Customer Reviews

This debut novel immediately makes you feel like you’ve known the characters and town forever. The sweet story is full of laughter, tears, and a reminder that even though it isn’t easy to relinquish your hold on the reins of life, by letting God take them, only good will follow. Jenny Carlisle’s first book has me looking forward to more to come. ~ Amy A.

Romancing the Elements is a wonderful book of four charming novellas. Released in time for a romantic Valentine’s read or for sweet spring stories. Jump in and enjoy these four!

This is a wonderful book that you don’t want to miss. Faith and John’s story is a sweet clean romance that will keep you turning the pages. It’s the perfect small-town romance to curl up with and escape life for a little while. This book can be read as a standalone, but it’s so much better if you read Hope Takes the Reins first.

Short Looks into a Christian Writer’s Life and Loves

Being a long-time newspaper columnist myself, I read Carlisle’s book knowing that these are some of her columns from the monthly magazine, Ouachita Life. She writes from a baby-boomer’s viewpoint and from a Christian writer’s perspective. The book is divided into five sections based on the Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 passage: A Season for Rebirth, A Season for Relaxation, A Season for Rejuvenation, A Season for Reflecting, and A Season for Relaunching. Each short story gives us a look into her life and the lives of her extended and extensive families. Well-written and recommended. ~ P. Laster

Kayla and Cody have known one another their entire lives, and each has known their share of heartbreak and disappointment. A horrible accident changes Cody’s life forever, and the plane crash that kills Kayla’s parents makes her question everything she knows.

Except for Cody. With him, she can be herself.

I won’t give any more spoilers, but I loved this story. The characters are young—19-ish—and you’d think they were too young to know their feelings, but their life experiences and extended families and friends make them wise beyond their years.

This is book 3 of the Crossroads Series, and I haven’t read books 1 and 2, but you can be sure I will give them a read! This has been a great read as a standalone.

I was provided an early copy to read, my opinions are my own — and have since gone back and purchased the whole series!

Good read.

This was a really enjoyable read! It gave a perfect small-town feel that made me want to visit Arkansas. The struggles of both main characters felt real and relatable. The action was fun and kept me turning pages. I definitely recommend this read to anyone who loves clean romance!

I’ve never purchased a book written by three different authors and I was drawn right into the book. I love the storyline.

Jenny Carlisle creates a familiar and endearing hometown feel in this debut novel, Hope Takes the Reins. This coming-of-age story follows Hope Caldwell and O.D. Billings as they navigate the uncertainty of grief, unfulfilled family expectations, and the transition to adulthood. If that weren’t enough, they are also faced with trying to save the Caldwell family rodeo and ensuring the future of Billings Boys auto dealership as big city commerce moves into the rapidly growing town of Crossroads.

True to the title, it is a story infused with hope. Carlisle does a fantastic job capturing the sense of resilience and togetherness at the core of the rodeo community. I can’t wait to read more from Carlisle in the future!

Former bull rider Cody and rodeo princess Kayla have known each other for a long time, but it’s tragedy that finally brings them together. They’re unsure of their steps through young adulthood and finding romantic love. Both are facing challenges navigating life. He’s confined to a wheelchair after being thrown from a bull at the age of 16, and she has hard choices to make after the recent death of her parents in an airplane crash. Will they move forward or give up their dreams? Cody and Kayla find strength in the love and support of family and friends. A nice conclusion to Jenny Carlisle’s Crossroads Series. I also recommend reading Hope Takes the Reins and Faith Moves Mountains, books one and two in the series.

Intertwining 3 time periods in these novellas about a family’s cherished nativity set and its journey tells about good, kind, Christian characters who will warm your heart and remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. This is one worth reading multiple times!

I was able to read this book with the four stories a bit early. I think they are all charming. They are set in different places and there are different circumstances but they’re wholesome & fun to read.

Melting the Ice by Ellen E. Withers

This novella was quite charming. Amelia & Ian met while Amelia was caring for her nieces & nephews so that her sister & brother in law could have a mini vacation. Amelia left her job in Chicago to return to her hometown to allow her sister to go away and after a minor little crisis involving falling through steps met Ian. He rescued her & together they fixed the steps. While they were together only a couple of days, they both felt the instant connection. The two managed to keep everything going smoothly through a winter storm. Maybe there’s a chance for them long term!

Enduring Stones by Delores Topliff

Glen & her uncle Ted arrived in Montana where Glen had been hired to be Forest Ranger. Ted & Chad had served in Afghanistan together. While Chad was showing Ted & Glen around in Montana, Ted got caught in a bear trap in a very busy camping area. This caused them to have to solve the mystery of who set it. Due to an emergency back in Arkansas, Ted had to leave suddenly, but Glen & Chad already had become very close & there were definitely some sparks between them. Glen liked picking up special rocks to save. Cute romcom.

Grace & Grit by
Tonya B. Ashley

I think this book is very charming. It started out a bit slow but then it got interesting. A retreat from the busyness and emotional roller coaster into the hills. A little bit of drama with one guy (Rough Scott) and four women. One being McKenna, the therapist. They had to face some challenges & some emotional issues, but they did and when it was all said and done, it was a good story.

Anchor in a Whirlwind
By Jenny Carlisle

Tara Williams moves from Arkansas to Savannah, GA to be a news anchor. She has several encounters with Micah “aka Captain Mike” who is a local actor/boat Captain/Pirate. It’s really a great story about how faith can help in weathering the storms of life while experiencing