Book picks similar to
Hearts Unfold by Karen Welch


romance
fiction
contemporary-romance
christian

When I Come Home Again


Jennifer Rodewald - 2020
    But in a matter of a year’s time, everything she’d counted on fell apart, leaving her devastated. Seven years later, she’s stable again. She has a supportive boyfriend, fulfilling career, and close friends. She keeps her past heartache where it belongs—in her rearview mirror. Until the man who broke her heart finds his way back to Big Prairie.Craig Erikson had it all—popularity, success, and the love of his high school coach’s daughter. But after a year of mistakes that ended in a tragic accident, he’d left Big Prairie—the place he’d thought to always call home—hoping that without his antagonizing presence, Brenna would be able to heal. Now his mother desperately needs him, as do two young boys in her care. Craig has little choice but to return for good.Unsure that she can forgive him, Brenna does her best to avoid him. Irritated that she ignores him as if they’d never meant anything to each other, Craig becomes determined not to allow it. Life in a small town forces their interaction, making them confront their unresolved issues and igniting emotions that have smoldered for seven years. As Craig and Brenna are pushed together, can they endure the hard places still littering their lives? If so, is it possible to find their way back to love and home again?

Hearts Crossing


Marianne Evans - 2010
    Daveny Montgomery cares deeply about her relationship with God and the community of Woodland. But lately she's been in a rut, longing for something to reignite her spiritual enthusiasm. A beautification project at Woodland seems the answer for them both. Daveny spearheads the effort and Collin assists—but only with the renovations, and only because he wants to know Daveny better. Despite his deepening feelings for her, even stepping into the common areas of the church stirs tension and anger. Can Daveny trust in Collin’s fledgling return to faith? And can Collin ever accept the fact that while he turned his back on God, God never turned his back on him?

Discovering Home


Carol Moncado - 2016
    It’s not his first choice, but it seems to be what God has for him, at least for now. Until a chance encounter with a familiar face changes his outlook. MacKenzie Davidson has been a single mom since before her daughter was born. Just once, she’d love not to worry about losing her job or what will happen if her fledgling yarn dyeing business doesn’t take off. A stormy night and flooded road bring the straws that finally break the back of her independent streak. Her knight-in-shining-SUV comes in the form of American royalty. She’s read enough of the tabloids to know that’s how Jonathan’s family is seen and knows she can’t begin to measure up. But when he puts everything aside to help her, her daughter, and her now-floundering business, she begins to wonder. Jonathan quickly comes to believe he’s found everything he’s looking for. Will they find their way to each other or will they be ripped apart before discovering home?

Summer of Deception


Elva Cobb Martin - 2017
    She finds she is ill prepared to deal with the plantation’s new owner who is overflowing with bitterness and distrust. Widowed and wounded, former Marine Corps Special Forces operative, Luke Barrett, has enough to handle with his little girl and an historic property to upkeep. The last thing he needs is a feisty, stubborn woman with whom to contend. Yet, Rachel’s determined spirit awakens something in Luke that he thought died a long time ago. Luke begins to capture Rachel’s heart until the night she uncovers evidence he may be keeping his plantation solvent by allowing cocaine to be smuggled along his coastline. Devastated by the possibility, Rachel must decide whether to confront him, even while she conceals secrets of her own. Can love survive a summer of deception?

Killing Memories


Tatiana Moore - 2012
    But ask her mother or best friend and they’d tell you different. Moo says Estela fears rejection while her mother thinks she’s too gordita. Maybe they’re both right, but Estela is pretty damn happy with the status quo, well, sorta. At 26 years old, Estela is completely inexperienced in love, and the women in her life just won’t let her die a lonely virgin spinster with donut glaze on her face. She has no time for men, but after a few matchmaking attempts, courtesy of Moo and Estela's family, men begin descending upon her with great gusto and flair. One who may be the Antichrist, or at the very least have a psycho-complex, won’t take “no thanks” for an answer. The other, with striking green eyes and gentle touch, makes her entire body pulse and buzz. Estela is overwhelmed by both and one thing’s certain: She won’t get anywhere if she can’t learn to forget the past and really see the one who stands in front of her, eager to love her as she is. Revised: 9/6/2015

Love & Order


Elsie Davis - 2019
     Garrett Bradley commands the attention of some of the most influential clients in the country as one of the leading corporate attorneys in New York City, but one phone call changes everything. He must return home to Hallbrook, NH, where he soon discovers he’s responsible for three young kids and one monster-size Saint Bernard. April St. James, the social worker assistant assigned to the children’s case before Garrett’s mother adopted them, was staying with the children until Sarah Bradley’s prodigal son returns home to take up his responsibilities. Unfortunately, it puts her own job in jeopardy. A powerhouse in the business world but clueless when it comes to children, Garrett turns to April with an offer she can’t refuse, enticing her to come to the city as a temporary nanny. The deal will allow her to finally pursue her dreams once the job is done. But three kids, a dog, a nanny, and an uptight attorney don’t mix well in a fancy NYC penthouse. And when Garrett makes a mistake at work, he realizes somethings got to give before the situation destroys his reputation, the company, and most importantly—his new family. Find out if Rufus can help this mismatched pair realize their love is the perfect glue to hold their newfound family together! This sweet tale of family, trust, and total chaos is one you won't want to miss. Order your copy and start reading today!

Stormy With a Chance of Love


Dyanne Gordon Green - 2015
     Maggie Archer teaches at Freedom Christian University and is very active at her church. Though never married, Maggie, now approaching fifty, still longs for a relationship. One that is based on Biblical principles and filled with love and friendship. Frank Porter, 55, owns his own construction company, is quite successful and is a born again Christian, ready to share the gospel with anyone and everyone. Frank came close to marriage several years ago but it didn't work out. He finds nights and weekends are too quiet and too lonely but he has resigned himself to his solitary lifestyle. Maggie and Frank have a chance meeting at the large church they both attend and are very taken with each other. They meet again and find the attraction is mutual; however they both have secrets they aren’t sure they want to share now or ever. Is their faith and trust in God strong enough to overcome their past secrets or will they go their separate ways, never experiencing the joy they could have together?

Second Chance Summer


Allie Boniface - 2009
    He’s trying to escape his. Love may be their only hope.Ten years after leaving home, the last thing Summer Thompson expects is to inherit her estranged father's half-renovated mansion. And the last thing she wants is to face the memories of the night her brother died, fleeting as they may be. Now a San Francisco museum curator, she plans to stay east just long enough to settle the estate and get rid of the house. Until she finds it occupied by a hunky handyman who's strangely reluctant to talk about his past.Damian Knight has been hiding his mother and sister from a violent ex, and Whispering Pines is the one place they’ve found peace and safety. He keeps to himself. He tells no one about his past. Yet when the lonely, haunted Summer steals his heart, he finds himself opening up to her in ways he should never risk. Especially to a woman who's planning to leave town after selling their refuge out from under them.As their attraction grows, the past begins to catch up with them. Summer's mounting flashbacks leave her confused and determined to uncover the truth about the night her brother died. But that truth will cross paths with the man Damian and his family have been avoiding for years.Can new love help them defeat the pain of the past? Or are some scars too deep to ever heal?If you love small towns, memorable characters, and swoon-worthy happy endings, then you'll love this sweet romance by a USA Today best-selling author! (Note: this book was previously released as Summer's Song. Revisions and updates accompany this new version!)

Callie


Sharon Srock - 2012
    Haunted by memories of a tiny coffin, Callie can’t understand how God could expect her to put her heart on the line a second time. But the evasive little girl attending her Sunday School class is so obviously in trouble that Callie finds her resolve cracking. Iris and Samantha Evans are living on borrowed time. Deserted, orphaned, betrayed, and deceived, they need rescuing in the worst way. Steve Evans had his life changed by God. A reformed drug addict, he’s searching for the family he abandoned ten years ago and praying for a miracle. The road to healing is rocky. But as Callie confronts her worst fears by bringing father and daughters together in a risky bid for reconciliation, she realizes that the Evans family aren’t the only ones God wants to rescue from a tortured past.

Hotter Than Ever


Linda Cousine - 2012
    Follow along as unconventional Lexi Taylor navigates the minefield that is menopause in this fast-paced fun spin on aging. She had it all ... and lost it in a hot flash.Lexi Taylor had the picture perfect life--fame, fortune, beauty, and a loving family. But Lexi's hit the big five-o and now everything has changed. In one year, she's managed to lose her husband, her figure, her friends … and she just might have lost her mind. After her second incarceration for acts committed while in the throes of menopausal madness, a family intervention convinces Lexi she needs some professional help, and she checks herself into Sunnyvale Sanitarium, Home for the Mostly Menopausal, for a ninety-day stay. With the help of an army of doctors and one very therapeutic nun, Lexi manages to reclaim her sanity, her self-respect, her sex-drive, and learn the true purpose of her colorful life. The Middle-Aged Hottie series: HOTTER THAN EVER (Book 1) TOO HOT TO HOLD (Book 2) HOT TO TROT (Book 3)

Destiny: Our Forever Love


Elise Quinn Larson - 2017
    The story of wild Johnny Larson and quiet Elise Quinn begins with a stolen kiss and ends with . . . well, read it and see. Johnny Larson is a star football player and a one-night stand guy who lives for wild parties, casual sex and his NFL dream. But when he impulsively kisses his brother's girlfriend one rainy afternoon, their sexual attraction ignites a passionate affair that won't be denied. Johnny calls it their destiny. Elise calls it love. Their happiness is complete when Johnny is picked in the first round of the NFL Draft, but it ends when he drives drunk after his draft party and kills a pedestrian, turning their dream into a nightmare. When Johnny's struggle with a corrupt prison system leads to his conviction for aggravated murder, Elise joins a desperate legal battle to save him from the death penalty. But does love have the power to overcome destiny? One reviewer wrote: "This book is a must read! Not only is it well researched and factual, it will have you wondering what's to come with each page you read. Sex, love, death, commitment, prison life, football, childbirth and final goodbyes; it's all here. An excellent book you won't want to put down. Enjoy." This is not your traditional Happily Ever After love story. You will need tissues as you read this sweeping saga of sexual passion and desire, criminal conspiracy and legal injustice, capital murder and death row, terminal illness and assisted suicide. Get ready for an emotional experience that will confirm your belief in the power of undying love. For ages 18+ due to sex scenes, adult situations and sensitive issues.

Stone Lake


Phil M. Williams - 2015
    He toils to keep their construction company afloat while the exes in his life enjoy their honeymoon. Jon meets Morgan when a flock of turkeys and a curvy mountain road aligns with one-in-a-million timing. Despite their attraction, her engagement, and the ire of her family, the pair embarks on a platonic friendship. As their relationship strengthens, they share secrets, but Morgan holds her most important secret tight to her chest, where it beats like a ticking time bomb. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Adult language and content. Beware of spoilers in the reviews.

Falling For You


Charlotte Blake - 2017
    But inside she’s still mourning the loss of her sister two years ago. Losing Mia and a failed engagement have been enough to keep her heart on lockdown ever since. 

 Luke Arnold is tired of relationships that don’t go anywhere. Usually women are all over him, but it’s been years since he’s met someone he could really fall for. 

But when he sees Grace from across the room at the Redview Lodge, he can’t keep his eyes off her. They meet in the New Hampshire mountains over Thanksgiving, and they find in one another something that neither of them expected.

 NOTE: This STAND-ALONE romance contains very steamy love scenes. All of the books in the Great Escapes series can be read in any order.

Cassidy Jane


April Floyd - 2015
    All the people in her life who love her can see her dilemma but they can’t help her see the way clear to a life with the Doc. Will she let him go as the love of her life? Not if Joshua has a say in it. A sweet Christian romance!

Fragile Touch


Lexy Timms - 2017
    He’s got this face that isn’t just heart-melting but actually kind of exotic…” Lillian Warren’s life is just how she’s designed it. She has a high-paying job working with celebrities and the elite, teaching them how to better organize their lives. She’s on her own, the days quiet, but she likes it that way. Especially since she’s still figuring out how to live with her recent diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Her cats keep her company, and she’s not the least bit lonely. Fun-loving personal trainer, Cayden, thinks his neighbor is a killjoy. He’s only seen her a few times, and the woman looks like she needs a drink or three. He knows how to party and decides to invite her to over—if he can find her. What better way to impress her than take care of her overgrown yard? She proceeds to thank him by throwing up in his painstakingly-trimmed-to-perfection bushes. Something about the fragile, mysterious woman captivates him. Something about this rough-on-the-outside bear of a man attracts Lily, despite her heart warning her to tread carefully.