I’ve been waiting and waiting for Julia Monroe Begins Again, a debut sweet Contemporary Romance by Rebekah Millet.

I was not disappointed. Check out the back cover, followed by my review.

Back Cover

Samuel was back. It seemed unfair to be blindsided. And in church no less. Shouldn’t there be a commandment about that? Thou shalt not step foot inside thy ex’s place of worship.

Julia Monroe has just turned forty and has high hopes for a fresh start after the last decade of her life abruptly left her a young widow and a single mom. With both her boys off to college, she can finally focus on expanding her New Orleans-based cleaning business. Julia is ready for new beginnings–but God has other plans. Samuel Reed, the ruggedly handsome Green Beret who shattered her heart over twenty years ago, has returned to town and is the kind of distraction she never saw coming.

After their first interaction in years leaves her mind spinning and her emotions out of control, Julia knows she needs to avoid him if she wants any chance of preventing history from repeating itself, but her meddling best friend keeps throwing them together. And now it seems inevitable that the man who was hard to forget might just be impossible to resist.

My Review

Rebekah Millet’s debut, Julia Monroe Begins Again, is enchanting, witty, and heart-wrenching. This contemporary Christian romance novel is one-point-of-view (POV)—Julia’s—until the epilogue. Then it’s switched up (loved this!).

Julia’s inner monologue is hilarious and real. I mean, Millet made these characters leap off the page in a way that I’m still chewing on. These aren’t twenty-something characters. They’ve lived a lot of life, with big hurts and big mistakes. Which is why the redemption thread was so meaningful.

As I read I couldn’t help but feel like, “But that’s not fair!” And that’s why the forgiveness thread is so raw and tangible in Julia Monroe Begins Again.

If I were to give this book a rating, I’d say PG-13. There’s some heavy topics, and mature characters, that I probably wouldn’t want my young teen reading about. I mean, the story start’s with forty-year-old Julia waiting for her mammogram and having pretty hilarious inner monologue.

If that didn’t just make you add the book to your TBR then I don’t know what will.

The faith/redemption/forgiveness thread was beautifully woven. Personally, I adored this quote:

“It’s time you stopped looking at what you can handle and start looking at what God can.”

Kate, Julia Monroe Begins Again

4.5 stars from me. Add to your TBR. I laughed out loud. Literally out loud. And made my husband hear many, many lines. Ha! You can get your copy so many places, but here’s easy links for ya: amazon.ca (for the Canadians like me) and amazon.com.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Graf-Martin Communications and Nuts About Books (thank you!). All opinions in this review are my own.

About the Author

Rebekah Millet is a Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award-winning author of contemporary Christian romance novels. A New Orleans native, she grew up on beignets and café au lait, and she loves infusing her colorful culture into her stories. She exasperates her husband by rearranging their furniture and being a serial plant killer, while her two sons keep her laughing and share her love of strawberry Pop-Tarts. You can find Rebekah on all social media platforms.

Praise for Julia Monroe Begins Again:

“Millet has written an achingly sweet story of second chances and the beauty of how forgiveness creates freedom and joy.”–PEPPER BASHAM, award-winning author of Authentically, Izzy

“I loved Rebekah’s kind and funny voice and taking an imaginary getaway to New Orleans.”–BECKY WADE, Christy Hall of Fame autho