Book picks similar to
The Start of Us by Jill Lynn


romance
contemporary
christian-fiction
novella

Kept


Sally Bradley - 2014
    Her womanizing brothers, her absentee father, and Mark, the married baseball player who claims to love her—all have proven undependable. But Miska has life under control. She runs her editing business from her luxury condo, stays fit with daily jogs along Chicago's lakefront, and in her free time blogs anonymously about life as a kept woman. Enter new neighbor Dillan Foster. Between his unexpected friendship and her father's sudden reappearance, Miska loses control of her orderly life. Her relationship with Mark deteriorates, and Miska can't help comparing him to Dillan. His religious views are so foreign, yet the way he treats her is something she's longed for. But Dillan discovers exactly who she is and what she has done. Too late she finds herself longing for a man who is determined to never look her way again. When her blog receives unexpected national press, Miska realizes that her anonymity was an illusion. Caught in a scandal about to break across the nation, Miska wonders if the God Dillan talks about would bother with a woman like her—a woman who's gone too far and done too much.

From This Moment On


Debra Clopton - 2016
    Determined to never again risk her heart, she throws herself into running the family’s small boutique resort on the Florida coast, a place so full of romance that it’s a reminder every day of what she’ll never have. But when renowned artist Grant Ellington shows up to paint a mural on the wall of the resort, she’s swept away by her response to the artist. Suddenly, every time he looks at her, Cali finds it harder than she ever thought possible to keep her heart protected. Grant Ellington loves his ranch, his horses, and his life as a sought-after artist. But after walking away from a plane crash that killed his best friend and the young pilot, he’s still struggling with survivor’s guilt as he heads to Windswept Bay. Painting a sea life mural at the resort started out as a favor to his neighbor, but one meeting with the beautiful Cali and he feels alive again—and determined to spend time on the moonlit beaches with her in his arms… But, like him, Cali has her own emotional scars—can they learn to trust the love that sparks between them and move forward from this moment on?

Texas Roads


Cathy Bryant - 2010
    With lovable-but-quirky town folks, quaint country charm, and loads of business potential, Miller's Creek seems like the perfect place to start over. But Dani's dreams of finding home are crushed when malicious rumors and a devastating secret propel her down a road she never expected to travel. Though a Texas politician questions the arrival of this city gal in the hometown he's sworn to protect and defend, Steve can't help but admit he's falling for her. But when a mysterious billionaire funds a renovation to downtown Miller's Creek, Dani's suspicious behavior brings his built-in lie detector to alarm-clanging alert. Can Steve and Dani call a truce for a higher calling? Will romance blossom in Miller's Creek? And will Dani ever find true home? Written with the feel of Mayberry and the Mitford series, readers have fallen in love with Miller's Creek. Will you? If you enjoy Christian contemporary romance and inspirational women's fiction, don't miss this feel-good novel. Get your copy today. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING... "Page Turner! I absolutely loved this book!" " I loved the bantering between Steve and Dani and the romance they shared. They made the perfect couple. Both stubborn and bullheaded and the humor between them was really magical." "I too fell in love with Miller's Creek..." "What an excellent inspirational romance book with some mystery and a topic of finding home." "This book was non-stop 'just a little further' until suddenly I was at the end!" "The author did a remarkable job of developing her characters in the book's story line....I am anxious to read the next Miller's Creek book and highly recommend Texas Roads for Christian fiction readers." "This is a heartfelt and sometimes heart-rending story; well-written, gripping,thoroughly enjoyable, and spellbinding." OTHER CATEGORIES: Christian Western Romance Christian Dramatic Romance Inspirational Women's Fiction Inspirational Politician Romance Christian Renovation Fiction Christian Fiction Women's Religious Fiction

Calm & Bright


Autumn Macarthur - 2016
    They'll be together over the holidays, for the sake of their four year old son. But what chance do they have of becoming a family again, when she's returned to the tiny Idaho lakeside community she grew up in, and he's a city boy through and through? And that's before they deal with the issues that came between them in the past. Can they allow God to heal their broken marriage and broken hearts before his career tears them apart once more? I adore Christmas! Yummy food, fairy lights, decorating the tree, giving and receiving gifts—the big kid in me delights in all that! Plus it's a time for family, faith, and love, all things that mean a lot to me. And they're all important elements of my new novella Calm & Bright, too. It's a story of finding home, a second chance at love, and the greatest gift of all—the gift of a second chance with God. I've wanted to write this story since my spring release in 2015, Forget Paris. Brad appears in it very briefly, and unfortunately he's a bit of a jerk! Okay, a LOT of a jerk! But I treasure knowing none of us is such a jerk we can't be redeemed by love and faith. That earlier story woke Brad up that he needed to change, and in this book, he finds his heart's true home. I've enjoyed writing it so much! And I hope you'll enjoy reading it, too. This book begins a new series, set in beautiful Huckleberry Lake, Idaho! Every book is a complete romance, following a different couple through the trials and joys of a developing love, deepening their faith in the process, until they're ready for the happy-ever-after God has planned for them. Includes a bonus recipe! Faith, Hope, & Heartwarming - inspirational romance to make you smile!

Stupid Cupid


Lisa J. Crane - 2013
    Their reason for doing so is building a class booth for a Valentine's Day festival, but Casey finds herself wondering if Blake doesn't want more than just her friendship. Just about the time she allows herself to think there might be a chance for something between them, Blake's sexy ex-fiancee shows up! Has Cupid missed the mark this Valentine's Day?

Where Two Hearts Meet


Carrie Turansky - 2014
    But she has no idea who sent it. Could it be from Peter Hillinger, the wealthy businessman who owns the shop next door and wants to win Allison’s heart? Or is it from Tyler Lawrence, Allison’s old boyfriend, who returns to town claiming a renewed faith and a changed life. Allison doesn’t know whom to trust. Should she follow her head or heart, or is there Someone else who can guide her toward the best path for her future?Wherever Love Takes UsAfter twenty-five years of marriage, Matt and Tessa Malone are struggling to recover financially and rebuild trust following a business failure. Then Matt inherits property in Oregon, and he wants to move the family there to make a fresh start. But Tessa can’t imagine giving up the cozy teashop she co-owns with her sister, or leaving her friends and family in Princeton. Whose dream will they follow, and how much will it cost their family? Can they resolve their differences and rebuild a love that seems lost?Tea for Two was orginally published in Kiss the Bride, and Wherever Love Takes Us was originally published in Wedded Bliss. These two novellas have been expanded, updated, and put together in one book.

Hurricane Allie


Rachel Hauck - 2013
    As Allie rushes through wedding preparations days before her wedding, Kyle makes a last minute trip to New York to secure a new client. Meanwhile, a hurricane bears down on the coast days before their wedding. Is it a bad sign the storm is named Allie? Stuck in New York, Kyle struggles to find a way home. Meanwhile, Allie scrambles to find Plan B. Her perfect wedding is ruined but not even the forces of nature can stop a wedding that was meant to be.

Here in Hart's Crossing: Four Charming Small Town Novellas


Robin Lee Hatcher - 2018
     A daughter returns home from the big city to care for her injured mother. Childhood sweethearts reconnect after decades apart. A single mom finds herself the target of her starry-eyed daughter’s matchmaking scheme. And a young couple struggles to find their own American dream in this wonderful collection of four novellas from bestselling author Robin Lee Hatcher. Celebrating family, faith, and forgiveness, Here in Hart’s Crossing will warm your heart and soothe your spirit.Includes: Legacy Lane * Veterans Way * Diamond Place * Sweet Dreams Drive

Secretly In Love


Jackie Castle - 2016
    Nothing but friends. Yet, when Nikolai returned from the mission trip last year, Sage’s feelings for him exploded and her pact gets harder to keep. Then on April fool’s day, she receives a letter from a secret admirer. A joke from her twin siblings. Nikolai’s life changed after the mission trip. One thing he has to face is his feelings for Sage. Pact or no pact, he needs to let her know how he feels. Overhearing Sage and Moi talk about how they wished they received real love letters, Nikolai comes up with the perfect solution. He sends her an anonymous love letter, but instead of love, he reaps the wild, whirlwind of Sage who is already angry about being made a fool of once and won’t stand for being the fool twice. Secretly In Love was formerly titled, Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice and was part of the April Fools Love novella collection.

A (kinda) Country Christmas


Krista Phillips - 2015
    Owner of Bethlehem's Boutique in the tourist mountain town of Gatlinburg, TN, she has no room for the bad boys of her past and devotes her whole life to the struggling boutique and her teenage daughter, Maribelle. She's perfectly happy with her country-living life until he walks into her store. Nate Myers travels the globe for his job and has the bank account to prove his success. The former "bad" boy is in town for a short visit with his sister and is determined to not get caught up in all the Christmas hype. But then he falls for the beautiful shopkeeper—quite literally. Will these two (sorta) opposites be able to find a happily-ever-after together?

Barefoot Summer


Denise Hunter - 2013
    Instead, she’s devoted her life to fulfilling Michael’s dream—winning the River Sail Regatta in their small Indiana town, Chapel Springs.As she trains for the regatta, Beckett O’Reilly is teaching Madison to swim. But he’s keeping a painful secret from her—and as they grow closer, that secret threatens to upend their lives . . . and the lives of both their families.

The Keeper


Suzanne Woods Fisher - 2012
    A farm. A heart. All in need of repair.Life on Windmill Farm hasn't been the same since Julia Lapp's father has had trouble with his heart. But that doesn't stop Julia from hoping for a bright future. She has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. But when Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she is determined to change his mind. She knows who is to blame for Paul's sudden reluctance to wed: the Bee Man.Roman Troyer, the Bee Man, travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. A mysterious man who relishes his nomadic life, Roman especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia seriously at odds with him, Windmill Farm is looking decidedly less appealing.Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Grace Like Rain


Julie Lessman - 2017
    She’s nobody’s fool who hopes to steer clear. Until a thunderstorm sinks them both into a sea of love. Blake “The Rake” McClare has a notorious reputation as a womanizer, which is why soft-spoken Patience Peabody carefully avoids the lovable rogue attorney at the law firm in which they both work. Until a rare thunderstorm brings them together in a love soaked with the grace of God ... and sparked with a little lightning of its own.

Gentleman of Her Dreams


Jen Turano - 2012
    Hamilton Beckett, the catch of the season. The only problem? She's never actually met Hamilton. Fortunately, one of her oldest and dearest friends, Mr. Henry St. James—who has returned to New York after a two-year absence—does know Hamilton. Much to Henry's chagrin, Charlotte immediately ropes him into helping her meet Hamilton. However, none of her plans to catch Hamilton's eye go as she expected, and she is even more confused when her old feelings for Henry begin to resurrect themselves. In the midst of the mayhem Charlotte always seems to cause, she wonders if the gentleman of her dreams might be an entirely different man than she thought.

Welcome to Last Chance


Cathleen Armstrong - 2013
    But as she encounters the people who make Last Chance their home, it’s her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life for Lainie’s comfort-especially since she’s on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.Yet in spite of herself, Lainie finds that she is increasingly drawn in to the dramas of small town life. An old church lady who always has room for a stranger. A handsome bartender with a secret life. A single mom running her diner and worrying over her teenage son. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little hick town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?Cathleen Armstrong pens a debut novel filled with complex, lovable characters making their way through life and relationships the best they can. Her evocative descriptions, observational humor, and talent at rendering romantic scenes will earn her many fans.