Book picks similar to
The Christmas Challenge by JoAnn Durgin


christmas
romance
fiction
modern-day-christian

Her Marine Hero


Mia Dailey - 2019
     She’s dreaming of something more than a ranch life. Two Believers looking for each other without knowing it and a chance encounter that changes everything. After the woman he wanted to marry broke his heart, young multimillionaire and businessman James Greyson decides to join the Marines. A true romantic disappointed in love, heartbroken and betrayed, he escapes in hopes that his broken heart will heal. James and his brother Alex have already suffered enough after the death of their parents. Will boot camp in San Diego will help him find what he’s looking for? Victoria Martinez, a God loving woman has always dreamed of something more than the ranch life in Ohio. After getting her bachelor’s degree at an early age, she joins the Officer Candidate School for the Marines in the hope that it will bring her something more. However, after her father dies of a heart attack a year later, she can’t stop blaming herself for it. Victoria seeks redemption in a children’s group at church, and solace on a beach that makes her feel connected to God – and finds a young, broke Marine just out of boot camp. Instantly drawn to each other, they’re soon to face their trials: a horrifying accident that puts Victoria’s mother in the hospital that forces her to hurry back home...to the family that still hasn’t forgiven her, and a fire on the military ship where James is deployed. Will Victoria finally forgive herself and have peace with her family? Will James make it out alive out of the burning ship to tell Victoria who he really is? Will these trials bring them closer to each other, or separate them forever, just when they’ve found true love? And will they both continue to trust God or will their faith be shaken? Other books in the Millionaire Solider Christian Romance Anthology Series: 1. Her Marine Hero (FREE book) 2. Her Army Hero 3. Her Navy Hero 4. Her Air Force Hero 5. Her Coast Guard Hero Enjoy this Christian Military Romance read today!

Finding Faith (Love's Compass #4)


Melanie D. Snitker - 2016
    Moving away from her family support system so Gideon can attend a special school seems like the right choice, even if it means her entire life is about to change. The satisfaction of helping children and being a part of their lives is one reason Aaron Randall loves his job as a music therapist. When Hope Academy instills a dating policy, he doesn't give it a second thought. Until the new coworker who'd caught his attention turns out to be the parent of one of his students.A love they never expected is just out of reach. With Aaron's job and Gideon's education hanging in the balance, they'll have to rely on faith to find their way.

A Time to Love


Barbara Cameron - 2010
    But when she meets Matthew Bontrager, the man she had a crush on as a teenager, she wonders if God has a new plan for her. Jennie has emotional and physical scars and though she feels she has come home to this man and this place, she's not sure she can bridge the difference between their worlds.

Love Is a Battlefield


Annalisa Daughety - 2009
    Recent history has taught Kristy O’Neal not to believe in love or risk her heart. Ace Kennedy came to Shiloh to research his family history—but it’s Park Ranger Kristy he’s studying. Using his own ancestors as an example, can he prove that true love really does exist before Kristy walks away forever?

If You Believed in Love


Staci Stallings - 2011
    Stinging from an unimaginable loss, he has withdrawn from life, wanting only to live out his existence with as little interference as possible. However, when his sister talks him into auditing an English Literature class at the local community college, he reluctantly accepts the invitation to abandon his lonely apartment. Intent upon making an appearance for his sister’s sake and then disappearing for his own, Jonathon sulks into class. But when he meets Elizabeth Forester, the professor, Jonathon learns there is more to life and to love than he ever could have imagined. "Staci Stallings' books are Christian romance at its best!" IF YOU BELIEVED IN LOVE is a fascinating mix of literature and faith. A Contemporary Christian romance, the novel explores life, love, death, and redemption. It will surely find its way into your romance novels and inspirational books collections. *~* EXCERPT *~* “Turn to Appearances, page 31.” Without more than a second’s time, she continued without reading her book. “And so you found that poor room dull,/Dark, hardly to your taste, my dear?/Its features seemed unbeautiful;/But this I know—‘twas there, not here,/You plighted troth to me, the word/Which—ask that poor room how it heard. “And this rich room obtains your praise/Unqualified—so bright, so fair,/So all whereat perfection stays?/Aye, but remember—here, not there,/The other word was spoken!—Ask/This rich room how you dropped the mask! “Browning uses the metaphor of a house again in this one, a structure of some kind with different rooms. And what’s the story with this house?” “The guy likes one room but not the other.” Quiet depth filled her eyes. “Why?” She turned, and her gaze caught a raised hand. “Mr. Hansen?” “Because in one room he was trying to be something he wasn’t, and in the other, he dropped the mask.” “And the first room, where he was wearing the mask was…?” “Unbeautiful,” Susana said. “Dull and dark.” Ms. Forester seemed lost in the thought. “And the second room? What was it like?” “Unqualified,” someone down front said, “so bright, so fair.” “He’s saying the same thing in both poems, is he not?” She turned on the toe of her boot and gazed at the whole of her students. “Be who you are. Drop the mask. Be brave enough to show the world, and far from losing yourself and being criticized like a finite clod, you may be immortalized like Shakespeare, or at the very least, the room you’re standing in might just seem a little brighter than the one where you were before.” Her attention jumped up to the clock. “Oh, look at the time. Be sure to read the last selections for Thursday’s class. See you then.” It was like snapping awake from a dream and not being at all able to shake it. Jonathon stood as the others did as well. His mind spun trying to think of something, some reason that could keep him here with her for one more minute. He checked his things, gathering them slowly, watching her down front the whole time. One of the other students stepped up to her, and she bent to listen. What could he ask her? What question would be good enough to go to the front?

The Wedding Bond


Lee Tobin McClain - 2016
    Enter Phelan O’Donnell: army ranger, bad boy, and Kaylee’s high school ex. What Kaylee doesn’t know, when she enters into a “practice” relationship with Phelan, is that he’s harboring a secret that could rip her family apart. Their chemistry is explosive and their values are finally in sync. Their trial run just might turn into an actual marriage. But can they withstand a shocking revelation about their own history without breaking each others’ hearts? This standalone Christian romance spins off from Lee’s Sacred Bond series of inspirational romance novels. It’s set in the same Florida town where A Doctor’s Bond took place, and you’ll get the chance to wave hello to Boone and Abby, as well as Hector and Maria from A Bond Fulfilled. The Wedding Bond is a great way to jump into the Sacred Bond and Sacred Bond Guardians series of heartwarming, sweet love stories. Escape into small-town Florida, where love warms the beaches… and your heart.

Ring of Truth


Jaclyn Weist - 2015
    After six years of late nights and mind-numbing assignments as a marketing executive with the billion-dollar Silver Script Ad Agency, she finally landed the coveted Smithson Jewelers account, which means her love life will have to wait a little longer. ˃˃˃ She Gets The Leading Role, And An Engagement Ring To Go With It When the actress at the first commercial shoot upsets the director, Erin finds herself cast as the leading lady alongside Jake, a handsome up-and-coming actor, who rescued her cat from the streets and stole her heart. Flustered, she walks away from the shoot wearing the diamond ring, leading her mom to believe she's truly engaged to Jake. Both are desperate enough to get their parents off their backs, that they run with the lie. ˃˃˃ Now Jake and Erin have to figure out how to admit their story is false without hurting their parents or destroying the friendship they've gained with each other. ˃˃˃ You will love this charming, delightfully clean romance! Scroll Up And Grab Your Copy Today!

Seeking Single Male: For the Holidays


Stephanie Bond - 2018
     “Stephanie Bond never fails to entertain me and deserves to be an auto-buy.” Romance Reviews Today “Need a lift, feeling down? Pick up Stephanie Bond’s latest and your mood cannot help but improve.” CataRomance.com For a feel-good sexy holiday romance, cuddle up with SEEKING SINGLE MALE!

All of You, Always


Lindsay Harrel - 2021
    His beachfront property is ripe for the picking.But the big-city executive didn’t count on him being so stubborn. So rooted in family and tradition and everything that small-town America stands for.She also didn’t count on him being so attractive and wounded and … good.And Bella has to wonder if the ends really justify the means.But more than that—can love survive a lie?

All I Want for Christmas is You


Lisa Mondello - 1999
    Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. But delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag. But this Santa has a plan... Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town. Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.

Holy War


Jamie Lee Grey - 2017
     Journalist Cassandra Hall is always searching for a huge story, but she’s not expecting to stumble into it on a ferry as she returns from her dad’s funeral in Alaska. After terrorists kidnap her, she must find a way to free herself and alert the authorities about a suitcase nuke smuggled into the Seattle area. Along the way, spiritual forces provide invisible assistance… or attacks. For Cassandra’s real battle is not against flesh and blood terrorists, but against the spiritual rulers of wickedness in heavenly places. As she assists the FBI, Cassandra finds herself captivated by Special Agent David Lansing, who is assigned to lead the investigation and catch the terrorists. Her pursuit of the big scoop repeatedly conflicts with his need for confidentiality. Will Cassandra be able to win David’s heart… and her Pulitzer?

Shattered Heart : The Heart of Christmas Series


Patti Stafford
    She plans to start the new year off as a full-time career woman.What she doesn’t expect is for her brother’s friend, Kyle, to show up and steal her heart. But, after a bad breakup, can she ever trust another man with her heart?Kyle is charming, mature and well-mannered, too good to be true. Will her shattered heart find healing or does she risk having it shattered again?

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.

The Last Name Banks


Lacy Camey - 2012
    Now she's ready to show to the world there is more to her than what meets the eye. She's more than the prim debutante from a privileged background. Yes, her father may be running for President and her mother may be the socialite of the year, never lifting a finger unless it's to sip a flute of champagne, but Chloe is just like any other normal twenty-three year old, wanting to love and be loved, wanting to make her own mark in this world.So Chloe moves temporarily with her two friends to Venezuela to serve in an orphanage as a nurse. But it is there she faces the same prejudices she is running away from, including the judgment from the incredibly good-looking orphanage facilitator and a few grumpy doctors. Chloe has to learn to let go of others' assumptions of who she is so she can finally live her life free. But will she?The Last Name Banks is part of the "Living, Loving, and Laughing Again series", but can be read as a stand alone novel.If you enjoyed Norah and Maycee from The Last Page, you can find them again in Venezuela with Chloe in The Last Name Banks!Book One: The Last Page (Norah's story) out now!Book Two: The Last Name Banks (Chloe's story) out now!This PG novel is 57k words (roughly 284 paper pages) and is language and sex free making it suitable for teens and women of all ages.

An Informal Christmas


Heather Gray - 2015
    and the danger inherent in blaming God for the hurt.With December's approach, Rylie enlists Zach's help for a special undertaking -- a Christmas formal for one of the pediatric units. As they work together on the project, she hopes to show him that, even when it's painful, love is worth the risk...