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Made Like the Moon
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Carrie Cotten
11 books601 followersCarrie is a Louisiana born, Texas transplant and recent North Carolina resident. She earned her BA in English from East Texas Baptist University where she met and fell in love at first sight with her hunky husband, Jeffrey Craig Cotten.
After a short tour in Alaska with the Army, Carrie and Jeff returned to Texas to start a family. Fifteen years and four kids later, they answered God's call to enter the ministry, embarking on a wild adventure that led them to the Appalachian mountains.
When Carrie isn't writing, you can find her cuddling a chicken, petting a pig or snuggling a sheep on their small family farm. She loves the freedom they've found in homeschooling and the unlimited opportunities to explore the mountains. Camping, farming, and watching movies are some of their favorite family activities. Carrie and Jeff serve together at a small church where Jeff is the youth pastor.
Her favorite thing to do is steal a quiet moment to sit on her front porch and take in the most beautiful view she's ever seen in her life.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 1, 2026
So, Carrie can just write any genre? Umm yes. Wow, I loved this book SO much. Full review to come!
July 27, 2026
Cats, global destinations and mishaps that are the FMC’s saving Grace will keep you up all night reading Made Like the Moon! The threads of Faith woven throughout this novel are expertly entwined in the FMC’s journey across the globe as she eludes danger, but also draws close to it so she can share what’s most important; God’s saving grace.
I was given an advanced reader copy, and I am leaving an honest review.
I was given an advanced reader copy, and I am leaving an honest review.
July 25, 2026
This book was a masterpiece. Everything about it was perfection and anyone who says otherwise is wrong 😆
I loved the humor aspect. Grace staying positive and keeping her light on bright made this romantic suspense so perfectly unique I couldn't love it more.
The entire book was fast paced and kept me flying through the pages. I knew I was going to enjoy it but ended up loving it even more than I thought was possible.
Now on to book 2!
I loved the humor aspect. Grace staying positive and keeping her light on bright made this romantic suspense so perfectly unique I couldn't love it more.
The entire book was fast paced and kept me flying through the pages. I knew I was going to enjoy it but ended up loving it even more than I thought was possible.
Now on to book 2!
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July 27, 2026I went into this book skeptical and ended up loving every minute with these unforgettable characters! Maybe my favorite CC book yet! You just need to read it!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is my first mafia read and now all I'm going to be doing is counting the months, days, hours, minutes and seconds until book 2 because what a read! 👏🏾🙌🏾 Felt like a movie and yet I wanted to read it out loud just to hear their voices. This book was funny, witty, action packed, heart racing while still heartwarming at the same time. It was such an edge of the sit, hand gripping and spell binding read that once I got into it, I couldn't put it down till I was done!
First off, I really like Grace! She's awkward, witty and has a great sense of humour and I really like the way she really wants to share Jesus with everyone and always tries to think of herself less. Reading about Grace has really made me want to share Jesus more even if I have to do it afraid!
As for Rage 😍 even he can call me baby anyday especially when he says; 'I will always find you baby!' like come on, who's not going to fall for that 😂! But most of all, watching him find out there just might be another way of life for him is beautiful especially as he doesn't do it because of Grace! But on his own.
Some of my favourite characters were also Mr, Jonas, his simple prayer for Grace when she was about to leave was just so heartfelt. I also liked Anas, Sio and Stella and I'm really hoping Sio and Stella get their own story , it's going to be something because I honestly didn't see that plot twist coming. What! Like Stella of all people, no way!
Definitely a great read and I hope the book 2 comes out real soon please 🥺
First off, I really like Grace! She's awkward, witty and has a great sense of humour and I really like the way she really wants to share Jesus with everyone and always tries to think of herself less. Reading about Grace has really made me want to share Jesus more even if I have to do it afraid!
As for Rage 😍 even he can call me baby anyday especially when he says; 'I will always find you baby!' like come on, who's not going to fall for that 😂! But most of all, watching him find out there just might be another way of life for him is beautiful especially as he doesn't do it because of Grace! But on his own.
Some of my favourite characters were also Mr, Jonas, his simple prayer for Grace when she was about to leave was just so heartfelt. I also liked Anas, Sio and Stella and I'm really hoping Sio and Stella get their own story , it's going to be something because I honestly didn't see that plot twist coming. What! Like Stella of all people, no way!
Definitely a great read and I hope the book 2 comes out real soon please 🥺
July 31, 2026
“I was made like the moon, because it reflects the sun.”
Grace is a great example of reflecting the Son and the faith elements were woven so naturally into this story. This was my first time reading a mafia book and I absolutely loved it! I’m really looking forward to the next book!!
No spice
No language
Multiple murders and lots of fighting but it’s not gory or overly detailed.
I received an advanced copy and am willingly leaving my honest review.
Grace is a great example of reflecting the Son and the faith elements were woven so naturally into this story. This was my first time reading a mafia book and I absolutely loved it! I’m really looking forward to the next book!!
No spice
No language
Multiple murders and lots of fighting but it’s not gory or overly detailed.
I received an advanced copy and am willingly leaving my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A romantic suspense where the MMC is hunting the FMC? Um... yes, please! Add in You've Got Mail vibes, mistaken identity, and faith woven throughout, and I was hooked!!!
Grace's life is turned upside down after witnessing something she shouldn't, making her the target of Rafael (Rafe), a mafia enforcer sent to eliminate the woman known as "The Ghost." If Rafe doesn't complete the mission, someone else will. But the more time he spends around Grace, the harder it becomes to believe she's the person he's been sent to kill.
These two... their growing connection (something neither of them understands at first) made the tension and chemistry even better, and I loved how protective Rafe became of her before he even realized why.
This story had the kind of plot I was looking for, but truthfully I struggled with the pacing. The first half felt pretty slow, and there were times I wondered if I'd be able to finish it, but I'm glad I stuck with it because the second half picked up quite a bit and really pulled me in. This was also my first book by Carrie, and at times I felt the dialogue, jokes, and humor threw things off for me. That said, I'm excited that Book 2 is right around the corner because I have a feeling the story is only going to get stronger from here.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
Grace's life is turned upside down after witnessing something she shouldn't, making her the target of Rafael (Rafe), a mafia enforcer sent to eliminate the woman known as "The Ghost." If Rafe doesn't complete the mission, someone else will. But the more time he spends around Grace, the harder it becomes to believe she's the person he's been sent to kill.
These two... their growing connection (something neither of them understands at first) made the tension and chemistry even better, and I loved how protective Rafe became of her before he even realized why.
This story had the kind of plot I was looking for, but truthfully I struggled with the pacing. The first half felt pretty slow, and there were times I wondered if I'd be able to finish it, but I'm glad I stuck with it because the second half picked up quite a bit and really pulled me in. This was also my first book by Carrie, and at times I felt the dialogue, jokes, and humor threw things off for me. That said, I'm excited that Book 2 is right around the corner because I have a feeling the story is only going to get stronger from here.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this book as an ARC from @authorcarriecotten on Friday night, and I could not put it down! 🤩 I stayed up way too late because I had to know what happened next.
If you love You’ve Got Mail vibes, touch her and die, being chased by the mafia, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book is for you!
Grace is delightfully awkward, absolutely loves cats, and is easily distracted by their cuteness—which is exactly how she ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses a murder. From there, the action never lets up! You’ll find yourself laughing with her one minute and holding your breath the next.
One of my favorite parts was Grace’s unwavering faith. As a missionary, she has compassion even for the people trying to kill her and continually looks for opportunities to share the Gospel with them. Her example challenged and encouraged me to want to be a better Christian.
This story has the perfect blend of humor, suspense, romance, and faith. I absolutely loved every minute of it, and I already can’t wait to read it again!
Be sure to add this one to your TBR—it releases this October, and you won’t want to miss it! 📚❤️
If you love You’ve Got Mail vibes, touch her and die, being chased by the mafia, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book is for you!
Grace is delightfully awkward, absolutely loves cats, and is easily distracted by their cuteness—which is exactly how she ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses a murder. From there, the action never lets up! You’ll find yourself laughing with her one minute and holding your breath the next.
One of my favorite parts was Grace’s unwavering faith. As a missionary, she has compassion even for the people trying to kill her and continually looks for opportunities to share the Gospel with them. Her example challenged and encouraged me to want to be a better Christian.
This story has the perfect blend of humor, suspense, romance, and faith. I absolutely loved every minute of it, and I already can’t wait to read it again!
Be sure to add this one to your TBR—it releases this October, and you won’t want to miss it! 📚❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review - this book was given to me by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Let me preface this review by saying that my genre is either historical fiction or mystery/suspense not contemporary. That being said, I finished this book in 24 hours. It’s a contemporary mafia Christian romance book but it’s clean, filled with faith, awkwardness, kitties, cartel, excitement, and danger…like a lot of danger.
Grace seems to be an awkward, kitty loving, faith-filled mission worker in the wrong place at the wrong time….or is she??? Rafe is the son of the Italian mafia boss told to track down this girl. Will he get to her before the cartel? Will he carry out his hit?
Even though I am not normally a reader of contemporary fiction this novel will be gracing my bookshelf of favorite reads to be reread again and again. Oh, and you will definitely want to read book 2 in the duology.
This book is in my top 10 reads of 2026!
Spice: kisses only
Swearing: none
Violence: PG 13
Triggers: Boyfriend with narcissistic tendencies (not the MMC)
Let me preface this review by saying that my genre is either historical fiction or mystery/suspense not contemporary. That being said, I finished this book in 24 hours. It’s a contemporary mafia Christian romance book but it’s clean, filled with faith, awkwardness, kitties, cartel, excitement, and danger…like a lot of danger.
Grace seems to be an awkward, kitty loving, faith-filled mission worker in the wrong place at the wrong time….or is she??? Rafe is the son of the Italian mafia boss told to track down this girl. Will he get to her before the cartel? Will he carry out his hit?
Even though I am not normally a reader of contemporary fiction this novel will be gracing my bookshelf of favorite reads to be reread again and again. Oh, and you will definitely want to read book 2 in the duology.
This book is in my top 10 reads of 2026!
Spice: kisses only
Swearing: none
Violence: PG 13
Triggers: Boyfriend with narcissistic tendencies (not the MMC)
Review of advance copy received from Author
There are not enough stars for this book.
Present day setting, mafia romance, - definitely NOT my normal genres or something I would even reach for. Ever. But if Carrie Cotten writes it I’ll read it. And I’m so glad I did!!
She sucks you in right from the start! I have never laughed out loud or gasped as much as I did with this book. It is action packed from the start and never lets up!
The story starts with lots of laughs then takes a drastic turn which lands Grace and Rafe, on a global cat and mouse chase. The plot thickens as they hop from country to country. But as Rafe chases Grace from place to place, her adorable (and totally relatable) awkwardness and rock solid faith causes him to question everything he has known.
I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, laughing, gasping, and crying my way through the book. The Gospel is presented in such an amazing and clear way in this book. I loved it. This book is a love letter to missionaries around the world with mafia hitmen, swoon and substance, and Jesus and humor at the heart. I can’t wait for the next book!!
Present day setting, mafia romance, - definitely NOT my normal genres or something I would even reach for. Ever. But if Carrie Cotten writes it I’ll read it. And I’m so glad I did!!
She sucks you in right from the start! I have never laughed out loud or gasped as much as I did with this book. It is action packed from the start and never lets up!
The story starts with lots of laughs then takes a drastic turn which lands Grace and Rafe, on a global cat and mouse chase. The plot thickens as they hop from country to country. But as Rafe chases Grace from place to place, her adorable (and totally relatable) awkwardness and rock solid faith causes him to question everything he has known.
I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, laughing, gasping, and crying my way through the book. The Gospel is presented in such an amazing and clear way in this book. I loved it. This book is a love letter to missionaries around the world with mafia hitmen, swoon and substance, and Jesus and humor at the heart. I can’t wait for the next book!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Made like the Moon by Carrie Cotten is a clean m4fia book that puts you on the edge of your seat.
Now, goodness gracious was the tension of this amazing. The main characters cross paths for a few seconds, and then they are seperated. The chemistry is their, the tension is their, and to put on top of it, a m4fia, a cart3l, a m0b? What more could you ask for? The FMC was smart, moving quickly throughout the world and trying to evade whatever she thinks is following her. The MMC is passionate following the FMC throughout the world to catch her.
Their is mystery, their is danger, and is their hope? Gosh, that ending? Man can the next book come fast enough? This one made me flip the pages, and breathe in anticipation for what comes next. And I loved how the author fit God into the book.
If you want a gut wrenching m4fia story, this is the one for you.
Thank you Carrie Cotten for the free book.
Now, goodness gracious was the tension of this amazing. The main characters cross paths for a few seconds, and then they are seperated. The chemistry is their, the tension is their, and to put on top of it, a m4fia, a cart3l, a m0b? What more could you ask for? The FMC was smart, moving quickly throughout the world and trying to evade whatever she thinks is following her. The MMC is passionate following the FMC throughout the world to catch her.
Their is mystery, their is danger, and is their hope? Gosh, that ending? Man can the next book come fast enough? This one made me flip the pages, and breathe in anticipation for what comes next. And I loved how the author fit God into the book.
If you want a gut wrenching m4fia story, this is the one for you.
Thank you Carrie Cotten for the free book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m not much of a mafia romance fan, but when I heard about Carrie Cotten was releasing one I knew I had to try it out since I’ve read all of her other books. I’m so glad I did, because I enjoyed reading this book so much! I loved many things about Made Like the Moon, but by far my favorite part was the redemption aspect. I loved how it showed God’s light shining in even the darkest of places and redeeming what’s broken. I also thought Grace was hilarious and loved how protective Rafe was. I’m still not a huge fan of the whole cat and mouse dynamic, but I do think it really works for this story and I really appreciate how the sinful aspects aren’t glorified. I also thought Rafe and Grace were adorable. Overall, this is a great story and I’m excited to read the next one!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ahhh! This book was such a fun, wild ride! I absolutely fell in love with the MMC. I'm pretty sure he's one of my top 3 favorite MMCs of all time! The FMC was amazing as well! Contemporary fiction usually isn't my first choice. I'm usually reading Fantasy or Historical Fiction (which is how I stumbled across Carrie Cotten's other books). I picked this one up because she is an incredible writer and I will forever read anything and everything she writes. I knew I was going to enjoy this book, but was not prepared for how much I loved it and could not put it down! I'm going to have to clear my schedule when Book 2 comes out!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review - 5 stars and all the hearts for this book! 💛🖤❤️🤍💚
You’ll like this if you want to read a clean, Christian mafia romance. ✔️
You’ll like this if you enjoy balancing humor with the struggles of life. ✔️
You’ll like this if you want to see faith in action. ✔️
As with Carrie’s other books, this was done so well. This is a book that I can hand to anyone and not be worried about a certain part. But that doesn’t make it a fluffy story either!
Thank you, Carrie, for writing books that don’t feature Christianity as a side note. You let the FMC’s beliefs impact her actions and words. In turn, it challenges us all.
Waiting for Book 2 is only going to be bearable because I still need to read the Dreamwalker series. 🤍
I will definitely be rereading this again soon!
Missionary & Mafia
OCD Rep
Cat & Mouse
Clumsy FMC
Protective MMC
Animal Side Characters 😼🦎
You’ll like this if you want to read a clean, Christian mafia romance. ✔️
You’ll like this if you enjoy balancing humor with the struggles of life. ✔️
You’ll like this if you want to see faith in action. ✔️
As with Carrie’s other books, this was done so well. This is a book that I can hand to anyone and not be worried about a certain part. But that doesn’t make it a fluffy story either!
Thank you, Carrie, for writing books that don’t feature Christianity as a side note. You let the FMC’s beliefs impact her actions and words. In turn, it challenges us all.
Waiting for Book 2 is only going to be bearable because I still need to read the Dreamwalker series. 🤍
I will definitely be rereading this again soon!
Missionary & Mafia
OCD Rep
Cat & Mouse
Clumsy FMC
Protective MMC
Animal Side Characters 😼🦎
Review of advance copy received from Author
I AM UNWELL. IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
I have loved every single book by Carrie that I have read. And this one is no different.
The humor! The tension! The presence of Jesus! The...the... everything!
Christian Mafia Romance is totally a genre and I need more of it. Definitely go read it and buckle up! You'll be antsy for the second one.
I have loved every single book by Carrie that I have read. And this one is no different.
The humor! The tension! The presence of Jesus! The...the... everything!
Christian Mafia Romance is totally a genre and I need more of it. Definitely go read it and buckle up! You'll be antsy for the second one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
••Full review to come…
What a story! Full of endearing characters, suspense, high stakes-adventure, mild danger/peril, swoon, humor, faith, plot twists, and has such heart! Definitely a thrilling story worth the read. Excited for more to come! Hopefully sooner than later!!
What a story! Full of endearing characters, suspense, high stakes-adventure, mild danger/peril, swoon, humor, faith, plot twists, and has such heart! Definitely a thrilling story worth the read. Excited for more to come! Hopefully sooner than later!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Made Like the Moon is a totally delightful story of a life lived in innocent wonder and naivete. Grace Goodwin’s life is a perfect picture of a life of full-blown Murphy’s Law calamities meshed with God’s leading and protection. An action packed must read full of tension and laughable moments.
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July 27, 2026Review to come
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews