages until one in the morning because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I think, however, my favorite aspect of this book is how it made me turn inward and analyze my actual faith and trust level in God.
The hero of No Greater Love is Hamilton Bryant, and he is a cop. A pretty good cop at that. Hamilton is all a girl could want in a hero. He’s strong, intelligent, handsome, heroic, and he loves Jesus. But Hamilton has taken himself off the market romantically speaking. One of his best friends had died in the line of duty, and Hamilton cannot bear the thought of dying and leaving behind a wife and child(ren). He doesn’t want to be the cause of that kind of pain so he has decided he will remain a bachelor for the rest of his days. I’m not going to lie, this bugged me SO badly. I got on my high horse and had some judgemental words to say to Hamilton! Something along the lines of, “Who do you think you are, Hamilton? God!? You don’t determine your steps, Mr. Hot Officer. God does!!!” After my tirade with a fictional man, I heard a very soft Voice say, “Pot calling the kettle black.” I sheepishly apologized to God and then sat down to humbly write this review.
You see, I am Hamilton. I want so badly to never hurt others or cause sadness that I sometimes become the bossy-boss of my own story and force my steps on my own “safe” path. After almost 40 years on this earth, I have learned that when I force my path — even with good intentions — everything gets messed up. I have to really give my life over to God and trust His path for me. Then, and only then, will I ever truly have a genuine trust and faith in God. I won’t spoil anything and tell you if Hamilton learns his lesson or not, but I will tell you that this reader is eternally grateful for this reminder. I had a few things to talk to God about after reading this book.
No Greater Love is a fantastic novel I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. If you are looking for a very well-written, highly engaging, thought-provoking Christian Romantic Suspense then No Greater Love is the novel for you!
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form and in paperback from the author via Celebrate Lit. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
No Greater Love by Gina Holder is a marvellous contemporary Christian romantic suspense and the first book in the Shadows Over Whitman series.
The novel is about a search for roots. Babies are a gift from God but man does not always treat them as such, sometimes seeing them as an embarrassment or throw-aways. When a character uncovers the secrets of her birth, she longs to find her true beginnings.
We all want to belong and be loved. Family is not always united by blood but it is united by love.
Jealousy is a dreadful master. It corrupts lives and will always lead to a downwards spiral.
We need to have the correct priorities in our lives. When political power and possessions are placed above family, we have clearly got it seriously wrong.
God never gives up on us but sometimes we reject Him. “She’d given up on her own faith. He [God] didn’t hear. He didn’t care.” God hears and God cares. We were never promised an easy life but we were promised that God would never leave us. No matter what we face, God walks alongside us in life.
An air of suspense is suspended over the whole novel. Secrets long buried, start working their way to the surface. There is a palpable tension between the party who wants to keep the secrets hidden and the party who wants to expose them.
Fear of being hurt has meant characters build walls around their hearts. This fails to protect but instead it imprisons. The walls need to come down as we learn to trust and to live and to love again.
The novel ends on a jaw dropping confession and is perfectly poised for book two… which is just where I am heading now. Forgiven Again here I come!
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
I loved this book!
Paige McDonald has vowed never to become involved with a first responder. Hamilton Bryant has vowed to avoid “romantic entanglements” because his job has “unfathomable risk”. Can they overcome their fears and “live the lives they are meant to live”—together? Can Kathleen Phillips risk her lifelong dreams by acknowledging the truth about her past?
This captivating story has it all: a suspenseful, intriguing plot that keeps you guessing; endearing, relatable characters who capture your heart; a bit of romance and humor to lighten the suspense; and a strong faith element that inspires your soul. The multi-faceted yet easy to follow storylines move at a steady pace encompassing secrets, regrets, misunderstandings, false accusations, and rejection tempered with hope, forgiveness, and peace. Ms. Holder’s clear, concise, expressive prose drew me in from the beginning and kept me turning pages! Vivid descriptive language and imagery evoke a myriad of emotions and connect you to the story engaging your mind on multiple levels. No Greater Love is Book 1 of the Shadows Over Whitman series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my first read by Ms. Holder, and can’t wait to get started on Forgiven Again, Book 2 in the series, to continue this beautifully crafted story by this super talented storyteller. I highly recommend this book especially for lovers of contemporary romantic suspense.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but am under no obligation to write a positive review.
What I think you should know:
No Greater Love is a contemporary Christian fiction. It is the first book in the Shadows over Whitman Series. Paige McDonald head to Whitman, Oregon after receiving life changing news. Hamilton Bryant is a small town police man who is determined to stay single after losing his best friend. +* For me the cover was slightly misleading, I felt the picture looked for an older story not a contemporary one*
What touched me about this book:
The author, Gina Holder has written a wonderful story of love, forgiveness, redemption and hope. Paige is a non believer but after finding her mother’s Bible she ends up finding more that she started out looking for. Hamilton has to learn to trust, both other people and The Lord. The unique cast of characters create a novel that will leave you hooked from the first chapter to the last. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Who will love this book:
Fans of Contemporary Christian Fiction
Fans of Mystery
Fans of Christian Romance
No greater love
Paige finds out she was adopted. She found a bible with her mother name in it. So she decides to go to the town of Whitman to find her mother. Will she succeed?
While in town she meets Hamilton. He is a police officer. With his line of work she is scared to get too close to him. There has been a lot of robberies. Different ones want to blame Paige.
The birth mother finds out about Paige but she doesn’t want her to know. Will she ever tell her?
I enjoyed the book very much. I kept guessing on how things were going to end up.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This review is my own opinion.
This is a new author to me and I’m glad I got to read her book. She has a knack for making her characters come alive with emotions that can be felt as you read the story. It was easy to relate to Paige and I loved how we see her wrestle with faith throughout the story. Paige goes to a little town in Oregon where she believes her birth mother is. I felt her anxiety and knew she wanted to have a happy ending.
Hamilton is the type of man that is easy to like. He works as a police officer and is more than curious about Paige as she is new to his town. There is much suspense in the story as things are stolen, shootouts happen, and strange people are lurking in the darkness. Not everyone is happy for Paige to be in town and she doesn’t get the warmest greeting from everyone. I loved that she finds the perfect job in a bookstore and the lady that runs it is so sweet.
I can’t say much more without giving away the story but there are several people who touch Paige’s life and help her in her struggle to belong somewhere. Hamilton and Paige may be perfect for each other, but there is a big obstacle stopping them. This was a nice part of the book where two characters each face hard decisions. The ending was a surprise and opens the door for a new book in the series. I can’t wait to read it. The theme of the book is knowing that God loves you no matter what. It doesn’t matter about your past; He has already forgiven you. He wants you to pursue your future with Him guiding the way.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
My Thoughts on No Greater Love:
I love coffee. So much love for coffee. And old books, especially old books hold the key to my heart. Those were the first two reasons I picked up this book.
The cover is cute and drew me in. Plus I’m a sucker for any small bit of mystery. This book has mystery and love and old books and coffee. What could go wrong?!
This is the first book I picked up from this author and now I want to read the other book that you’ll find in the giveaway below. Also going to have to make sure whether there are more hiding or not.
What’s your favorite coffee drink? I can’t believe there are people who don’t love coffee. I’m pretty much a take it any way I can get it kind of gal. Except for all decaf, I don’t drink caffeinated coffee. For 15 years now I have drunk almost exclusively decaf coffee due to pregnancies and breastfeeding or both. I’ve found some pretty good brands and some coffee shops that you have to avoid at all costs.
Coffee is kinda my thing. So I really loved all the coffee drinks scattered throughout. Going to have to try some of them out in the future.
The characters are fun and kept me entertained. They made me laugh and definitely made me crave coffee. And made me want to hold and love my old books.
Faith is not just something that is glossed over in this book. You’re going to be challenged in your faith and beliefs. If you don’t want to get introspective about your faith and what you believe, don’t read this book. Highly recommend.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
‘Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia’
– Charles Schulz
Losing her grandfather in an accident, while he was fighting a fire, has left Paige with the feeling that loving anyone who works in service to others is asking for heartache. How could one think that putting their lives on the line for strangers was something they should consider? What about those left behind?
As a lover of rare, old books, she has the perfect job in Powell’s City of Books in Portland, OR. Upon learning that her history is not what she thought it was, she decides to head into the future by discovering her past. Finding herself in the small town of Whitman, the mysteries just compound. Robberies of rare and expensive items – books, pictures, coins and more – begin to plague the town.
The author has done a fabulous job of creating a scene so convoluted that it was almost impossible to figure out who was behind it all. I started putting names with question marks beside them in my notes, wondering if I would find that I was correct in my assumptions.
Is it possible that Paige will find answers to her questions? Can she learn to trust that the Lord has only her best in mind with all these secrets?
I received an ARC through CelebrateLit. These impressions and opinions are my own.
Paige McDonald got the shock of her life one day in her twenty fifth year. It led her from Portland, Oregon to a very small town, Whitman, in search of answers. Because of losing her firefighter grandfather in the line of duty she swore off never getting involved with a first responder. In Whitman she meets police officer Hamilton Bryant, who had made a vow to never marry and put a wife in the possible position of being a widow.
Nevertheless they become friends and get thrown together at every possible turn. Thefts begin to happen shortly after Paige enters town and thoughts turn to her after learning she has a criminal past.
This story has a sweet romance but also mystery and criminal activity complete with guns, kidnapping and big time theft. It was interesting to read along and eventually discover who was the mastermind and the side kicks.
This book No Greater Love, is book one of the Shadows Over Whitman series so I should have known there would be a little mystery left to be carried on in book two!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
No Greater Love by Gina Holder is the first book in her Shadows over Whitman series. The story centers around Paige McDonald, Patrol Officer Hamilton Bryant and the city of Whitman, Oregon. When Paige finds a Bible in her Great Aunt’s attic, her world is turned upside down. She travels to Whitman to try to find out who she really is. As Paige and Hamilton get to know one another, sparks fly. Paige has vowed never to marry a first responder after her firefighter grandfather was killed on the job. Hamilton has vowed never to marry, because he doesn’t won’t to leave behind a widow if something happens to him while at work. So, what will they do about their growing attraction? With the robberies going on around town, Paige becomes a suspect. How will she prove her innocence? The story-line started out a little slow but the pace picked up a few chapters in. I didn’t think Paige did enough looking or research in her search for her mom. Other than that, it was a good story; full of suspense, romance and a search for answers, both physical and spiritual. I’m interested to see what Ms. Holder brings in the next installment.
I received this book from Celebrate-Lit in exchange for my honest review.
This was a new-to-me-author and as soon as I read the description I knew this book would be right up my alley, and it absolutely was! As soon as I read the first chapter I knew I would love this book! I immediately liked Paige and hated to stop reading because I had to know what would happen next in her story! No Greater Love is an absolutely awesome book, it has suspense, romance, and a soul-stirring faith journey that is a fabulous reminder of God’s incredible, unconditional love for each one of us and the truly amazing grace Jesus offers even though none of us deserve it. I know the beautiful faith story in this book will touch your heart as deeply as it did mine! I loved how many layers and surprises there were in this book, it was so exciting every time a new twist was revealed, and I will admit that I actually didn’t guess the identity of one of the villains, which rarely happens because I read a ton of suspense books and I love to play armchair detective, so brava Gina Holder for taking me by surprise!
The suspense in this book was awesome and totally kept me turning pages! I also loved the moments of humor that the author included!
The characters were quirky and delightful and felt like friends to me. I especially loved our hero Officer Hamilton Bryant, not only was he a total hunk, I loved his strong faith, and I really appreciated that even though he cared for Paige and was definitely attracted to her he knew better than to begin a relationship with her when she was not yet a believer, and chose to pray for her and place any potential relationship in God’s hands! Oh, and his grand gesture at the end of the book was super AWESOME, and totally romance movie worthy!
I absolutely loved No Greater Love and highly recommend it, it most definitely has a spot on my keeper shelf! I see that this is the first book in a new series, and I don’t know whether the next book will also be about Paige and Hamilton or if it will be populated by other main characters, but either way I am eagerly anticipating my next visit to Whitman, Oregon!
(5 Stars!)
I received a copy of this book through the CelebrateLit Team. Which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own!
No Greater Love was so much more than the back cover described. There were multiple threads to the story that weaved together impeccably to build the perfect masterpiece.
Paige is more than just a girl afraid of love. When she discovers that her past isn’t what she’d always thought, she sets off on a journey in search of answers. Yet things aren’t quite what they seem in the town of Whitman, and she appears to have arrived right in time for some mysterious criminal activity including threats to the woman campaigning for mayor. Afraid to reveal her true reasons for coming to town, she manages to put a target on herself unknowingly. Paige was also an avid book lover, and I adored seeing her work to help revive a little bookstore in town back to being profitable again. There was so much to her story, and I loved every moment of it.
I loved the level of complexity to this novel. Even though there was a lot going on, it wasn’t difficult to follow along. It helped to keep the action and suspense high without needing to add over-the-top or unrealistic content to keep the readers connected.
I am genuinely curious where the author will take readers in the second book in this series. I don’t want to ruin the ending at all, but after that last line I simply MUST know what happens next! (No peeking! 😉 ) This is a novel I highly recommend!
*I received a copy of this book through CelebrateLit. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
Gina Holder has written a spellbinding story that will keep you up to see what is going to happen. Paige arrival in Whitman, Oregon was not her radar but she longer for her inner self to know the truth of who she was. Officer Hamilton Bryant was a focused career man to protect Whitman. Their paths crossed numerous times but not without some attraction. Their life’s goal did not match this attraction but an unusual increase of crimes in Whitman changed that. There are secondary characters that had a major role in the twists and turns that left questions who is behind the crimes and for what purposeful were they trying to destroy lives and careers. There’s a gentle Christian message woven into this suspenseful romance tale of God’s amazing love for each one, no matter what their life may have been.
Fans of contemporary romantic suspense will not want to miss reading No Greater Love, book one in Holder’s new series Shadows Over Whitman. I look forward to reading more books by Gina Holder in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher for her tour with Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review, but have shared my own thoughts.