Tag Archives: Contemporary Christian Fiction

On Magnolia Lane

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Author: Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  Falling in love with Daisy was easy for Jack. But finding the courage to tell her becomes problematic when his secret feelings lead to even bigger complications.

After two years of counseling sessions with Daisy Pendleton, Pastor Jack McReady has earned a permanent spot in her life as a spiritual leader—and nothing more. Jack would never risk losing her trust by exposing the depths of his heart, but he’s hopelessly in love with her.

Daisy loves her southern small-town life and her job at her family-run flower shop, but she doesn’t have the thing she longs for most: someone to share it with. Her recent foray into online dating has been a disaster—until she meets TJ.

Jack could kill his friend Noah for using his initials and some indistinct photos to set up a profile on the dating app Daisy is using. But when he’s finally afforded the opportunity to show her a different side of himself, he’s sucked into the plan before he has time for second thoughts.

Online, Daisy shares some of her greatest fears with TJ, but in person, Jack and Daisy are spending more time together. When a devastating family secret surfaces, Daisy knows that only her trusted friend and counselor can bring her comfort. Jack wants nothing more than to be both men for Daisy, but revealing his secret will prove to be the ultimate test of Daisy’s grace

Ope’s Opinion: I can always count on Denise Hunter for an awesome, wholesome read.  She is my go-to author that always satisfies all my need for good in the world.  It isn’t a perfect world, not everything goes right, but it is a great read.

This is the third book in the Blue Ridge series.  Some of the people in the first two books are in the third one, but you could read just the third one – but why? when they are all so good!

The ending was what you expect and want – very satisfying.

Coming Soon…..

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…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In February I hope to read….

Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Goodreads: From the RITA Award-winning author of Five Days in Skye comes a sweet, romantic treat that will leave you hungry for more.

Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around.

Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he’s already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country–an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.

Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-cafe in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she’s faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she’s come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves.

What is coming soon …. to a bookshelf near you?

Let me know – I am always looking for a good read!

Crossing Oceans

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Author: Gina Holmes
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Source:  Purchased

Goodreads:  Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank-toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . Who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything–to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . Even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.

Ope’s Opinion:  Be sure to have some tissues near by before you start this book.  It will surely make you cry and warm your heart at the same time.  The mother’s love in this book is like no other love.

This is the best kind of Christian Fiction – the characters are definitely centered on God, but they have real lives and no one is preaching at you.  If you have never Christian Fiction before and aren’t sure about it – pick this one up.

Now I want to go read my other book by Gina Holmes that is on my book shelf.

When I Fall in Love

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Author:  Susan May Warren                      when i fall
Publisher:  Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Genre:  Contemporary Christian Fiction
Source: Kritters Ramblings 

 

 

Goodreads:  Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace’s faith will face its toughest test yet.

Ope’s Opinion:  Reading a Susan May Warren book is like opening the door on a spring day.
– The story is fresh.
– The Characters slowly open.
– The setting is inviting.

Susan May Warren is consistent.  I know when I open a book by her I will be in for an awesome journey.  This book is like her others.  It is such a breath of fresh air to read a story about characters who do not use foul language and no explicit sex scenes.  There are real relationships in this book.  People who want to know and care about each other.  

From page one, I wanted to just sit on my deck and keep reading until the last page was flipped, then I wanted to start another Susan May Warren book!!  As long as she writes I will be reading!

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on…..
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Until I Found You

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Author:  Victoria Bylin                                          until
Publisher: Bethany House Publishes
Genre:  Contemporary Christian Fiction
Source:  Author

Thank you Victoria for sending this one to me.

 

Goodreads:  Contemporary Romance to Make You Laugh, Cry, and Fall in Love
When Kate Darby swerves off a mountain road to avoid hitting a California condor, she ends up trapped in her car, teetering on the edge of a cliff. 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..

Ope’s Opinion:  If you are a reader of Christian Fiction, you will absolutely love this book.  It has God all through it.  He is the center focus of the whole book.  I would have a copy in every church library.  

Victoria Bylin knows how to write real characters who are looking for God in their lives.  She let you see the flaws in each persons life, so you can relate to them.  For Kate ( the main character ) coming to believe in God was a slow, hard journey – as I think is with most of us – which made it feel all that much more realistic and relatable.

The end of the  story is very predictable, but the road there was a unique one.

If you are looking for a good Christian Fiction – pick this one up.

Rating:  Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
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