Book picks similar to
Summer of '65 by Brooke St. James


romance
contemporary
christian-romance
1st-in-series

Justin


Morris Fenris - 2015
    Justin, Kaillar and Mason Donnelly have turned their uncle’s outfitting and guide service into a profitable business. Justin, the oldest, felt a responsibility to his brothers with the passing of their uncle. With their mother dead decades earlier, and no idea who any of their fathers were, they only had each other. Jessica Andrews was running away from her messed-up life. The child of missionary parents, she blamed God for all of her trials and the losses she’d suffered throughout her life. Having abandoned God on all fronts, she’d tried to manage her own life, and after being duped by her supposed boyfriend of three plus years, she didn’t even believe she could trust in herself. In a rash decision, she takes a job in a little Colorado mountain town, hoping to start again and put her past completely behind her. Silver Springs may be the place of her new beginning, but she’ll have to go through the fire and find forgiveness in her heart for herself and others before she can get there. And Justin is just the man to help see her through the ordeal.

Island Refuge


Kimberly Rose Johnson - 2015
    Did she make a mistake? Her engagement off, Zoe Griffin retreats to tiny Wildflower Island in the Puget Sound. Hiding out as a cook and maid at a shabby bed-and-breakfast seems crazy for a chef who’s used to running her own five-star kitchen. And just as she starts to feel at home, her klutzy mishaps make Zoe fear her handsome new boss will fire her. Dr. Nick Jackson is done with medicine, and owning a B&B is as far from doctoring as he can get. He needs help, but his only employee’s mistakes give him doubts. As Zoe lets her defenses down, Nick begins to see a competent and caring woman. One whose wounds are as deep as his own. But as they fall for each other, Nick and Zoe must learn the hardest lesson of all—to forgive. Only then can they heal the past and embrace the future . . . together. Author Bio Kimberly Rose Johnson, soon to be empty-nester, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their yellow lab. Island Refuge is her sixth published book and the first in a series of three. Kimberly enjoys long walks, chocolate, and mochas, not necessarily in that order.

Hope's Bakery


Sophie Mays - 2017
    Between her bakery and her six-year-old son, Rylan, her heart and her schedule remain full. Besides, she knows full well the complications love can bring. One naive choice during her headstrong teenage years saw her facing more responsibility than a girl that age should face. Hope Nolan is strong though, and with the help of her mother, she manages to raise Rylan and run a thriving business in her hometown of Magnolia Harbor. “The Wedding Cake Queen” they affectionately call her in any town within 20 miles of Magnolia Harbor, and not because she likes weddings. Her cake and cookie decorating skills are the talk of the town, and her blog where she displays her latest creations has twenty times as many followers as the population of Magnolia Harbor. There’s only one problem, a handsome and well-traveled young chef is opening up a restaurant in the space across from Hope’s bakery, disrupting her satisfying and uncomplicated life. His tiramisu might even manage to steal some of her regular customers. In the end, Hope will need to decide how she is going to handle this new addition to Main St. She may even learn that the most unexpected miracles happen when chooses to do what’s right for her son, her business, and her heart. AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a stand-alone story with a HEA ending! Story is a clean romance with no offensive language. This series takes place within the fictional town of Magnolia Harbor and the books can be read out of sequence. Enjoy!

Donovan's Angel


Peggy Webb - 1986
    She never expected her playful golden retriever to steal his shorts right off the clothes line. And she certainly never expected to fall in love. Everybody in town would agree they are so wrong for each other – everybody but Paul Donovan. With her gypsy outfits, her lively music and her irrepressible spirit, Martie is exactly the angel the preacher needs. But can he convince her? Can their love and his career survive the small town gossip and the fireworks Martie creates wherever she goes?The other books in this romantic comedy series are Sleepless Nights (2), Hallie's Destiny (3), Any Thursday (4) and Higher Than Eagles (5).

Heart of a Prince


Carol Moncado - 2017
    After the summer he's had, a couple months of fun in the sun is just what the doctor ordered. What he didn't count on was meeting a beautiful woman on a private beach - or falling hard.Crown Princess Astrid of San Majoria seems to lead a charmed life. Just like everyone, there's tragedy in her past, but she lives in a palace, has aides to do everything - and paparazzi hounding her private moments. Her sanctuary on her family's beach is broken one day when a tired windsurfer takes refuge in her cove - and works his way into her heart.But it's just a summer fling, isn’t it?After all, Jordan will be returning to Canada before long, won't he?When pictures of the two of them, and what looks like an engagement ring, appear in the tabloids, they have to deal with fallout - and the beginnings of a real relationship. Secrets kept become hearts broken as they try to discover if Jordan really has the heart of a prince.

Pick


K.E. Osborn - 2017
    But for me it's not just a word, it's a legacy, a lifeline, my name. My life has been crazy—ups a downs like the highest rollercoaster you've ridden. On tour with the world’s biggest rock stars and on my way to being one myself. Then I met her. The woman who ruined me completely. Fast forward through the shit storm that was my life—I lost the girl, I lost my band. Hell, I lost it all. My only choice was to run. And running was the best thing for me. Because I ran into a pink haired beauty and everything started falling into place. My band reformed and we’re pushing to be right up there with the best of the best. But when you’re fighting to get to the top, is the pressure too much to keep your band, and the girl? In the end, if your heart’s in danger, can love truly be enough?

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.

Perfectly Shattered


Emily Jane Trent - 2014
    Bradan finds his life changes when he meets the one woman he wants in his bed, and in his life. In this steamy new adult steamy, the secret Cami Joubert holds will either destroy their love, or save it. Can he rescue her in time?This sensual romance (Sexy & Dangerous Book 1) can be read as a standalone novel, but you will want to read all 4 in the series. You will be swept up in this roller-coaster relationship. Camille moved to Seattle to leave the pain of her past behind. She finds more trouble than she can handle in Bradan Reid, who seems to be with a different woman every night. Cami knows he is a bad choice, but is unable to walk away. She’s trying so hard to “not do stuff that’s bad for her,” but her attraction to Bradan is too strong.“Their eyes met and electricity went through Cami’s petite frame like a lightning bolt. His thick brown hair was etched with blond sun streaks, gleaming beneath one of the few spotlights in the room. His blue eyes captivated her. But it was his body that made her swoon. If he’d worn a blazer, it was off now. He had only a soft, pale shirt with several buttons open, and the cloth settled over his hard body. The gorgeous man was solid sculpted muscle, which couldn’t be missed even under the casual shirt. With his thighs, shapely under the dark pants he wore, and the way he leaned back with his legs apart, Cami couldn’t take her eyes off of him.”Will Cami tell him the truth?Sexy & Dangerous 4 Book Series:Four sexy & dangerous men, four unforgettable romances.Each sexy alpha male meets the woman that is perfect for him, but flawed in her own way. In each of these steamy love stories, the hero risks all to save the woman he loves in an angst-filled romance you won’t be able to put down.You’ll want to read all 4 alpha male romance novels!Perfectly Shattered (Bradan)Perfectly Ruined (Nic)Perfectly Flawed (Sean)Perfectly Broken (Tomas)(This series was previously titled: Perfect Imperfection)

Unfamiliar


Erica Cope - 2014
    From the way she wears her hair, to dating her childhood friend-turned high school sweetheart--she sticks with what she knows, and she’s convinced herself that this is what makes her happy. Chase Lancaster doesn’t play by the rules. He’s a classically trained pianist who rocks out in a punk rock band every weekend, and isn’t afraid of taking chances.When they are assigned to co-write a song for their college music class, Hailey can’t imagine anyone she has anything less in common with than Chase. She is a sweater-wearing, neat freak, and he is disheveled and rough around the edges. As they spend time together, they both find a place in each other’s lives—a place where they challenge each other to be different and to embrace the unfamiliar. Hailey never planned for a Chase Lancaster in her life, and she is about to find out that this walking contradiction will change her forever.

His Longing Heart


Jan Thompson - 2015
    She is a billionairess violin collector with a trust fund. Living in two different worlds, will their unexpected romance last?His Longing Heart is the first novel in USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson’s Seaside Chapel Christian small-town beach romance series. This book is the updated second edition of the previously published Share with Me.The musician…Six years ago, Ivan McMillan was a budding crossover violinist on a world tour with his pianist sister. His career was cut short when Grandpa Otto died suddenly, leaving Grandma Yun saddled with enormous medical bills that ate up all their savings. In the midst of Ivan’s struggle to provide for his elderly grandmother and to save their family home from foreclosure, he finds himself falling in love with his billionairess friend, whose lifestyle he cannot afford.The muse…After Brinley Brooks’s ex-boyfriend abandons her due to her vow of purity, the twenty-something heiress goes home to St. Simon’s Island to spend time with her family and to accept her life as a single woman. At her sister’s birthday party, Brinley is mesmerized by a violinist friend, Ivan, when he plays one of Bach’s orchestral suites. Music therapy or not, her heart starts to seek its own second movement in her love life. Or is she just lonely? One thing leads to another, and Brinley enters Ivan’s world of material poverty and spiritual wealth.The minuet of their lives…When one of Ivan’s worst fears comes to pass, he feels obligated to show Brinley what it means to be a Christian living through adversity. However, trusting God is the last thing on his mind as the crisis affects his career, his life, his family, and his relationship with Brinley. Ivan cannot let her see how far he has sunk. What is a Christian man to do?

Why Stars Chase the Sun


C.R. Ellis - 2018
     A no-strings-attached adventure with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen—this was my alcohol-slash-lust-fueled proposal, and given before I could consider the potential ramifications. While his looks alone are enough to make a girl swoon, it’s the rest of him—a perfect balance of mysterious, sweet, and effortlessly charming—that draws me in. Through his cryptic comments and half-answers, he’s quickly become an enigma I’m determined to solve. One way or another, this adventure promises to snap the stagnant, lackluster pattern my love life has been locked in lately. Is it naive and a little reckless to think this won’t blow up in my face? Probably. But the bigger question is the only one I need to answer… Is the chance to soar among the stars worth the risk of being burned when the sun eventually rises? EMMETT Love is a mistake I won’t make again. My rules are simple. Keep things surface-deep. Don’t make plans. And never, ever get attached. One look at her is all it takes for me to break my first rule. One conversation with her is all it takes for me to question everything. Which means accepting her proposal is bound to be a mistake. She has no idea who I am or what kind of demons I live with, so I tell myself there’s no harm in spending one day with her. But the more I lose myself in her, the more she brings me out of the darkness and into her light, the harder it’ll be to let her go. When reality comes crashing down on us in the worst way possible, I have to decide between walking away…or risking everything for the woman who breaks all of my rules. Why Stars Chase the Sun is the first full-length novel of the Forget Me Knot series, but can be read as a standalone. **Due to strong language and sexy times, it is recommended to readers ages 18 and up.**

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.

Sand & Mistletoe


Chautona Havig - 2018
    And who thought it was a good idea to spend the last Christmas as a family unit away from their family home? Her bossy older sisters, that’s who. Christmas at his parents’ house with his son—just the way Reese Whitaker likes it. But a chance encounter on the beach might just change everything. How often do you meet someone who loves kids and knows American Sign Language? Not often. Trust him. However, with just two weeks to get to know each other and two families that couldn’t be more different vying for their time, will they even have a chance to test out that mistletoe they found? Find out today in Sand & Mistletoe.

The Isaac Project


Sarah Monzon - 2015
    Not only does she catch her boyfriend, the man she hoped to marry, lip-locked with another woman, she also receives the gut-wrenching news that her grandfather, the man who raised her, is dying. His last wish? To see her happily married. Heartbroken, Becky seeks inspiration in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. And finds it in the story of Isaac and Rebekah. If love couldn't keep his parents together, Luke Masterson wonders what will make a marriage last. He decides to steer clear of all women—especially crazy ones like Becky Sawyer, who employs a friend to find her a husband. But when he feels the dogged promptings of the Holy Spirit to move across the country and marry a complete stranger, it seems love has little to do with it anyway. With commitment their only foundation, and love constantly thwarted, can an arranged marriage find happiness in the twenty-first century?

Love, Lies & Consequences


Natasha D. Frazier - 2015
    He tells her everything that he thinks she wants and needs to hear—including his desire to marry her! Rico’s smooth manner challenges Raegan’s character and puts to the test what she says she believes. Just when she thinks that Rico could be the one, Caleb, her old college love, returns to her life. And now that he’s back, he has no intent on being without her. Raegan gets caught up in a whirlwind romance, filled with Love, Lies & Consequences that will turn her world upside down.∞Meanwhile, Raegan’s good friend Tammy has choices of her own to make. Tammy filed for legal separation from Joshua, NBA rookie, who was sure to have a promising career, only one year after they got married. Joshua loved basketball and Tammy felt like there was no room in his life for both her and his career. Life has now given them a second chance to reunite. Has she matured beyond her selfish ways? Is Joshua ready to pursue both basketball and his wife? It just may take a brush with death to remind them that it is high time to become the husband and wife they vowed to be.