Book picks similar to
Carol and the Belles by Chautona Havig


christian-fiction
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Forever Cherished


Juliette Duncan
    Her older sister arranges for her to spend time at 'Misty Morn', but Leah is suspicious of her sister's motives."Forever Cherished" is a stand-alone novel, but is better read as a follow-on from "The True Love Series" books. If you haven't read them yet, Book 1 is free, and the Box Set is a bargain at 50% off the full price of buying each book separately.

Dare to Dream Again


Alana Terry - 2018
     His grace alone gave her the strength to raise her children -- a sweet angel with cerebral palsy as well as a daughter who wants nothing more than to serve God as a missionary on foreign soil. Gloria couldn’t be prouder of her girls, but a future without them both by her side sounds empty and hollow. When God thrusts a godly man like Derek into her path, Gloria isn't sure she’s ready to jump headfirst into a relationship. But maybe God’s giving her the chance for a happily ever after … a second time around.

A Season for Hope


Tammy L. Grace - 2018
    A woman who runs a guesthouse offers them a place to stay while the car is repaired.Frightened and broke, Hope finds a part-time job, thanks to the family who owns the guesthouse. Hidden beneath her strong work ethic and cheerful demeanor, Hope conceals a private mystery. A secret she can’t reveal.As the Christmas season nears, the small town nestled beneath the snowy mountains and its annual holiday festival captivate Hope, while the family at the guesthouse suspects there’s something she’s hiding. In a moment of weakness, she divulges her secret.Will an offer of help destroy her life and all she cherishes, or will it be the gift she needs to triumph over her past?A Season for Hope is a charming story about the kindness of strangers and finding hope where you never expected it. Cozy up with the first in the Christmas in Silver Falls novellas for a holiday read sure to warm your heart.

Unlikely Santa: An Amish Christmas Story


Jennifer Spredemann - 2019
    But when young Jaycee Parker mistakes him for Santa Claus, his heart is moved with compassion for the boy and his family. Will this unlikely pair discover more than just a holiday filled with food and gifts? At eighteen, Englischer Shannon Parker is left the sole caretaker and provider of her three younger siblings. All she truly wants for Christmas is to be able to provide a happy holiday and decent gifts for each of them. Not an easy feat, given that her low-paying waitressing job is their only source of income. When a handsome stranger walks into the restaurant offering kindness, she has a feeling her life will never be the same again. A faith-filled Christmas story sure to bring a smile to your face and warm your heart with the Joy of the season!

A Harvest Bond


Lee Tobin McClain - 2017
    Healthy living, working his Pennsylvania farm, and mentoring troubled boys have brought him back from grief and illness into a whole new life. Emily Stern has recovered from losing her husband too young, and she can’t wait to get started on her dream: creating a rural retreat for struggling midlife women. The farm she’s inherited is the perfect place, so much so that she’s willing to move across the country to make it happen. But when Emily arrives at the Covenant Farm, she’s shocked to find her long-ago love, John Moretti, living there… and contemplating very different plans for the place. Forced to compromise by staying at the farm together, they quickly realize there’s still a spark between them. But only John knows what else stands between them: a secret that could break Emily’s heart. Jump into the final novella of the Sacred Bond series… a touching love story about sowing, reaping, and gathering in the harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. John 4:36

The Plan


Jenn Faulk - 2016
     Succeed in business. Prepare for a bright future. Live the great American dream. Fall in love with someone somewhere… eventually. When life doesn’t go according to the plan, they both learn to put their faith in Christ, His plan for their lives, and each other…

A Surprise Christmas Bride For The Heartbroken Widower: The Twelve Mail Order Brides of Christmas


Emma Morgan - 2015
    She had hopes for a chance to find love and a new life, but instead her husband-to-be doesn’t want her, and is ready to send her back home. After losing his wife and young child, John is sure he would never love again. So when his brother’s wife sends for a bride without his consent, his mind is made up. She has to go, as soon as he can save up enough money for her fare back East. Sarah and John agree that she will leave in the spring, after the winter season. And as they spend time together, their love begins to grow despite their intentions. But as the holidays bring back memories of his lost family, John withdraws. Can Sarah find a way into his broken heart, or will he send her home, and go back to his lonely life?

Christmas at the Inn


Andrea Twombly - 2015
     Heading north for the holidays, things certainly hadn’t gone as she had planned. A snowstorm, an apple pie, and an old friend, all conspire to bring her to a crossroads. Will a Christmas Eve detour send her back to her snug village home, or will she forge ahead and let a turn in the road lead her to a newfound happiness? In this, the first entry in her new Rose and Briar Inn series, From Women’s Pens author Andrea Twombly weaves a warm story of the Christmas season, rich in challenges overcome and courage discovered along a twisting road to love. You won’t want to miss this one!

That Sunflower Summer


Autumn Macarthur - 2020
    Will they allow faith and forgiveness to heal their wounds and learn to love again? BOOK 1 : LEAST EXPECTED Can such complete opposites find a way to make their love work? When Maggie Golding, unconventional and artistic 50-something, agrees to help a friend by working as a window dresser at Pettett & Mayfields London department store, she never expected to fall in love with Edgar Pettett, staid and sensible heir to the business. Nor did she expect that he’d still love her when she revealed her past, the consequences of that long-ago sunflower summer working in Tuscany. Her daughter, Rachel. Between her shaky faith, their huge differences, and his mother’s disapproval, how can they possibly work things out? BOOK 2 : DOLCE VITA (Sweet Life) La dolce vita, a sweeter life of love, awaits Rachel. But can she accept it? Rachel Golding loves her uncomplicated life in Wales, until the trip to Italy to meet her Italian grandmother for the first time stirs unwelcome emotions. Between her cousin’s accusations, her mother’s wedding, and her realisation she feels way more than she should for her best friend Jonathan, Rachel’s organised life is spiraling out of control. Always ready for adventure, especially with the woman he loves, Jonathan Davies gladly accompanies Rach on a return journey to Tuscany. But now she needs his friendship and support more than ever, revealing his love is a risk he dare not take. Not without some sign she wants more. A sign she may never give. In the haze of a sunflower summer, can Rachel learn to surrender her hurts and fears to God and so embrace the life He intends for her? La dolce vita, a sweeter life of love. BOOK 3 : LA RISPOSTA (The Answer) One marriage ends, as another begins. Or can faith and forgiveness bring a troubled couple back together? When the harvest celebrations and a family wedding bring the entire Rossi family back to the villa at summer's end, along with their new loved ones, the final secrets are revealed. But can these secrets be forgiven, healing old wounds and mending broken hearts, or will the mistakes of the past be repeated? The future of a marriage about to crumble depends on the answer! BOOK 4 : INNAMORATA (Sweetheart) Too old for love? Widowed Isabella Rossi is content with her life at the villa. In the past year, all her grandchildren have discovered faith and love, and huge family heartbreaks have been healed. But what about her? When a beau from her teens returns to Tuscany, can the flame of love be rekindled? Or is eighty-something too old for romance? NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Please be aware that Books 1 & 2 use British spelling and grammar. All four books are previously published. Least Expected is also in my London Loves boxed set, and the remaining three books were part of the A Tuscan Legacy boxed set.

Kisses, Kids and Bundles of Joy: Seven Christian Winter Romances


Cindy Flores Martinez - 2016
    Kisses and kids abound in this collection of novellas that will warm your heart all winter long. One Winter Kiss - Lindi Peterson - Deena Ross travels to Ohio to try and sway her grandfather from making a big mistake, a mistake his neighbor Andrew has been encouraging. When a winter storm hits, and Deena is forced to stay with Andrew and his young son, Evan, Deena's vision of love is tested and she might lose her heart in one winter kiss. Childish Ways - Jenn Faulk - Kevin Peterson, a teacher at a small town elementary school, is unexpectedly reunited with Lisa Walker, a girl who spent most of their childhood tormenting and bullying him, when she comes back to town where she helps organize a winter carnival to benefit her niece's school. Lisa has no idea who he is, though, and as they work alongside one another and Kevin sees how much she has changed, he begins to question whether or not he can really trust her and let her into his life. The Baby & the Bachelor - Cindy K. Green - Playboy bachelor, Alec, discovers a baby on his doorstep only days away from being appointed to a political office, prompting him to appeal his assistant, Jane, for help. Misunderstandings and accusations from the press abound, leading Alec to wonder, even if he were prepared for a ready-made family, could sweet, church-going Jane ever find it in her heart to marry a sinner like him? For Tracy - Trisha Grace - One phone call led to Sarah Carter becoming the guardian of her favorite student, Tracy, while waiting for Tracy’s Uncle Keith to show up. But Sarah has no idea Uncle Keith was Keith Sutton, Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor, and doesn’t realize how much trouble she is heading for. Tropical Kiss Or Miss - Liwen Y. Ho - Therapist Olivia Chan can’t wait to escape it all—a failed marriage, a struggling practice, and her son’s recent health scare. The Hawaiian getaway she planned, however, gets rained on—quite literally—by a tropical storm and the unexpected arrival of her estranged husband Matthew, who’s determined to win her back. To Gain a Mommy - Tanya Eavenson - When Hope Michaels decides to face her past, she unknowingly purchases the house across the street from her former fiancé—the man her twin sister married, then widowed. Fire Captain Carl McGuire can put out any flame, except for the one Hope sparks within him—some things never change. Foolish Heart - Cindy Flores Martinez - Judy and Graham have feelings for each other, but they won’t admit it. After all, she lives in America and he lives in Scotland with his daughter, Mairi, who he could never leave to be with the woman he loves.

A Sweethaven Romance


Courtney Walsh - 2017
    Her only hope of uncovering the truth lies with local firefighter (and long-time Waverly rival) Jason Holloway. With his piercing eyes and troubled past, it's clear from the start it's not only her way of life that's on the line, it's her heart. This novella originally appeared in the novella collection "Right Where We Belong".

Frosting and Flurries


Kimberly Rae Jordan - 2016
     THE SWEETNESS OF HER LOVE—KIMBERLY RAE JORDAN James Dawson may have looked like the hero of one of the romances Erin Kirkland loves to read, but she quickly discovers that he is not the hero for her. After all, how can she have a happily-ever-after with a man who doesn’t believe in love or marriage? Who would have thought that a visit to his grandmother’s favorite bakery to order a cake for her ninetieth birthday would end up causing James to re-evaluate his whole life? Certainly not James Dawson. But following their rather disastrous first meeting, James is determined to show Erin that he is a better man than she’s first judged him to be. Erin doesn’t want to friend-zone James, but she’s not sure she can trust that the changes he’s making will be permanent. Can someone really go from totally dismissing love and marriage to embracing it so quickly? SUGAR AND SPICE—CECELIA DOWDY Sheila Parks is stunned when Mason Smith, the identical twin brother of her ex-boyfriend Reese, moves to Blue Spring and opens a bakery. Reese’s cruel breakup still bothers her and seeing somebody who looks just like him is a painful reminder of her predicament. Unemployed, Sheila needs financial help and it appears that Mason can assist her with her problem. Can she learn to trust a man who looks just like her ex? Mason is stunned when Sheila storms into his bakery, mistakenly thinking that he’s Reese. Mason is used to comforting his womanizing brother’s ex-girlfriends. A stutterer, Mason has always had a hard time socializing with others. However, he finds himself smitten with beautiful Sheila. Can he control his stutter so that he can ask Sheila to be his date to his grandmother’s Christmas birthday party? Both Sheila and Mason deal with past pains as they work together during the Christmas season. MOOSTLETOE —JAN ELDER Rev. Samantha Evans lands in Moose Creek, Maine, where parishioners chew up new ministers for breakfast. Happily, she also reunites with forest ranger Eric Palmer, her best friend from her teenage years. With Samantha’s career on the line, Eric must save her job and rescue his own shattered heart in the process. But how does Matilda the moose factor into the mix? THE HECTOR CLAUSE—CLARE REVELL The last thing Brie Dalgleish expected her boss to do was ask her to play an elf in the toy store grotto. She's even less enthusiastic when she discovers Santa is the same bloke who drove his car through a puddle the previous evening, completely soaking her. Hector Clause is playing Santa in the family owned toy store under sufferance as a favor to his grandfather. He'd rather be in a nice safe office, using his law degree, than playing Santa in a shop full of squealing kids. Even if the chief elf is on the cute side. With the store's centenary fast approaching, the anniversary party is abruptly cancelled. Hector resolves to celebrate anyway, but isn't prepared for the curveball he finds headed his way. GINGER & BRAD’S HOUSE—MARION UECKERMANN When Brad O’Sullivan is unfaithful to Ginger Murphy, she escapes to Australia for five long years. During this time, Brad’s shotgun marriage fails. Besides his little boy, Jamie, one other thing in his life has turned out sweet and successful—his pastry business. Ginger returns to Ireland, when her mother’s diagnosed with heart failure. She loves being a wedding flautist but fears bumping into the wedding cake chef she tries to avoid.

Snowed In at Jingle Falls


Kaylee Baldwin - 2021
    Even if she has to deal with her ex dressed as Santa and an entire town rooting for them to get back together, at least she's not in her stressful publishing job any more, where one huge mistake sent her running.Nolan Fox hates everything about the current crime series he's writing, especially the lone-wolf detective star of his series whose closed-off personality is feeling a little too biographical. The one bright spot of writing his series had been when Harper was his editor, before she fled New York without explanation.When Nolan arrives in Jingle Falls, Colorado, hoping to convince Harper to come work in New York again, he doesn't expect a blizzard to shut down the only road out of town. Or to get roped into planning a small-town, joy-and-color-filled winter festival with Harper Larson. Or to fall in love.The only problem is, once the road opens up, he can't stay in Jingle Falls. And she'll never leave.

The Cake List (The List Books Book 1)


Dianne J. Wilson - 2020
    Do Something Selfless. Do Something Kind. Break a Never. Stop an Always. Figure out God. “Some people write a bucket list, you know… things they want to do and tick off before they die. Honestly? Dying doesn’t seem half as scary as the big-O birthday that’s hunting me down. So I’ve made my own list. Things I want to do and tick off before I eat that birthday cake. So far, it’s not going too well.” ~*~ Fresh from a spectacular break-up and faced with a looming big-O birthday, Meg throws her cautious nature aside and signs up for dance classes. Little does she know that Ballroom will stretch more than just her muscles. Between the charming dance instructor and his secrets, her grumpy neighbour and a fish that can’t swim straight, Meg’s list seems doomed from the start. ~*~ Heart-felt and funny, Meg’s list-crossing quest takes her so far out of her comfort zone, she may never find her way back.

Unleash That River


Dhaval Rathod - 2018
    It springs spontaneously from the lofty hearts and makes its own way to unite with its generous reciprocators. At times, it becomes dry and seeks the abundance of a big-hearted lover. In other scenarios, the river gets frozen and looks for the warmth of a passionate soul. And in some cases, it may just be ready and waiting to leap forth from its humble abode. All it takes is just a little stroke of fate for that river to unleash itself and flow in its full glory.'Unleash That River' is an anthology of six short stories of love and contemporary romance.1) Keys: When Dhyey returns home to meet his mother after several months, he discovers that she has started sharing the house with a beautiful tenant, Nishita who not only holds the key to his house, but to his locked heart as well.2) Dot Every 'i' And Cross Every 't':Varun and Puja met for the first time through an arranged marriage proposal. However, in order to make sure that they are the ones who can really complement each other for the rest of their lives, they must take a step out of their comfort zones, and do something unprecedented and outright crazy.3) Why Not:Neel and Rashi both have miserably failed at their first romantic endeavor. Will they keep cursing their rotten luck and ask why? Or will they reclaim the charge of their lives to embrace the second chance and say why not?4) Immeasurable Nouns:Aditi and Kartik are the academic stars of their class and each other’s arch rivals. Aditi hates boys. But Kartik secretly loves her. To win her heart, he must wait for the right moment and make every move cautiously. One day, during an English class, that moment presents itself in its full bloom.5) Madly In Marriage:Swayam and Soniya have not left any stone unturned to avoid marrying each other. But their families see this union as a match made in heaven and are hellbent to see it through. 6) Hearts And Ice-creams:Tushar is obsessed with finding his childhood crush who disappeared out of his life without a clue. Fifteen years later, will he be able to move on or destiny has yet to play its last trick?