Book picks similar to
Shelter by Robin Merrill


fiction
christian
christian-fiction
romance

Black Keys


Rose B. Mashal - 2015
    He returns with the contract and news of his engagement to a princess. With the surprise royal wedding only four days away, Marie’s Catholic upbringing makes her question the rush, but she swallows her misgivings and agrees to attend in order to make Joseph happy.Disoriented by the language barrier and bewildered by Muslim wedding traditions, Marie is further confused by her elevated role in the wedding party. She is paired with the bride’s brother, Crown Prince Mazen Alfaidy, a breathtakingly handsome man with mysterious eyes, whose silent attentions leave her disconcerted.Marie’s joy for her sibling is cut short by her brother's betrayal. Joseph forces her into an arranged marriage with Prince Mazen in a Sister Swap, to save his own bride from a horrible destiny.Confined in the palace with a husband she doesn’t know or trust, Marie’s life is riddled with lies and secrets. Royal intrigue, traditions, and rules have put her in danger. Now, the new princess has a lot to learn, and many black keys to find.Can she open her heart to a world so unlike her own, or will her prejudices prevent her from finding happiness?Because when it comes to love, rules blur and traditions fade.A Multicultural Romance filled with drama and suspense.

Holmes Crossing Series: Books 1, 2, 3


Carolyne Aarsen - 2019
    When the loss of her husband’s business forces them to move temporarily back to his family’s farm, Leslie is terrified that once Dan is back in the fold of family and the community of Holmes Crossing, her needs will be smothered. Then a near tragedy tests everything they both hold dear.Start your journey to Holmes Crossing with Dan and Leslie’s story and get pulled into Terra’s, a girl with sass, spunk and a haunting secret. Terra has spent the last few years outrunning the darkness of her past. But when she is forced to stay in Holmes Crossing past and present clash in a way that has chilling repercussions for any future she hopes to create.After that you’ll meet Miriam who has a second chance at motherhood when she unexpectedly becomes a joint guardian of the baby she gave up. But can her rekindled relationship with Duncan, co-guardian of her daughter, withstand the accusing secrets of her past?What readers have to say: The Only Best Place “If you cry easily, you may want tissues nearby." “ Keep reading the book. It has an ending we could all live with.” All In One Place “This book, while difficult in subject, has great hope and promise for its subjects as well as it’s readers. Holmes Crossing is a place to get comfy for awhile.” “Thank you, Carolyne, for writing a tough and yet beautiful story of healing and redemption!” This Place “I fell in love with this series and the people are so down to earth! “You really must give this book your attention because it is great!" “The healing and forgiveness and hope were like a warm blanket on a cool night.” Read the rest of the series as well: A Silence in the Heart Any Man of Mine A Place in Her Heart

Chop, Chop


L.N. Cronk - 2008
    When Greg moves into town and finds out what she's doing, he thinks it's a great idea...so he starts doing it too! It's just one of the things that reserved, young David must tolerate as their friendship grows throughout the years. As they near adulthood, they grow not only closer to each other, but closer to God as well. David finds himself content in every way, but when tragedy occurs David must struggle to find his way back to God. Contemporary Christian Fiction: Top Rated... Best Selling... Award Winning! Don't let the fact that it's the first in a series scare you off - Chop, Chop is a complete, stand-alone novel that will NOT leave you hanging. Sequels are available, however, for those who wish to follow the characters further. Often pegged as a "Young Adult" novel, demographics show that most readers of the Chop, Chop series are actually between the ages of 25 and 55 (and the sequels are definitely geared toward that age group). Whether you're young or old, Chop, Chop is a true coming-of-age story about friendship, loss and forgiveness that is sure to touch your heart.

The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club


Holly Tierney-Bedord - 2018
    It's been five years since the idyllic oceanside town of Port Elspeth was rocked by tragedy. Shortly after their high school graduation, Evangeline Maddingly, daughter of one of the town's wealthiest old-money families, and Oliver Prescott, son of one of the town's wealthiest new-money families, were found dead in an isolated cabin in the woods outside of town. The circumstances surrounding their untimely deaths are murky at best, thanks in large part to a coroner with connections to the town's founding families and a sweeping effort from those in power to shut down any negative publicity that could harm the reputation of their pristine community.Five years later, a small group of strangers gather to create jewelry for one of Port Elspeth's many fundraisers. Before long, friendships are forming and old secrets are being revealed. Along with solving the mystery of how to make a perfect pair of chandelier earrings or cabochon necklace, these unlikely friends find themselves at the heart of solving the murders that took place half a decade earlier.

Love by the Letter


Melissa Jagears - 2013
    He's been too busy helping to provide for his family. Now that he's heading west, Dex is hoping to start a family of his own. However, his attempt to acquire a mail-order bride fails miserably when the lady writes back ridiculing his terrible spelling. Rachel Oliver may be the last person he wants to know what a dunce he is, but she's also the smartest woman in town--and it's clear he needs her help.Rachel Oliver has lingered in town for three years secretly mooning over Dex Stanton, but now she's done. If the fool wants to write to a mail-order bride company, so be it. Once she begins giving Dex lessons, however, Rachel realizes she may not be prepared to give up just yet.As their time together runs short, can two of the most stubborn people in town set aside their pride long enough to find love?Love by the Letter is a companion novella to A Bride for Keeps, Melissa Jagears's full-length debut novel available fall 2013. Includes an extended sneak peek at A Bride for Keeps.

Anna's Courage


Kristin Noel Fischer - 2015
     Helicopter pilot Anna Morgan hasn’t flown since her husband’s death several years ago. Instead, the young army widow has sought refuge with her son on peaceful Rose Island. Surrounded by family and friends, Anna vows never to do anything more dangerous than arrive late to a PTA meeting. All that changes when Captain Nick Peterson comes to the island to take custody of his orphaned nieces. Anna feels compelled to help Nick with the girls, but what is she supposed to do about her growing attraction to him? And will the disappointments in Nick’s past prevent him from embracing the power of forgiveness and family? From the author of “A Mother’s Choice,” comes a new series filled with romance, faith, and healing. Told with humor and sincerity, “Anna’s Courage” will have you yearning to visit the peaceful community of Rose Island again and again.

Too Close to Home


Lynette Eason - 2010
    Her methods are invisible, and she never stops until the case is closed. When missing teens begin turning up dead in a small Southern town, Samantha is assigned to help local chief Connor Wolfe find the killer. And he has two problems with that. There's her faith--in God and herself. And then there's the fact that she looks exactly like his late wife. As they get close to an answer, the case becomes personal. The killer seems to be taking an interest in Connor's 16-year-old daughter, who thinks her dad is getting way too protective. Can't a girl just have some fun? Too Close to Home ratchets up the suspense with each page, and will have readers cheering for the characters they love as justice is served and love grows even in the face of danger. Read this one with the lights on!

They Almost Always Come Home


Cynthia Ruchti - 2009
    Their marriage might have survived if their daughter Lacey hadn't died . . . and if Greg hadn't been responsible. Libby enlists the aid of her wilderness savvy father-in-law and her faith-walking best friend to help her search for clues to her husband's disappearance...if for no other reason than to free her to move on. What the trio discovers in the search upends Libby's presumptions about her husband and rearranges her faith.

Love at Sunset Lake


Sally Bayless - 2018
    An artist who's withdrawn from the world. A property battle that just might heal them both.When struggling caterer Tess Palmer inherits her great-aunt's home at Sunset Lake, Missouri, she thinks she's found the way to save her business. Selling the property can provide just the infusion of capital she needs to pay off her debts and move to a larger commercial kitchen.Wildlife painter Jack Hamlin, who lives across Sunset Lake, wants the area kept exactly as it is--a place where waterfowl can thrive and where he can find peace and solitude to ease his troubled heart. Although he's drawn to Tess's honesty and beauty, he's appalled to learn she would welcome a deal with a developer, and he vows to stop her.As Tess discovers the reasons why Jack is so passionate about protecting the lake, she finds him more and more attractive. She takes a tentative step past her own emotional pain to risk her heart again. But there seems to be no solution to the impasse over the property. As a sale becomes imminent, can Jack and Tess trust God--and each other--and finally find a love that will last?

Colors of Christmas: Two Contemporary Stories Celebrate the Hope of Christmas


Olivia Newport - 2017
    Instead, she finds herself in charge of the town’s celebration. After a mysterious young man arrives, townspeople suspect he is the reason that one set of plans after another disintegrate until little is left of their traditions. Yet Angela warms to Gabe because she suspects they share a secret—his real reason for coming to town. Even when all they have to work with is a garish supply of blue Christmas decorations, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope.  Christmas in Gold After eighty years, change is nothing new for Astrid. By the time she was twenty, she survived the destructive Nazi regime, caring for her family under brutal circumstances, moving to America, and losing her husband. At forty she was widowed again and left to build a new life with her children. Now, when she faces a move into an assisted living community and meets a young woman on the brink of despair, she resolves to stir up hope through tragedy one more time.

Love's Return


T.K. Chapin - 2017
    Chapin. Follow the lives of the men and women working for WIN bodyguard agency as they face the challenges of faith, love and life. The PROTECTED BY LOVE series is a spin-off of the best-selling DIAMOND LAKE series and the book IN HIS LOVE.Five years ago, Jessica and Kirk were headed the same direction but on two separate paths. Jessica claiming her independence; Kirk chasing a professional hockey career. Sharing more than just a car ride, they found themselves longing for something more but decided to part ways.Five years later.Jessica McColler focuses all her energy on her current job as a reporter for a Christian magazine. She has friends, supportive family and a job she finds purpose in, all seems perfect. Then one day everything changes when her life is suddenly shaken to its core.Enter Kirk Dekker. Hockey never happened for him, but he did find fulfillment in his life for a time. When the unthinkable happens and brings him to his knees, he questions if he'll ever overcome the pain. A lot can happen in five years. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad.God's love can return to our lives when we allow Him into our hearts, minds and soul. It's only through the softening of our heart can we find the healing that we need.From the best-selling Christian Romance author T.K. Chapin comes a love story that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Heartwarming and inspirational, Love's Return will remind you of the beauty of God's ultimate plan for each one of our lives.

Child of the Mist (These Highland Hills, #1)


Kathleen Morgan
    It's a weak truce at first, bound only by an arranged engagement between Anne MacGregor and Niall Campbell-the heirs of the feuding families.While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a traitor in his clan, Anne's actions do not go unnoticed. And as accusations of witchcraft abound, the strong and sometimes callous Campbell heir must fight for Anne's safety among disconcerted clan members. Meanwhile his own safety in threatened with the ever-present threat of someone who wants him dead.Will Niall discover the traitor's identity in time? Can Anne find a way to fit into her new surroundings? Will the two learn to love each other despite the conflict? With a perfect mix of a burgeoning romance and thrilling suspense, this book is historical fiction at its best.

Instant Daddy


Carol Voss - 2011
    Jessie Chandler is used to heartbreak. But she’s also used to blessings. Before her sister died, she gave Jessie the gift of a lifetime, her baby son, and Jessie is joyfully dedicating her life to raising little Jake. It isn’t until she meets Dr. Peter Sheridan, her sister’s colleague, that Jessie begins to fear heartbreak might win out. An overwhelmed father... Dr. Peter Sheridan never wanted to be a father. Finding a cure for neurological disease demands his full focus, and he has no room in his life for anything else. But when he sees Jake’s little face, the spitting image of his own, Peter realizes he can’t turn his back on his responsibility to his child even when he has no earthly idea how to be the daddy his son needs. The gift of love… Wanting the best for Jake, Jessie agrees to help Peter learn to take care of his son, even though losing the toddler she loves will destroy her. But in the shadow of her sacrifice, can Jessie and Peter discover another of God’s blessings… that through sharing comes the greatest love? Instant Daddy is the first book in Carol Voss' Noah’s Crossing series. This inspirational story of family and love is approximately 57,000 words.

Kissed by a Cowboy


Lacy Williams - 2014
    She thinks she’s ready for this homecoming. She’s spent years escaping her perpetual shyness and being Katie Michaels’ tag-along friend, but being back in her hometown brings back a lot of old memories, especially when she is faced with the cowboy she never forgot — Katie’s older brother, Maddox. Twelve years ago, Maddox Michaels was supposed to be somebody. He had everything. A football scholarship. A Division I team scouting him. Maybe even a chance at the pros. Now, he’s a burned-out cowboy working day and night to stay ahead of his brother’s medical bills and keep their family farm from going bankrupt. And trying to be a father-figure for his niece, Olivia. When Haley and Olivia start spending time together, Maddox can’t help remembering those dreams that died alongside his sister. Will being with Haley open his heart to new dreams?

The Beginning


Karen Kingsbury - 2012
    From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes this e-short prequel to her upcoming novel, The Bridge, shedding light on the love story behind the bookstore and how it came to be a place of hope and encouragement.