Christian Fiction New Releases: August 2023

No Matter How Far by Sara Beth Williams

He ran away to escape his fear. She faces her fear every day.

After the death of his late wife, associate professor Dylan Mackay never thought he’d fall for another woman, until the stubborn and beautiful Jocelyn rescues him from the top of a ski slope—though he needed no such rescuing. The blissful whirlwind week spent together at Trinity Lakes Ski Resort is one of the happiest in recent memory.

After a messy breakup followed by her parents’ sudden divorce, local Trinity Lakes paramedic Jocelyn Monroe had sworn off dating, until she is forced to rescue an injured Australian against his will while volunteering for the mountain ski patrol. Dylan is stubborn, handsome, intelligent and honorable, with a swoony Aussie accent to boot and she finds herself falling head over heels before the week is out.

Once down the mountain, the spontaneity and carelessness of their rushed relationship comes full circle in devastating blows. Each one grapples with life-altering decisions that would result in moving out of Trinity Lakes—her a short distance away, him across the world. Neither one wants to leave the other, nor do they want to leave the charming town itself. Can they lean on God and trust that He will hold onto them no matter how far they go?

A second chance, opposites attract, small town Contemporary Christian romance.

Visit Trinity Lakes and meet the fun and quirky characters who value family, faith, and happily-ever-after.

Her Cowboy Blind Date by Narelle Atkins

He’s a small-town guy, a cowboy at heart. She’s a city girl from the other side of the world. Will a blind date lead to a love that lasts a lifetime?

Farm mechanic Sam Williams is on the cusp of realizing his dream of being a rancher after inheriting a share in his family’s Colorado ranch. He’s keen to make plans and leave Gilead in the dust after his friend’s Easter Saturday wedding. First he needs a plus-one for the wedding, to avoid a super awkward encounter with his high-school girlfriend who has just married the best man.

After a devastating public betrayal by her high-profile ex, Bek Montford is hiding out in Kansas. She’s calling herself Becky, licking her wounds and focusing on the things that make her happy. Drawn to the annual passion play at Gilead Bible College where she’s living, she volunteers to work behind the scenes.

Since Becky is only in Gilead until June, a blind date with a suitable plus-one before the wedding seems like the perfect solution for Sam. No strings and no commitment.

But the blind date turns into a not-so-fake relationship when Sam and Becky must work together on the passion play. Can they overcome past emotional wounds and geographical distance to create a future together?

An opposites attract, different worlds, blind date and fake relationship contemporary Christian romance.

A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy (Sweet River Ranch Romance 1) by Valerie Comer

She’s never done a spontaneous thing in her life. Neither has he. But a marriage-of-convenience seems like a good idea to this embattled woman and grieving sudden dad in this Montana Ranches Christian Romance.

Everything hit all at once. Tate Sullivan became the guardian of his young nephew after his brother’s death, and now Grandfather has bought a failing guest ranch in Montana. Tate’s used to handling Fortune 5000 companies, but moving halfway across the country and learning an entirely new, rural business is a challenge, especially with a toddler in tow.

Nice girls finish last… or that’s what it seems like to Stephanie Simpson when her ex-boyfriend, a pastor, proposes to a former bad girl. It’s not that Stephanie wants her ex to rethink his life choices, but would it be so wrong to move on as quickly as he has? A quick wedding to that cute but faltering cowboy with the adorable toddler might get her what she wants. After all, it’s clear Tate needs a helping hand.

He’s a Christian, just like she is. What could possibly go wrong?

About the Sweet River Ranch Romance series:
Walter Sullivan is frustrated with the soft lives his entitled sons and grandsons lead. Yes, it’s because he’s given them an education and money, but now he’s just frustrated with the namby-pamby city kids. Working together to revive a failing guest ranch in Montana will give those young men a chance to prove their worth. And if they settle into the cowboy life and find romance in the bargain, it will be well worth the risk.

The Love Script by Toni Shiloh

A Hollywood hair stylist.

Nevaeh Richards loves making those in the spotlight shine but prefers the anonymity of staying behind her stylist chair, where no one notices her. But when a photo of Nevaeh and Hollywood A-lister Lamont Booker goes viral for all the wrong reasons, her quiet life becomes the number-one trending topic.

The silver screen’s latest heartthrob.

Lamont Booker’s bold faith has gained him a platform, and the authenticity of his faith is well known . . . until the tabloids cause the world to question everything he claims to be. With his reputation on the line, he finds himself hearing out his agent’s push for a fake relationship–something he never thought he’d consider in a million years.

A love that goes off script.

With their careers at risk, Nevaeh and Lamont have to convince the world that their scripted romance is more than just an act. But when fake seems to turn into something real, can Nevaeh trust her heart in a world where nothing is ever as it seems?

Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong

Gemma Bennett is the leading lady of her own life, and her true love is writing screenplays. With her trusty pink notebook in hand, she signs up for the Citizen’s Safety Academy to research her newest blockbuster hope, a rom-com with a police officer as the hero. And the fact that the handsome and heroic Lieutenant Karson Zellner is the one leading the training? Well, who can blame her for wanting to spend evenings with the man she swooned over months ago when he responded to a call at her apartment?

Karson already has his fair share of problems before Gemma shows up, and he’s not exactly a fan of the ditzy blonde who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. The last thing he needs is a damsel in distress to rescue; there are plenty of people in real need of his help. The fact that she seems to think his job makes him a superhero is just one more strike against her. This isn’t a movie, and he feels like the furthest thing from a leading man.

Gemma can’t seem to stop doing the worst, most embarrassing things at just the wrong time. And as time goes on, Gemma begins to realize that the scripts for a perfect screenplay and a real-life happily-ever-after are two very different things. Can she step out of her own way to find the hero her story needs?

Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham

The world could do with a little more kindness and positivity and random acts of singing, don’t you think?

Dear Reader, My name is Penelope, and while I may not be a real-life princess, I’ve been told I possess a certain fairy-tale heroine quality. I wield optimism as my weapon of choice, don amazing shoes and vintage hats whenever possible, and speak in musical references. All of which perfectly qualifies me to succeed in my new role as a marketing intern at the historic Darling House theater on the island of Skymar.

Only . . . it seems this internship position is going to be a LOT bigger than I thought. The Gray family, who owns the theater, has been stuck in a rut of darkness ever since the loss of their matriarchs. Now all that’s left is a dying theater, a reclusive grandfather, three siblings, and an adorable seven-year-old girl who desperately needs some pixie-dust magic.

So that’s what this story is about. My plans to save the theater! (Plans that, somehow, keep being stolen by a local competitor.) And an anonymous online theater troupe. And two single brothers who may be vying for this American girl’s heart . . . until they’re not (or maybe they just want me for my ideas too). And a dream job offer that will require me to make a truly heart-wrenching decision. I may not excel at finishing stories, but I promise to see this one through to its happily ever after.

Positively,

Penelope

Muskoka Spotlight (Muskoka Shores 4) by Carolyn Miller

Jackie O’Halloran never expected her actions at a friend’s wedding in Muskoka to go viral. Even less did she expect to gain the notice of a famous actor, Lincoln Cash, and all the temptation his handsome presence provides. But she’s a good Christian girl, so a man like him has to be out of the picture. Or so she thinks.

Linc’s visit to see his ailing grandfather was supposed to be a quick visit to Muskoka. He hadn’t counted on meeting a forthright young lady whose courage made headlines around the world. But as he gets to know her he’s tempted to stay, which just might prove dangerous for his agent’s peace of mind, and for Linc’s own heart.

Can these two opposites push past mere attraction to find real love? And what does faith have to do with it at all?

Window of the Heart (Stained Glass Legacy 3) by Amy R. Anguish

Lennox Malone may not believe in love, but she’s determined to do the best job she can as her friend Sara Beth’s maid of honor. Problem is, the man in charge of fixing up the chapel doesn’t match her determination. Fighting against preconceived notions, a past that catches up to her, and an attraction she wants nothing to do with, this wedding is turning into more than she can handle.

Ty Dunne might be laid back and easy-going, but he’s determined to make sure the chapel is ready for his cousin’s wedding. Not only is it his duty as best man, but he wants to preserve the family’s history in the building. If only he could live up to his family’s other expectations—or those of Lennox Malone, the fiery redhead he can’t stop thinking about. Before he can go any further with her, though, he has to convince her that love is real and worth the risk.

Lennox has built her walls high and sturdy, but Ty is determined to find a way in—even if it’s a window. Maybe the history of the chapel itself along with the romance of a wedding will help.

Summer in the Spotlight by Liz Johnson

A hurricane may have destroyed her livelihood on Prince Edward Island, but she’s determined to save her community

Kelsey Ahern has performed at the Victoria Playhouse on Prince Edward Island every summer since she was seven. But when a hurricane destroys the building, it’s not just her memories that are in jeopardy. Her future as a teacher and drama coach are too. She teams up with Levi Ross, the facilities director at the high school, to produce a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. He has a reputation for being able to fix anything, and Kelsey is sure there’s more to the quiet man than meets the eye.

For his part, Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can’t seem to find the words to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town to cover the aftermath of the hurricane and takes an interest in Kelsey and her show, Levi realizes that the time has come to speak up–or lose the heart of the woman he longs for.

His Heart Renewed by Cynthia Herron

Three choices. Two dreams. One path. A girl from his past. The woman who holds his future. Will a wrong detour lead to the right destination?

For the past year, veterinarian Erin Shaye has been drawn to handsome homebuilder Mike Brewer, despite the brown-eyed bachelor’s attempts to dissuade her. When Erin, once again, attempts to coax the reticent recluse into conversation during a charitable wood delivery to her home, the guy not only dismisses her thanks, but he also makes it clear that he likes her about as much as a heaping bowl of turnip greens.

Fine. If it’s crickets the fellow wants, let the chirping begin. Erin’s had it with his moodiness and mixed signals. She’s done.
However, there’s something about a well-deserved tongue-lashing that has a way of shifting perspective. Mike reckons it wouldn’t twist his drawers to be civil. Maybe it’s about time to shake the icicles off his heart from the wedding debacle that iced him nearly twelve years ago. No doubt the sudden lightning bolts that zip down his spine whenever the pretty animal doc is near must mean there’s thawing afoot. Will Erin give him another chance, or will her own secrets and suspicions keep him at arm’s length?

As the couple navigates blunders and heartaches, a new season emerges—one that taps into Erin’s and Mike’s deepest longings and desires—the spring that holds their future. At last, it seems their happily-ever-after is within reach…
But in the bat of an eyelash, a memory from Mike’s past emerges in an unexpected way. Will this change in circumstance hinder what he has with Erin or will truth prevail by way of a divine appointment?

Getting Reel by Alyssa Roat and Hope Bolinger

When explosive personalities collide, can a control-freak director and last-chance actress work together to win a film competition?

Ryan Torino loves the feeling of control, especially when it comes to his photography work and indie movies. And when he gets the opportunity to enter an indie film festival—rumored to have Hollywood bigwigs attending—he can’t afford for anything to be less than perfect, especially the casting of his leading role.

Enter Zinnia Preston, who has been trying to break into the acting scene since college. Now in her late twenties and working the not-job-of-her-dreams, Zinnia knows this indie film project may be her last chance to make it onto the screen.

Ryan is intimidated by Zinnia’s strong personality, but he can’t deny she’s the one for the job. Meanwhile, Zinnia wants to throttle Ryan for his perfectionistic tendencies, but she needs this gig. The tension between the two threatens to derail the project, and to both of their frustration, clashing visions aren’t the only reason sparks seem to fly every time they interact.

When an old nemesis arrives back in town, Zinnia and Ryan will need to set aside their differences and work together to have a chance at winning. If not, they can kiss that Hollywood riding-into-the-sunset ending goodbye.

An Unexpected Gift by Melissa Wardwell

Something’s up in Suamalie, and it’s looking like love!

When Kiana, Lulu, and Meilani decide it’s time for the islands to have affordable wedding options, Something Suamalie becomes the marriage of skills, friendship, and wedding splendor on the islands.

Cruising around the island on a Moped in a business suit may seem incongruous, but Kiana knows how to blend practicality and professionalism, a strong work ethic and relaxation. With no time for mistakes or changes in plans, she’s also decided to forgo romance (for herself). There just isn’t enough time in the day. That is until the early arrival of one of the groomsmen of Something Suamalie’s first booking throws everything off balance, including her thoughts on long distance dating.

Beau was perfectly content with his job and the growing attraction to a girl back home; however, he hadn’t figured in the sassy and sometimes unprofessional wedding planner. Seeing her world begin to unravel while she and her partners fumble with their first weddings tugs at his heart strings and leaves him second guessing his choices in the romance department. 

She’s a study in opposites. He’s attracted. So now what do they do?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

The Lost Manuscript by Mollie Rushmeyer

In the vein of The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick, a priceless manuscript could be one woman’s key to finding her missing grandmother—and to her own second chance.

It’s not just Ellora Lockwood’s home that’s being emptied as she prepares to sell—her heart seems to be empty too. Since the mysterious disappearance of her beloved Grandma June and separating from her husband, Alex, Ellora has felt adrift. Then comes an invitation from Alex to teach history at a summer program at Alnwick Castle in England. He’s even found information about the location of a medieval manuscript that was her grandmother’s obsession before she vanished.

Warily, Ellora accepts Alex’s offer. Surrounded by lush English countryside and captivating history, she pieces together clues about the manuscript’s whereabouts—and uncovers new questions. Could someone have been sabotaging her grandmother’s work? Anonymous threats lead Ellora to suspect she too may be in danger, but as she and Alex work together, she’s finding strength, new purpose and the courage to see this quest through, wherever it may lead…

To Protect His Brother’s Baby by Linda Goodnight

A stranger in his house…

Could be the family he never knew he needed

After he spent six months on the road, the last thing cowboy Wilder Littlefield expects to come home to is a pregnant woman living on his ranch. Taylor Matheson not only believes the house is hers, but she’s carrying his estranged late brother’s child. Tied together by blood, Wilder lets Taylor stay as his housekeeper. But as they learn how to be a family, could obligation turn to love? 

The Cowboy Bargain by Tina Radcliffe

A little competition…

Brings a change of heart.

Sam Morgan never thought he’d see his ex-fiancée again after she skipped town days before their wedding. He certainly didn’t expect to find her opening a restaurant on his property—in the building he’d intended to sell his crafts from. This time Olivia’s sticking around, forcing Sam to strike a deal: work together and see whose products sell best. Could their business venture lead to a surprising reunion?

A Father for Her Boys by Danielle Grandinetti

Will find hope in an unlikely gardener

A summer escape to the quaint little town of River Cove is just what auntie turned mom Sofia Russo—and her troubled, energetic nephews—needs. It’s a chance to heal from grief and her broken foot. But a surprising friendship with compassionate gardener Nathaniel Turner shows Sofia just how much she’s been missing…and how much she stands to lose when summer ends.

A Family to Foster by Laurel Blount

Can an unlikely partnership…

Turn into a permanent commitment?

Foster dad Patrick Callahan would do anything to prevent the siblings he fosters from being separated. But that means he’ll have to partner with his ex-fiancée, Torey Bryant, to save the local community center. With Patrick’s old-school ideas and Torey’s high-tech upgrades, the pair can’t agree on anything. Could accepting their differences keep the children together—and give them a forever family?

Mountain Abduction Rescue by Darlene L. Turner

A wildfire threat…

becomes a missing person search.

A serial arsonist is out for revenge in the Canadian Rocky Mountains—and kidnaps park warden Hazel Hoyt’s son and his camping troop. Now Hazel must team up with the man who broke her heart, firefighter Mitchell Booth, to find the missing boys as wildfires blaze around them. But someone has no intention of letting the pair get off the mountain alive…

Wyoming Ranch Ambush by Sommer Smith

Framed for murder…

Is his ranch a refuge or a trap? 

A piercing scream sends rancher Beau Thorpe racing to help his new neighbor fight off a kidnapper—only for them both to come under gunfire. Evie Langford is the target of a kingpin and a suspect in her ex-boyfriend’s murder, and the safest place for her and her nine-year-old sister is at Beau’s ranch. But will Beau’s protection be enough to withstand a vicious criminal determined to silence Evie for good?

Hunting the Witness by Kate Angelo

Attacked in the mountains—

with no memory of why…

She’s the only witness to see the face of a killer, but a deadly attack leaves Belinda Lewis unable to remember even her own name. She’ll have to rely on her rescuer, FBI special agent Jonah Phillips, to survive repeated attempts on her life—but she doesn’t know he’s in hiding because his description matches the killer’s. Can they unmask the true criminal to clear Jonah’s name and save both of their lives?

Cold Case Revenge by Jessica R. Patch

A kidnapped child. An unsolved cold case. 

This K-9 is on the trail.

When his three-year-old daughter goes missing, Nick Rossi fears he’ll relive his sister’s disappearance from twenty-five years ago. Only this time officer Ruby Orton and her K-9 partner, Pepper, rescue the child. But as the kidnappers escalate to murder and target Nick, Ruby knows there’s more behind the abduction. Together, can they find the connection with a decades-old cold case…before the past turns deadly?

Big Sky Secrets by Amity Steffen

To stop a killer

the truth must be uncovered.

Stunned by the revelation he has a three-year-old son whose mother was murdered, rancher Eric Montgomery is searching for the truth. But he quickly realizes he has a target on his back when he and his boy are attacked outside private investigator Cassie Anderson’s office. With Cassie’s help and expertise, Eric must untangle a web of secrets to figure out why…before he becomes the next victim.

Unseen Danger by Jerusha Agen

This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them?

After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble.

Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team.

Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh’s only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn’t see before it’s too late.

Just the Nicest Person by Christy Barritt

Disgraced attorney Andi Grey came to Alaska to find justice after a friend’s murder. In order to find answers, she’s gone undercover in the dangerous world of ice road trucking.

Former CID investigator Duke McAllister is searching for his fiancée who disappeared two years ago on the Dalton Highway. Though the trail has gone cold, he hasn’t given up hope he’ll find her alive, along with the other women who’ve disappeared along the remote stretch of highway.

A snowstorm throws Andi and Duke together, and both of their plans come to a freezing halt. They’re stranded in the Arctic Circle, the only highway in and out of the area closed. While together, they discover a common interest: true crime. When their favorite local Alaskan podcaster goes radio silent right before revealing the name of a cold case killer, they dive in to investigate only to make a terrifyingly frigid discovery.

Can these strangers work together to find answers before the biting, dangerous cold claims their lives? Or even worse . . . before the killer comes looking for his own brand of justice?

Countdown by Lynette Eason

A stalker who wants to finish what he started. A US Marshal who’s vowed to protect his charge. And one woman who is determined to put the past in the past.

Flight paramedic Raina Price has been running so long it’s hard to stop. To escape a dangerous stalker, she changed her name and disappeared, building a new life with the help of a friend from her time in juvie. It feels good to put her energies into saving people’s lives, but because her stalker was never found, she’s never stopped looking over her shoulder. And one can only run so far before the past finally catches up.

US Marshal Vincent Corelli’s job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed right in front of him, he vows to protect her at all costs–whether it’s his job or not. Together they work to solve the mystery of Raina’s past. But someone is out to make sure Raina doesn’t live long enough to do it.

Iris by Susan May Warren

Iris Marshall never wanted to be anything more than what she is—an official for the European League of (American) Football. So, why she said yes to being a courier for the CIA? She’s not sure, especially when it lands her in an international thriller that has her on the run from a killer. And worse, the person she’s on the run with? Arrogant, bossy, playboy Hudson Bly football player and the last person on earth she wants to go into hiding with.

Hudson knows his days as a wide-receiver are numbered. Too many head injuries, starting with a violent TBI in college have caught up with him. So yes, he agreed to be a patriot, do his bit for the USA and courier a message between agents. He never expected for that simple act to ignite an international man-hunt for the official who wrecked his life, Iris Marshall. But what’s a guy to do—let her get killed?

But spending time with Iris has ignited a desire in him that takes him by surprise, and for Iris, maybe Hudson is more than she thought.

But who is after Iris? When one of her fellow officials is murdered, maybe the killer is after more than just her—maybe she’s found herself in the middle of an international plot to take down a country.

It’ll take the help of the entire family to keep Iris safe…but at what cost when they have to choose between their careers…and their country?

Join the Marshall family in book four of the thrilling romantic adventure!

Come What May by Cara Putman, Chautona Havig, Emilie Haney, Katy Lee

Serial Heat – Emilie Haney
Former cop turned Private Investigator, Clancy Sullivan, is on the case to find yet another missing girl. After his last investigation ended badly, he’s determined this time will be different.
Dispatcher and aspiring forensic artist Willa Martin won’t give up the hope that her friend Anna will be found—alive. All clues point to the fact that she’s run off, leaving Willa and her new found faith behind, but Willa knows better.
Following a lead in the drought-ridden wilderness of Washington State, Clancy stumbles upon a dead body unconnected to his case. Little does he know that when his 911 call connects to Willa, a chain of events is set into motion that will draw them toward one another but also toward a killer.
Thrown together in a race against the clock, Clancy and Willa battle through wildfires and misdirection as they chase a killer through the heat of summer.

Art of Deception – Cara Putman
8 years ago she ran to safety. Now Charlotte Montgomery’s past has caught up with her.
Artist Charlotte Montgomery lost everything eight years ago to protect her son. She’s built a safe life to protect him, and now her past has caught up with her
She’ll do anything to bring down her ex.
When an Italian crime family reappears in her life determined to make her participate in their money-laundering scheme, she’s determined to end it even if it means pretending she’s a willing participant. When Charlotte’s past and present collide, it threatens everything she’s built and it’s a race to survive.

Real Justice – Katy Lee
Her days of hiding are over.
A ransom note left in her apartment tells Christina Depalo that changing her name and hiding in the big city hadn’t been enough to escape her dangerous family. The Morans have kidnapped her roommate, demanding Christina return to Georgia. But that will mean facing the cutthroat attorney Marcus Cartwright, a man she once loved but who only wanted to take down her family.
Marcus had started a coalition with his friend to crack down on organized crime in Savannah. But when his friend loses his life in a supposed accident, nothing will stop Marcus from seeking justice, not even the Moran’s prodigal daughter who left town twelve years ago. Nobody will derail him this time.
But then Christina never was a nobody.

Induction – Chautona Havig
Someone wants her dead. Not happening on his watch.
When Ramon Simon goes missing, the small town of Fairbury burns with rumors hotter than the sidewalk in July. They’re certain he’s either left his wife, or she killed him (not that they’d blame her). As the weeks pass and the police fail to find answers, things heat up more when Anna Simon disappears, too. If that’s not strange enough, the chief of police orders his officers to leave Anna out of their investigation.
As a new recruit into a secret protection service known only as The Agency to the few who know it exists, Keith Auger doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he’s determined to do his new job well. But when he finds himself guarding a woman before he’s fully trained, he already begins to doubt the wisdom of this career path.
Pressure mounts as Keith tries to stay one step ahead of the men out to kill Anna and another step ahead of Anna who is determined to find answers no one will give her.
Keith can’t help but wonder: will his first assignment with The Agency be his last?

The Heart’s Bidding by Kelly Irvin

Together, schoolteacher Rachelle Lapp and auctioneer Toby Miller must face their hardest battle yet: trusting God’s plan for their uncertain future.

At twenty-nine, auctioneer Toby Miller is a notorious bachelor. But his job keeps him on the road for months out of the year, and he knows no Plain woman could want a marriage that would force her to live and raise children alone. Thankfully, Toby’s content to dedicate his life to the family business, especially now that his grandfather is retiring. So why does his heart keep longing for something—or more specifically, someone—he can’t have?

Rachelle Lapp has already turned down two marriage proposals. Neither promised a future that would bring her more joy than her job as a teacher to Amish children with developmental disabilities, including her brother, Jonah, and Toby’s sister, Sadie. But when the parents’ committee votes to send her students to the English schools, where they will have access to many more resources, Rachelle finds herself out of a job. She’s forced to decide between pursuing her calling far from home and staying near to the man she can’t get off her mind.

As their families matchmake, Toby and Rachelle realize their jobs may not be all that’s holding them back from a future together. They both must learn not only to trust each other, but also trust God’s plans for them. But do those plans involve a lifetime together or them going their separate ways?

He Should Have Told The Bees by Amanda Cox

Uncovering long-held family secrets may sting at first–but the result can be sweeter than honey

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business–one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she’s never heard of, she’s not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie’s financial situation rather . . . precarious. She’s sure she has no right to someone else’s farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she’s always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets–and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

An American Immigrant by Johanna Rojas Vann

A Colombian American journalist tries to save her career by taking an assignment somewhere she never thought she’d go—Colombia—in this heartwarming debut novel about rediscovering our family stories.

“A beautiful homage to a mother’s bravery and to the grace and grit that is our inheritance.”—Alicia Menendez, MSNBC anchor and creator and host of the Latina to Latina podcast


Twenty-five-year-old Melanie Carvajal, a hardworking but struggling journalist for a Miami newspaper, loves her Colombian mother but regularly ignores her phone calls, frustrated that she never quite takes the time to understand Melanie’s life. When the opportunity arises for a big assignment that might save her flagging career, Melanie follows the story to the land of her mother’s birth. She soon realizes Colombia has the potential to connect her, after all these years, to something she’s long ignored: her heritage, the love of her mother, her family, and the richest parts of herself. 

Colombia offers more than a chance to make a name for herself as a writer. It is a place of untold stories.

Inspired by real-life events, An American Immigrant is a story of culture and community, of abiding commitment to family, and of embracing our culture and the generations that have come before.

The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel

Hollywood Star Turns Spy
 
In 1943, movie producer Henrik Zoltan approaches Amelie Blake under the guise of offering the Hollywood star a leading part in his upcoming film, but he has a more meaningful role in mind. Amelie’s homeland of Sweden declared neutrality in the war, but Stockholm has become the “Casablanca of the North.” When top-secret atomic research goes missing in Sweden, the Allied forces scramble to recover the files before they fall into Nazi hands.

The United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) needs someone who’s subtle enough to spy on the Swedish elite without triggering suspicion. Who better than the “all beauty, no brains” Scandinavian starlet? Fluent in three languages and possessing a brilliant memory, Amelie loathes being labeled witless but uses the misconception as her disguise. She’s tasked with searching for the crucial files, but Finn Ristaffason keeps getting in her way. Is the charming shipping magnate after the missing research? Or does he have other reasons for showing up at her every turn?

With the Gestapo on her heels, Amelie must rely on her smarts in addition to her acting skills to survive a world of deadly spies and counterspies.

A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White

In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer’s secret mission take them from the city’s dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they’re creating a new secret intelligence branch, he’s intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend’s father as a potential traitor.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend’s sake, and she’s more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can’t possibly be as noble as he seems.

The Girl From the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright

Inspired by one of America’s most notorious couples, Bonnie and Clyde, Jennifer L. Wright delivers a riveting tale set during the public enemy era of the Great Depression.

Beatrice Carraway has dreams. Although she’s aged out of the childhood pageant circuit, she’s intent on carrying her talents all the way to the big screen—if only she can escape the poverty of West Dallas first. But as the Great Depression drags the working class further and further under, Beatrice struggles just to keep herself, her mother, and her younger sister afloat. After a string of failed auditions, she feels defeated.

And then in walks Jack Turner. Though Beatrice is determined to pull herself up by her bootstraps, Jack has decided on a different path out of the gutters. It isn’t long before Beatrice is swept into an exciting and glamorous life of crime beside the man she loves. Keeping one step ahead of the law, she sees her dreams of fame come true when her name and picture are plastered in newspapers across the country. Yet as their infamy grows, the distance between them widens. While Jack begins seeking bigger payouts and publicity, Beatrice starts to long for a safe, quiet life and something deeper to fill the emptiness in her soul. But when the danger of Jack’s schemes ratchets up, Beatrice fears her dreams—and her future—will end up going down in a hail of bullets.

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette

As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind.

Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find sanctuary with her mother’s family.

United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.

She’erah’s Legacy by Naomi Craig

As tragedy ravages the camp, can She’erah step up and complete the outpost?

She’erah is a woman trying to leave her mark in a man’s world. Her vision and ability surpasses her father’s, yet she remains second-in-command as they are tasked to build Pharaoh’s outposts in Canaan. She knows she is worthy of the task, but her clan is skeptical.

The last place She’erah expects support is from her charioteer, but Lateef is the lone voice of encouragement. His integrity and steadfastness is a plumb-line in She’erah’s life and she can no longer deny her growing feelings for him.

Acts of sabotage threaten the construction and the shaky foundation of She’erah’s pride. It’s up to She’erah to break generations of rivalry, distrust, and jealousy—if she can learn to rely on the strengths and abilities of those around her to help.

Will she learn to trust God and others before her life’s legacy comes crumbling down around her?

Book Recommendation – The Love Script by Toni Shiloh

Book Description:

A Hollywood hair stylist.

Nevaeh Richards loves making those in the spotlight shine but prefers the anonymity of staying behind her stylist chair, where no one notices her. But when a photo of Nevaeh and Hollywood A-lister Lamont Booker goes viral for all the wrong reasons, her quiet life becomes the number-one trending topic.

The silver screen’s latest heartthrob.

Lamont Booker’s bold faith has gained him a platform, and the authenticity of his faith is well known . . . until the tabloids cause the world to question everything he claims to be. With his reputation on the line, he finds himself hearing out his agent’s push for a fake relationship–something he never thought he’d consider in a million years.

A love that goes off script.

With their careers at risk, Nevaeh and Lamont have to convince the world that their scripted romance is more than just an act. But when fake seems to turn into something real, can Nevaeh trust her heart in a world where nothing is ever as it seems?

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Love Script, set in Hollywood, California. Nevaeh is a hair stylist and makeup artist who wants to land a key stylist role on a movie or tv series. To supplement her stylist income, she works in a hair salon and visits clients in their homes. Her home visits include a client recovering from cancer who happens to live with her famous Hollywood actor son.

Lamont Booker is known as SMA (sexiest man alive) and Nevaeh is one of his biggest fans. She jumps at the opportunity to look after Lamont’s mom’s hair needs when he approaches her while working together on a set. Nevaeh is the invisible help in his home who Lamont doesn’t notice until a photo of them together is misrepresented and threatens his livelihood.

Lamont is a Christian who has made a public celibacy pact. When his agent proposes that Lamont starts a fake relationship with Navaeh to save Lamont’s endorsement deals and stop him being cancelled, he views it as a logical answer to his problems. Nevaeh’s life is turned upside down after she’s outed as Lamont’s girlfriend.

I loved how the fake relationship trope played out in the story. The morality clauses in Lamont’s contracts had unintended consequences. At the core of their fake relationship is a lie that they announced to the world. In a Christian romance, that deception needs to be addressed, and the consequences played out in the story. As a result, Lamont and Nevaeh’s faith is challenged as they spend time together and fall in love for real.

The body positivity message in the story is fantastic. Nevaeh is not a skinny Hollywood starlet, and the expectations that Lamont should be paired with someone who meets society’s perceptions of beauty and body type is explored in the story. I recommend The Love Script to contemporary romance readers who like compelling fake relationship romances set in the Hollywood celebrity world with a strong faith element in the story.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bethany House for the advanced reader copy.

Book Recommendation – If I Belong With You by Cindy Kirk

Book Description:

Angel Undercover

Angel Morelli’s youthful looks make her the perfect police officer to go undercover at a local high school to bust a drug ring. Passing as a student is easy but keeping her feelings for her history teacher, Jake Weston, under control is a whole different story. She doesn’t believe he’s involved in trafficking drugs but until she can rule him out, she’ll keep her eye on him.

A devoted coach and teacher, Jake is struggling to accept his brother’s tragic death. When Angel walks into his classroom, he senses something different about her. He quickly discovers she isn’t a student at all! But why is she at his school? Could she be part of the drug ring that police have been trying to bust for months?

Staying close seems the best option and the most dangerous, at least where his heart is concerned.

Grab your Kindle, put your feet up and relax with this uplifting romance that will tug at your heartstrings and keep you reading WAY too late at night!

Note: This book was originally published as Undercover Angel (as noted on the copyright page). It has been completely updated for your reading pleasure.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

If I Belong With You is a nostalgia read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I read the paperback when it was first published twenty plus years ago by Love Inspired as Undercover Angel. The advantage of not having read a book in years is that it’s like reading a brand new story with only vague recollections of the characters and plot.

Back in the 1980’s I was a fan of the 21 Jump Street tv series, and this book has a similar premise. Angel is a police officer working undercover as a student in a high school in St. Louis, Missouri, to crack a drug ring. Her history teacher, Jake, is Angel’s age, and there’s a spark of attraction that they both try to ignore. Jake secretly discovers Angel’s drivers license and her real age early in the story, before any lines are crossed from a romance perspective.

I loved the mystery thread in the story, and how it impacted Angel and Jake’s relationship. They both carry a lot of emotional baggage that’s unpacked during the story. Angel is pretending to be a wild child student in the foster care system, and draws on her own difficult childhood to bring authenticity to her undercover assignment. Jake struggles with his attraction to a student, and Angel’s undercover activities lead him to question her integrity.

I appreciated the strong faith element in the story, and how both Jake and Angel wrestled with big issues. The reality of high school students running with bad crowds and making poor choices is not sugar-coated. More conservative readers might consider certain aspects of the story, including Angel’s character, a bit too much.

I recommend If I Belong With You to contemporary romance readers who like the forbidden love romance trope mixed with mystery and light suspense elements, and a strong faith thread in the story.

Book Recommendation – A Wide and Pleasant Place by Valerie Comer

Book Description:

He knows he’s stuck in this small town. She hopes it’s a stopover on her way to New York.

If Treyan Ackerman wants to keep seeing his daughter on weekends, he needs to stay put, keep his nose clean, and not make waves. Thankfully, he has a decent, if somewhat tedious, job in his small town’s municipal office. If the mayor would let him tackle some of the graphics for the farmers market, it would help. But, no. Instead, she hires a vivacious city girl who turns Trey’s head. Unfortunately.

Brittany Santoro needs to redeem her reputation, rebuild her portfolio, and relocate, preferably to New York, where they’ll appreciate her graphics design genius. But if she doesn’t want the whole world to know about her indiscretions, she needs to spend six months in podunk Galena Landing, furnishing artwork and ads for the town’s farmers market and other tourism marketing. Too bad the brooding, hunky man in her office seems immune to her charms.

But when Brittany connects with Trey’s hurting daughter and sees the tender side of him, all bets are off. How can these two wounded souls be nudged into the realization that everything they want and need is right here in this wide and pleasant place?

A WIDE AND PLEASANT PLACE is the first story in the Farm Fresh Market Romance series, an off-shoot of the original Farm Fresh Romances and set in Galena Landing, Idaho. If you love Christian contemporary romance series that focus on engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith — clean, wholesome, sweet, and inspirational romances — you’ve come to the right place!

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading A Wide and Pleasant Place, set in a fictional town in Idaho near the Canadian border. I love Valerie’s Farm Fresh Romance series, and it was fun to return to Galena Landing and reunite with the characters. Brittany is from the Santoro family in Spokane, and she’s a side character in the Urban Farm Fresh Romance series.

Trey is a town planner and single dad who only sees his adorable five year old daughter, Scarlett, on weekends. His ex-wife, Kayla, left him a few years earlier. Kayla is living in town with her new partner and she’s pregnant with their baby. Trey has struggled to deal with his divorce and the child custody situation. He lives on a farm with his widowed brother, Mitch, and Mitch’s young sons.

Brittany is a graphic designer who’s working in Galena Landing on a short term marketing project to reinvigorate the town’s farmers market. Brittany is not in Galena Landing by choice. She’s temporarily staying with her cousin’s young family. Brittany is determined to chase her NYC dreams.

Brittany and Trey are forced to share an office, and they initially dislike each other. A sweet romance unfolds as Brittany gets to know Trey away from work and bonds with Scarlett. Trey and Brittany have many challenges to overcome, including emotional baggage from past relationships.

Brittany was raised in Christian family. She attends church because it’s a family expectation. Brittany’s actions, and her lack of conscience regarding her poor moral choices in past relationships, reveal the true state of her heart and faith. Her character is real-to-life, which can be uncomfortable at times. I liked how Trey extended grace to Brittany rather than judgement, knowing that he isn’t perfect and has made his share of mistakes.

I recommend A Wide and Pleasant Place to contemporary romance readers who like small town friends-to-more romances with a strong faith element and characters who appreciate farm fresh food and sustainable living.

Christian Fiction New Releases: July 2023

Where Our Hearts Lie (Trinity Lakes Romance Book 6) by Jenny Glazebrook

Can two hurting hearts find where they belong?

Hallie Hollaway is the daughter of missionaries and a child prodigy who desperately wants to fit in. When her first meeting with an internet boyfriend goes horribly wrong, she escapes to her childhood home of Trinity Lakes. The only place she has ever felt safe and loved.

Josh Ladan is the pastor’s kid who once dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps. Until one tragic summer in Australia changed everything. Now Hallie, his clever childhood friend, is back in Trinity Lakes. Josh is closely guarding a secret that he fears will disappoint Hallie, but he is determined to prove himself to her.

Hallie is drawn to Josh, but holds herself back, believing she is unworthy of love. Can Hallie and Josh allow God to work in their hearts and lives to restore trust and hope for a future together?

Fire and Ice by Carolyn Miller

Hannah Wade’s heart might’ve once been touched by a rancher’s son, but her real passion has always been sports. Years later, when her sports career is cut short by injury, she jumps at the chance to be one of Calgary’s first female sports reporters. Trouble is, some of the old dinosaurs she works with think she’s only there to look good, add ratings, and stir controversy among the fiercely loyal hockey fans. She longs to prove herself, so when an opportunity comes along to interview newly traded defenseman Franklin James, she meets him. Or, more accurately, re-meets him. With disastrous effect.

Growing up with three sisters means Franklin thought he knew something about women, but nothing had ever prepared him for the sparkling firecracker that is Hannah. And yet her vibrant personality holds a sweetness and soft side, something that draws his interest and protectiveness when an interview goes south. And there’s something about her that’s vaguely familiar…

Can these two overcome prejudice and find a way forward? And what has faith – or the lack of – got to do with anything?

Love for the Cowboy by Hannah Jo Abbott

Garrett and Elise’s story.
He never planned to get married, but she needs him, and he can’t say no.

How Sweet It Is by Andrea Christenson

Sometimes the sweetest moments in life are made from the most familiar and ordinary ingredients.

Robin Fox is living out her dreams working in a gourmet bakery in Paris. She thought she’d live there forever, but when her relationship with her boss sours, those dreams crumble. She finds herself back home in Deep Haven, Minnesota, caring for her grandparents’ rundown bakery while they’re away. But she vows that when they return in six weeks, she’ll trade this ordinary life for the one she left behind.

Sammy Johnson has never gotten traction in any area of his life. This hasn’t improved in the almost two years since the accident which nearly killed him. Although his heart is still beating, it contains little passion for the life he’s living in Deep Haven. But that begins to change when he offers to help his former high school friend, Robin.

Working together to keep Fox Bakery from going under, they find more than friendship is simmering between them. But when the six weeks are up, will Robin follow her old dreams back to the glamor of Paris or will she discover how sweet it is to be loved in Deep Haven?

Return to Deep Haven with the Fox Family, where Robin and Sammy find that small town life isn’t ordinary after all.

Room for Love by Marguerite Martin Gray

God gave her peace then; maybe He’ll do it again.

When Amy Lee’s son heads off to college, the bed and breakfast owner finds life even lonelier and emptier than she had after losing her husband. She needs something to occupy her mind and heart while she reinvents her life again. What more could she ask for than an after-school program for local children and a renewed interest in painting?  

Then the arrival of a professor of archeology shakes her world and makes her yearn for the way things were only a few short months ago.

Still grieving the loss of his beloved wife, and ignoring the warnings and protests of his grown children, Professor Walker Standish escapes on a six-month sabbatical. His heart, barely beating these past months, jerks to life again when he finds more than a room at a B & B.

 Where an ocean meets the shore, love has room for one more.

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Hugs and Kisses, Charity by Emily Dana Botrous

Two workplace rivals, one competition. But can he win her heart?

Charity Griffith has her eyes on the prize. The prize of her workplace competition, that is. If she wins, she can afford the house renovation needed to accommodate her mom’s lost mobility. She will not be distracted—especially not by the handsome new coworker bent on getting under her skin. There’s no way his attention is sincere, even if his pesky emails tempt her to wish so.

Ben Halverson is back in his Michigan hometown after leaving a trail of mistakes behind him. His goal is to find himself again and find God—not a woman. The icy sales manager who works beside him at his new job is begging to be teased, but if she knew the truth about him, she’d misjudge him like everyone else, including his family.

What Ben needs is independence. That workplace grand prize would go a long way toward his dream of owning a home. But when he falls for his biggest rival, he has to choose which matters more: winning the competition—or winning Charity’s heart.

If she’ll even give him a chance. And that remains to be determined.

Hugs and Kisses, Charity is the prequel to the Scripted Love series, a Christian romance series set along the shores of Lake Michigan. Join the Halverson siblings as they grow their faith and find love through the written word. Each title can be read as a standalone.

Dial S for Second Chances by Linda Shenton Matchett

Can years of hurt and misunderstanding be transformed into a second chance at love?

Jade Williams agrees to be on the high school reunion committee because the-one-that-got-away is out of the country and won’t be home in time to attend the festivities. Now, he’s not only home but joined the committee. Is it too late to back out or can she set aside forty-five years of regret and pretend she isn’t to blame for her broken heart?

One of the downsides of being rich means fielding requests for money and favors. But when an old high school buddy contacts Derek Milligan to be on the reunion committee as just one of the gang, no strings attached, he can’t resist. At the first meeting, he’s dismayed to find himself sitting next to his former high school sweetheart. He should be angry. Instead, he’s attracted. Can he risk his heart a second time?

A Haven for His Twins by April Arrington

Can a former bull rider

Prove he’s father material?

Seven years ago, former bull rider Holt Williams left his twin sons in the arms of a beautiful stranger. Jessie Alden has raised them as her own ever since, but now Holt is back and determined to be a dad to his boys. For his dream of fatherhood to come true, he must prove he’s really changed. What will it take to convince Jessie he’s the good man she and the twins deserve?

Falling for the Family Next Door by Jennifer Slattery

The home he doesn’t want

Could become the family he needs.

Returning home to sell his mother’s struggling farm, Tyler Reyes doesn’t expect the new neighbor to ruin his plans. But when Daria Ellis’s ATV rentals damage the property, working on repairs with the single mom is the only option. Soon the simple agreement turns into kids’ riding lessons and family dinners. With his deadline looming, Tyler knows his biggest challenge will be leaving Texas with his heart intact.

Her Alaskan Companion by Heidi McCahan

Romance isn’t the plan…

Until a mischievous dog changes everything.

When pregnant widow Lexi Thomas moves to Alaska for a fresh start, the last thing on her mind is romance. Fortunately her neighbor’s affectionate goldendoodle is just the distraction she needs—unlike his gruff owner. Police officer Heath Donovan hopes building a fence in exchange for pet sitting will keep Lexi at a distance. But when his unruly dog turns matchmaker, can he face his biggest fear for a shot at love? 

The Reluctant Rancher by Jolene Navarro

Will his childhood nemesis

be the second chance he needs?

Despite the mess FBI agent Enzo Flores has made of his life, he’s still eager to help others—like his sister, Ana. But coming home to Texas to run the family ranch and take care of his nephew might be more than Enzo can handle. He enlists the help of Ana’s best friend, Resa Espinoza, who’s always been good at riling him up. This time, she might just help him heal…

Threat Detection by Sharon Dunn

Can a K-9 team 

stop an assailant with a deadly plan?

When someone shoots at volcanologist Aubrey Smith on Mount St. Helens, it’s up to K-9 officer Isaac McDane to protect her even though she broke his heart a decade ago. But as people keep dying and signs point to Aubrey’s sister being involved or the next potential victim, they’ll have to work together to track down the killer before he finishes his hit list.

Safeguarding the Baby by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

A child is in danger.

Only he can keep them safe…

The discovery of a wounded woman and baby in a stranded vehicle plunges Sheriff Rylan Pierce into a chase with a murderous mastermind. Not only must he protect Emily and the child from a killer hot on their trail, he must uncover the culprit’s identity. But with Emily suffering from amnesia, his task just got harder. Will Rylan find the answers he needs before the killer finds them?

Ranch Showdown by Tina Wheeler

Seeking refuge at a ranch…

Has fiery consequences

After being threatened by her sister’s ex, Sierra Lowery has forty-eight hours to surrender documents linking him to a bombing before he kills her and kidnaps her nephew. With the evidence missing and anyone who helps becoming a target, hiding out with Detective Cole Walker, her college sweetheart, might be her only chance for survival. But as explosives detonate in the wake of their search, their ranch safe haven could become a dangerous trap.

Defending the Witness by Sharee Stover

To catch a killer…

She must trust her protectors.

After witnessing a murder at the hands of a notorious gang leader, Ayla DuPree is a marked woman sent straight to witness protection. But when her handler is killed and her safety compromised, she has no choice but to run—forcing US Marshal Chance Tavalla and his K-9 to chase her. Can Chance keep Ayla alive long enough to find safety and justice?

Dangerous Desert Abduction by Kelly Vanhorn

A kidnapping is only the beginning…

Will murder be next?

Following her husband’s suspicious death, Abigail Fox thinks fleeing to the remote Badlands in South Dakota will be safe—until the mob abducts her four-year-old son, demanding she hand over incriminating evidence. Witnessing the attack, park ranger Micah Ellis steps in to help rescue the boy. But with the criminals anticipating their every move, they must find her late husband’s hidden files before becoming this mob’s next victims.

Critical Witness by Tara Grace Ericson

A presidential assassin is on the loose, and Hannah is the key to unlocking his identity.
But it’s her own identity that is going to blow up the entire operation—and her future with the hero who saved her.

Ex-special forces commando Will Gilbert is leading a black op tasked with bringing down the presidential assassin. When his team rescues a woman who witnessed the fatal shot, protecting her becomes just as important as finding their target and keeping the entire thing under wraps. Behind those scared eyes, this woman has the answers they need to finish the mission.

Struggling journalist Hannah Stone was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or was it the right time? A Pulitzer is practically guaranteed if she can manage to escape without being killed. All she has to do is help Will and his team capture the shooter—without revealing her own identity as a reporter. Or just why she was at the hotel that day in the first place.

Pursuing the shooter and targeted by a powerful enemy, Will and Hannah face impossible odds. While her heart is quickly becoming tangled with his, Hannah hides her identity from the man trying desperately to save her.

Unseen Danger by Jerusha Agen

This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them?

After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble.

Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team.

Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh’s only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn’t see before it’s too late.

Unseen Danger continues the thrilling story of the elite Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency that began with Hidden Danger (Guardians Unleashed, #1). (Each book can stand alone or be read as series installments.)

Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there’s almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy’s trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen

A car accident that might not be an accident at all. A murderer bent on revenge. And a woman desperate to keep her family together.

She’s already lost her soul mate. She’ll do anything to protect her children.

For the sake of her kids, Camilla Wright managed to survive after her husband’s murder. When she’s awakened in the night with the news that her teenage son and nephew have been in a horrific car accident, she rushes to the hospital in a haze of shock and panic.

The boys were supposed to be skiing in the mountains east of Salt Lake City. What were they doing so far west? More alarming, the wreck might not have been an accident at all.

While Jeremy fights for his life, Camilla is running out of time to discover who lured her son and her nephew into the desert. With each new clue, the terrifying truth becomes clearer.

Her husband’s killers are closing in…

Detection by Lisa Phillips

BIG CITY CRIME. SMALL TOWN HEROES

A boy with no name.
Officer River Gaines walks in the footsteps of the cop who rescued him from the ocean and gave him a name—and a family to belong to. River and his K-9 partner, Kutter, work side-by-side finding people in Benson, but the fact he never remembered who he is has become a weight he never let go.

A girl with no future.
Search and Rescue handler Tessa Atkins is back from a dark FBI case she volunteered for in Arizona. Tessa and her dog Maverick live in Benson at the SAR training center during the warm Pacific Northwest months. But up in Washington she’s got to contend with her family, and their expectations, while she figures out what’s next.

After Tessa is caught in a deadly bombing, and a series of crimes target both their families, the FBI believes a threat from Arizona is coming. River is ordered to ensure Tessa’s safety and the safety of everyone at the Search and Rescue training center his father started after he quit the force.

When the attacks keep coming, these two will have to fight together for the future God has for them. Or see it all swept away.

Each Benson First Responders book is a stand-alone Christian Romantic Suspense.

Risky Rescue by Laura Scott

Walking the line between danger and love!

Undercover memory loss…

Coast Guard Lieutenant Quinn Finnegan is shocked when he rescues his believed to be dead, former fiancée, Sami Lopez out of the middle of Lake Michigan. But even more stunning is the fact that Sami doesn’t remember who she is or why she was crossing the lake in a storm. Since Sami was a former cop, he believes she may have been working undercover in a case that had gone terribly wrong. The boat explosion was no accident. And when the threats against Sami escalate, it’s difficult to know who they should trust.

Sami can’t ignore the desperate sense of urgency plaguing her. There is something critically important she needs to do. But what? The only reason she was still alive was thanks to Quinn and his family. Given the attraction between them, it didn’t make sense that she’d left him two years earlier. Will they survive long enough to learn the truth, and have a second chance at love?

Frozen in Jeopardy by Melanie D. Snitker

Her routine night turns terrifying.

As the storm of the century howls through Destiny, Texas, Dr. Paige Wade remains at her clinic to care for any animals that might need assistance. Her quiet night is disrupted when a man dumps an injured dog on the doorstep just hours before Paige is attacked in the parking lot.

He’s uncovering deadly connections.

A call from the local animal hospital where his friend works sends Police Officer Gabe Harrison hastening to respond. The crime seems random until someone starts stalking Paige. When Gabe and his K-9 partner, Loki, discover the man who dropped off the injured dog is now a murder victim, Gabe uncovers a link between the deceased and whoever is threatening Paige.

They are running out of time.

For years, Paige has ignored her feelings for Gabe. Working closely with him means gambling with her heart. As another winter storm approaches and the murderer becomes desperate, will the risks they take not only save her life, but give them hope for a future together?

Ranger Justice by Lynn Shannon

Deception can lead to murder…

Prosecutor Hannah Lawton is thrust into the spotlight after a local doctor is arrested and charged with the murder of his wife. The case has fractured the county and made her a target for death threats. When she’s attacked and nearly killed, Hannah believes it’s connected to the upcoming trial. She refuses to back down.

Texas Ranger Ryker Montgomery led the murder investigation and is convinced the doctor is guilty. The attack on Hannah reaffirms his suspicions about the lengths the man will go to stay out of prison. A second assault leaves little question someone is gunning for the gorgeous prosecutor. Ryker refuses to leave Hannah—and the baby in her care—unprotected. He’ll put his life on the line to keep them safe.

When another woman is killed in the same manner as the doctor’s wife, the case takes a surprising turn. Working together, Ryker and Hannah must uncover the truth. Obtaining justice is never easy, but this time…it may be deadly.

No Child of Mine by Kelly Irvin

When the remains of a young girl are found near the site of a foster child’s kidnapping, two colleagues risk their lives to bring one home and find justice for the other.

The day a colleague’s eight-year-old foster child is kidnapped at a wedding reception, homicide detectives Deborah Smith and Alex Luna find the bones of a little girl not far from the abduction site. Both are determined to save the boy and solve a five-year-old murder, even as Deborah struggles to hang on to her newfound sobriety while Alex works to get a foothold in her life. The two detectives travel from the seamy underside of San Antonio’s drug-dealing gang territory to the back roads of rural America where secrets fester in simple country homes. Their investigation rips off the bandage that covers the cracks in an overburdened, understaffed foster care system and reveals the painful reality that children are all too often battered, terrified victims of the people who should love them Deborah and Alex must risk everything–even their lives–to bring a little boy home safely and unmask a child’s murderer.

This fast-paced follow-up to Irvin’s romantic suspense novel, A Deadly Wilderness, will keep readers turning the pages long after it’s time to turn out the lights.

In the Shelter of Hollythorne House by Sarah E. Ladd

A young widow faces an uncertain future . . . until an unexpected encounter with her first love gives her heart a second chance in this Regency romance set on the Yorkshire Moors.

England, 1817—Charlotte Grey thought she had seen the last of Anthony Welbourne. Knowing her father would never consent to his only daughter marrying a man he deemed beneath their family’s station, Charlotte bid her final farewell to Anthony and vowed never to turn back. Instead, she honored her father’s wishes by marrying the wealthy Roland Prior.

Determined to put his love for Charlotte in the past, Anthony chose to immerse himself in a life full of meaning—first as a soldier fighting a war overseas, then as a member of William Walstead’s watchmen, a rugged band of men dispatched to deal with perilous situations. Fearless and persistent, he makes it his life’s focus to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.

When Charlotte’s husband dies unexpectedly, she quickly realizes how blind she’d been to his nefarious ambitions and how many people he’d angered on his relentless quest for wealth. To protect her infant son, Henry, from those who wish him harm, she and the baby flee to Hollythorne House, her childhood home. There Charlotte comes face-to-face with her former love, who has been sent as one of the hired watchman to protect her and Henry until the details of her late husband’s estate are settled.

Anthony’s presence brings back feelings she never expected to have again, and she struggles to trust his intentions. Are the watchmen really looking after Charlotte as they claim—or are they looking to make trouble for Roland’s estate and heir? Despite the constant reminders of their past, Anthony must remain focused on the task he was hired to do. But when new threats emerge and the past collides with the present, both must decide what they are willing to risk for the chance to right old wrongs and carve out a new future . . . together.

Plagues and Papyrus: Egyptians by Christine Dillon

What if life is built on the wrong foundation?

Kheti and his family have farmed papyrus along the Nile for generations. Kheti is confident the gods of Egypt and the harmony maintained by the divine Pharaoh are the sources of his prosperity. Then he watches his beloved river turn to blood, his crops fail, and his nation descend into chaos.

The Hebrew God wants his people released from slavery.
When the gods remain silent and Pharaoh is powerless to stop the carnage, Kheti wrestles with which way to turn. Replant his flattened crops and cling to Egypt’s gods? Or forsake his roots to follow new friends and a new faith to a distant land?

Could there be a place in God’s family for an Egyptian who kept God’s people as slaves?

The Woman from Lydia by Angela Hunt

Widowed Euodia, known to her neighbors as “the Lydian woman,” seeks to make a fresh start by moving to the foreign city of Philippi. She finds new purpose after meeting Paulos, apostle to the Gentiles, who opens her eyes to helping those in need, particularly women and those who have been enslaved.

Retired Roman soldier Hector has settled in Philippi with dreams of a future filled with wealth and status, pooling his army earnings with Lucius, his fellow comrade-in-arms turned business partner. His hopes are dashed, however, when Paulos robs their youngest enslaved girl of her lucrative ability to foretell the future, rendering her worthless to Hector’s ambition.

Determined to find someone to restore the girl’s valuable “gift,” Hector is willing to travel to the ends of the earth to do so. Following close behind him, Euodia and her servants embark on a journey to rescue Sabina and set her free forever.

Rebecca by Shannon McNear

The Lost Colony of Roanokediscover an alternate view of their fate alongside the life of Pocahontas.

Born the daughter of a Powhatan chieftain and a woman of unknown origins, Mato’aka enjoys a carefree life. When strange men from across the eastern waters appear near her home, she regards them at first as a mere curiosity. Soon, though, she finds herself torn between fascination for one of their leaders and the opinions and ways of her people–then becomes a pawn in their delicate and dangerous game of politics. Drawn to a young Englishman, John Rolfe, who has lost a wife and baby daughter, she shares his griefs. . .and perhaps something more.

Could she have a future among the English of Jamestown, accepting their ways and even changing her name? Could her destiny be a part of the lasting legacy of the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke

After two young women’s deep bond is torn apart, what will it take to bring them together again? In The Ladies of the Lake, the beloved author of Saving Amelie and Night Bird Calling returns with a transformative new historical novel about the wonder and complexities of friendship, love, and belonging.

When she is forced to leave her beloved Prince Edward Island to attend Lakeside Ladies Academy after the death of her parents, the last thing Adelaide Rose MacNeill expects to find is three kindred spirits. The “Ladies of the Lake,” as the four girls call themselves, quickly bond like sisters, vowing that wherever life takes them, they will always be there for each other. But that is before: Before love and jealousy come between Adelaide and Dorothy, the closest of the friends. Before the dawn of World War I upends their world and casts baseless suspicion onto the German American man they both love. Before a terrible explosion in Halifax Harbor rips the sisterhood irrevocably apart.

Seventeen years later, Rosaline Murray receives an unsuspecting telephone call from Dorothy, now headmistress of Lakeside, inviting her to attend the graduation of a new generation of girls, including Rosaline’s beloved daughter. With that call, Rosaline is drawn into a past she’d determined to put behind her. To memories of a man she once loved . . . of a sisterhood she abandoned . . . and of the day she stopped being Adelaide MacNeill.

Itty Bitty Faith by Jennifer Sienes

Sometimes your past comes back to haunt you…

As a single mama, Alyssa Mitchell learned to depend on no one but herself while raising her boy. She never even gave Jared’s daddy a single thought—well, not often anyway. Why would she when he left her behind to go off and save the world? It didn’t matter one little bit that he was unaware she was pregnant, she felt betrayed just the same. But when she overhears Jared lamenting over not even knowing who his daddy was, she tucks her pride away long enough to track him down.

Brandon Jamison spent years bringing clean water to third-world countries. It was downright confounding why God would see fit to bring him back to the states – with no job or clue what to do next. That is until Alyssa Mitchell shows up and drops a bomb – Brandon has a seventeen year old son. All his past failures and shame came to the surface just like the lemon in Mama’s sweet tea.

It’ll take more than itty-bitty faith to put the past behind them.

Robbing the Races: A 1940s Fairytale-Inspired Mystery by Tabitha Bouldin

The Legend of Locksley might just get Robin and Marian killed.

Robin Locke’s career as a jockey is far more successful than he ever expected. When a groom is found dead in the stables, Robin sets out to right the wrongs of Locksley. Unfortunately, Robin’s rival is dead set on proving him guilty!

Marian Silvers sets out to find a once in a lifetime story that will ensure her career as a reporter withstands the masochistic attitudes of the paper where she works. As she and Robin dig into the groom’s murder, she finds another side to the legend of Locksley…a side he would prefer stay hidden forever.

While the murderer wreaks havoc in their small town, Marian and Robin find that all is not as it seems. And then they become the next targets. They just need to evade the killer long enough to bring him to justice… and perhaps find love along the way.

This 1940s Robin Hood retelling features swapped character roles and a race against the clock.

The All-American by Susie Finkbeiner

Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world–even in the hardest of circumstances

It is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys–she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

When Bertha’s father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she’ll never forget.

Join award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner for a summer of chasing down your dreams and discovering the place you truly belong.

Refuge for the Archaeologist by Danielle Grandinetti

Will uncovering the truth set them free or destroy what they hold most dear?

Wisconsin, 1930—With her health in shambles and her archaeological career on the line, Cora Davis retreats to Crow’s Nest and the home of her great aunt to heal. She doesn’t think much of the missing memories from between the earthquake that caused her dizzy spells and her trip home. Until she begins remembering the danger that sent her fleeing her last dig and the person responsible.

After a decade as a ranch hand, Silas Ward returned to Crow’s Nest to provide for the women in his life. That same protective instinct propels him to Cora’s aid. But when finances dwindle, the lies and greed of others threaten to ruin his family. Unless Silas can walk the thin line of compromise. A choice that might cost him Cora’s affection.

As winter’s chill threatens, will Crow’s Nest prove a refuge, or will both Cora and Silas have no choice but to sacrifice their chance at happiness to save those they love?

Welcome to Crow’s Nest, where danger and romance meet at the water’s edge.

A Summer at Thousand Island House by Susan G. Mathis

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

A Gilded Age Getaway by Stephenia H. McGee

Can one magical night of glamour in the past save their future?

When Fiona Robinson imagined her life with Tyler, she dreamed of a grand adventure. Together. But after a decade of marriage, suburban seclusion, and stress from his job, she’s let the strain of being a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers squeeze all the fun out of their relationship.

With pressure mounting at work and his homelife growing stale, Tyler’s fighting to recapture the joy in his marriage. But he can’t seem to do anything right, his job’s drained his energy, and his wife no longer resembles the fun-loving girl he married.

Then Fiona’s mother presents them with an anniversary weekend getaway at a seaside B&B, and they hope it can rekindle their romance. But they never could have imagined their room would transport them to the Gilded Age in New York! Now, can one night at the famed Vanderbilt ball reignite their spark, or will they be stuck in a future neither of them expected?

♥ The Back Inn Time series books are fun, faith-filled stories of what it might be like to suddenly experience life in a different time. These clean historical romances are packed with humor and adventure. Perfect for fans of dual timeline or time slip stories and Christian historical romance, these books answer the question every historical fiction fan wonders—what would it be like if I went back to that time? If you enjoy the wholesomeness of Amish, Western, or frontier fiction and adore romantic comedies, then a visit to a seaside Victorian inn where you can “step back inn time and leave your troubles behind!” is for you.

Finding Us by Tracie Peterson

One candid photograph will change the lives of four people forever.

While taking photographs at an exposition in Seattle in 1909, Camera Girl Eleanor Bennett snaps an image of a woman in widow’s clothes with deep sorrow etched in her expression and a young infant in her arms.

Eleanor longs to study botany at the University of Washington and soon becomes fast friends with botanist Bill Reed, but she can’t stop thinking about the widow in the photograph. She is stunned to learn Bill recognizes the woman as the sister-in-law he believed lost in a shipwreck.

As Eleanor and Bill hunt for Amelia Reed to reunite her with her grief-stricken husband, they must stand together to face the danger that follows and learn to trust that God will direct their paths.

Over the Horizon by Penny Zeller

A most unusual proposal…

Alone in 1870s Idaho Territory, Paisley Abbott has nowhere to turn. With no other options, she finds herself consenting to an unconventional, but mutually beneficial agreement.

During an unplanned return to his family’s farm, prodigal Tyler Shepherdson inherits three orphans. When Tyler finds a woman hiding in the back of his wagon, an idea begins to form and he makes a rash decision that results in perhaps one of the most spontaneous marriages of convenience ever.

Despite an unorthodox beginning to their marriage, will Paisley and Tyler trust God as they forge ahead to create a home for three children? Will love arise from a desperate situation?

In the first book in the Horizon Series, travel to the late 1800s to the town of Horizon in the Idaho Territory with a cast of unforgettable characters, journeys of faith, and abundant humor.

The Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock

Abramm has dedicated the last eight years of his life to becoming worthy to touch and tend the Sacred Flames of Eidon, and he expects to be blessed for his devotion and sacrifice. But on the eve of taking the vows that will irrevocably separate him from the life he was born to—as Abramm Kalladorne, fifth son of the king of Kiriath—he is betrayed by his spiritual mentor and sold into slavery by his brothers.

Book Recommendation – The Billionaire’s Backup by Elizabeth Maddrey

Book Description:

Jenna and I have been friends since college.

Not besties or anything. Just the kind of friend you hit up when you want to go to a party but don’t want the pressure of a date.

She’s fun. Independent. And she gets me.

Which is probably why we dated for a while – more for fun than anything..

The kiss was completely out of left field. And so was the ridiculous pact to get married if we were still single in our thirties.

Neither of us have ever mentioned that pact again.

But man, a lot of years have passed and I can sometimes still feel her lips on mine. Now that she’s going to be renovating my house, it could definitely be a problem.

The whole pact thing might have been dumb, but would it really be such a bad idea for us to get together?

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Billionaire’s Backup, book 4 in Elizabeth Maddrey’s Billionaire’s Next Door series set in historic Old Town in the DC Metro Area. Noah briefly dated Jenna in college, and they made a love pact where they’d marry each other if they were both single at 33. Their 33rd birthdays are on the horizon. Noah is definitely single, and Jenna has Mitch.

Jenna is casually dating Mitch, who is an awful, horrible person. He calls what they have a situationship, and she knows that he dates other girls. I hated Mitch when he first appeared on the page, which assured me that the story wasn’t a love triangle. Mitch made Noah looked so good by comparison.

Noah is a fabulous hero, and a gentleman who hasn’t let his recent billionaire status change him. He has secretly wanted to date Jenna for years, but they’ve been stuck in a friend zone where they’re both convinced the other person isn’t interested in them. They are each other’s backup plan when the other person needs a plus-one for a function or event.

Noah is restoring a historic home in Old Town, and Jenna is an architect by day and home renovator at night. Jenna stays in Noah’s future home to do the renovations. A sweet romance unfolds as circumstances force them to reconsider their feelings for each other.

I loved how their individual faith journeys were an important part of the story. I recommend The Billionaire’s Backup to contemporary romance readers who like friends-to-more billionaire romances with a strong faith element in the story.

Book Recommendation – The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

Book Description:

She’s out to prove that there’s no such thing as choosing happiness.

Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.

As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.

But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim” makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.

As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere . . . happy.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, set in Chicago, Illinois. The story is in first person viewpoint and opens on Isadora’s 30th birthday. Isadora is celebrating her birthday alone in her apartment with a trolley load of junk food from the grocery store. She’s a university researcher who loves data and struggles with crippling social anxiety.

Isadora is socially awkward and has poor self-esteem. She’s an only child who grew up with an absent father and narcissistic mother, and has carried a truckload of emotional baggage from her childhood and high school years into adulthood. She won’t do therapy, believes she can handle everything on her own, and doesn’t need people in her life.

Isadora finds a magazine article that lists 31 ways to be happy, and she sets out to scientifically disprove the theory. Along the way she’s challenged to reconsider her preconceived ideas about people. Her boss makes her work with Cal, a psychologist who’s researching the impact of social media on relationships. Cal is adorable, and patient with Isadora as she starts addressing her emotional baggage that won’t stay buried.

I loved the cast of supporting characters who valued Isadora and wanted to be her friend. I recommend The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley to contemporary fiction readers who like single point-of-view romances with women’s fiction themes and a very light faith element in the story.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for the advanced reader copy.

Christian Fiction New Releases: June 2023

A Green and Vibrant Hope (Farm Fresh Market Romance 2) by Valerie Comer

She thinks he’s arrogant. He thinks she’s flaky. Too bad they need each other.

Just after giving notice at her day job, Arleigh O’Neill’s fledgling flower-growing business takes a lethal blow when the river overflows its banks, demolishing her rented greenhouse and drowning her fields. Finding a replacement location on zero budget is impossible, unless she can sweet-talk the vegetable grower down the road into some sort of deal.

Widowed farmer Mitchell Ackerman is at wit’s end with his two rambunctious boys, especially since his brother is getting married and moving out. When the frivolous flower farmer asks to rent greenhouse space, Mitch turns her down. He needs every inch for vegetables, but when his son destroys flats of seedlings, Mitch realizes he needs help more than he needs space. But… a deal with her, of all people?

Arleigh thinks he’s arrogant. Mitchell thinks she’s flaky. What will it take to get them to see into each other’s hearts and grasp a green and vibrant hope?

A GREEN AND VIBRANT HOPE is the second story in the Farm Fresh Market Romance series, an off-shoot of the original Farm Fresh Romances and set in Galena Landing, Idaho. If you love Christian contemporary romance series that focus on engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith — clean, wholesome, sweet, and inspirational romances — you’ve come to the right place!

The Billionaire’s Backup (Billionaire Next Door 4) by Elizabeth Maddrey

Jenna and I have been friends since college.

Not besties or anything. Just the kind of friend you hit up when you want to go to a party but don’t want the pressure of a date.

She’s fun. Independent. And she gets me.

Which is probably why we dated for a while – more for fun than anything..

The kiss was completely out of left field. And so was the ridiculous pact to get married if we were still single in our thirties.

Neither of us have ever mentioned that pact again.

But man, a lot of years have passed and I can sometimes still feel her lips on mine. Now that she’s going to be renovating my house, it could definitely be a problem.

The whole pact thing might have been dumb, but would it really be such a bad idea for us to get together?

Love Somebody Like You (Trinity Lakes Romance 5) by Carolyn Miller

For Lexi Franklin, returning to Trinity Lakes feels a little like running home with her tail between her legs.

But what’s a girl to do, when her life has been turned upside down on the other side of the world? She needs a place to regain hope and healing – just didn’t count on meeting a cowboy whose own battered heart might need nursing back to health too.

Jackson Reilly has his own set of troubles, between caring for his ranch, his mom, and the black hole of finances. So when a pretty redhead with a sassy tongue offers some distraction – and a potential solution to one of his most pressing concerns – he’s not going to say no.

But as they spend time together, questions soon rise about their future, and whether faith can truly win over fears. Will Jackson be able to save his ranch, and his hopes and heart, before Lexi returns to Australia?

Love Like No Other by (Suamalie Islands 5) by Tabitha Bouldin

Trying to overcome a past like hers might just help him overcome his.

Alicia Gray wants one thing: to prove her capabilities as a doctor. Maybe then she can escape the feeling that her mother’s abandonment was deserved. She’s never felt worthy and grew up in foster home after foster home, always being told that if she did better, if she was more amenable, she’d find her place. When she came to Suamalie, the last thing she expected to find was a man whose grumpy personality conflicted so piercingly with her sunshine demeanor. 

Colin Tremblay was dishonorably discharged from his army medic position and sent home in disgrace after his twin brother stole from his clinic. Back on the islands, he’s bounced from job to job, never finding anything that satisfies him. To make matters worse, his twin niece and nephew convince him to spend his summer overseeing their camp activities while working alongside Little Miss Sunshine herself. 

This grumpy versus sunshine romance is sure to send them both scrambling when Colin confronts Alicia’s need to please while she reminds Colin that not every bad day is a reason to run for the hills.

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Operation Find a Guy (Roadtrip Romance 3) by Amy R. Anguish

Skye Jones has one goal for the summer—keep her father from taking away her convertible. That’s the only reason she agrees to work at her sister’s bridal shop in Boulder, Colorado, while she searches for a non-boring job. Why else would she have anything to do with weddings when she has no interest in marriage?

Benjamin Smith somehow ended up as a groomsman in two weddings over the summer, so he’s spending a lot of time at Happily Ever After events. Falling for a blonde with no dreams of settling down wasn’t in his five-year plan, yet the more he sees Skye, the more he wants to figure her out.

But all she sees him as is a boring attorney−her complete opposite.

Besides, romance is supposed to be for Skye’s friends, not her. And she’s in Colorado to get a job, not a guy. Right?

Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe

“Storms show up and there ain’t a thing we can do to stop them.”

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back. Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past . . . until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for several years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, then making indigo dye—and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls. Soon the gruff exterior Hudson has long hidden behind crumbles—exposing the tender part of him that’s desperate for forgiveness and a second chance.

A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias.

Wedding at Sea by Melissa Tagg

Two enemies. One wedding. And a seaside mystery decades in the making.

Lilian doesn’t remember anything about her life before the day Maggie Muir found her on her front porch—a toddler, abandoned and alone. And maybe that’s okay. She has a beautiful life at Muir Farm, including an adopted family she adores and a successful career as a lawyer. But she also has a secret . . . one that raises just as many questions about her future as it does her unknown past.

And, of course, it would be private investigator Wilder Monroe, her brother’s best friend and the bane of her existence, who sniffs out her secret before anyone else.

Wilder has spent the past three years trying to close the one case his father couldn’t—the mystery of Maggie Muir’s long-lost granddaughter. But the decades-long search has become more tangled than ever. It’s become more personal, too. Not only are the Muirs the closest thing to family he has left, but if he can solve this mystery, maybe he’ll keep himself from drowning in the one he can’t . . . the truth about his father’s death.

In the midst of secrets and swirling questions, Maggie asks a favor of both Lilian and Wilder: put aside their bickering and work together to plan her summer wedding. It’s a big ask, made all the more difficult when danger comes calling at Muir Farm. But if the two enemies can stand each other long enough to pull off the event of the year, they just might solve a mystery in the process.

And the biggest discovery of all? That sometimes the one your heart longs for is the last person you ever would’ve expected.

Wedding at Sea is the breathtaking finale in bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Tagg’s Muir Harbor series.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

She’s out to prove that there’s no such thing as choosing happiness.

Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.

As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.

But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim” makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.

As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere . . . happy.

The Other Side by Mandi Blake

They fell in love before their families hated each other. Will their love be enough to mend fences?

Thea Howard skipped town five years ago after a tragic accident. She left behind the man she loved along with the grief and anger that consumed their lives.

Brett Patton never expected to see Thea again. When he finds her injured on a snowy night, he sees his second chance with the one who got away.

Despite the years, distance, and obstacles between them, Brett helps her hide at the ranch where he works, but his attempts to convince her that things could work out between them this time come to a screeching halt when she disappears.

Brett won’t stop until he finds the woman he never stopped loving. Can he find her in time to get their second chance? Or will their feuding families once again rip them apart?

The Other Side is a gripping second chance romance and the fifth book in the Wolf Creek Ranch series.

The Widow’s Choice by Lorraine Beatty

She’s determined to protect her family

But sometimes love finds a way…

Widow Eden Sinclair wants nothing to do with her brother-in-law, a man she’s heard is trouble. When Blake makes a shocking return after years away, they are thrown together to save the family business. Soon Eden begins to see a different man than the one she’d imagined. And when his true reasons for returning are revealed, they threaten not just Eden’s family, but her heart, too…

A Cowboy for the Summer by Danica Favorite

A city boy with a plan…

Is in for the ride of his life.

Isaac Johnston will do anything to get his counseling degree, even a summer camp internship with two things he dislikes—Abigail Shepherd and horses. As Abigail helps him overcome his horse phobia, Isaac becomes drawn to his former nemesis. But Abigail thinks a relationship with a man several years her junior is out of the question. Can they face their insecurities together…and find that love is worth the risk?

The Baby Secret by Gabrielle Meyer

Thrown together by a wedding.

Bound by a secret from the past.

When maid of honor Emma Holt arrives at the wedding resort early, she’s immediately drawn to best man Clay Foster and his six-month-old daughter. Despite the heartbreak they’ve both faced in the past, Emma and Clay find themselves falling for each other as the festivities unfold. But Emma’s keeping a secret from Clay, and revealing it will change everything…

The Nurse’s Homecoming by Allie Pleiter

A temporary position…

Or the beginning of happily-ever-after?

Camp True North Springs is everything nurse Bridget Nicholson needs: a new start after her broken engagement and the opportunity to help grieving families heal—despite her overbearing father’s disapproval. But no one warned Bridget that she’d be working with her ex-boyfriend, Carson Todd…or that another shot at love might be exactly what she needs.

Their Road to Redemption by Patrice Lewis

To put their pasts behind them…

Can they find forgiveness together?

Moving to Montana is the chance Thomas Kemp needs to open his own business and seek a wife—while keeping his shameful past hidden. Except the beautiful Amish widow who catches his eye wants financial independence, not marriage. When Emma Fisher’s toddler bonds with the newcomer, she believes Thomas is everything she wants in a husband. But can she accept his past…for the chance at a future together? 

A Convenient Amish Bride by Lucy Bayer

Two girls need a mother…

And she’s ready for the job.

After the loss of her perfect match, Amish waitress Ruby Kaufmann resigns herself to a solitary life—until she meets widower David Weiss and his young daughters. Ruby has always wanted a family, and David is desperate for help because his aging parents can no longer assist with the girls. Will a marriage of convenience be the perfect solution…or a second chance at love neither expects?

Cold Case Contraband by Jaycee Bullard

Exposing hidden secrets
could prove lethal.

Within minutes of investigating a cold case murder, officer Carmen Hollis is shot at and rescued by a local teacher and single dad. Saving local cops isn’t undercover Special Agent Jonah Drake’s mission, but as threats to Carmen escalate, he can’t turn away. When his drug investigation and her cold case collide, secrets won’t stay hidden. Not when someone wants Carmen dead.

Kidnapped in the Woods by Deena Alexander

To solve a kidnapping case
they’ll become the hunted.


Firefighter Pat Ryan is stunned when he hears gunfire and two strangers crash through his door. An anonymous tip led journalist Rachel Davenport to a ramshackle cabin, where she helped an abducted teen escape. With Pat and his K-9 rescue dog’s help, they go on the run with deadly kidnappers in pursuit. But with innocent lives at stake, Rachel and Pat must battle foes and fears to live through the night.

Olympic Mountain Pursuit by Jodie Bailey

Can this K-9 get a child to safety?

Four years ago, former US Marshal Jackson Dean left his job after falling for a witness—who’s suddenly the target of an assassin. Now it’s up to Jackson and his K-9 partner to protect single mom Everly Lopez and her young daughter when Everly’s identity is blown. But with hired killers looking for a payday, Jackson must use all his resources to stop them from silencing Everly permanently.

Fugitive in Hiding by Jenna Night

Framed and on the run…
with killers on their trail.


When her brother is set up for a murder he didn’t commit, the last thing Naomi Pearson wants to do is turn to her bounty hunter ex-husband for help. But she knows Connor Ryan is her best option to bring Jared home safely after he disappears. When the criminals come after Naomi too, will Connor’s protection keep her alive long enough to find her brother?

Uncovering Alaskan Secrets by Elisabeth Rees

A missing persons investigation…
and a fight for their lives.

Police chief Dani Pearce’s investigation of a missing twelve-year-old girl has made her some unexpected enemies in her small Alaskan town. Saved from a near-death attack by secretive newcomer Simon Walker, she’s finding his unexplained expertise suspicious. But with time running out and threats on every corner, Dani and Simon must trust each other enough to solve this crime—or risk becoming victims.

Amish Blast Investigation by Debby Giusti

A deadly explosion.
A dangerous search for the truth.

After an explosion rocks Becca Klein’s bakery and kills one of her customers, she teams up with the victim’s son to find justice. Though estranged from his father, Englischer Luke Snyder is compelled to help the Amish woman uncover why his father died. But ruthless killers believe Luke’s father gave Becca something they want, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it. Can Luke keep Becca safe until they discover the truth?

Finding Her Frontier Home by Louise M. Gouge

A ranch out West
could be the home she’s longed for.

Lila Rose Duval has a safe, protected life in Charleston as a lady’s companion for Rebecca Mattson—until the woman’s handsome but disheveled son Drew arrives at her door. Now they’re all traveling to the breathtaking wildness of New Mexico Territory to reunite the entire Mattson clan. But the refined, genteel Lila Rose knows nothing of ranching life beyond etiquette and burning food. Worse still, Drew might just be falling for her. But can love convince this city girl that she belongs in the wild beauty of the West…with him?

Wagon Train Baby by Rhonda Gibson

They came together for an orphaned child…

Will they stay together for love?

A fresh start, far from the heartache she left behind—that’s all Maggie Porter seeks at the end of the Oregon Trail. But whatever she expected, she never could have imagined finding an orphaned child! Little Lilly May needs a family, and Maggie longs to be a mother. With the help of wagon train scout Adam Walker, that dream finally comes true. As they enter a marriage of convenience to care for the child, dare Maggie hope for the bigger dream of winning Adam’s love?

One Southern Summer by Heidi McCahan

It’s her second chance summer…if she’s ready for it—in this warm and utterly irresistible Southern small-town novel.

When Avery Lansing Crawford left her hometown of Camellia, Alabama, she was the darling of the town. A beauty queen. Now she’s come back a disgraced and divorced mom who’s lost almost everything—her home, her husband, even her design TV show—all while the public watched. And if the humiliation wasn’t bad enough, Avery and her two small children are moving in with her mama…just in time to give everyone in Camellia something to talk about.  

And oh, they’re talkin’. Especially when Avery reignites her old friendship with Cole Whitaker, who’s offered Avery the opportunity to do something real: a redesign project that would help survivors of human trafficking. It could kick-start both her career and her confidence—not to mention give her a chance to spend more time with Cole.

With three generations of strong Southern women around the family dinner table, coming home to Camellia could be the perfect fresh start. Even if Avery is the topic of salacious gossip over sweet tea and her grandmother won’t stop interfering in her love life. But the bonds of family and the promise of second chances just might lead to a future that looks nothing like she expected.

The Lies We Believe by Lisa Harris

“Tell me what happened yesterday?”

I shift on the padded chair in my psychiatrist’s office, staring at the abstract watercolor on the wall as an attempt to avoid her question. “I saw my ex-husband, Lucas.”

“And. . .” Dr. Gabrieli prodded.

I don’t answer.

“Riley?

I finally look back at the doctor. “It wasn’t Lucas. Just. . .just someone who looked like him.”

“Exactly. You see, our minds are incredible machines but simply put, they don’t work like computers. Instead, they can unconsciously bend our perception of what is real and fill in the gaps, making it possible to perceive things that aren’t really there.” Dr. Gabrieli taps her pen against her notebook. “Think about an amputee who still feels his missing leg, or how it’s possible to see patterns in chaos. Memories are sprinkled with gaps, then we fill in those gaps with our own created recollections.”

False information.

Distorted memories.

Lies.

But what if my mind can’t decipher what are truths and what are lies? And what if the truth is even more dangerous than the lies my mind believes?
***
Riley Bishop is a single mother, working at home as a security analyst to provide for her two children, Sadie and Oliver. But something is very wrong. Riley starts forgetting things—like appointments, where she put her keys, and where she parked her car. And then she thinks she sees her deceased ex-husband while out shopping. But as Riley begins to question her own sanity, her twelve-year-old Sadie goes missing. Soon Riley finds it harder and harder to know what is truth and what are lies as she is forced to question her own reality while she searches for her daughter.

Apprehending fugitives as a part of the SOG team gives Tucker Shaw the purpose and drive he needs to fight the demons from his past. When he’s called out on a mission, Operation Jackal, to track down a group of endangered children, he has no idea how drastically his life is about to change. It’s a frantic hunt as Tucker and his team race to save thirteen children, including Sadie. But when Sadie’s mother comes to him with credible evidence on who is behind the girls’ disappearances, the situation quickly spirals out of control with a final twist that has Tucker questioning everything he knows to be true.

Ned by Susan May Warren

After four years of training to become a Navy SEAL, Ned Marshall is finally ready to marry the woman of his dreams, Shae Johnson. And Shae’s been uber patient, waiting, building a life as a free-lance graphic artist, moving around the globe to be with him. So, when she said yes to his proposal in Geneva, he fully expected to live happily-ever-after.

At the very least, he expected her to be waiting at the hotel for him three days after an emergency call-out. And maybe it was unreasonable to expect her to be sitting in the hotel, working on her watercolors—Shae, after all grew up in Montana, and she has adventure in her blood. So of course she’s going to go climb the beautiful Swiss mountains. Even make a friend.

But Ned isn’t thrilled with her new friend, and something about him doesn’t feel safe…

So she’s made some friends while waiting for Ned to return? Shae can’t believe that after years of sacrifice, Ned is actually angry at her—what did he expect, that she’d sit by the window? Dana and his friends are harmless, right?

Not so much. Because when Shae finds herself kidnapped, and brought to Russia, she fears the worst—she’s been swept up in a human trafficking ring. And when she’s sent to, of all places, Siberia how will Ned ever find her?

But Ned isn’t going to lose her—not after everything they’ve been through, and he’ll stop at nothing to rescue her. But when he discovers the real reason she’s been taken, he will have to become a traitor to his country if he wants her back.

Join the epic race to rescue Shae in the high-adrenaline book three in the Minnesota Marshalls series.

Hold for Release by Heidi Glick

Bitterness | One will Choose Forgiveness. One will Choose revenge
Carlotta Hartman’s life is falling apart.

Although Carlotta desperately wants a child, her journalist husband just wishes their marriage would go back to the way things used to be before infertility treatments took over their schedule. While volunteering at an animal shelter to fill the void, Carlotta stumbles upon dead animals and a human body. Days later, Jake confesses to an affair with a co-worker. Hurt and confused, Carlotta moves in with her sister.

And then things go from bad to perilous.

As Jake receives counsel from a pastor, he pledges to woo Carlotta again and piece together their shattered marriage. But as Carlotta rushes out of Jake’ s arms, she runs straight into danger. Like the articles Jake writes and holds for release, a psychopath, bent on revenge, vows to hang onto Carlotta until the time is right.

In the end, a secret from the past threatens to kill all hopes of a happy future.

Love Most Certain by Penny Zeller

Can newfound love heal a broken heart?

Genevieve Amsel is recovering from a canceled engagement when her dear friend, Tillie, invites her to move to Ellis Creek for a fresh start. While she settles into life in the friendly Montana town, one thing is for certain: Genevieve will never fall in love again, no matter what marriage prospects come her way.

Becoming the new postmaster in Ellis Creek is not for the faint of heart. Attempting to do his best to replace the popular Mr. Norman who recently retired, Oliver Bessell relocates from Bozeman and attempts to win the hearts of Ellis Creek residents, especially one in particular. Can he prove to Genevieve he’s nothing like the man who broke her heart?

Soon Oliver makes it his mission to encourage and brighten Genevieve’s day by leaving her notes at the breakfast table at the boarding house where they both reside. And when a mysterious letter arrives at the post office, will the solving of the puzzle draw him and Genevieve closer?

Return to Ellis Creek for another glimpse into the lives of characters you’ve come to love along with a few newcomers in this tender romance filled with faith and humor by best-selling author Penny Zeller.

The Laws of Attraction by Mary Connealy

Can they risk giving in to the attraction between them while their lives are on the line?

If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew.

But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target trained on them before it’s too late.

Rocky Mountain Rendevous by Misty M. Beller

In 1837, Juniper Collins and her sisters are shocked by their father’s deathbed request for them to return a special set of beads to a Piegan Blackfoot woman he credits with saving his life during his travels West. Together, the sisters set out for the trapper rendezvous to find the woman, but their mission turns more daunting when they come upon the mass of men and lodges spread out in the Green River Valley.

Riley Turner came West to find peace and quiet and live off the land, but when four unprotected women arrive at the rendezvous, he feels compelled to help them and is more fascinated by Juniper than any other woman he’s known.

As their search brings only empty leads and dead ends, the sisters must decide whether to return East or stay in the mountains to continue looking–and that’s if the mystery woman is even still alive. Is the risk to honor their father’s last request worth the danger they find at every turn?

Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep

“The world seems full of good men—even if there are monsters in it.”
–Bram Stoker, Dracula
 
England, 1890
 
Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated. Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.
 
James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a disease for which he’s desperately trying to find a cure—an illness that will eventually take his own life.
 
When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can she accept what she can’t explain—especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.
 
Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?

Beneath a Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee

Mary’s Language Skills Could Help End the War in the Pacific
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
 
Mary Wishram is desperate to hang on to her few loved ones, a brother fighting in the South Pacific and Japanese friends in a relocation camp. Determined to end the war by any means necessary, she is willing to use her language skills as Yakama tribe member to become a spy and face any danger to bring them all home safe.
 
John Painted Horse struggles with the loss of his father who died in WWI for a country that didn’t consider him a United States citizen, much less give him the right to vote. He is desperate to bring long overdue recognition and honor to his people, no matter the cost.
 
Can they heal from their past traumas and find a peace, love, and a deeper relationship with God, before it’s too late?

Dangerous by Tamara Leigh

HE WULFRITHS. FIRST. IN BETWEEN. IN THE END.

The late middle ages. England’s king seeks to recover the French lands of his ancestor William the Conqueror and claim the continental throne. France’s king aspires to seize the remainder of his royal vassal’s lands and retain his throne. So begins the Hundred Years’ War, the backdrop against which the formidable Wulfriths of the AGE OF CONQUEST and AGE OF FAITH series continue their tale.

A LADY OF DANGEROUS DEPTHS

Though Lady Dangereuse of the Wulfriths may not have loved, she has certainly lost. Widowed young, she is devoted to managing her lands while helping her young son overcome the trauma of losing his sire. But when the injured knight who rejected her betrothal years ago falls into her hands, she turns her efforts to gaining the confession of one who may be more responsible for the violent death of her husband than she. If that means detaining him, so be it. As she seeks the truth of what deprived her son of a father, she is unprepared for suffering inflicted on her people by those intent on keeping her unwilling guest from delivering intelligence to the King of England. And more unprepared when a heart gone cold warms to her husband’s hated rival.

A KNIGHT OF UNTOLD REGRETS

Mission compromised, Sir Rhys de Arell finds himself pursued from France to England and into the path of a lady whose misplaced kiss saw her wed to a man he once counted a friend. Though he has put the death of her deceitful husband behind him, she has not—and believes a reckoning is due. Injured and in the power of one who is owed an apology but not a confession, Rhys is unsettled when her son becomes attached to him, and more when attraction for the lady leads to a kiss that feels far from misplaced. With his pursuers wreaking havoc on her lands to recover what could save English lives, can he salvage his mission as well as prevent her son from losing his mother? And if such treacherous depths cannot be navigated, how is he to walk away from the lady a second time?

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

To Calm a Storm by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore

Get swept up in an enthralling saga featuring women who rule the hearts of Viking men.

For years, Kadhrin has anticipated marrying her betrothed, Vikarr, who is now second in command only to the king. As she settles into married life, she becomes increasingly convinced that her husband would make a far better ruler than his distracted cousin, and she urges him to heed advisors calling for an overthrow.

Vikarr is honored to marry such a noble bride, but he hasn’t bargained for Kadhrin’s boldness. Although pleased by the growing passion between them, he struggles to understand her motivations. As rumors of an insurrection build, Vikarr is torn between the captivating woman who has laid claim to his heart, his loyalty to his king, and his growing desire to seize the kingship so he can unify his country against looming threats.

Caught up in a web of political intrigue and personal betrayal, Kadhrin and Vikarr must choose not only which war to wage, but also which side to stand on, even if it means sacrificing everything they hold dear.

Written by award-winning author Heather Day Gilbert and fresh voice Jen Cudmore, this thrilling Viking-era historical is the second novel in the Tavland Vikings series.

This is Where it Ends by Cindy K. Sproles

Award-Winning Author Pens a Unique Southern Tale

When Minerva Jane Jenkins was just 14 years old, she married a man who moved her to the mountains. He carried with him a small box, which he told her was filled with gold. And when he died 50 years later, he made her promise to keep his secret. She is to tell no one about the box or the treasure it contains.

Now 94, Minerva is nearing the end of what has sometimes been a lonely life. But she’s kept that secret. Even so, rumors of hidden gold have a way of spreading, and Minerva is visited by a reporter, Del Rankin, who wants to know more of her story. His friend who joins him only wants to find the location of the gold. Neither of them knows quite who they’re up against when it comes to the old woman on the mountain.

As an unlikely friendship develops, Minerva is tempted to reveal her secret to Del. After all, how long is one bound by a promise? But the truth of what’s really buried in the box may be hidden even from her.

Backstory by Susan Page Davis

A hurricane lashes the Novel Inn, forcing guests to remain when they’d hoped to leave. Add an elderly neighbor, Kate’s ex-fiancé, and a clandestine thief. When a guest is found dead in the Hercule Poirot Room, it’s time for the Gage siblings and the local police to go into action.

With Every Memory by Janine Rosche

Is the Life She Can’t Remember One She’d Rather Forget?

One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her. She is shocked to find that the life she was leading before the accident is unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn’t sure she can trust and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room.

For Avery, life stopped when she lost her twin. Now, if she wants to graduate high school, she’ll have to accept help from Xander Dixon, her brother’s best friend and the boy who relentlessly teased her for years. And if Lori wants to reconnect with her husband, she’ll have to grapple with information her brain is trying to keep secret. With every memory that returns, she can’t help but wonder if the life she can’t remember is one she’d rather forget.

Stay With Me (Summer Heat Collection) by Kari Trumbo, Jennifer Pierce, Liz Bradford, Sara Blackard

Abandoned – Liz Bradford
Police officer Zara Grant is new to Hazel Hill, and despite her attempts to keep people at arms-length, she’s connected with the strong and steady, Officer Will Cooper. But how long will he stay around? Everyone else in her life leaves, why not him? Especially when her past creeps up on her in the form of a previous arrestee coming to town and making threats. Can she trust Will to stick around? And how serious are those threats?
Will Cooper always dreamed of becoming a detective. Not that he’ll admit that to anyone, especially Zara. Not when he’s content enough being a uniformed officer instead. Why take the risk of failure? But when Zara finds out he’s abandoned his dream, her own fears of abandonment rise up between them. Is this something they can overcome or will fear—and outside threats—destroy what they have?
As the threats turn into a break-in at Zara’s house while she’s gone, she’s left to wonder what the invader will do if he comes back? Can she trust Will to help protect her, or will he abandon her to face this alone?

Ascending Hope – Sara Blackard
Emmy’s thirst for adventure takes her to new heights in Ascending Hope, a heart-stopping romantic suspense by Sara Blackard. As a product tester for a top mountaineering equipment company, Emmy’s latest test is a perilous climb up a dangerous Alaskan mountain with her enigmatic boss, Bradley. As they face the sizzling heat and treacherous conditions, their attraction ignites, but the mountain has other plans. Will their love survive the deadly journey, or will their pasts come back to haunt them? Find out in this thrilling page-turner that’s sure to leave you breathless.

Runaway – Jennifer Pierce
Ryan McGregor is on the run from a deadly family and hiding out in a small town thanks to extended family he’s never met. Bethany Wilkinson always comes second but now she’s number one on a hit list. Bethany will have to risk it all on a runaway and her faith in the plan God has for her if she’s going to stay alive. And if Ryan can do the same, it might be the one shot he has to finally be free.

Rodeo Sabotage – Kari Trumbo
Jase Wheaton has one thing on his mind, a perfect 8 second ride—until someone in the crowd sends his bull into a fury. Twice. No one believes his life is in danger except the EMT who saved him. The clock is ticking before his final ride of the season, but will it be the last of his life? Everyone’s a suspect when the threat could come from anyone in the crowd. Even his best friend might be his worst enemy.

Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren

Can a family bond stand the test of time?

Lady Tiliani Forelli is the epitome of the She-Wolves who raised her, an adept archer with a mind of her own. It is long past time for her to wed, but she deems each young lord who comes to bid for her hand lacking. With battles upon their border, and rumors of war growing louder on every front, Lady Forelli’s decision could secure her kingdom’s peace . . . or bring about its destruction.

Centuries later, history major Luciana Betarrini takes a summer job alongside her twin, Domenico, as a period actor at Castello Forelli in Italy. As incoming college seniors, this might be their last chance to spend meaningful time together, so she’s soaking up every minute. But when Nico’s theory that their lost Betarrini relatives have traveled through time becomes potentially real—and they might be able to follow—Luci fears they’ll be forever divided.

In this new trilogy, author Lisa T. Bergren is extending the world originally created in her bestselling River of Time series.

Book Recommendation – Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe

Book Description:

“Storms show up and there ain’t a thing we can do to stop them.”

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back. Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past . . . until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for several years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, then making indigo dye—and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls. Soon the gruff exterior Hudson has long hidden behind crumbles—exposing the tender part of him that’s desperate for forgiveness and a second chance.

A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I usually start my book recommendations by talking about how much I enjoyed reading the book. That was certainly the case when I read T.I. Lowe’s Under the Magnolias – I absolutely loved reading that book! See my recommendation for Under the Magnolias here.

T.I. Lowe has addressed many hard issues in Indigo Isle. Sonny is the teenage prodigal daughter who ran away to Hollywood, leaving behind her life and family in South Carolina. She landed on her feet, worked hard, and became a location scout for a Hollywood production company. From the outside, Sonny looks like she’s living a glamorous lifestyle and travelling the world for her successful career.

When Sonny left home, she left God behind in South Carolina and, over fifteen years, made a series of hard choices that didn’t bring her happiness. Workplace sexual harassment is sadly a normal part of Sonny’s working life. I identified with Sonny in one particular scene because that same situation had happened to me in my first job when I was only fifteen years old. I talked about this story situation with T.I. Lowe in StoryChats @ InspyRomance podcast/YouTube Episode 125. My personal connection to a story event made it a harder and more challenging book to read. That said, I’m glad I read Indigo Isle, and I appreciated hearing T.I. Lowe’s perspective on Sonny’s character.

Hudson is a recluse who has no interest in talking to Sonny or returning to his old life as a New York attorney. Hudson is the grumpy introvert and Sonny is the sunshine extrovert. The cast of quirky minor characters were fun to read, and I was fascinated by the history of indigo plants in South Carolina.

I recommend Indigo Isle to contemporary romance readers who like gritty and edgy Christian fiction that addresses hard issues with prodigal daughter, grumpy sunshine, and beauty and the beast story themes.

Many thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Book Recommendation – Love in the Headlines by Penny Zeller

Book Description:

Can paper and paw prints draw these two nemeses together?

All Carleigh Adams wants is a relaxing evening. But Sullivan Theodore IV, her wayward shih tzu, has other plans. After escaping from home, Sullivan Theodore unlawfully enters what Carleigh assumes is a stranger’s house via a doggy door. Much to Carleigh’s horror, it is actually the home of her coworker and nemesis, Trey “The Irritating” Montgomery.

Trey Montgomery has competed with “Quirky Carleigh,” his top competitor, for the best articles at The Oakville Daily for the past two years. It’s safe to say that she and her criminally-minded pet are his adversaries. Trey’s attempts to keep his distance from her are demolished when their boss thrusts them together as The Oakville Daily Duo, forcing them to work as a team on every. Single. Article.

Petty crimes and crazy shenanigans in Oakville soon draw Carleigh and Trey into doubling as detectives. When dogs, including their own pets, begin to mysteriously disappear, Carleigh and Trey join forces to uncover the culprit. As they work to report the daily news and solve the crimes in Oakville, can these two stubborn reporters find love in the headlines?

Faith, plentiful humor, and tender romance round out the latest Christian contemporary romance novel by Author Penny Zeller.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I loved reading Love in the Headlines, and read it within twenty-four hours because I couldn’t put it down. Carleigh and Trey are lovable characters. At the start of the story they’re highly competitive reporters at the town newspaper and enemies in their workplace. Their pet dogs, Carleigh’s shih tzu, Sullivan Theodore IV, and Trey’s German Shepherd, Jaxx, are adorable. Sullivan Theodore is not always well behaved, and the pets are involved in many LOL hilarious moments in the story.

Carleigh is mortified when the naughty Sullivan Theodore runs away and she locates him at Trey’s home. Trey and Carleigh can’t avoid each other when their boss decides they should collaborate on all their stories. Their forced proximity at work is the start of a fun and cute romance as Trey and Carleigh get to know each other. I loved how the mystery elements in the story played out and brought Trey and Carleigh closer together. The minor characters in the story added humor and many sweet moments.

I recommend Love in the Headlines to contemporary romance readers who like small town enemies to love romances with romcom and cozy mystery elements, and a relevant faith thread in the story.