One Candle


Gale Sears - 2011
    One of them, Lorenzo Snow, is sent to Italy. He is led to the valleys of the Piedmont, where the Waldenese, followers of the reformer Peter Waldo, have been exiled and persecuted. There, Elder Snow and his two companions find both success and challenges. Hiking into the alpine mountains near the town of Torre Pellice, they are recognized by Madeleine Cardon, who had seen a vision of them bringing the gospel years earlier. Her family and others soon welcome the missionaries into their lives.Madeleine's best friend, Albertina Guy, faces her own challenges as her heart is drawn to this new faith. Her family is Catholic; her great-uncle is a priest in the local monastery. Joining the Mormons could mean being expelled from her family. When Elder Snow heals her dying young brother with a priesthood blessing, Albertina and her family must reassess their feelings for these Mormon missionaries and the doctrine they preach.Based on the true story of the first LDS missionaries in Italy, One Candle shows the gospel of Jesus Christ changing lives and rolling forward boldly, nobly, and independent in the early days of the Restoration.

The Dirty Parts of the Bible


Sam Torode - 2007
    Tobias is obsessed with two things: God and girls. Mostly girls, of course. But being a Baptist preacher's son, he can't escape God. When his father is blinded in a bizarre accident (involving hard cider and bird droppings), Tobias must ride the rails to Texas to recover a long-hidden stash of money. Along the way, he's initiated into the hobo brotherhood by Craw, a ribald vagabond-philosopher. Obstacles arise in the form of a saucy prostitute, a flaming boxcar, and a man-eating catfish. But when he meets Sarah, a tough farm girl under a dark curse, he finds out that the greatest challenge of all is love.

Trial of the Heart


Sierra St. James - 1999
    “I don't know all of your terminology, but how often does that sort of thing come up in conversation, really? I bet I could blend in for the morning.”“I bet you couldn't.”“How much do you want to wager?”She shrugged. “A hundred thousand dollars.”When Jamie Young inherits the valuable vineyards of her wealthy late employer, she also inherits the animosity of the whole family, and a nasty court battle. Throw in a relationship with the grandson, Clay - who thinks he's got Jamie and her Mormonism figured out in a few minutes - and things just get more complicated.In this light, romantic novel, up-and-coming writer Sierra St. James juxtaposes a naive LDS college student and a handsome, wealthy, nonreligious bachelor - proving that opposites do attract.

My Not-So-Fairy-Tale Life


Julie Wright - 2005
    And you're the kind of girl that believes in the reality of here and now.""When you're pregnant and living with your brother and his wife, reality seems like a safer place to stay." Suzanne Quincy was raised by an abusive mother and an apathetic father. In an effort to escape her upbringing, Suzie chooses the numbing effects of drugs and alcohol--and the accompanying lifestyle. She reaches a crossroad when she discovers she is pregnant. Will she listen to the world and abort the baby, or will she listen to the conscience she has ignored her entire life? The choice she makes sends her down a path of self-discovery. This story is about choices and consequences, laughter and tears, and finding the truth in the midst of it all.

Wedding Night


Sophie Kinsella - 2013
    Completely crushed, Lottie reconnects with an old flame, and they decide to take drastic action. No dates, no moving in together, they’ll just get married . . . right now. Her sister, Fliss, thinks Lottie is making a terrible mistake, and will do anything to stop her. But Lottie is determined to say “I do,” for better, or for worse.

You Belong with Me


Shannon Guymon - 2013
    She's a burned out social worker one step away from a major depression and she needs a fresh start. When she and her sisters Kit and Jane inherit their grandmother's bakery, she doesn't know if she can trust her good fortune or not. Life has taught her that happiness is just an illusion. But the chance to be with her sisters and get away from the heart ache and pain she's faced day in and day out is a chance she's going to take. The fact that they don't know anything about running a bakery won't stop them. With Layla's new life, come new connections and friendships including Michael Bender, a single dad and someone who wouldn't mind getting to know Layla better. She doesn't trust men and she doesn't want to change her mind but Michael's little girl Stella grabs her by the heart and won't let go. When Layla and her sisters realize that there are people who want to see them fail, it will take a lot of heart and courage to keep going. Layla will have to let go of the past in order to grab onto the future if she'll ever find the love she needs.

How to Be Totally Miserable


John Bytheway - 2001
    No matter what happens, they can always find a cloud attached to their silver lining. How do they do that? How do miserable people get that way? This book has the answers! With surefire suggestions like "Recycle regrets," Take counsel from your fears," "Relive your bad memories," and "Blame everyone and everything," you'll learn how to be a breath of stale air at any occasion. (Caution: There is a risk--while musing on methods for misery, you may also discover the highway to happiness.)

Passage to Zarahemla


Chris Heimerdinger - 2003
    Embark on an adventure of breathtaking suspense and experience a love story that transcends time and space against a backdrop of mind-bending imagination!"

The Bachelorette Party


Karen McCullah Lutz - 2005
    high school teacher Zadie Roberts wants nothing to do with love and romance. Still, with the help of her best buddy, Grey, she may somehow overcome the wedding that wasn't. That is, until Grey gets engaged to Zadie's prim and proper cousin Helen, and Zadie is dragged back into wedding festivity hell. The coup de grâce is Helen's bachelorette party, thrown by her clique of prissy friends and certain to be a day of torture. But when the Pinor Grigio goes down and the sweater sets come off, things get out of control. Helen turns into a girl gone wild and manages to get herself into a sticky situation that just might sink the happy couple for good. And meanwhile, Zadie's own love life takes a most unexpected turn. Karen Lutz throws one bachelorette party you won't soon forget.

The Dating Experiment


Elodia Strain - 2017
    Her only chance of making it through is with help from her best friend, Ian. But as the study and all its hilariously awkward dates goes on, Gabby finds herself wondering what exactly this experiment is all about.

A Modest Proposal


Michele Ashman Bell - 2008
    With my super-hero stitching I would save you mothers and daughters crying in dressing rooms over yet another "the straps are just too small" prom dress. Don't worry, I even thought of a catchy tagline for my brand: "Modest Is Hottest." I told you I was good! So I moved to New York and am finally living that dream . . . well, almost. I am at one of the top fashion companies, and my designs are definitely modest;but let's face it, when it comes to outerwear, would you want to buy a skimpy trench coat? Didn't think so. Even though I don't have my dream job, my family is a mess, and my love life stinks, I have a feeling things are going to change. I mean, they have to soon, or I'll be forced to marry Jace. I did promise to become his wife only if I turned thirty and was still single, but I honestly didn't think it was possible. Now twenty-nine, I'm cutting it way too close. Right now I'm flying back to Utah for our Butterfly Girls reunion. And since it is the Mormon Mecca, I might find myself a modest proposal. Utah engagements can take mere weeks. Never mind, I'm not that desperate. Really. But maybe the girls can help. We've been best friends since high school. We Butterfly Girls are not the typical Pink Ladies, although we've definitely had our share of drama. We'll laugh and cry over memories, from pageant glory to tragic endings, but the ones stored inside our butterfly box will surprise you most. We only open it when we're all together, and our lives never seem the same after.

Run Away Home (Home Trilogy, #1)


Jennie Hansen - 1993
    When her boss orders her to take a vacation, she accepts the use of a friend's cabin, only to find he has tricked her just as every man in her life has betrayed her trust. An unexpected surprise awaits her. Being reunited with the one man she'd once wanted to love shatters the protective shell she has built around herself and thrusts her back into the trauma and grief of her childhood. Plunged back into the painful memories and unanswered questions of her past, she must learn to make hard choices concerning her future and protect her son at all costs. Are love and trust even possible for her?

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!

Divinely Designed


Rachael Renee Anderson - 2009
    Seeking liberation from recent heartache, Kennedy Jackson leaves her hometown and moves to Arizona to work as an interior designer. She thinks she is ready for a new start, but her heart still needs some convincing. When she bumps into a handsome stranger on the highway, she starts the ride of her life on a road of divine design that will lead to her dreams if she only has the faith to follow it. This delightful tale by Rachael Anderson combines wit and romance with the reality that change is difficult, but it can bring about some of life's greatest adventures. Divinely Designed is a sure antidote for gloom and a light-hearted reminder that even the darkest forks in the road can lead somewhere brilliant.

Paige


Annette Lyon - 2012
    She finds a job at a dental practice that helps her get back on her feet, but it's the friends she makes at her new book club who help her realize how strong she is and who give her support to carry on as she faces the challenges of being a single mom. She also meets Derryl, a wonderful, kind, attentive man who treats her right, something her ex never did. Yet Paige struggles to figure out who she is as a woman rather than a wife, how to help her boys adjust to a broken home, and whether she can ever trust a man or love again. As Paige leans on the book club ladies and Derryl's ever-present care, one thing becomes clear: healing from the past requires more than a change of address.