Book picks similar to
It Really Is a Wonderful Life by Linda Wood Rondeau
christmas
romance
christian-fiction
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Courting the Clearwaters
Jill Penrod - 2013
When an acquaintance introduces him to God and invites him to a college youth group, the changes in his life are immense and unsettling. The most unsettling part is Jenny Clearwater, his boss's daughter. He can't deny his attraction, but she courts instead of dating, and courting seems all about keeping the Shawn Carpenters of the world away from the Jenny Clearwaters.Danger and heartache seem to come around every bend, from a cave trip gone wrong to a friendship that goes up in flames to an accusal of crime at work. Seems God has put events in motion to lead Shawn back into a life of community and growth, assuming, of course, they don't kill him first.Get set for this first book of the Christian series Boys of Summer, for teens and anyone else who appreciates the challenges of stepping into adulthood.
Colors of Christmas: Two Contemporary Stories Celebrate the Hope of Christmas
Olivia Newport - 2017
Instead, she finds herself in charge of the town’s celebration. After a mysterious young man arrives, townspeople suspect he is the reason that one set of plans after another disintegrate until little is left of their traditions. Yet Angela warms to Gabe because she suspects they share a secret—his real reason for coming to town. Even when all they have to work with is a garish supply of blue Christmas decorations, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope. Christmas in Gold After eighty years, change is nothing new for Astrid. By the time she was twenty, she survived the destructive Nazi regime, caring for her family under brutal circumstances, moving to America, and losing her husband. At forty she was widowed again and left to build a new life with her children. Now, when she faces a move into an assisted living community and meets a young woman on the brink of despair, she resolves to stir up hope through tragedy one more time.
The Christmas Star: A Love Story
Robert Tate Miller - 2017
In deep despair, he turns to drinking to drive away the pain, but he only succeeds in driving away his wife. His marriage shattered, his family gone, Paul now despises Christmas.But can the holiday he so detests hold a miraculous surprise? After an accident in which he loses consciousness, he wakes up in the company of the shepherds who will soon travel to Bethlehem to see the newborn Christ in the manger. Can Paul find salvation on the night that forever changed the world? Can he discover the true spirit of Christmas?
Christmas Mercies
Emily Josephine - 2020
Christmas has brought nothing but grief and loneliness for the past decade, after she lost her beloved husband to a fatal car accident. Hearing holiday music day after day during the first few months of the school year is like constantly ripping the scab off an unhealed wound.Determined to keep her husband in her heart, she has kept a fortress around it, allowing only one woman in as a true friend, and avoiding anything more than a passing acquaintance with any man.Until Timothy Fielding, the maintenance man at the apartment complex where she lives, comes along. He happens to love the Christmas season. When circumstances – and Janice’s best friend, Kayla – draw them together, he struggles to keep his growing feelings for Janice at bay. He has his own secret past that he’s sure would repel any woman, once she found out about it.But his desire for love and companionship win out, and he does his best to knock down the walls around Janice’s heart. But even when she finally relents and agrees to spend more time with him, she continues to resist opening her heart back up to Christmas.Because the death of her husband is only the beginning of the tragedy surrounding the day.In the meantime, Lucille Masterson, the great-grandmother of Janice’s star pupil, makes a shocking discovery that almost causes her to ruin Christmas for her family. Again. But then she realizes that if she would face her fear, she could finally release the burden she’s been carrying for the past ten years. What she doesn’t know is that it would release a horrible burden for the very person she’s afraid to face…**********“Christmas Mercies” is the first novel in Emily Josephine’s Christian holiday romance series, “Little River Village Christmas Romance.” A clean and wholesome romance novel, it will warm your heart, build your faith, and leave you feeling refreshed and hopeful.
A Christmas to Remember
Jenny Hale - 2014
Fans of Carole Matthews, Susan Wiggs and Scarlett Bailey – and anyone who loves the sound of Christmas songs and the sparkle of decorations on the tree – will adore this festive holiday treat! Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they? Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life. As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is
amazing
, the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree! The only problem could be her boss… single-dad, Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter? As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!
The Unannounced Christmas Visitor
Patrick Higgins - 2014
Sent to Planet Earth by his Maker, disguised as a homeless person, Enoch was on a mission: to rescue a man whose life was slowly but steadily spiraling out of control. Up until seven months ago, John Jensen was a responsible, churchgoing, happily married man and father of two. Then the slow fade began and John went from living life passionately to questioning everything he once thought important, deeming much of it utterly meaningless. The only place his wife, Lydia, could go to escape her ongoing marital struggles was the church she attended the past seventeen years. But even there it seemed her desperate cries to God for help always went unanswered. That is, until Enoch appeared one Sunday morning, hair unkempt, wearing ragged clothing. To Lydia’s great dismay, the old man was mocked and ridiculed by so many of her fellow believers, ultimately banished to the last row of the sanctuary simply because of his untidy appearance. One week later, after church service, Lydia and her two children, Matthew and Grace, spotted the old man walking to the city park where he lived among many other homeless people. Later that night, Lydia felt God’s strong urging to introduce herself to the man she still did not know had been sent as her Christmas miracle. In the days following her first visit to the homeless community in which the old man served as spiritual mentor, Lydia and her two children learned more about what it means to be true servants of God than she did in seventeen years at her church. But with John Jensen being Enoch’s chief reason for coming to Planet Earth, would the severely depressed, apathetic man submit to the pulling of God’s Holy Spirit, or was he already too far gone to be rescued?
The Cowboy's Christmas Reunion
Valerie Comer - 2018
Does God really expect him to treat Cheri the same as the others on his new Christmas list? Cheri Mackenzie has never forgiven herself for the pain she caused Kade by fleeing a week before their wedding, but undoing the past is impossible. Circumstances force her back to her aging grandparents’ Montana ranch, where Kade, now a widower with a toddler, is making himself cheerfully indispensable. When she receives kindness instead of the hostility she surely deserves, she can’t help but pray for a Christmas reunion with the cowboy she’s never stopped loving. Is there any hope for a second chance at love? About the Montana Ranches Christian Romance series Welcome to Saddle Springs, the fictional western town that’s home to the Montana Ranches Christian Romance Series! Revel in the lush mountain scenery with rocky peaks, tumbling rivers, and peaceful lakes. Meet the cowboys who ride the ranges, mend fences, and are lassoed by romance in this new series by USA Today bestselling author Valerie Comer. 1. The Cowboy’s Christmas Reunion (available in A Christmas to Remember box set in fall of 2018) 2. The Cowboy’s Mixed-Up Matchmaker Join USA Today bestselling author Valerie Comer in this new Christian romance series... with cowboys!
Sara in Montana
Morris Fenris - 2013
Will she make the right choice? What happens when a California girl in the middle of a crisis meets a Montana guy? Sara wished for a husband for Christmas this year and then married her boss. Now she is running for her life from him with a warrant out for her arrest and really needs a miracle to save her. To top off her week, she finds herself in the middle of a Montana snowstorm and sicker than she’s ever been. Trent quit the FBI to return home and became a sheriff. As the most eligible bachelor in Castle Peaks, he’s had his share of women chase him, but has been disinterested; until now. He has a sworn duty to protect the town’s citizens and assist other agencies in doing the same. When faced with a suspect in a criminal case, will he make the arrest or lead with his heart? Join Sara Brownell as she runs for her life, she runs straight into the waiting arms of local sheriff Trent Harding. Throw in a life-size nativity and plenty of snow and watch the magic of Christmas come to life. See how Sara forever changes the lives of Trent as well as those around him. *****
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.
The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt
Joan Campbell - 2012
Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.
Blue Christmas
Diane Moody - 2011
When a last-minute customer brimming with holiday spirit invites her to a candlelight service and a late-night family dinner, Hannah reluctantly accepts. She has no idea this kindhearted woman is the mother of Jason McKenzie - leader singer of Out of the Blue, the hottest band in the country - and Hannah's childhood idol. The evening ends with an innocent kiss (sans mistletoe) as Hannah is swept away by Jason's unpretentious manner.Over the holidays Hannah and Jason's relationship grows, but when turmoil and tragedy strike at the very heart of his famous band, their newfound love is put to the test in the glare of the paparazzi spotlight. Throughout her rollercoaster of experiences with Jason and his friends, Hannah comes face to face with her own beliefs. Who knew she could learn more about prayer and faith by hanging out with a bunch of rock stars than she ever learned in church?The author first wrote Blue Christmas as a gift for her then-teenage daughter in honor of her affection for a wildly popular band in the late 90s. The short story grew into a full-length novel, eventually surfacing on one of the band's fan fiction websites where it became quite a phenomenon. More than 80,000 readers stopped by to read the story, with over 1000 of them sending personal emails to the author who still enjoys reading them today. Though the story's details have been changed, its band and all characters now fictional, the story line remains the same. Author Diane Moody has dedicated Blue Christmas to her now-grown daughter, Hannah Moody Schmitt.
The Christmas Violin
Buffy Andrews - 2013
When he closed his eyes it was her that he saw. But now, he saw Willow. And it scared him and made him feel guilty. And yet he couldn’t help himself, couldn’t help feeling what he was feeling…The last thing grief-stricken widower Peter St John expects to find at the cemetery is love. But one evening, as he lays flowers on Camilla’s grave, he is drawn to the haunting melody of a solitary violin player. And so he encounters beautiful concert violinist Willow Channing, who has her own grief to contend with. A second, chance meeting fuels the fire. And soon Peter knows that as one song ended, another might begin.
The Perfect Gift
Serenity Woods - 2015
What could be better than getting a billionaire for Christmas? A. Getting THREE billionaires for Christmas! Three Wise Men is a series of three books set in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand following the stories of three billionaire brothers and the single mums they fall in love with.As a single mum who can barely afford to put food on the table, let alone fill her son Ryan’s Christmas stocking with presents, Erin Bloom isn’t particularly looking forward to the festive season. When Ryan has an asthma attack and ends up in hospital, she’s convinced it’s going to be the worst Christmas ever. Sure, Christmas is a time for miracles, but everyone knows wishes don’t really come true. Consultant pediatrician Brock King lost his wife to cancer two years ago, and he’s convinced the love he felt for her only comes around once in a lifetime. Then, while visiting the children’s ward, he meets single mum Erin, and suddenly his future doesn’t seem so bleak. Once Ryan recovers, Brock offers to take Erin away for her birthday, no strings attached, to give her the perfect gift every single mum would kill for—a night in an exclusive hotel. Will she take him up on his offer, which might (if she’s very lucky) end up with hot sex with a gorgeous billionaire? Or should she take the moral high ground and say no? Warning: Includes sexual content – adults only. Three Wise Men: Book 1: The Perfect Gift Book 2: An Ideal Present Book 3: A Secret Parcel
Lost December
Richard Paul Evans - 2011
This is the story of my second chance." —Prologue of Lost DecemberWhen Luke Crisp graduates from business school, his father, CEO and co-founder of Fortune 500 Crisp’s Copy Centers, is ready to share some good news: he wants to turn the family business over to his son. But Luke has other plans. Taking control of his trust fund, Luke leaves home to pursue a life of reckless indulgence.But when his funds run out, so do his friends. Humbled, alone, and too ashamed to ask his father for help, Luke secretly takes a lowly job at one of his father’s copy centers. There he falls in love with a struggling single mother and begins to understand the greatest source of personal joy.
The Unfinished Gift
Dan Walsh - 2009
Walsh lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area. This is his first novel.Can a gift from the past mend a broken heart?Ian Collins is an old man without his son. Patrick Collins is a young boy without his father. On his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather's house. And he wants the dusty wooden soldier in Grandfather's attic--the one he is forbidden to touch.Set in December of 1943, The Unfinished Gift is the engaging story of a family in need of forgiveness. With simple grace, it reminds us of the small things that affect powerful change in our hearts--a young boy's prayers, a shoe box of love letters, and even a half-carved soldier, long forgotten. This nostalgic story of reconciliation will touch your heart.