Book picks similar to
Blue Columbine by Jennifer Rodewald
contemporary
romance
christian
fiction
Juliette and the Monday ManDates
Becky Doughty - 2014
Although raised by loving grandparents, it’s the G-FOURce—the Gustafson Four Sisters Club—that binds them together when their differences would tear them apart. All grown up now, Juliette has become the quintessential doormat, Renata, two years younger, the self-appointed matriarchal figure. Phoebe is borderline narcissistic, according to Renata at least, and Gia is on the verge of a major identity crisis. But they’re still a force with which to be reckoned as they continue the time-honored tradition of meeting together to love and support one another, and if necessary, to intervene in each others lives. What none of the sisters has been willing to address is the hovering presence of Angela Clinton, the senior class darling who drove her cherry black 1970 el Camino into the side of their parents’ car on the night of Juliette’s high school graduation. But Angela’s prison sentence is winding down; soon she’ll be eligible for parole, so face her, they must. Will the G-FOURce be strong enough to hold them together as they step into the eye of the storm that’s been brewing for the last fifteen years? Will they finally be able to let go of the past and embrace the future, no matter what it holds? JULIETTE AND THE MONDAY MANDATES Juliette Gustafson is heart-broken after waiting nearly ten years for a proposal from her boyfriend that never came. Determining she isn’t “getting over Mike” quickly enough, her three younger sisters come up with The Monday ManDates; an intervention plan requiring Juliette to endure what turns out to be a series of remarkably disastrous blind dates. Between TheraPaul, Frisky Frank, TAZ the rock star, and the stoic Tim Larsen, the Monday ManDates are doomed from the start. Then there’s Victor Jarrett, the police officer with an affinity for pulling Juliette over when she’s at her very worst. But no one is more surprised than Juliette when she meets the one man who can right the wrongs in her past and change her future, if she will only let herself fall in love with him.
Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Box Set: Books 1 - 5
Rachel Wesson - 2017
Katie - Book 1: When Katie O'Callaghan left Ireland in search of a better life in America, she never dreamed that she'd end up having to flee Boston and head West less than a year later. But after suffering at the hands of her greedy Uncle, she is forced to take the only way out she can ... marry a stranger out west. Daniel Sullivan is in need of a wife if he wants the bank to lend him money for his new business. Too bad the only girl he's interested in - one he met during a train robbery - is already taken. Katie is determined to honor her promise to marry her fiancé despite losing her heart to Daniel. Mary Book 2 -Mary Ryan leaves the orphanage and heartbreak behind and follows her friend Katie to Clover Springs to become a mail order bride. She's nervous but reminds herself that Davy Sullivan must be a nice man or Katie wouldn't have recommended him. Davy Sullivan needs a wife, but he's not looking for love. In his experience, that only leads to heartbreak. Mary and Davy soon find out that getting married was the easy part. Staying together is difficult especially when past secrets come to light and threaten to destroy their future. Can they develop trust in one another and find happiness? Sorcha - Book 3 :Eighteen year old Sorcha Matthews happy future is shattered when her soul mate, Luke, is tragically killed before she even gets to unite with him in Clover Springs. She flees Boston rather than face a life filled with horrific abuse. Widower Brian Peterson needs a wife to look after his two daughters. He isn't interested in romance but no self respecting woman will live on his homestead without a ring on her finger. Sorcha needs a husband, Brian needs a wife. Is this a match made in heaven? Or is Sorcha jumping from the frying pan into the fire? Emer - Book four:Life isn't easy for a young woman alone in 19th Century Colorado, but when Emer Matthews needs to escape an untenable situation, she only has herself to depend on. She has no time for men having seen first hand the high price women pay for love, so she seeks solace with the sister she's never met, Sorcha. But when Emer gets to Boston, she discovers her sister has moved to Clover Springs and she's left alone with no money and no means to go back to Colorado. Lawrence Shipley is bored. He’s fed up of his match making domineering mother. He wants to gain independence by heading up the Shipley Banking Dynasty in Denver. But his mother has other ideas. She decides to go to Denver too, reluctantly agreeing to take Father Molloy’s latest protégée, Emer. Emer is nothing like any woman Lawrence has met. She intrigues him and excites him but it seems she won’t have anything to do with him. Can he destroy the wall she’s built around her heart? Or will her past catch up with her and destroy them both? Laura - Book 5:Recently widowed, Laura has no intention of tying herself to any other man. She is finally free of the life she choose after leaving the orphanage. But when evil catches up with her, she is left with no option but to run to Clover Springs. There her friends will provide some protection and safety. Paul Kelley needs a wife. His Ma agrees with him but the lady she has chosen is not the girl for Paul. He wants a mail order bride, a fresh innocent girl just like the other mail order brides who arrived in town. When Laura arrives with danger hot on her heels, he marries her for her own protection. Now they can live happily ever after But someone from Laura’s past has other ideas...
Sixty Acres and a Bride
Regina Jennings - 2012
Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have only three months to pay.Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can't help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future.
Undeniably Yours
Becky Wade - 2013
Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father’s empire.The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.Bo’s determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?
Until I Do
T.I. Lowe - 2017
The estranged couple can find no answers on their own, so they turn to their friend and pastor. He presents to them a copy of their marriage vows, advising them to reassess the commitment they made to each other on their wedding day. Through a rocky trial, where each vow presents itself in the couple’s life, Mia and Bode discover the true meaning of I do. Join this couple as they sort out the surprisingly romantic quest to rekindle the love they grasped in the beginning, but allowed to foolishly fade.
A Woman of Fortune
Kellie Coates Gilbert - 2014
Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream—designer clothes, luxury cars, stunning homes. But everything comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must maneuver incredible odds to save her family—and discover a life worth living. Author Kellie Coates Gilbert delivers a story both poignant and emotionally gripping that celebrates the kind of fortune that lasts.
Chasing Justice
Danielle Stewart - 2013
But her plans of settling into a normal life are derailed when she witnesses a prominent judge in her community committing a violent assault. Running from her own past and fueled by a passion to make the judge answer for his crimes, Piper is forced to decide if she’ll play by the rules or achieve justice in her own way.Complicating things further, Piper finds herself fighting a powerful attraction to rookie cop, Bobby Wright. Although she’s increasingly enamored with Bobby, his staunch belief in the justice system is in stark contrast to her own. She may not share his opinions about the effectiveness of the law, but she certainly can’t deny how safe she feels when she’s in his arms or how every kiss leaves her desperate for more.For Piper, the idea of finally living an ordinary life with a man to love is tempting. However, fate keeps placing the judge, quite literally, in her path. Will she decide the only way to win is to be as wicked as the judge, but with righteous intentions? And more importantly, will Bobby choose to let her go, or follow her as she crosses the line and takes justice into her own hands?
Worth the Weight
Mara Jacobs - 2012
A new life. An old flame?Lizzie Hampton is literally a shadow of her former self. Having lost half her body weight, she's headed to her small hometown to test out her new body on an old flame. Just a harmless fling to get her self-confidence back before she returns to the city and the new man in her life.But Lizzie's plan has a few bumps in the road.Finn Robbins can't believe Liz is back in town. Desperate to be the holder of her innocence eighteen years ago, he never got the chance. Now she's back and he can finally check her off his to do list. But her friends, his son, and the mysterious Annie may have something to say about that.
A Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Annalisa Daughety - 2012
Online dating, speed dating, blind dates. . .she doesn’t care what it takes. And when that doesn’t work, she hires a matchmaker, only to discover that her “match” is her old college classmate. Violet didn’t like Jackson then and she sure doesn’t like him now. But Jackson has a plan: he’ll be her “boyfriend” at the wedding if Violet will be his “girlfriend” for his high school reunion. There’s just one small hitch—they still can’t stand each other!
The Australian Billionaire
Britney M. Mills - 2019
Jackson Walker hasn't had the best family life. Growing up in the foster system in Australia, it wasn’t until he met his college football coach that he understood what a normal family looked like. When he gets the call that Coach has passed away, he returns to California for the funeral and to find a place to honor the man. Hailey Montgomery threw herself into real estate soon after breaking up with her boyfriend nearly five years ago. She’s been working to build a name for herself and when the chance to make partner at her firm becomes available, she jumps at the chance. But the only way to achieve that distinction is to find a commercial property for the guy she’s nicknamed ‘Golden Boy’ from all the stories her father told about him.
As spending time together brings them closer, the trust between them is called into question. Can they work through what’s happened in their individual pasts to create a relationship that will last?
Edwina
Patricia Strefling - 2008
A small town librarian, she loved her predictable lifestyle. But her European-born stepsister Cecelia had other plans. As the two of them were about to board a plane for Scotland, Cecelia was suddenly called away to Italy. Edwina found herself alone in Edinburgh, tired, hungry, and very late. When the hotel clerk told her that she no longer had a room, she fainted - right into the arms of a tall Scot standing behind her. Anxious to meet his fianc, Alex Dunnegin whisked Edwina off to his castle and that's when the trouble began. The handsome Laird became the hero for the novel Edwina was writing. And Cecelia, her beautiful, entrepreneurial sister, the heroine. Could it be any other way? Edwina would find out that the stubborn Scot did not always play the part she wrote for him. My grandmother, a Southern farmer's wife, became the spark of light in my simple, quiet existence when she told me stories. As a child I listened in the dark of night as she, in the other twin bed in my small room, told me about her life. What it was like to live on a farm in the early 1900s. About the two children she lost to death and how it affected her. I felt like I knew the people who had died before I had been born. They had lived and it mattered. With her penchant for Irish story-telling, she began what was to become my own desire. To tell stories. For the last eleven years I have written a dozen fiction novels and as many true stories of my own life experiences, hoping that perhaps my stories will touch another's life like my grandmother did mine.
The Edge of Light
Ann Shorey - 2009
And when Samuel's unscrupulous brother takes over the family business, Molly must head out on her own, leaving her old life behind. It's a dangerous journey, but somehow she must find a way to make a living, keep her family together, and fend off some over-eager suitors.
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 Pepper in the Gumbo
Mary Jane Hathaway - 2014
If only more people would turn off the TV and shut down the computer, the world wouldn't be in the mess it's in. If only she can get the teens she loves to step away from the screens, they might be able to hold on to their Creole culture. The only person who seems to understand her passion for classic literature is the mysterious website owner, Browning Wordsworth Keats.Paul Olivier comes back to his home town determined to show the people of Cane River that he's not the poor, nerdy kid he once was. He's made a fortune designing video games and opening a giant electronics store right in the snooty historic district will be the crowning glory of his career. Unfortunately, one bookish anti-tech fanatic has decided to do everything she can to keep that from happening. Even worse, she doesn't know that in cyber space, they're best friends and kindred spirits. Alice and Paul clash from the start, but nothing is ever quite as it seems. When secrets are revealed, will there be a second chance- for both of them?A romance that brings the humor of You've Got Mail and the deep friendships of 84, Charring Cross Road, this romance will touch the classic literature lover in everyone.
The Broken Trail
Christa MacDonald - 2016
With the school director on a power trip and evidence of shady dealings, there’s nothing relaxing about it. Maybe it would be easier if she wasn’t so distracted by Captain MacAlister, the local cop she can’t get along with, yet can’t get out of her head. She didn’t trek up to the middle of nowhere to lose her heart. Mac doesn’t need the kind of trouble he believes Katherine will bring. He’s got enough to deal with from poachers to drug crime. Mac has rules to maintain his faith, like avoiding the pull of an attractive woman who doesn’t fit his life. But when he meets Katherine, he’s drawn in by her intelligence and strength, despite getting burned by her quick temper. When near tragedy strikes, Katherine reveals her feelings, and Mac doesn’t hesitate to respond. If only their scars, both seen and unseen, didn’t threaten to tear them apart. Two wary hearts must soften and two steel wills bend if they have any hope of making it down the broken trail to love.