Book picks similar to
The Reluctant Queen-The Story of Esther by Lin Wilder


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Freedom's Promise


Dianna Crawford - 2000
    Could this be the answer to her prayer for independence? During their adventurous journey, both Annie and Ike learn that freedom's promise holds more than either of them ever dreamed.

Apple Trees and HoneyBees


Charity McColl - 2017
    Ruth Conroy is the pride of her father and brothers and the despair of her mother, who fears that her daughter’s unconventional ways will prevent her from marrying. Goaded by her mother’s nagging, Ruth declares that she will only marry a man who can beat her in a horse race. As she is an expert horsewoman, her challenge seems unlikely to be met. But family friend Robert Holloway has always loved Ruth, and if it takes a horse race to win her, then an equestrian he will be, even though he is a poor rider. Out of friendship, Ruth agrees to teach him how to ride with skill, never realizing that his goal is to win the race and win her hand in marriage. When she is challenged, she must decide what she will win or lose in this race for her heart.

Thuggin' At the Altar


Denora Boone - 2015
    As much praying as Mama Jean constantly does for Gavon, he never seemed to understand why he was so drawn to the street life. Gavon’s only dream was to get enough money in order to move his grandmother and girl out of the hood.Chardonnay is Gee's money hungry and ghetto fabulous girlfriend. Love and loyalty to her man is non existent when it comes to anyone other than herself. When she finds out that Gavon wasn’t bringing in any real money, she links up with someone else to plan Gavon's demise. What Chardonnay didn’t expect was for the hand of God to still be on his life while he lived this so called street life.Enter Gavon's "ram in the bush" Chasiti. The strong, independent, young woman that loves herself enough to know that she won't settle for just any old man, but a Godly man. But there is something that Chasiti sees in Gavon and it makes her want him even more. Will she be the breath of fresh air that Gavon needs in order to see the real purpose for his life or will Chardonnay's plan succeed?All Alvin wants is a chance to see his only son but even after all of these years Gavon still wants nothing to do with his father. The hate he has is so deep for the man who created him, that it's enough to cause Alvin to want to end life as he knows it. Will the prayers of his loving grandmother be heard and will he forgive his father after all?What do you do when the streets keep sucking you in but someone is steady trying to pray you out? No one can serve two masters, either he will love one and hate the other. Which one will Gavon choose and will it be too late?

Mountain Storms


Janice Cole Hopkins - 2019
    A friendly dog leads her to safety, but his master just might pose the most danger of all, especially to her heart. Wounded in the Civil War and deserted by his betrothed, Ian MacGregor becomes a recluse in a remote cabin in Wyoming Territory. He thinks Aileas might be an angel when she appears beside his sickbed, but even later, he’s drawn to her in ways he doesn’t understand. However, no woman would ever be interested in him now, and he needs to protect himself from another heartbreak, but is this even possible where Aileas is concerned? This book can be read as a standalone or part of the trilogy. It does have a definite ending, although the family's story continues.

Damaged Goods


Jenica Johnson - 2016
    After having her daughter at the tender age of 18, her father tried forcing her into marrying her high school sweetheart Ahmod. Ten years later Ahmod is not as sweet as he once was in high school. Shy is very close to her mother and sister but she keeps certain things from them to keep peace in her home and family life. With her father standards so high for his daughters she tends to just hide from the world until she feels that she is worthy enough to be a preacher’s kid. From her father’s rejection and the rejection of Ahmod, she finally finds the courage to leave him and run into the arms of another man. Ahmod wants his cake and eat it too. With two women in his pocket he feels like he would never get caught. When both of the women leave him, he becomes lost. Once Ahmod finds out Shy is fully done with him he tries his best to run back but is it too late? Ahmod doesn’t think so until it’s really too late.

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.

Past Forward-A Serial Novel: Volume IV


Chautona Havig - 2012
    Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother still in her bed, never to awaken again in this life. From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can't avoid. This collection includes episodes fifteen through eighteen of Past Forward. In this volume, Chad and Willow start their life together. A surprise attack, Willow's first vacation, and a slow, gradual expansion of the farm brings more changes to Walden Farm. Follow as Willow's story unfolds past forward.

Small Town Girls Don't Marry Their Back-Ups


Carol Moncado - 2020
    But unwelcome medical news changes her trajectory and forces her hand.Fifteen years earlier, they’d made a pact. If they weren’t married by forty, they’d get together.But the news causes Lexi to hold Sean to the promise a decade early. Small Town Girls Don’t Marry Their Back-Ups, but when they do can it lead to happily ever after? Or will his ex-fiancé ruin everything?2

The Promise Between Us: Mammy's Story


Naomi Finley - 2019
    Separated from her husband, Henrietta now faces an uncertain future and the possibility of becoming estranged from her child. Luckily, fortune shifts in her favor when Olivia Hendricks—the wife of a wealthy planter—purchases her as a nursemaid for their unborn infant. During her years at Livingston Plantation, Henrietta finds sanctuary and safety in the big house, eventually becoming a caregiver to both Mrs. Hendricks and her child. However, this all changes when the missus ends up dead and the master involves Henrietta in a ruse to cover up his wife's murder. Now Henrietta is vulnerable without protection from the lady of the estate, and she is left with no choice but to take action. Chained together by secrets, slave and master must fight to maintain all they hold dear. But how far will Henrietta be forced to go, and what consequences will ultimately be paid to save her daughter and herself?

To Love Someone New (Bridgewood Book 1)


Rubie Hall - 2016
    Three years have passed since his death, and Clara finds herself working at the Bridgewood Mercantile, unable to forget the loss of her first love. Though she spends her days caring for the store owner’s young ward and seeing to the shopping needs of her homesteading community, she has resigned herself to quiet, peaceful nights alone. When Gabe Holt rides into town with two children in the back of his covered wagon, Clara is unnerved by the handsome young farmer’s forthright, flirtatious manner. She prefers to watch the antics of her neighbour, Mrs. Booth, trying to secure Gabe as a husband for her daughter Sadie. But Sadie has other plans, and thinks Gabe would be better suited to a hardworking woman like her friend Clara. As Clara becomes the unwitting victim of Sadie’s matchmaking schemes, she begins to develop romantic feelings for Gabe. With friends pushing them together, and children determined to keep them apart, Clara must ultimately decide if she has room enough in her heart for someone new.

Love Out West


Leah Atwood - 2015
     The Ultimatum Bride: “I’m giving you two months to settle down. Find yourself a respectable wife, stop the brawling and be the man I know you can be. Otherwise, I will tell Darrel to expect a wedding for his daughter soon.” “And if I refuse to marry Elsie?” George West’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Then you will be written out of my will.” Jesse West is faced with an ultimatum. Unwilling to marry Elsie and steadfast against losing his right to inherit the Circle W, he must think quickly. His best option seems to be sending away for a mail-order bride. Faith Donovan vowed never to marry. Years of witnessing her parents' abusive marriage soured her against such a union, but when she can't find employment, she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride and hopes for the best. When she discovers her new husband has a reputation for the very things she feared, her hopes are crushed. Yet, something about Jesse draws Faith to him. Can they look beyond their pasts and forge a future filled with love? Serving With Love: After her unscrupulous stepfather accuses her of being a thief, a horrified Katie hopes to hide out until she can prove otherwise. But slipping into obscurity in a small Texas town isn't so easy. Not with Texas Ranger Ward Alston on her tail. Ward's used to getting his man—or woman. But he's not used to the accused being so resolute in her innocence or so beautifully appealing. As he uncovers the truth, Ward realizes this Harvey Girl isn't all she seems. Together, can they evade danger and obey the law of their own hearts? Hearts to God: Orphaned as an infant, Madeline Snow grew up in the Shaker community—the perfect place to learn reverence, hard work, and a love for God that surpasses the need for an earthly family. But the difference between what the Bible says and what the Shakers taught was too much for Madeline, so when she came of age, she left the safety of her home for a new life with her much older sister. Madeline had been trained to grow herbs and make medicine by the best herbalists in her community, but in the wild Oregon Outback finding a husband is the only proper occupation for a single lady. Madeline left the Shaker community, but her devotion to God and the principle of celibacy, are unchanged. Finding a husband to direct her life is her last priority. But her sister and guardian is just as stubborn as Madeline. Madeline will marry, whether she wants to or not. Unfortunately for Madeline, finding a husband isn’t simply a matter of falling in love. Some men are off limits, no matter how they make your heart thunder. Free to Heal: Kane Calloway swore he’d never let anyone close to him again, that way he’d never feel the pain of loss. Living a life of reckless abandonment has brought him face-to-face with his demons—no more running. Either he gets married, or spends time in jail—neither sentence is appealing, but if he stays out of jail, he can at least help keep two small children from going hungry. Newly widowed, Faith Masterson is struggling to keep up with chores while tending to her two daughters. Without help, which she can’t afford to pay for, she and her daughters will surely starve by winter. After hearing about a new government program for women in her situation, she decides it is worth trying for the sake of her children.

Timber Ridge Reflections


Tamera Alexander - 2009
    Join photojournalist Elizabeth Westbrook, schoolteacher Molly Whitcomb, and ranch owner Rachel Boyd as they seek to fulfill their dreams and hopes in an untamed land where every advancement is hard-fought, every opportunity is cherished, and where love has the power to change lives.

For a Season (Sandy Cove Series Book 8)


Rosemary Hines - 2017
    Then an unexpected pregnancy leads to a devastating diagnosis. How will their marriage and their faith weather the storm? “Please give us a call as soon as you get home. The doctor would like to see you and Luke to discuss the results of your blood test,” the receptionist said. A knot formed in Madison’s gut. She hadn’t had a baby before, but her nurse’s training took over as she began to contemplate everything that could possibly go wrong. It seemed like a red flag that the doctor wanted to see both of them. What Madison and Luke are about to learn will break their hearts and lead them on a journey no parents want to take. Will their faith carry them through this devastating time, as they cling to God and each other? For a Season (Sandy Cove Series Book 8) is a story of God working through brokenness as He redeems the heartbreak of two of His children. The Sandy Cove Series has over 1,700 five-star reviews on Amazon. Find out why well over half a million copies of the books in this series have found homes with readers like you! Captivating characters, suspenseful story lines, and thought-provoking themes come together to portray real life dramas as they tell tales of God's grace. Welcome to Sandy Cove!

That First Montana Year


Donna L. Scofield - 2015
    But she's a minister’s daughter and pregnant. To save embarrassment for the families, and hoping a fresh start will help them become the sweethearts they were before, B’Anne agrees to leave everyone and everything she knows and go with Will to the Montana Territory. They hope Will's uncle Hiram, whom he has never met, will guide them in their homesteading. Uncle Hiram welcomes Will, but treats B’Anne coolly until he realizes she isn’t a “frills and furbelows” girl. Although Will seems to care for B’Anne, she loses her confidence when she discovers a letter from Will's former sweetheart. Will's secrecy threatens to build a wall between them. Spring arrives, and with it the promise of renewal. But is B’Anne's hope for a fresh start enough to sustain the young couple through the years of hard living under that big Montana sky?

The Seeking Series


Josie Riviera - 2018
    Savor the magic of the Romany Gypsies with this collection of Regency Christian romances.Find out why readers are falling in love with The Seeking Series & staying up all night reading! These Christian Regency romances will warm your heart.Cozy up with your favorite beverage and lose yourself in the joyful seasons of romance.