Book picks similar to
Stepping Down by Michelle Stimpson


christian-fiction
christian
fiction
inspirational

Thicker Than Blood


C.J. Darlington - 2009
    She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build her career as a buyer for a large used bookstore. So far she’s been able to keep her drinking problem at bay, but everything changes when she lands a DUI on her thirty-third birthday. When she’s accused of a crime she didn’t commit at work, she has nowhere to turn. She yearns for her estranged family, especially her younger sister May whom she hasn’t seen for fifteen years. Now the owner of a failing cattle ranch in Elk Valley, Colorado, May couldn’t possibly want a relationship with the big sister who didn’t even say good-bye all those years ago, could she? Soon Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her abusive ex-boyfriend, and God. Could the Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for, or will May’s new-found faith give her even more reason to reject Christy?

Saving Face


Brenda Barrett - 2013
    Natasha Rowe and her partner Harry Campbell are asked to go under cover to investigate what appears to be a murder. In the process of investigating, Natasha finds herself attracted to lecturer and psychiatrist Taj Jackson. She also realizes that all is not what it appears to be at the school. There are secrets and lies under the veneer of holiness, especially in the life of the dead president.

Here in Hart's Crossing: Four Charming Small Town Novellas


Robin Lee Hatcher - 2018
     A daughter returns home from the big city to care for her injured mother. Childhood sweethearts reconnect after decades apart. A single mom finds herself the target of her starry-eyed daughter’s matchmaking scheme. And a young couple struggles to find their own American dream in this wonderful collection of four novellas from bestselling author Robin Lee Hatcher. Celebrating family, faith, and forgiveness, Here in Hart’s Crossing will warm your heart and soothe your spirit.Includes: Legacy Lane * Veterans Way * Diamond Place * Sweet Dreams Drive

Welcome to Last Chance


Cathleen Armstrong - 2013
    But as she encounters the people who make Last Chance their home, it’s her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life for Lainie’s comfort-especially since she’s on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.Yet in spite of herself, Lainie finds that she is increasingly drawn in to the dramas of small town life. An old church lady who always has room for a stranger. A handsome bartender with a secret life. A single mom running her diner and worrying over her teenage son. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little hick town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?Cathleen Armstrong pens a debut novel filled with complex, lovable characters making their way through life and relationships the best they can. Her evocative descriptions, observational humor, and talent at rendering romantic scenes will earn her many fans.

Long Time Coming


Vanessa Miller - 2010
    Kenisha Smalls has lived in poverty all her life. She has three children by three different men and has just been diagnosed with inoperable cancer. While the meeting between these two women appears accidental, it becomes their catalyst of hope. Neither woman expects the blessing that God has in store for her. While Deidre guides Kenisha on the path to eternal life with Jesus Christ, Kenisha teaches Deidre how to stand strong against the storms of life.

In Between


Jenny B. Jones - 2007
    With her mom in prison, and her father AWOL, Katie is sent to live with a squeaky-clean family who could have their own sitcom. She launches a full-scale plan to get sent back to the girls’ home when she finds herself in over her head...and heart. When Katie and her new "wrong crowd" get into significant trouble at school, she finds her punishment is restoring a historic theater with a crazy grandma who goes by the name of Mad Maxine. In the midst of her punishment, Katie uncovers family secrets that run deep, and realizes she's not the only one with a pain-filled past. Katie must decide if she'll continue her own family’s messed up legacy or embrace a new beginning in this place called In Between.

After the Leaves Fall


Nicole Baart - 2007
    After her mother leaves when Julia is nine years old, she's raised by an unassuming, gentle father and a saintly, matriarchal grandmother until her father dies just as Julia is becoming a young adult. On the cusp of womanhood, Julia feels jaded by her circumstances and longs for a new identity. College seems like the perfect place to start over. But when Julia makes a mistake that will change her life forever, she returns to her grandmother's farm, defeated and convinced of her own worthlessness. Only through the gentle prodding of her loving grandmother does Julia begin to accept the imprint her childhood has left on her life and look for hope in a loving God who longs to make all things new.

Heart's Design


JoAnn Durgin - 2015
    Seth can’t let go of the past. Recent Wellesley College graduate Caroline Prescott’s future is set in stone. After Harvard Law School, she’ll step into place beside her two brothers in their father’s legendary Boston law firm. Caroline secretly longs for the quiet, peaceful life and a career designing jewelry with precious gemstones instead of life as a hotshot Boston attorney. On a hiking trip with her two best friends weeks before entering law school, Caroline meets Seth Barnes in charming Evergreen, Maine. A mineralogist and part-time college professor, Seth drives a truck sporting an I DIG ROCKS license plate, lives in hiking clothes, flannel shirts and jeans, and loves Jesus. Two years later, when they meet again, Caroline and Seth confront both the promise of possibility and the pain of past heartaches. What’s a girl to do when the man she secretly loves has a serious girlfriend and seems determined to hold her at arm’s length? And what’s a guy to do when he can’t stay away from a certain irresistible woman no matter how hard he tries? Does the Lord have His own design for their hearts? Heart’s Design, a story filled with faith, friendship, love, family, and the power of forgiveness.

Out of a Dream


Rosemary Hines - 2011
    From the outside, it all looks idyllic. A newlywed settling into a quaint coastal town, her husband establishing himself as a junior partner in a law firm—what more could she want? But a series of disturbing nightmares haunts Michelle. Her quest to understand these dreams leads her to the New World bookstore, where she begins a spiritual journey that will challenge her Christian heritage as well as her marriage. Captivating characters, suspenseful story lines, and thought-provoking themes—bestselling author, Rosemary Hines crafts gripping, and at times poignant, tales of the challenges Christians face in contemporary culture. Known for her realistic portrayal of life and her sensitivity in tackling tough topics, her novels examine issues such as the prevalence of New Age beliefs and practices in today's society, the tragedy of suicide in families of all walks of life, the struggles of children from broken homes, the heartache of infertility as well as unwanted pregnancies and abortions, and the difficulties of aging. Never preachy but always leading the reader to a message of hope and redemption, Rosemary is a committed follower of Christ. The novels of the Sandy Cove series—Out of a Dream, Through the Tears, Into Magnolia, Around the Bend, and From the Heart convey profound Christian messages that touch hearts and impact lives. Refreshingly honest and true to life, the characters resonate with readers and become their friends, and the stories transition seamlessly from one novel to the next. "Out of a Dream quickly introduces you to characters that parallel people in our own lives. Shaped by traits that enhance the plausibility of the plot, you could swear that you’ve met them all before. This novel resonates with the theme of how people often go looking for love in all the wrong places when seeking spirituality. The beauty here is that although some explore false approaches to knowing God, there is hope for everyone who diligently seeks the truth.” —Irene Dunlap, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Treasure for Kids

Until Forever


Darlene Shortridge - 2010
    No answer. She tried calling several times while she ate her lunch. Still no answer. She closed her eyes and rested her arms and head on her desk. She breathed deeply, wishing she had remembered to call earlier. Until Forever is a story of a young family that is torn apart by the devastating effects of alcoholism. Can healing take place in a relationship when an unforgivable act is committed? Will Jessi's pain and Mark's guilt keep them apart forever, or will unforeseen circumstances bind them together?

Love Story


Karen Kingsbury - 2017
    Their whirlwind romance started when they were young college students and lasted nearly thirty years—until Elizabeth died of cancer.So when John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story with Elizabeth for his grandson Cole’s heritage project, he’s not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great. But he agrees and allows his heart and soul to go places they haven’t gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together.At the same time, Baxter family friend Cody Coleman is working through the breakup of his complicated relationship with Andi Ellison. He is determined to move on when a chance sighting changes his plans—and heart. Can Cody convince Andi to give their love another try, or is it time for them to say goodbye for good?As school comes to an end, Cole presents his report on the love story between his grandparents John and Elizabeth Baxter. It is a tale that touches the hearts of the entire family, and one that causes Cole to better understand his own beginning.Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time or finding them all over again, Love Story will stir your heart and remind you of the generational impact of love and the eternal bond of family.

A Promise to Remember


Kathryn Cushman - 2007
    On one side, Melanie Johnston - a grieving single mother - is convinced her son will be forgotten. On the other is Andie Phelps, a reserved woman who retreats even further into herself with grief.These two sympathetic characters fight her own way through grief and pain - sometimes wisely and sometimes with choices that have the power to divide family, church, and even their small, seaside town.

God's Grammar


Mick Mooney - 2012
    While the grammar lesson begins at Sam's kitchen table, inwardly an epic journey also takes place; a journey out of Sam's inner Fortress and into the greater realm of his soul. While God seeks to liberate Sam, the General--a dark co-inhabitant of Sam's inner Fortress--is determined to keep the revelation of God's unfailing love from finding a permanent home in Sam's heart. God's Grammar is an imaginative tale of loss, love and redemption that dares to answer one of life's biggest questions: Will love last forever?

Honey Creek Homecoming


Barbara Kaylor - 2013
    When her step-grandmother sends for her, Olivia returns with a plan. To marry the town’s wealthiest bachelor, Payton Vance. But things go quickly awry for the self-absorbed, arrogant, and angry woman. Secrets in her past, the devotion of a woman longing to be her grandmother, a destitute family, and Rusty Baker, the guy she humiliated in high school all push Olivia into an emotional battle only a Savior could help her win. Over a short amount of time, Olivia learns she can’t make it alone no matter how independent, ambitious, and stubborn she is. Something spiritual is at play here. Her return to Honey Creek was no random happening. God has chosen this particular time and place to give Olivia a choice. Either trust Him or lose everything.

This Child Is Mine


Mildred Colvin - 2005
    She rejoices until she sees the hospital has apparently made a mistake in recording Stevie’s blood type. A second test brings to light that Stevie cannot be her biological child. Where, then, is her baby?Jonathan McDuff, at first, doesn’t believe that his beloved baby, Lexie, isn’t his birth daughter. Then he determines to have both children in his home. Since Mrs. Carter won’t give Stevie up without a legal battle, he comes up with a plan. He’ll give her the care of both children as long as they all remain under his roof. An impossible situation, but with God’s help, healing and love may win over heartbreak and loss. Babies switched at birth.Contemporary Christian RomanceFormerly published by Barbour Publishing54,000 words