Book picks similar to
Love Finds You in Calico, California by Elizabeth Ludwig


love-finds-you
christian-fiction
historical-fiction
romance

Love Finds You in the City at Christmas


Ruth Logan Herne - 2013
    “Red Kettle Christmas” It’s 1946, and police officer Mike Wolzak has inherited his family’s home . . . and the custody of his younger sister, who is in trouble with a problem he doesn’t know how to fix. While on patrol during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Mike makes the acquaintance of a lovely Salvation Army bell ringer, Karen O’Leary, who is struggling to support herself and her young daughter. As their paths cross during the festive holiday season in Manhattan, Karen teaches the tough World War II veteran how to support and love his family. In the process, he just might gain a new one.“Manhattan Miracle”A war-weary soldier who has served three tours in the Middle East, Max Wolzak has come home to New York City to celebrate Christmas with his family in the Manhattan brownstone where he spent much of his childhood. There Max reconnects with Sarah Peterson, his sister’s old schoolmate who now organizes relief missions for the United Nations. Sparks fly as the pair gets reacquainted over various holiday events, but when Max realizes that Sarah will leave for the Middle East the day after Christmas, he has a decision to make—convince her to stay, wait for her to return, or go with her to the one place to which he never thought he’d return.

No Way Up


Mary Connealy - 2016
    Badly injured, Chance demands that his will be read and its conditions be enforced immediately. Without anyone else to serve as a witness, Heath is pressed into reading the will. If Justin, Sadie, and Cole Boden don't live and work at home for the entire year, the ranch will go to their low-down cousin Mike. Then Heath discovers the avalanche was a murder attempt, and more danger might follow. Deeply involved with the family, Heath's desire to protect Sadie goes far beyond friendship. The danger keeps them close together, and their feelings grow until being apart is the last thing on their minds.

Distant Dreams


Judith Pella - 1997
    the railroad. Frustrated by society's expectations upon her gender, she longs to study more masculine subjects and is thrilled when her father grants her a tutor.James Baldwin arrives to serve as Carolina's teacher, but of more importance, he is to court Carolina's beautiful older sister, Virginia. Will expectations--and Virginia's southern charm--elicit the hoped-for proposal? Or will James and Carolina dare to acknowledge the mutual interests and feelings growing between them?

Love on a Dime


Cara Lynn James - 2010
    Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous. Home of railroad magnates and banking tycoons--dashing young men and the women who aspire to marry them.But it's not the place for lady novelists. Especially not those who pen disreputable dime novels. This poses a problem for Lilly Westbrook, because that's exactly what she does.No one in Lilly's social set knows she pens fiction under the nom de plume Fannie Cole. Not her family or the wealthy young man about to propose to her. And especially not Jackson Grail, the long-lost beau who just bought her publishing company...and who stirs her heart more than she cares to admit.But Lilly must put aside her feelings and follow the path that will maintain her family's social stature and provide the financial security that everyone is depending on.Now Lilly faces a double dilemma. Can she continue to protect her secret identity? And will she have the courage to choose the man who will risk it all just to win her heart?

The Masquerade


Melanie Dobson - 2012
    They've lost their family fortune, and Mrs. Bissette hopes to arrange a marriage between Elena and an elusive millionaire named Chester Darrington. Elena quickly tires of the extravagant dinners and masquerade balls, preferring to spend her evenings watching the stars in an abandoned lighthouse. There she meets Chase, a handsome stranger who shares her love for the night sky. Together they begin working to solve a mystery buried in the pages of a tattered diary until Chase unmasks what seems to be the ultimate masquerade. Legacy of Love is a series of historical romance novels based on the courageous people and significant events that wove together the rich tapestry of America’s freedom and faith. The print version of Masquerade is available online under its original title of Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Seven Brides for Seven Texans


Erica Vetsch - 2016
    Each man is content in his independent life, without the responsibilities of a wife and children—until their father decides 1874 will be the year his grown sons finally marry, or they will be cut from his will. How will each man who values his freedom respond to the ultimatum? Can love develop on a timeline, or will it be sacrificed for the sake of an inheritance?

From Russia with Love


Susan K. Downs - 2004
    Kat Moore can’t believe that 24 hours after landing in Moscow, she’s on the run from the KGB. But after receiving a mysterious key, and an invitation to Russia, Kat can’t stop herself from hunting for her past. With her parents long gone, and her grandfather, Edward, strangely quiet about her identity, she knows there are clues to who she is that only she can unearth. Decorated FSB agent Vadeem Spasonov lives for his job. And he’s good at it – so good, he can nearly predict the movements of the international smuggler, Grazovich. Which is why Vadeem intercepts American “tourist” Kat Moore before she is snatched. Kat might not be working for Grazovich, but Vadeem knows she has something the smuggler wants. Unfortunately, she’s only made it worse by escaping protective custody. Now he has to not only track her down, but keep her safe long enough to get her safely home. RITA and Christy Award winning, ECPA & CBA best-selling novelist Susan May Warren brings you the contemporary start to a saga of four courageous women that spans the epic decades of Russian history. Trying to discover their heritage and fighting for love against a backdrop of war, espionage & cold war secrets the Heirs of Anton discover love and faith in this critically acclaimed series. **Originally published as Ekaterina

Shadows of the Canyon


Tracie Peterson - 2002
    Working as a Harvey Girl at the luxury resort of El Tovar, located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, Alexandra Keegan feels she is in a dream come true. But when her father's indiscretions come to light and her mother is suspected of murder, Alex finds herself the center of some unwelcome attention. Will she soon find herself alone in the world?

Rugged and Relentless


Kelly Eileen Hake - 2011
    Evelyn Thompson never dreamed their husbands-for-hire ad would bring so many bachelors to their tiny town. How will she ever figure out which feller to choose? Jacob Granger, a logger-turned-bounty hunter, is hot on the trail of his brother’s killer. When a clue leads him to Hope Falls, he has no choice but to pretend to court Miss Thompson while waiting for the killer to show his hand. Will Jacob’s unexpected adoration of this sweet cook prompt him to speak vows before getting vengeance?

The Carousel Painter


Judith McCoy Miller - 2009
    But the men at the factory are not happy that a woman has been given the very desirable job of painting the elaborately carved horses. When mishaps occur at the factory and jewelry disappears from the home of the factory owner, accusations swirl. Is the handsome young factory manager truly Carrie's ally or will he side with those who believe she should be fired?

Playing by Heart


Anne Mateer - 2014
    But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.

The Anonymous Bride


Vickie McDonough - 2010
    When three mail-order brides are delivered to Luke a month later, he’s in an uncomfortable predicament. How will he ever choose his mate? Rachel Hamilton’s long-time love for Luke is reignited with his return to town. So when three mail-order brides appear, she panics. Will she find the courage to tell Luke that she loves him? Or take an anonymous part in the contest for his hand?

The Road to Paradise


Karen Barnett - 2017
    It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.   But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.   When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?   Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."

A Promise for Ellie


Lauraine Snelling - 2006
    She and Andrew Bjorklund have been waiting to get married since. . .well, since forever, and in June they will finally wed. When Andrew announces they have to postpone the wedding, she's disappointed but takes it in stride there must be a good reason, or Andrew's pa wouldn't ask it of them. But Andrew is angry and can't understand why Ellie isn't upset too, especially when they'd been planning to "marry up" ever since they were in grade school. Disgruntled, he works out his frustration in stubborn determination to finish building their barn and mail order house, working himself to exhaustion. But just when the new house is nearly finished, an unthinkable tragedy occurs. Throwing aside the vow he made to Ellie, Andrew seeks revenge. . . As their plans unravel, it looks as if their love may not survive. Is this the end of their dream? (Daughters of Blessing Book 1)

A Stolen Heart


Amanda Cabot - 2017
    But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880, she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners--like her. Lydia won't let that get her down, though. All will be well when she's reunited with her fiancé. But when she discovers he has disappeared--and that he left behind a pregnant wife--Lydia is at a loss about what to do next. The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him, but can she trust anyone in this town where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring?Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites readers back into Texas's storied past to experience love and adventure against a backdrop of tension and mystery in this first book in a brand-new series.