Book picks similar to
Return to Chocolate by Erynn Mangum


erynn-mangum
romance
christian-fiction
contemporary

Road to Deer Run


Elaine Marie Cooper - 2010
    Her brother, Asa is dead — killed by the King’s army, so when she stumbles across a wounded British soldier, her sense of right and wrong is challenged. Should she help a soldier of the enemy who took her brother’s life, or let him die, cold and alone?The war has also broken British soldier Daniel Lowe’s spirit. A severely wounded prisoner of war, he escaped his rebel captors while on a death march to Boston. As the pain in his injured leg worsens, he wonders if the young woman looking down at him is an angel or the enemy.Need and compassion bring these two young lives together, but will the bitterness of war keep them apart? Or can they find their way to love and forgiveness on the Road to Deer Run?

Salt Water Taffie


Janice Hanna - 2009
    But when her parents begin planning their retirement, Taffie's not sure she has the moxie or the know-how to manage Carini’s Confections on her own. When repairman Ryan Antonelli makes a service call at Carini's, he’s irresistibly drawn to more than just the candy. Although his marketing degree has hardly prepared him to fix a taffy-making machine, Ryan will do anything to help Taffie, with the hopes of winning her heart. When a business mogul wants to buy Carini’s property to build a new casino, Taffie’s family’s future is threatened. Can Ryan help Taffie save Carini’s Confections? Will they find sweet love together in the process?

Stephen Bly's Horse Dreams Trilogy: Memories of a Dirt Road Town, The Mustang Breaker, Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago


Stephen Bly - 2014
    In the first novel of this series, Memories of a Dirt Road, we meet Develyn Worrell. Develyn, or Devvy for short, is a fifth-grade schoolteacher from southern Indiana who is broken-hearted about her husband's death and her daughter's decision not to come home for the summer. To clear her mind, Devvy decides to find a little dirt road town in Wyoming where she vacationed as a child. She fondly remembers the quaintness of the small town, the beautiful sunsets, and an remarkable Roan horse that has captivated her dreams ever since. Desperately wanting to experience that peace and tranquility again, Devvy embarks on a journey to find the town. When she arrives, she purchases her very own Roan mare, rents a little cabin with an incredible sunset view, and watches as God brings three very important men into her life. In the second part of the Horse Dreams trilogy, The Mustang Breaker, heavy-hearted Develyn Worrell’s mood is changing as she begins to escape the worries of her past and enjoy the equine charms of her picture-perfect small Wyoming town. It is there that the Lord’s leading is beginning to become clear, even as cowboy romances and the relationship with her grown daughter get more complicated. In the third and final installment of the Horse Dreams trilogy, soul-searching Develyn Worrell has finally found her groove. Ready to savor the end of summer in small town Wyoming, she settles in to enjoy “end of summer” peace and contentment. That is, until her daughter pays a visit, an eclectic friend plans to marry, a suspicious stranger enters the picture, and a dear mentor suffers a heart attack. Just as she begins to feel as if the world is closing in on her once again, the steady friendship of Cooper Tallon comes to her rescue. He may lack the charm and flash of other cowboys, but he always seems to have just what Develyn's heart needs. As her relationship with Cooper blooms and her faith and trust in the Lord grows, she looks forward to the unwritten chapters of her life.

My So-Called Love Life


Allie Pleiter - 2006
    I'm the voice of Maggy Hoot, the wisecracking owl from the hit animated series "Arborville." And as soon as any cute or eligible or even "breathing" guy realizes what I do for a living, the relationship is over before it's started.I'm actually Lindy Edwards, a smart, educated woman who would really like to get past the third date with a nice Christian man without having to give a hoot-owl impersonation. Is that too much to ask?

A Certain Hope


Lenora Worth - 2005
    Her faith and belief in happy endings all but destroyed, April threw herself into working her father's ranch. But as she struggled with this new life, she found herself headlong in a romantic attachment she never thought possible.Rancher Reed Garrison resented April's leaving Texas so long ago, but he loved her still. Now Reed wanted her to succeed, to recapture her joy and love of God. He hoped the tender feelings between them would grow—and that this time, April would be willing to put down roots...with him.

Kissing Adrien


Siri L. Mitchell - 2005
    Ignoring her romantic surroundings, Claire is all business and in a hurry to return to her job, home, and an almost dating relationship with Brian, an associate pastor. When Adrien, a handsome and flirtatious friend of the family, agrees to help Claire, his spontaneity and "joie de vie" drives her crazy. But in time, even Claire cannot resist the City of Lights' offerings, including the Rodin museum where the sculpture The Kiss raises the questions...who will be the love of her life? And will she ever learn to enjoy the life God has placed right in front of her.

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.

Valley of Chaya


Tracey Hoffmann - 2012
    The book is best described as an action adventure, suspense, love story. It is set in the world of human trafficking but has been written with sensitivity and care to ensure a quality read. Life's very simple but difficult for Ashok and Shanti, they love each other more than anything else in the world. They're a couple of street kids living in Mumbai with high expectations of a better life tomorrow. Their lives are changed in an instant when Shanti is snatched away by strangers. At the same time Australian teenager Charlotte Turner is preparing to embark on a long awaited trip to India. Despite a major planning setback and family difficulties Charlotte leaves for India, but with very mixed emotions.

Song of the Highlands


Sharon Gillenwater - 1997
    His greatest surprise, however, comes when he wins a run-down English estate-with the spirited sister of the previous owner still in residence!

Beginning Again


Lauraine Snelling - 1999
    Though her son, Nicholas, is wearing resentment like a badge, Maddy flees with him to her childhood home, only to find her widowed father a sullen and broken man.Determined to piece together the shattered fragments of her life, Maddy struggles to support her son and care for the farm that has dwindled under the inattentive hand of her father. With the support of an unforeseen ally, she strives to broaden their income even as her dreams are thwarted by the harsh realities of a beautiful but savage land. Seemingly alone in the inevitable struggles ahead, reminders of her childhood faith usher in the promise that hope and love can blossom in the most unexpected places. This title was previous published as Hawaiian Sunrise.

Take a Chance on Me


Becky Wade - 2020
     Penelope has one iron-clad dating rule—she does not date airmen. Months ago, she relaxed her rule with Eli and immediately lived to regret it. After a long deployment, he’s now back in Misty River and, to her dismay, she finds him just as tempting as always. Eli’s spent months thinking about funny, feisty, creative Penelope. He once leveraged his focus and drive to become a pilot, his childhood dream. Now he's set on leveraging that same focus and drive in order to convince Penelope to give him one more chance. This romantic prequel novella introduces readers to the quaint mountain town of Misty River and a brand-new series from Christy-winning author Becky Wade!

Compromised Identity


Jodie Bailey - 2016
    But a blue-eyed mystery man rushes to her aid just in time, and Jessica learns the handsome army staff sergeant has been investigating her. Sean Turner believes a ring of cyberterrorists who've been attacking military bases are now specifically targeting Jessica. And he's determined to figure out why they are tracking her every move. As the threats against Jessica escalate and attempts are made on her life, Sean vows to stop the hackers. Yet the heart-scarred soldier is set on keeping an emotional distance…especially when they discover what the terrorists are really after.

Always a Will and a Way


Barbara Gee - 2014
    Their comfortable routine is interrupted when her late husband’s parents contact her out of the blue, after nine years of total silence. Promising to explain everything, they request that Kelly bring James to visit them at their Texas ranch. It’s the last thing Kelly wants to do, yet she feels an unexplainable prompting to go. With the fervent hope that the visit will be good for James, she books the plane tickets and prepares herself for a very uncomfortable week. Heading into “enemy territory", the last thing Kelly expects is to meet a man who leaves her breathless, the first man to turn her head since she lost her husband. A relationship with Will Connor seems totally out of reach, but the handsome young cowboy refuses to let Kelly’s fears keep them from exploring what God might have in store for them. As they overcome obstacles and start to see a future together, one final snag causes Kelly to question their happy ending. Is Will actually better off without her? Is she strong enough to give him up?

When Love Leads You Home


Jami Crumpton - 2019
    After missing the Olympic team because of injury, and being shut out by her ‘winning is everything’ father, she’s built a career as a top notch, award-winning coach. When a serious student injury propels her to the outside of the gymnastics world, she finds herself broke and alone – until a bequest from a mysterious and unknown aunt takes her on an unexpected journey. Who was Aunt Winnie, and what does the equally mysterious and unknown Mr. Boudreaux have to do with it? Army veteran, Cole Boudreaux, has returned home a hero to Cardinal Point, Texas, but a few things went wrong with his homecoming. His fiancée cut him loose, and he lost his position as a police officer because a wartime injury left him nearly deaf. Then, the woman who was like a mother to him dies suddenly. Cole knows God has a plan, and if he could settle Winnie’s estate and grow his budding security business, he just might figure out what it is. Winnie’s niece is not making it easy. She’s rolled into town with a ton of baggage and secrets she’s not willing to share. Why is Jacey so distant, and why is she so determined to not let him in?

Once Upon a Montana Summer


Lisa Tawn Bergren - 2018
    Hundreds of thousands of viewers tune in each week to watch a group of bachelorettes try to win one bachelor’s heart, and then during the next season, watch bachelors do the same.Adi appeared on the show twice—once as a potential love-match for the bachelor, once as the bachelorette. As a marketing executive for the firm who handles the show, Adi initially became a part of the cast in order to learn more from the “inside.” But as much as she wanted to stay professionally removed, she ended up giving her heart to both Adam and Connor. Both times, the men broke it off.Now America’s most famous “loser at love,” Adalyn is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Given the media frenzy and the paparazzi that chase her, she’s finding it difficult. And just as she learns she may have picked up a stalker, her childhood friend, Chase Rollins, tracks her down at last. He informs her that her beloved grandfather is ailing and needs her help, in more ways than one.So begins an epic summer in which Adalyn needs to decide where she belongs, what she is supposed to do, and with whom she might find true love at last. All Once Upon a Montana Summer…