Book picks similar to
For the Love of Emma by Starr Ayers


fiction
fact-based-fiction
christian
historical-fiction

Don't Abandon the Superstar (Strong Family Romances #8)


Cami Checketts - 2020
    When their mixed luck crosses paths, life will never be the same. Is love at first sight possible? Austin Strong didn’t believe it, until Kate Joy met his gaze, and he crashed into a glass wall. Life would never be the same for the irresistible charmer of the Strong family, and he doesn’t want it to be. Forget his hundred and twenty-six other girlfriends. He only needs one. Don’t miss the surprising, romantic, and heartbreaking Strong Family finale as Austin meets his match with no way of knowing if he can win the one heart he truly wants. 1. Don’t Date Your Brother’s Best Friend - Ella Strong 2. Her Loyal Protector 3. Don’t Fall for a Fugitive - Heath Strong 4. Don’t Ditch a Detective - Cassie Strong 5. Don't Miss the Moment - Gavin Strong 6. Don't Love an Army Ranger - Nick Strong 7. Don't Chase a Player - Stetson Strong 8. Don't Abandon the Superstar - Austin Strong Try out Cami's newest series: The Jewel Family: Do Marry Your Billionaire Boss

From the White House to the Amish


Katrina Hoover Lee - 2020
    Though Tom never makes it to the moon, his journey through life takes him to places just as unique. But not even the prestige of working in the Eisenhower White House and the CIA can take away Tom's disillusionment and despair when he loses the most important person in his life. Convinced that God has turned his back, Tom buries himself in his work and turns his back on God. Or does God even exist? Then an unexpected voice and an unpretentious Amish man change Tom Kirkman’s life. This biographical fiction echoes the true story of Thomas E. Kirkman, White House artist, CIA spy, engine designer, and Amish man.

The Ties That Bind


Kristen McKendry - 2009
    Now, as he approaches the birth of his first child, he feels deeply unsettled about his severed familial bonds. Before Daniel can feel ready to be a father himself, he knows he must unravel the painful mystery of his past and make peace with what he finds.This quest begins as Daniel discovers the story of his grandmother, a woman of great faith who wanted nothing more than to have her family sealed together eternally, but whose untimely death led to the scattering of her offspring. Daniel’s journey of understanding unfolds as he forms new connections with relatives he never knew he had and gains long-lost insight about the difficult circumstances that entangled his family tree. From a past riddled by abuse, abandonment, and alcoholism, Daniel comes to see himself and his future in a promising new light.Inspired by actual people and events, this novel poignantly imparts unforgettable lessons about love and loss, choice and accountability, and the everlasting ties that bind generations. I loved it! Not only is The Ties That Bind a tender story of a man in search of himself, but it includes a lot of good tips for how one might find the pieces to the puzzle of one’s own history.

After the Rain


Brandy Bruce - 2019
    Maybe. Hopefully. One day. As a radio show host, Debra spends her mornings as Miss Lonely Heart on air, empathizing with all the broken hearts in the Denver metro area. She spends her evenings watching old musicals and trying not to think about the guy who broke up with her and subsequently fell in love with one of her best friends. Alone in a new city, Debra questions where she belongs and who she is now. When she stumbles into the indie music scene, Debra meets singer Ben Price. Rock star appeal, with a day job as a worship pastor, Ben is everything Debra wants to avoid. But he’s determined to be her friend, and it so happens she could really use one. Because try as she might, nothing seems to erase the anger and betrayal she feels. It’s time for a new dream. But how does she start over when the pieces of her broken past remain lodged in her heart?

The Last Storyteller


Diane Noble - 2004
    So when her boyfriend, medical student Sam Wellington, leaves for a fellowship thousands of miles away before he knows she is pregnant, Taite is unwilling destroy his chance of becoming a doctor. Completely unprepared to face parenthood alone, she decides to get an abortion. But without any emotional or financial resources, Taite first seeks solace from her Welsh grandmother, Naini. “Do you remember the stories I once told you, Taite? About the family? … There were some I didn’t tell you…. Some were too hard to tell.”From the moment the disillusioned young woman arrives, Naini knows that time is running out, both for Taite and for herself. The aging woman must make her granddaughter understand the heart and soul of their family’s ancient legacy. But for Taite to discover the passion and faith that can keep love alive, Naini must tell the hard stories, one last time.Interweaving a medieval adventure with the dilemmas of contemporary romance, The Last Storyteller draws ancient grace into modern lives through the powerful telling of stories.

Mail Order Bride: A Bride for the Widower with Troublesome Twins (Two is Better Than One Book 2)


Emily Woods - 2016
    Harvey is a widowed rancher trying to raise mischievous twins all by himself in Arizona. Suzy and Alex, the twins, aren’t content to let their pa stay single and unhappy so they take actions into their own hands. When the twins mix their unsuspecting father with a bride expecting something completely different, nothing is certain except that a lot needs to happen to form a happy family. This book is a sweet, clean, western, historical, romance short story. It is a complete story, but it is also part of the Two is Better Than One series. Be sure to read them all - in any order! Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited

The Abolitionist's Daughter


Kathleen L. Maher - 2018
    Horse traders from Virginia, Ethan Sharpe and his brother Devon would defend their livelihood from her interfering kind. When love ignites, friends become enemies separated over the course of a long and brutal conflict. Can the very influences which carved a chasm unite a torn family against all odds?

She Came to Stay


Eleni Kyriacou - 2020
    Dina Demetriou has travelled from Cyprus for a better life. She's certain that excitement, adventure and opportunity are out there, waiting - if only she knew where to look.Her passion for clothes and flair for sewing land her a job repairing the glittering costumes at the notorious Pelican Revue. It's here that she befriends the mysterious and beautiful Bebba.With her bleached-blonde hair and an appetite for mischief, Bebba is like no Greek Dina has ever met before. She guides Dina around the fashionable shops, bars and clubs of Soho, and Dina finally feels life has begun.But Bebba has a secret. And as thick smog brings the city to a standstill, the truth emerges with devastating results. Dina's new life now hangs by a thread. What will be left when the fog finally clears? And will Dina be willing to risk everything to protect her future?A story of friendship, family, love and loss set against the grimy and glittering streets of fifties Soho. For fans of Kate Furnivall and Rachel Rhys.

Timeless Moments


Michelle Kidd - 2016
    Stunned, he finds they share the house but live a century apart. The realization leads him to questions so disturbing it changes both their lives forever. She is a prisoner of the past, shrouded in a world of dark mysteries. He holds the keys that will protect their future. But first, he must solve the mystery concealed for nearly a hundred years.

My Sweet Vidalia


Deborah Mantella - 2015
    Despite the direst of circumstances, the spirit of the lost child refuses to leave her ill-equipped young mother's side.For as long as she is needed―through troubled pregnancies, through poverty, through spousal abuse and agonizing betrayals―Cieli Mae, the determined spirit child, narrates their journey. Serving as a safe place and sounding board for Vidalia's innermost thoughts and confusions, lending a strength to her momma's emerging voice, Cieli Mae provides her own special brand of comfort and encouragement, all the while honoring the restrictions imposed by her otherworldly status.Vidalia finds further support in such unlikely townsfolk and relations as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and her Wild Women of God, and, most particularly, in Ruby Pearl Banks, the kind, courageous church lady, who has suffered her own share of heartache in their small Southern town of yesteryear's prejudices and presumptions.My Sweet Vidalia is wise and witty, outstanding for its use of vibrant, poetic language and understated Southern dialect, as well as Mantella's clear-eyed observations of race relations as human relations, a cast of unforgettable characters, an in-depth exploration of the ties that bind, and its creative perspective. My Sweet Vidalia is a rare, wonderful, and complex look at hope, strength, the unparalleled power of unconditional love, and a young mother's refusal to give up.

The Rose Trilogy Boxed Set


Beverly Lewis - 2011
    A stirring saga of two Amish sisters on the fringe of the church, and their journeys toward reconciliation with the modern men they love.

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...

Stories That Bind Us


Susie Finkbeiner - 2020
    As they struggle to move forward, they build a relationship upon the foundation of storytelling and its special kind of magic.

The Christmas Prayer


Wanda E. Brunstetter - 2018
    Brunstetter takes readers on a journey in 1850 along the California Trail.   Only the brave—or foolhardy—would attempt a cross-country journey late in the season. Three wagons meet up in Independence, Missouri, in April 1850, and their owners decide to keep forging ahead despite many setbacks and delays. December finds them in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when a sudden snowstorm traps them, obscuring the trail.   Cynthia Cooper is traveling with her mother and the man she has promised to marry. But as Christmas is upon them and they are hunkered down in a small cabin, she is forced to reevaluate her reasons for planning to marry fellow-traveler Walter Prentice. When a widowed father heading to a California ranch and a gold prospector both show an interest in Cynthia, she weighs her dreams for marriage alongside her responsibility to care for her mother. Can love win over her timid heart?

The Granddaughter Project


Shaheen Chishti - 2021