Book picks similar to
Turning Hearts by Deanne Blackhurst


lds-fiction
lds
contemporary
gave-away-books

Faraway Child


Amy Maida Wadsworth - 2005
    But now Jen's life seems to be crumbling around her. Her husband Adam is suddenly without a job, her sister is moving far away, and people increasingly describe her two-year-old daughter as a difficult child. This is not the way Jen dreamed parenthood would be, especially with her youngest daughter.In the middle of each night, Kaye wakes up screaming. Human interactions and parental guidance have little meaning for her. Jen makes jokes about Kaye's public behavior to push away the pain. Marie, her four-year-old daughter, wants to know, "Why won't Kaye play with me?" Then Jen's new visiting teacher asks if Kaye is autistic. In Faraway Child, Amy Maida Wadsworth shares her most personal novel to date with a story about a family who faces shattered expectations, and then learns to reach out to family, ward members, and to God.

Her Good Name


Josi S. Kilpack - 2008
    As a single woman and convert to the Church, she has always managed to find her place in life — at least until someone else begins using her credit cards, her bank account, and, most important, her name. Now the real Chrissy must prove her innocence against a growing pile of collection notices and unpaid bills. But with no job, no money, a warrant for her arrest, and a closet full of high-heeled shoes, a girl can only get so far.When Chrissy meets Micah Heet, the other half of a blind date gone bad, the two discover they are facing the same battle and join forces to find the perpetrators. Little do they know that the small semblance of life they have left will be put on the line in the process.

High Stakes


Jennie Hansen - 2004
    Now he's on a trail of vengeance as he seeks out the men who killed his parents. He soon discovers that the person responsible is a corrupt man who wields his power to brand the young man a criminal. With revenge as his constant companions, Luke quickly finds himself playing the part of an outlaw. But love has a way of changing things. Maddie Brannigan is all her father has left but the broken-down gambler is still willing to offer his daughter as his stake in a game of chance. Deciding to take her own chances, Maddie runs away only to fall in love with a wanted man.Now both Luke and Maddie must overcome their troubled pasts if they are going to build a future together. However, history has away of repeating itself, and bounty hunters are still looking for LukeCan he really become a changed man? .

The Survivors


Gregg Luke - 2006
    A plane crash causes two unlikely survivors to depend on each other to get out of the jungle alive and find their families.

Missing Pieces


Jeni Grossman - 2009
    Yet when terrorist attack her entourage, a perilous pollitican plot is revealed. Al Qaeda henchman Aboud is hunting the statue to fulfill an ancient prophecy that would grant the extremists ultimate power over Islam. The CIA has gone undercover in Zeugma to prevent this coup. The safety of the free now hinges on the cooperation of Americans and Turks. With the help of native guide Asena. Dulcey navigates the power struggles and cultural clashes that arise as the dig progresses. But as tensions mount outside and inside the excavation camp, she struggles to distinguish friends from enemies. In a pulse-pounding race to secure the goddess, Dulcey learns the value of honor, family, and heritage as she risk her life to preserve her most precious treasures.

Counting Stars


Michele Paige Holmes - 2007
    What she wasn't expecting was Paul Bryant's completely original and sincere pick-up line: Hi. I'm Paul. I have terminal cancer. My wife was killed in a car accident, and I'm looking for a woman to raise my children.

How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini


Heather Horrocks - 2009
    On a dare, she throws a dart at a map and ends up moving to Brigham City, Utah, where she plans to set aside writing, religion, and men to focus on her new career substituting as The Garden Guru for the local paper. But fate has something else in mind. When she accidentally lights her house on fire, Lori has no idea of the sparks that lie ahead.Will she be able to resist the charm and persistence of local firefighting hero John Wayne Walker? Will old hurts and fears cause her to turn her back on the best thing that's ever happened to her? Author Heather Horrocks brings a fresh, fun voice to this delightful contemporary romance about following your heart, finding true love, and wrestling with a basket full of zucchini!

As the Ward Turns


Joni Hilton - 1991
    You’ll meet Andy Taylor, a Relief Society president who finds herself in so much hot water, she may as well live in the Jacuzzi Ward. Just when it seems matters can’t get worse, Andy’s brother, Nick, slides into town on snake oil, running one scam after another.You’ll meet Bishop Carlson, who impersonates the deceased at a funeral, and Edith Horvitz, a homemaking director who built her entire house using particle board and a hot glue gun.There’s young and beautiful Zan Archer, a self-made tycoon. The most domestic Zan has ever been was to hire a maid from a domestics agency.For on-the-spot criticism, you can count on Rita Delaney, who used a dead cat as a visual aid for a spiritual living lesson. And watch out for Claudia Lambert. She once aimed a rifle at a well-meaning cleaning crew of Relief Society sisters, and told them if they or their PineSol ever set foot in her house again, there’d be a mass funeral at the Stake Center.They’re all there—the stalwarts, the grumblers, the mixed bag of members you’ll recognize at once. Joni Hilton also serves up wisdom along with the laughs, leaving you satisfied with a feast that is both enriching and entertaining.

Conviction


Robbin J. Peterson - 2018
    And in an instant, a peculiar encounter with the wrong people changes everything. Dragged from his apartment in the dead of night, Neal is taken to prison and charged with the theft of a priceless museum piece. As days turn into weeks, he is thrown into a world of uncertainty where he must rely on the only person he can trust—the Savior. And as his Russian slowly improves within the prison walls, he begins preaching the gospel in the last place he imagined proselytizing. But when civil unrest erupts in Ukraine, the now-familiar routine of imprisonment is over. Neal is trapped in the chaos, and with his life on the line, his only hope of survival is escape. Yet he learns too late that there is as much danger awaiting him outside the prison walls as within. Someone has gone to great lengths to incriminate the young missionary, and they will stop at nothing to silence him forever.

Grave Secrets


Marlene Austin - 2007
    However, Bethany's dismay immediately turns to anger when she learns that the wealthy, eccentric, and distant woman who raised Bethany has taken pains to torment her granddaughter even from the grave. Now, in order to claim her substantial inheritance, Bethany must spend a year at an abandoned house in Maine—and write a book. But what book? In the course of making the old house livable, Bethany believes she's discovered the answer. But the process of writing the now-important book soon becomes complicated by threatening messages—and the attention of three very different men. She wonders if any of their motives are honorable as it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to wrest away her inheritance. Now, Bethany must use every ounce of her faith and resourcefulness—if she is to survive.

Moment of Truth


Cheri J. Crane - 2005
    But while on vacation with her family in Mexico, she meets Ed, a seventeen-year-old Baptist from Illinois who is spending his vacation building houses for the homeless. Laurie returns to Utah determined to make a difference through her actions and weekly editorial in the student newspaper.Unfortunately, she finds her best friend, Roz, has also changed. Their strong-willed personalities collide as they stand on opposite sides of a heated battle involving popularity and Church standards. As Laurie writes impassioned pleas in the student newspaper for how things ought to be, she seems to further alienate herself from her peers, leaving her with only her new-found friend in Illinois. In the end, Laurie discovers how difficult and terrifying--and absolutely worthwhile--it is to truly stand for something.

Sadie


Rebecca Belliston - 2011
    Terrified, Sadie flees her boyfriend's wrath, two FBI agents, and her "perfect life." Lost in a Montana snowstorm and desperate for refuge, she's taken in by four quirky guys on their annual holiday ski vacation. As her physical wounds heal, Sadie wonders if she will ever be able to escape the clutches of her wealthy and determined boyfriend. But just when her heart settles, she finds herself abandoned for a religion she doesn't understand. She must discover who has her best interests at heart and who she can trust…before it's too late.

Soul Searching


Shannon Guymon - 2005
    “If he says yes, then I can date him; if he says no, then it’s just no.” Bryce came to a standstill and dropped his arm from her shoulder. “Are you serious? You’re telling me that you basically haven’t been allowed to have a social life? What is up with your dad?” Micah Rawlings would never dream of rebelling against her father’s strict rules and regulations—until she meets her new step-mother, who just happens to be younger than she is. Add some stalkers, extreme makeovers, and forbidden boyfriends, and Micah can’t decide if she’s going crazy or finally finding a little bit of happiness. Phillip Rawlings isn’t ready to lose control of his daughter just yet. Bryce Jorgenson is off limits, and Phillip will do anything to protect his daughter from him—even if that means revealing a dark and destructive secret. And Bryce’s former girlfriend, Michelle, is only too happy to come home from her mission and pick up where she and Bryce left off. After a little soul-searching, Micah realizes that life isn’t meant to be perfect. Throwing away preconceived ideas and being open to second chances might just be the only way she and Bryce can make it. Shannon Guymon is the author of Never Letting Go of Hope, A Trusting Heart, Justifiable Means, and Forever Friends.

Eyes of a Stranger


Carol Warburton - 2005
    

The Krystal Promise


Blaine M. Yorgason - 1981
    Seven escaped. Despite frantic efforts to rescue her, 18 month old Krystal, the youngest of six children, died. This is not only the story of a death but also the story of a life - the life of Laura, Krystal's mother. How does a grief-stricken mother reconcile herself to such a tragic loss? As she calls upon the reserves of faith, what are some of the emotional and spiritual challenges to be faced? Though the story reads like fiction, it is actually a true-to-life account of one family's experience. It is a moving story of faith and of hope, but more than all else it is a story of love.