Book picks similar to
Heart's Design by JoAnn Durgin


romance
christian
christian-fiction
christian-romance

The Fragrance of Geraniums


Alicia G. Ruggieri - 2014
    Born to severe destitution, she claws her way up from the pit of family shame and secrets. She avoids close friendships - even with the likable, persistent Paulie Giorgi... A WOMANDespite her own agonizing emotional pain, childless Emmeline Kinner reaches out to a young woman so far beneath her. She could never have known whom else God would set in her path through her friendship with Grace...A MOTHERLong ago, Sarah Picoletti resigned herself to a loveless, abusive life - and she believes that her daughter Grace must inherit the same fate. Yet Sarah's own soul cries out for the blessed peace and hope of which the radio minister speaks...

Find Me, Save Me


Barbara Gee - 2015
    In an effort to end their standoff and regain control of his lucrative criminal enterprises, Jimmy plots to abduct Tuck’s sister. He hopes to use her to get the tireless agent to finally back off. Although Tuck manages to keep Libby safe from his enemy’s clutches, her best friend pays the price. Now Maddy’s life depends on Tuck. Madison Harper has been fascinated by her friend’s older brother ever since seeing photos of him in Libby’s apartment and learning that he works as a federal agent. Given her close friendship with Libby, Maddy expects she will some day meet Tucker Simon. What she doesn't expect is to need him. When Maddy is accidentally drawn into the dark schemes of Jimmy Callahan, her chances of survival are slim. As she faces almost certain death at the hands of a man bent on revenge, she prays for Tuck to find her. But time is running out, and Jimmy isn't going to make it easy. It should have never come to this—Madison should not have been made to suffer at the hands of his enemy. As Tuck fights to rescue the most courageous woman he’s ever known and keep her safe from further harm, he’s also fighting his own sense of guilt. As she heals and his feelings for her become stronger, Tuck is forced to reevaluate the path of his life. He thought he had it all mapped out, but Madison Harper is changing everything. He can only trust that God will lead him where he is meant to go. He finds her—he saves her—dare he love her? Note: While this is a Christian themed book, the story is also intended to be as realistic as possible. The "bad guy" does swear at times. This is not meant to offend readers.

Aging with Gracie


Heather Hunt - 2012
    When she is assigned to manage her father’s corporation’s latest acquisition in Manhattan, she is ecstatic that she will finally have a chance to prove herself. Unfortunately, Grace’s joy takes a sudden downward spiral when she discovers that the assignment is the overhaul of a retirement home in Manhattan…Manhattan, Georgia, of all places.Grace resigns herself to tackling the overwhelming task of turning the retirement home into a welcoming and safe place for its elderly residents...a task made even more difficult by the destructive presence of a vindictive pair of former workers. Armed with a newfound sense of God's grace, the friendship of a pair of feisty elderly residents, and a blossoming relationship with handsome general contractor, Jackson Ellis, Grace discovers that God's plans for her life are not necessarily the ones she would have imagined…they are so much more amazing!

Once Upon a Christmas (The Christmas Card Series)


Amanda Tru - 2020
    

The Icing on the Cake


Rosemarie Naramore - 2014
    She’s working herself to a frazzle struggling to keep the family afloat, with little help from them. When Joe Lancaster moves back to town, Kristine literally drops into his arms and into his life—via a rickety ladder and an overly exuberant pit bull mix puppy. Joe soon acknowledges having feelings for Kristine, but unfortunately, he had dated her big sister Lori when they were in high school, and Lori still has feelings for him. Can Kristine find her way after a catastrophe event alters her world as she knows it? Will Joe find a place in her heart and life? Or will Lori’s jealousy destroy their budding romance?

All Right Here


Carre Armstrong Gardner - 2014
    And while Ivy has the support and love of her large, close-knit family, Nick's family has never welcomed her into the fold.When the three children next door are abandoned by their mother, Ivy and Nick take them in for the night. One night becomes several, and suddenly Ivy and Nick find themselves foster parents to the only African-American kids in the town of Copper Cove, Maine. As Ivy grows more attached to the children, Nick refuses to accept their eclectic household as a permanent family. Just as Ivy begins to question whether or not she wants to save her emotionally barren marriage, Nick begins to discover how much Ivy and the children mean to him. But is his change of heart too little, too late?

The Lottery Tickets


Evelyn Mays - 2011
    Shelley Calhoun was a single mother of three children and a hair stylist. Harry left two lottery tickets and an invitation to church as a tip for Shelley. A short time later, Shelley was fired—again.Darcy Tatum was a server at Daisy's Diner, but today she was distracted and worried, so Harry prayed that God would bless the young woman. When he finished his meal, he left the last few lottery tickets on the table as a tip.Daisy Pearl Benson, the owner of Daisy's Diner, had seen The Lottery Tickets left under a glass on the old man’s table. That tip should have been hers—after all he’d left without paying for his meal. But when she confronted Darcy Tatum, the tickets had disappeared. Lottery tickets—little slips of hope or more troubles for three women?

The Teacher's Billionaire


Christina Tetreault - 2012
    Not only is her father alive, but he's none other than presidential candidate Senator Warren Sherbrooke. Billionaire and confirmed bachelor, Dylan Talbot, is devoted to his family. When his stepfather Warren Sherbrooke receives a letter from a past love telling him they have a daughter together, Dylan is instantly suspicious. In order to keep the media vultures away and protect Warren's political aspirations, Dylan convinces Warren to let him handle the situation. As Callie and Dylan spend time together, they can't resist the feelings that blossom between them. However, when Callie learns the real reason he has been spending time with her their fledgling romance is put in jeopardy and only complete honesty can save it.This is a Contemporary Romance. It contains love scenes. AN EDITED VERSION OF THIS BOOK WAS UPLOADED. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME READERS PURCHASED THE BOOK PRIOR TO THAT EVENT.

The Broken Path


Cami Checketts - 2012
    He's tried love before. He won't again. Autumn Reader escaped her abusive marriage with her daughter, a stack of debt, and fear. Autumn's precocious two-year old becomes enraptured by Ethan. Autumn is on the path to following her daughter's example when her ex-husband reappears.

An Unforgivable Secret


J.E.B. Spredemann - 2013
    A beautiful home, a loving husband, and a wonderful Amish community are only a few of her daily blessings. But she has carried a heavy burden for years: a secret that no one must know. When tragedy strikes, her secret threatens to be revealed, jeopardizing everything she’s ever loved. Will Hannah be able to face her greatest fear and find God's purpose for her life?

Beyond the Waves


Lynnette Bonner - 2014
    Since he’s broken her heart more than once, and she recently started dating youth pastor Blaine Pittman, she wants absolutely nothing to do with Kylen. But he’s been asked to stand in as the mediator between Taysia and wannabe model Sophia Clinesmith, who twisted her ankle in the parking lot of Taysia’s business and is threatening a lawsuit. If she didn’t need him to help save her gym, Taysia would tell Kylen to take a long midnight walk on a short cliffside trail. She’s perfectly happy with her life just the way it is. So why is it that just the sight of Kylen Sumner sets her traitorous heart to dancing faster than it did the time Blaine kissed her?

The Art of Losing Yourself


Katie Ganshert - 2015
     Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together. But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore. Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

The Lady and the Mountain Man


Misty M. Beller - 2014
    Through God’s leading, she finds herself accepting a newspaper marriage proposal from a God-fearing young rancher in the Montana Territory. But when Leah arrives at the mountain ranch, she learns her intended husband was killed by a grizzly, leaving behind a bitter older brother and a spunky younger sister.Gideon Bryant has lost too many people to the wild elements of these mountains—his parents, his wife, and now his brother. His love for this untamed country will never die, but he’s determined not to open his heart to another person, especially this beautiful Easterner who shows up on their doorstep.But when an accident forces Leah to stay at the ranch for several months, can Gideon guard himself from a love he doesn’t want? Will Leah find God’s true direction for her life?

Fall Flip


Denise Weimer - 2019
    What happens when he flips her heart? The tragic death of Shelby Dodson’s husband—her partner in a successful Home Network house flipping business—stole love, status, and career. Now a bungalow redesign thrusts Shelby into the company of a new contractor. Scott Matthews remembers high-and-mighty Shelby from high school, and her prissy, contemporary style goes against his down-to-earth grain. When the house reveals a mystery, will its dark secrets—and their own mistakes—cost them a second chance at love?

The Secret Obituary Writer: What if obituaries told the truth?


Amy Martinsen - 2020
    With information she receives at an anonymous email address, she produces mostly humorous, sometimes poignant, but always truthful obituaries that magically appear between sections A and B of the morning paper.When several cryptic emails question the official details of a man’s death, Lizzy elicits the help of handsome detective Jackson Clark. Together, they travel halfway around the world to search for answers . . . and maybe even find love along the way.With mystery, romance, and a hefty helping of humor, The Secret Obituary Writer will keep you entertained until the very last page.