Book picks similar to
A Semi-Sweet Summer by Jan Elder


romance
christian-fiction
contemporary
contemporary-romance

Into the Amish


Erin Brady - 2016
    When she says yes to Arthur Carrington II’s marriage proposal, her life is suddenly turned upside down. Not only is Emily a target of an unrelenting paparazzi, but she feels the pressure to live up to the Carrington name and all of the expectations it carries with it, especially those set by her soon-to-be mother-in-law and renown socialite, Dolores Carrington. But when a disastrous turn of events causes her life to fall apart at the seams, Emily finds herself traveling to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit her long-lost Amish cousins and put some distance between herself and the life she thought she wanted. It is there among the Amish where Emily discovers what’s really important and the power of family, faith and following one’s dreams. With the help of a handsome stranger, Jonah Miller, Emily finds herself at a crossroads and knows she must make a decision that will ultimately change the course of her life.

Finding Eden


Tina Newcomb - 2017
    As mayor of Eden Falls, a business owner, and the mother of six-year-old Charlie, she doesn’t have time to coddle a self-absorbed author, who’s only in town for the summer.Best-selling author Colton McCreed is in Eden Falls to study small town life for his next murder mystery. As his research draws him into the community, he becomes entwined with the mayor and her cheerful son. Colton’s unhappy childhood left him believing he’s immune to love, but Alex and Charlie have a pull on him he’s never felt before.Impromptu dinner invitations throw Colton and Alex into a world of discovery, shattering her image of Mr. Right and his belief that love is out of reach.If you like clean romance, quirky characters, and a quaint town you won’t want to leave, you'll love Finding Eden.Other Books in the Eden Falls SeriesBeyond EdenA Taste of EdenThe Angel of Eden FallsTouches of EdenStars Over Eden FallsFortunes for EdenSnow and Mistletoe in Eden Falls

Not Exactly Eden


Linda Windsor - 2000
    But among the gifts to be returned is a strange statue...one that came anonymously. Further investigation reveals the statue is from a remote tribe of the Amazon rain forest- and that it came from Jenna's supposedly deceased father! Soon Jenna finds herself in Peru, seeking the love of the father who abandoned her and meaning for her fractured future. And Dr. Adam DeSanto-a handsome, bitter widower who helps her father run a jungle hospital, and who happens to loathe "women like Jenna"-is only complicating matters. Then Jenna's life is put at risk. Helpless to save her, Adam cries out to the God he rejected at his wife's death. God hears and answers in ways neither Adam nor Jenna could imagine, finally resolving their pain and renewing their faith in Himself, the future-and each other.

Let Them Eat Cake


Sandra Byrd - 2007
    She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!This book is written from a lightly, organically, Christian world view.

The Ultimate Guide to Darcy Carter


Teresa Slack - 2006
    Regardless, she doubts she can guide herself out of a brown paper bag. When her editor suggests she write The Ultimate Guide to Finding Mr. Right, she wants no part of it. To avoid Mr. Right--since she's pretty sure he doesn't exist--and hopefully figure out where the discontentment with her life is coming from, she heads south to research one last ultimate guidebook. The questions and doubts swirling around in her head follow. If she's no longer America's Ultimate Guide Girl, who is she? Would she recognize Mr. Right if he was standing right in front of her? Where does an Ultimate Guide Girl turn for guidance? Her heavenly father who gives wisdom to all who seek it? Or can she rely on herself, the woman with all the answers? This clean contemporary Christian romance is a feel-good, laugh-out-loud story that reminds us sometimes the things we work so hard for don't bring the fulfillment and happiness we're looking for.

Five Days in Skye


Carla Laureano - 2013
    When she's sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she'd rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father's dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

Matthew and Son


Ruth Hamilton - 2003
    He was 16 when she died and he grieved as heavily as his father, Matthew, at her passing. He longed to prove himself to his father and offered to help with the family antique business, but his father seemed beyond help – obsessed with his loss. Tilly Povey watched the boy’s lonely existence with a heavy heart.Stella, Molly’s sister, had always loved Matthew and hoped that he would turn to her in need, but Matthew was gradually falling apart and not even those closest to him could help. But Tilly was determined to help this troubled family.

Worlds Collide


Alison Strobel - 2005
    Some Will Change Your Life.While the headlines screamed “Hollywood Heartthrob Marries Girl Next Door,” the public relationship of Jack Harrington and Grace Winslowe never revealed the private struggles that threatened to pull them apart–and when celebrity biographer Jada Eastman starts digging, she discovers that there’s more to this couple than anyone could guess.Their relationship began like a scene from one of Jack’s movies. Leaving behind a dead-end relationship and the bitter Chicago winter, Grace had moved to Southern California to start a new life. Meanwhile, Jack had established himself as an up-and-comer with considerable acting talent, and a private heartache. When a fateful accident pulled the two of them together, they couldn’t avoid their initial attraction or the vast differences in their values and lifestyles.Now, against the backdrop of Beverly Hills and the 24/7 nature of the entertainment world, Jada grapples with her own beliefs as she encounters the spiritual chasm of this famous couple. Can Grace and Jack face the consequences of their own personal histories–and can the biographer avoid being affected? As the three of them examine the couple’s bittersweet story, it becomes clear that everyday decisions can carry lifetime consequences when individual worlds collide.

Room at the Top (Pacific Avenue #1)


Kristin Billerbeck - 2020
    She’s always told herself her father can keep his wealth and his acknowledgement of her and her twin sister. She’s surrounded by her noisy but lovable Italian family, and that’s all she needs.When she and Gia receive the news their fraternal grandfather has left them something in his will, they meet their three half-sisters for the first time—and receive the astounding news of a massive inheritance. But Sophia can’t celebrate yet, not when she and her sisters hear the conditions attached to the money. The “real” daughters loathe Sophia and Gia on sight—and the feeling is mutual. But they have to work together if any of them hope to inherit the obscene amount of money left to them. They must live together and restore the large mansion in Pacific Heights for an entire year. Otherwise the entire estate will go to charity.Gia tries to convince Sophia they have to walk away, but Sophia isn’t so sure. For once, their mother might get a chance to rest instead of working every minute. She could help a lot of families in her job as a social worker too. It’s tempting. And once she catches sight of Joel Edgerton, she can’t resist the temptation to get involved in her unwanted family.The path to happily-ever-after is fraught with missteps and the treacherous waters of sisterly undercurrents. Can Sophia persevere when everyone seems to be against her, even her own twin?

Until I Found You


Victoria Bylin - 2014
    Terrified, she breathes a prayer that changes her life: "God, if you're real, I want to know you." It's Nick Sheridan who comes to Kate's rescue. Nick is handsome, confident, and seems to develop a habit of rescuing her, but Kate is in town only until her grandmother recuperates from a stroke. She's not planning to fall in love with one of the locals. Nick Sheridan is a reformed veteran of life in the fast lane, a new Christian, and a travel writer. When he sees a car dangling on the edge of a cliff, the daredevil in him jumps into action. He doesn't expect to be swept off his feet by the car's occupant. He's made a vow: no dating for a year. And it's a vow he intends to keep in spite of his attraction to Kate Darby...

Now and Always Yours


Anita Stansfield - 2016
    . . . If not for the knowledge that his sister would be waiting outside to take him home—and that he had two children at home waiting for him—he might have preferred to turn around and ask to stay. And so begins a new chapter in Greg’s life, which includes the daunting tasks of earning the trust and respect of his teen-aged children, finding meaningful employment in a society that doesn’t always take kindly to those who have “served time,” and daring to believe in love with its miracles of healing and forgiveness. And Greg has no illusions about conquering these hurdles. However, with the support of a devoted sister and her extended family, and the unexpected gift of a uniquely charming and brave woman’s love . . . it all just might happen. In this utterly captivating novel, bestselling author Anita Stansfield achieves a satisfying balance of romance, humor, and deep glimpses into the human heart and soul. It is a story that resonates with emotional truths that will linger long after the last page is turned.

The Yard Rose


Carolyn Brown - 2000
    A part of her heart went to Galveston with him just after the second grade when he left southern Oklahoma.Twenty years later he returns home for his grandmother’s funeral. He decides to stay in Terral, a little southern Oklahoma town right on the Red River and the Chisholm Trail, to research a new line of restaurants to be located as close to the Trail as possible.During his stay he moves the WM Corporation travel trailer right on the property next to Glory’s land - and the struggle begins. She wants his land to enlarge her property. He wants her land to make a parking lot for his new restaurant. When he tries to cut down the beautiful row of rose bushes separating their property, the battle begins.They both realize they’ve fallen desperately in love yet they’re not sure if they can trust each other. It takes a lot of courage, some reassurance and many roses to confirm their love.

All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes


Betsy St. Amant - 2014
    They seemed to blink back at her, as if they knew she was capable of so much more.Kat Varland has had enough of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. At twenty-six years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie's bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single.But when Lucas Brannen, Kat's best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary . . . and a job at a famous bakery in New York.As the competition heats up, Lucas realizes he might have made a huge mistake. As much as he wants the best for Kat, the only thing he wants for himself, her, is suddenly in danger of slipping away.The bright lights of reality cooking wars and the chance at a successful career dazzle Kat's senses and Lucas is faced with a difficult choice: help his friend achieve her dreams . . . or sabotage her chances to keep her in Louisiana.

The Lottery Tickets


Evelyn Mays - 2011
    Shelley Calhoun was a single mother of three children and a hair stylist. Harry left two lottery tickets and an invitation to church as a tip for Shelley. A short time later, Shelley was fired—again.Darcy Tatum was a server at Daisy's Diner, but today she was distracted and worried, so Harry prayed that God would bless the young woman. When he finished his meal, he left the last few lottery tickets on the table as a tip.Daisy Pearl Benson, the owner of Daisy's Diner, had seen The Lottery Tickets left under a glass on the old man’s table. That tip should have been hers—after all he’d left without paying for his meal. But when she confronted Darcy Tatum, the tickets had disappeared. Lottery tickets—little slips of hope or more troubles for three women?

Hook, Line and Sinker


Susan May Warren - 2011
    In fact, he has no choice. It’s his last chance to leave a lasting legacy at Bethel College. He just never imagined his fundraising scheme would hook Abigail Cushman, the grad student who reminds him of all they’d had—and lost—every time she glances his way.Abigail Cushman may not know the difference between a bass and a trout, but how hard can it be to catch a fish? She’s a quick learner, and she’s certain her smarts can net her a win over Ross Springer, the handsome charmer she’s tried to forget since grief tore them apart.In the ultimate showdown between brains and heart, will Ross and Abby reel in more than they bargained for?