8 Romantic Novels to Read for Valentine’s Day

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Finding Her Family’s Love

Kayla Kensington

Kendra visits the small town of Shallow Stream thrilled to meet her late husband’s family for the first time. To her shock, her grieving mother-in-law accuses Kendra of being a gold digger and rejects her. Will Pierce, her late husband’s cousin, offer her the love and family she seeks, or will the relationship create new heartbreak?

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Alice’s Notions

Tamera Lynn Kraft

In this quaint mountain town, things aren’t always what they seem. 

World War II widow Alice Brighton returns to the safety of her home town to open a fabric shop. Between her mysterious landlord, her German immigrant employee, her neighbors who are acting strange, and a dreamboat security expert who is trying to romance her, Alice doesn’t know who she can trust.

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On Cue

Bettie Boswell

Ginny’s musical may save the local museum, but restoring her trust in men is another matter. When theater professor Scott finds himself coerced to direct her musical, they must work through humorous misunderstandings and a couple of pet disasters, until they finally discover that forgiveness and trust produce perfect harmony.

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Lost in the Storm

Tamera Lynn Kraft

Leading up to the turbulent Battles for the city of Chattanooga, will Lavena and Cage find the courage to love and forgive, or will they be swept away by their past mistakes that don’t want to stay buried?

Meet the Ladies of Oberlin, the causes they’re willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts.

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Red Sky Over America

Tamera Lynn Kraft

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

Meet the Ladies of Oberlin, the causes they’re willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts.

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A Match (NOT) Made in Heaven

Michelle L. Levigne

What’s a good church-going girl to do when everything seems to go from wrong to weird, and the crazy old lady who insists on helping her find true love doesn’t know the meaning of “No!” or “Not ever!”?

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Resurrection of Hope

Tamera Lynn Kraft

She thought he was her knight in shining armor, but will a marriage of convenience prove her wrong?

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For Sale: Wedding Dress, Never Used

Michelle L. Levigne

Real love didn’t come back into her life until AFTER she decided to finally sell the dress, and let go of that particular dream. 

Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

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What Would You Do…?

by Carole Brown

…if someone wanted to kill your baby? 

• Mary and Joseph fled.
• In the Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, Cara is mad with grief and anger at the death of her oldest daughter. A tough read? Yes, but well worth seeing what happens to this sorrowing mother.

 

…if you had to give up your business in a hurry? Or face destruction?

• Joseph did. He and Mary had to flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of the King and begin again in his carpentry business.
• In Sabotaged Christmas, Toni DeLuca must find the person casting doubt on her beloved father before her business is ruined and Christmas won’t be coming to Appleton, WV for her employees.

 

…if you were told you were having a baby, but you had no idea (at first) how it’d happened?

• Mary did. She heard the angel’s proclamation, but told no one and kept everything hidden in her heart, pondering.
• Starli Cameron was always told she couldn’t have a baby, but was it the truth? Only time would tell…after the struggles from the past vanished.

 

…if valuable items were given to you by kings?

• Baby Jesus was visited by the three Magi and given precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• Caroline‘s friend, Andy, had valuable paintings, but Caroline disdained them. When one is stolen, she’s pushed into a mystery that proves how valuable paintings (and relationships) can be.  

 

…if you were suspicious of three foreign kings who visited you?

• King Herod was, afraid that a new baby would take his place someday.
• Tyrell Walker in With Music in Their Hearts had a reason to be suspicious of so many in the boarding house. After all, there was a foreign spy determined to wreck havoc to the U.S.

 

…if you were about to lose what you loved?

• Mary and Joseph were. Baby Jesus was a precious gift from God. They were assigned a duty to raise him, and they would do anything to keep him safe.
• Jerry and Josie thought they were losing each other, and both were determined to battle the war for their lives and their souls. 

 

Interest peaked?

Read St. Luke Chapter 2 to find the answers to the above questions.

Go here to find my books that hopefully will keep you reading and warm through the coming winter! 

Amazon Author Page

Merry Christmas!

 

Help for the Hurting Military Families at Christmas

by Carole Brown

 

 

Many military people dread Christmas due to various sadnesses, physical problems, financial setbacks, and loss of loved ones. It’s a struggle to move forward, to face each day let alone enjoy the season. PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is a serious threat to returning home soldiers.

 

I wanted to share a bit today that is the real–the true meaning of overcoming and/or getting through each day.

Here’s a story example:

He started to scoot out onto the balcony when pain shot through his whole body, and he wanted to scream. He pulled himself from the window ledge and staggered forward two steps before falling on his face.

What had happened? Marshall’s screaming voice echoed outside his head, but the world had faded to mental darkness. His left leg had gone numb. He shook his head. He couldn’t lose consciousness. To do so might mean death. He hung over the rail and surveyed the climb he’d have to make. His stomach churned with nausea.

The pain and fear of facing the unknown, of knowing you’re injured…

“What happened?”

Her gaze flicked to the bottom of the bed, then back. “You were shot.”

The memory of that night swarmed in. “How long—”

“Must you talk? You’re still pretty weak.”

“How long?”

She sighed. “Two weeks. You almost died.”

Facing the fact that you are injured. Learning what exactly that injury is. Knowing you’re at the mercy of the doctors, possibly your wife or family…

“Jerry. Lie still. You’re too weak to get up.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, he gritted from between his teeth. “I have to. It’s too dangerous for you to be coming here.”

“I don’t mind.”

“I do. Help me, and I’ll try it again.”

“I wasn’t able to get a doctor. Our family doctor is not to be trusted. You almost died. Medwin—my cousin—has a bit of medical training and he thinks a bone or bones was shattered in your leg. He did what he could but your leg still became dangerously infected. I thought—”

“What?”

Vanda bit her lip. “I thought we’d lose your leg if not your life.”

“The infection’s gone?”

“Yes-s. But it still looks bad.” Her brow lined with another worried frown. Her gaze flicked to his legs and back. “I-I’m not sure you’ll ever completely recover from that wound.”

The reality of the truth: you won’t ever be the same as before. Through luck, carelessness and/or lack of training or funds or uncooperative military bureaucracy, life will never be the same.

Soldi

ers who’ve given their lives for their country and come back injured severely—and their families—face extreme difficulties. It takes strong and determined companions to get through, to accept the fact that this new life will be a life long endeavor. There are no magic wands to change the facts of war.

Besides the horrific injuries many face, the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with its moodiness, verbal abuse, feelings of wanting to commit suicide, embarrassment, rejection, etc. takes its toll on soldiers.

During WWII

In A Flute in the Willows, I tried to show a bit of this in Jerry and the effect it had on Josie, his wife. Young and inexperienced, both of the Pattersons struggle to understand and deal with conflicting emotions. Josie’s father, experienced in war service, offers advice and encouragement.

“You’re going to have to be stronger than you’ve ever been in your life.” He warns Josie, and those words stay with his daughter over and over to strengthen and give her a boost to not give up on Jerry. In time her patience and love for Jerry win out.

 

 

“I’m here if you ever need to talk.” Knowing what military service is like, and having lived long enough to know a few things, Captain Ossie, Josie’s father, offers, but never intrudes on Jerry’s emotions. In time he heads to his father-in-law’s office to seek guidance.

• Families need to understand that their soldier is going through unspeakable damages. Love, offer help and listening ears, don’t talk when their loved one is moody, encourage and never, never give up.

 

 

• Friends who are there, offering hope and encouragement. Accept any help given and be grateful you have those kinds of friends.

 

• God.  He is truly the only source who can pull a person through. Whatever comes, God is the strength, the supreme encouragement, the one who understands all, and the one who loves you unconditionally. Lean on him. Trust. Believe.

Both Josie and Jerry come through their own personal, and shared, problems, with God’s help, and understanding from others, that pull them through.

That’s what it takes for servicemen/women to overcome the worst of the nightmare of PTSD and injuries during the Christmas season–or anytime throughout the year. God, understanding and love.

Read about the Patterson’s struggles and how God helped them overcome

their troubles in the midst of danger and heartache.

Amazon

 

$50 Amazon card or 30 books?

by Carole Brown

I am excited to be participating in a multi-author giveaway just for you! 

What’s more fun to celebrate summer than a $50 Amazon gift card or 30+ books?!

Don’t miss you chance to win!

Enter here: https://promosimple.com/ps/bfa a

 

Link to giveaway:

https://promosimple.com/ps/bfa a

List of 35 Must Read Young Adult Fiction

Many of the books on most Young Adult reading lists are not acceptable for a Christian teen or preteen to read because of the content. Here is my must read YA list. YA consist of books for ages 10 – 18, so it has a wide span. This list doesn’t consist only of Christian books, but they all have Christian principles or a Christian worldview. Because each parent’s standards are different, I’ll leave it to you which books your teen should read and at what age each book is appropriate. I’ve listed them in order of what I consider age appropriate.

Pipi Longstocking Series by Astrid Lindgren

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol

Anne of Greene Gables Series by LM Montgomery

Chronicles of Narnia Series by CS Lewis

A Wrinkle in Time Series by Madeleine L’Engle

Wizard of Oz Series by L. Frank Baum

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

William Henry is a Fine Name and I’ve Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavin

The Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan

The Hagenheim Series by Melanie Dickerson

If We Survive by Andrew Klavin

The Giver Series by Lois Lowry

Diary of Anne Frank (non-fiction, but still a good book)

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Christy by Catherine Marshall

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Homelanders Series by Andrew Klavin

The Lost Books Series by Ted Dekker

Watershed Down by James Ashton

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Outsiders by SE Hinton

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Review of No One to Trust by Lynette Eason

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Today I’m reviewing a Christian romantic suspense novel by Lynette Eason. Here’s a blurb about the novel.

No One to Trust

Book #1 Hidden Identity Series

by Lynette Eason

Summer Abernathy must run for her life when she wakes up to find her husband Kyle missing, three men in her home intent on finding him, and the life she’s been living based on a lie.

 

My Review:  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Wow! From the first word of this suspense filled novel, I was hooked. It’s fast paced roller-coaster ride of a husband and wife running from mobsters never stopped. Interwoven in the story was a story of betrayal and redemption. Summer’s husband has been lying to her about who he is through their entire marriage. She finds out the truth as they’re running for their lives, but she can’t leave him if she wants to live. I loved how this novel kept me guessing with twists and turns along the way. I highly recommend this novel and can’t wait to read more by Eason.

Review of Amber Alert by Linda K. Rodante

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Today I’m reviewing a Christian romantic suspense novel, Amber Alert, by Linda K. Rodante. Here’s a little about the book.

Amber Alert

Dangerous Series Book #1

by Linda K. Rodante

Sharee Jones just wants a partner with whom she can serve the Lord. She didn’t plan on getting involved with a man who resents God, didn’t plan on the mutilated dolls or the threatening notes interfering with her Christmas program—and with the child who’s to play baby Jesus. She thought God’s hand was in this, but how can it be, when everything she hoped and prayed for is crashing down like the Gulf waves after a storm?

John Jergenson hoped taking the maintenance job at his cousin’s church meant he could leave his guilt-ridden past behind. But he hadn’t counted on Sharee and her program. He hadn’t counted on her laugh or the warmth in her hazel eyes. And he certainly hadn’t counted on her wanting to know the truth about his life. He wants to leave, but Sharee might be in danger, and if he runs again will he ever forgive himself?

My Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Amber Alert deals with a difficult topic, child abduction, in a way that drew me into the story. This novel has it all. The budding romance Sheree and John is challenging, believable and not predictable. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The topic of child abduction was covered in a way that didn’t give me nightmares. Overall, this was a  very enjoyable read and I recommend it.

The Ruins of Gorlan Review

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

The Young Adult fiction craze is here to stay. While many of the YA I’ve seen is not suitable for Christian preteens and teens (Harry Potter Series, Twilight Series), I was pleasantly surprised when my grandsons encouraged me to read the Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan. before I give my complete review of the first book in the series, here’s a little about it.

The Ruins of Gorlan

Ranger’s Apprentice Book #1

by John Flanagan

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaksand shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

Here is the fantasy adventure that launched the Ranger’s Apprentice series, an epic story of heroes and villains that has become an international phenomenon. Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire series.

My Review:  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

This first novel of the Ranger’s Apprentice was a real treat to read. It is set in an earlier time  of knights and mythical kingdoms where chivalry and honor were a way of life. It has a Christian world view. Although it never mentions Christianity, Biblical and moral values are seen throughout. It isn’t too gory for preteens or most elementary age students who read on that level although it has some violence organic to the storyline. It also doesn’t have the occult overtones as some other popular adult fiction. The only drawback is it was written in England, and a few of our milder curse words that are not curse words at all over there were used. An explanation of that for elementary and middle school students should suffice.

The story centers around Will. Will never knew his parents, but he’d been told his father was a brave knight. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and go to battle school. Because of his general build, he’s not accepted, and his world comes crashing down. His life long dream of becoming a brave knight will never happened. Then he’s accepted as a ranger’s apprentice. He doesn’t know much about the ranger core, very few do, and he’s unsure of what they do and why they’re so mysterious. When he’s selected to join them, he’s not even sure he isn’t being punished. He is about to find out they are basically the secret service of the kingdom, and by becoming a ranger, he can do more to defend and protect the kingdom than even a knight. His courage is about to be tested.

In a subplot, Horace, Will’s childhood bully, is accepted in battle school. While there, he becomes bullied in a more intense way than he ever thought to bully Will. He finds out what it is to be on the receiving end of bullying. He doesn’t know how to handle the abuse. He’s supposed to be in training for knighthood, but the bullying might destroy his ambitions. I enjoyed seeing the change in Horace and how he and Will became friends.

I love how the story covers topics teens face even though they’re set in the Middle Ages. I also love how honor, truth, and friendship played out in a way that is still applicable today. The story was a lot of fun to read, and I’d highly recommend it for adults, young adults, teens, and older children.

My Review of Glimmer of Hope by Julie Lessman

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

A Glimmer of Hope

by Julie Lessman

A novella prequel to Isle of Hope Series

She’s a wounded girl serving up trouble.
He’s a pastor’s kid bent on serving God.
But can they find a glimmer of hope for a future together?

From the moment Jack O’Bryen kissed the sixteen-year-old tomboy next door, he knew he would love her forever. Lacey Carmichael was everything he’d ever wanted—intelligent, warm, and brimming with life, the perfect complement to his serious and sensible self. A girlfriend who not only shared his faith, but he hoped his future as well, the perfect mate for a would-be pastor.

Eighteen-year-old Lacey Carmichael has dreamed of marrying Jack O’Bryen since she was twelve years old, the boy next door who always picked up the pieces after her father shattered her heart. But when her cousin leads her astray while Jack’s away at school and her father’s rejection soars to new heights, Lacey finds herself at odds with the boy that she loves, not only jeopardizing their relationship, but Jack’s faith and heart as well.

My Review:  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

This tragic romance was difficult to read. Lacey’s distraught relationship with her emotionally abusive father broke my heart. Jack’s desire to live for God and do things the right way conflicting with his desire and passion for the love of his life is torrential and shows how strong temptation can be, and I could feel his struggle. Julie Lessman has done it again in writing this Isle of Hope prequel. worthy of a Shakespearean tale of young love gone wrong. Only with God, there is always a glimmer of hope. I won’t tell you how it all works out, but once your finish the last line, make sure to have Unfailing Love, the next in the Isle of Hope series. You want to read it immediately to know what happens next. I highly recommend this book.

Review of Unfailing Love by Julie Lessman

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Unfailing Love

Isle of Hope Series Book 1

by Julie Lessman

About the Book:

She stole his heart.
He stole her peace.
Can hope steal their pain?

At the age of eighteen, Lacey Carmichael was a wild girl bent on fun, promised to Jack O’Bryen, a straight-and-narrow pastor’s kid bent on the seminary. When her father kicks her out of the house, she runs away from Isle of Hope, turning her back on everything she loves. Now, eight years later, she’s back as a woman of faith, hoping to make amends to the father she defied, the boyfriend she deserted, and the best friend she denied. Only the bridges she’s burned are still smoldering, kindled by an adulterous affair by Jack’s pastor father that damaged his son’s faith. But can a turning of tables—and hearts—lead the way back to “hope” for them all?

My Review:  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Julie Lessman doesn’t disappoint in this redemption story with a twist.

Lacey was a wild girl who left town and her straight and narrow boyfriend, Jack. He was studying to be a preacher, and she knew she would hurt his career choice, his reputation, and his relationship with God. She was in need of redemption but wasn’t ready to turn to God.

Fast forward a few years, and Lacey returns home with a broken heart and a new relationship with God. She has have redemption and is ready to mend fences. Now it is Jack who needs to get right with God. Between his pastor father’s infidelity and Lacey’s betrayal, he wants nothing to do with God. He is now in need of redemption, but he won’t find it unless he can let go of his anger and extend forgiveness to the woman he’s always loved.

I love how Lessman’s romance novels are never predictable. Her novels are full of passion and faith. At one point, I gasped at a plot twist I didn’t see coming. I highly recommend this novel.