Christian Fiction
March 2023
Recent Releases
In Love's Time
by Kate Breslin

True love: In 1918 England, Clare Danner, a single mother working at a military hospital to support her two-year-old, Daisy, falls for Captain Sir Marcus Weatherford, a British spy who returns her feelings.

Forgotten love: Marcus is given a fake fiancée and sent to Russia on a secret mission, while Daisy's powerful paternal relatives seek custody. When Marcus returns, Clare desperately needs his help, but he's been injured and doesn't remember her.

Series alert: This is the "beautifully crafted" (Booklist) 5th and final book in moving World War I-era series, but all entries work as standalones.
The Rose and the Thistle
by Laura Frantz

The Jacobite Uprising, 1715: After a mob attacks her Catholic family's castle, Lady Blythe flees Northern England for the Scottish lowlands, where her protestant godfather lives. He's just died, so his first son, the handsome new Laird, offers her refuge...but danger still lurks.

Read it for: the fascinating history, the evocative settings, and the well-matched couple.

Reviewers say: "a masterful achievement" (Booklist); "Readers will be hooked until the satisfying close" (Publishers Weekly). 
Her Heart's Desire
by Shelley Shepard Gray

Introducing: Mary Margaret Miller, who's insecure after being bullied at school for years and hopes a vacation will jumpstart a new beginning.

Wallflower friends: On the bus to Pinecraft, Florida, Mary makes friends, two other young Amish women who've also felt like outsiders. Then, after meeting a gentle young man staying at the same bed and breakfast, Mary dreams of a fulfilling future.

For fans of: sweet series starters; other novels set in the real-life Amish resort village of Pinecraft, like author Shelley Shephard Gray's Amish Brides of Pinecraft books or Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore's Pinecraft Pie Shop series. 
The Sound of Light : a Novel
by Sarah Sundin

What it's about: In WWII Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt assumes the identity of a common shipyard worker, rowing messages to Sweden for the Resistance. His life depends on keeping his secret hidden-a task that proves challenging when he meets Else Jensen, an American physicist who seems to see right through him.

Reviewer's say: "Sundin grounds this suspenseful tale in rich historical detail, weaving throughout probing questions of faith as characters struggle to behave in moral, godly ways, especially when it entails risking one’s life for a stranger. The author’s fans will find all the intrigue and depth they expect" (Publisher's Weekly).
The Sisters of Sea View
by Julie Klassen

Introducing: the genteel Summers sisters and their sickly mother, who must turn their coastal Sidmouth, England, home into a guest house after the death of their father and husband.

Spring 1819: Instead of the elderly invalids they expect, the family finds themselves hosting gentlemen and an exacting older lady. Meanwhile, bookish Viola, who wears a veil to hide a scar, earns money by reading to their infirm neighbor.

For fans of: Jane Austen, faith-filled Regency novels, and charming 1st novels in a new series.
A Match In the Making
by Jen Turano

What it's about: When Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a paid companion position for the Newport season, she never imagined she'd be expected to take over responsibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with finding the season's catch, Walter Townsend, a wife, her assignment becomes increasingly difficult when she realizes his perfect match might be...her.

Reviewers say: "Gwendolyn’s a dynamic character, and readers will enjoy following her through a gauntlet of society misadventures, with moments of surprising tenderness sprinkled throughout. This is a delight" (Publisher's Weekly).
Focus on: Women of the Past
Destined For You
by Tracie Peterson

What it's about: After smallpox kills her mother and siblings, Gloriana Womack is dedicated to holding together what's left of her fractured family.

Reviewers say: "Peterson (Forever by Your Side) delivers a touching tale of love built out of shared grief in this enjoyable first installment of the Ladies of the Lake series...This series is off to a strong start" (Publisher's Weekly). 
The Paris Dressmaker
by Kristy Cambron

What it is: vividly described historical fiction with romantic elements, which is based on real events from World War II-era Paris. 

Starring: Lila de Laurent, a talented dressmaker who sews for the Nazis while secretly working for the Resistance; Sandrine Paquet, who, with her husband at war, catalogs stolen artwork for the Nazis in order to support her young son while surreptitiously keeping records about the real owners.

Read this next: For other well-researched WWII novels, try one of Sarah Sundin's books, which take place in various locales, or Tracy Groot's moving Maggie Bright, set mostly in England. 
The Healing of Natalie Curtis
by Jane Kirkpatrick

What it's about: After an emotional breakdown leaves her unable to perform for years, classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis travels west with her brother in 1902. She finds healing in beautiful Native American music, but is disturbed that Indigenous culture is outlawed. Determined, she sets out to preserve the music.

Why you might like it: The Healing of Natalie Curtis is leisurely paced, richly detailed, and based on a real person and historical facts.

Reviewers say: "Kirkpatrick's reflective and informative novel inspires readers to consider their own motives and choices and the sometimes unintended consequences of the help they give" (Booklist). 
The Librarian of Boone's Hollow
by Kim Vogel Sawyer

What it's about: In Depression-era Kentucky, Addie Cowherd can't afford to finish college, so she becomes a traveling librarian, delivering books on horseback to insular coal-mining communities. Though folks are suspicious of Addie, she bonds with Emmett, who's recently returned home after obtaining a scholarship-funded university education.

For fans of: faith-filled historical novels with evocative rural settings and appealing characters.

Reviewers say: "With a grace-based message of self-worth, this suspenseful historical romance is sure to charm" (Booklist).
Contact your librarian for more great books!