Sarah’s Patchwork (Keepsake Legacy Series #1)

Sarah Biddle is a woman who doesn’t know her own strengths and abilities. This story is about her discovery of both. She faces tragedy from her childhood to adulthood. She struggles in dealing with those tragedies because she is a “Christian” who doesn’t depend on her savior.

She starts out as an orphan that has to watch out for her brother and keep the family together as they travel from town to town looking for adoptive parents. She struggles at each town because she won’t be separated from her brother, and many just want her. Her brother is a cripple and that also deters prospective parents.

As she and her brother start life in a new town, she discovers that not all folks are mean hearted. She starts to realize her need for a Savior instead of just the title of “Christian”. This town brings many blessings and sorrows upon her life.
I don’t want to give too much away so I will say that it was a pleasure to take this journey with Sarah Biddle. We could all learn from her example. Be ye not “Christians” in title only!

This is a story of a mother that reaches her wits end. She is fed up, tired and feels trampled on. After the last straw she decides to run away for Mother’s Day. She is feeling great in her hotel enjoying room service and feeling pampered. Then, her kids show up and need her help. She struggles with feelings that every mother has felt…she’s torn between helping her kids and teaching them a lesson.

It is a heartwarming story that strikes a cord in the heart of every mother. Through struggles and lack of recognition, this mother teaches us all a few lessons.

The Winter Garden: A Novel

This is a story about a woman named Ika who travels back to the home of her childhood to confront the memories of her past. She longs to find out the name of her biological father and she commits to helping with the care of her dying mother with the hopes that she will give her some answers.

Ika has to deal with the social ramifications of refusing to speak with her family for years, and then being thrown back into that same family and even the same house! As she cares for her mother she strives to work out her feelings toward her sister. Ika meets her sister’s family and finds a connection.

This journey to Ika’s past was very depressing. I usually look forward to reading a book, but this one was a chore. I found her childhood very sad and that made it a hard read.

Winner Take All (Marcus Glenwood Series #3)

Kirsten is a woman with a past. She struggles with the acceptance that her fiancé is offering. Could a man really love her after he figures out what happened in her past?

Marcus is a lawyer who knows that Kirsten is hiding something, but he loves her anyway.

Dale is a father who loves his daughter. When his daughter is kidnapped, he hires Marcus to take the case.

Erin is an opera star. She loves opera more than her own child.

These characters are intertwined in the case of a girls kidnapping. They discover the strength they need only comes from God. Kirsten discovers that maybe Marcus can be trusted.

The Sound of My Voice

This book was so refreshing. Usually when you read a Christian Romance Novel you expect some romance and some religious fluff…just enough to make you feel good. This book is different. The main character, Jordan, lives in New York City and loves the city. She tries to spread grace, but doesn’t think of religion in the same way her father does. This is the story of a rift between a father and a daughter and how religion can help with every day life.

Jordan followed her passion that led her to the city…and her father didn’t approve. He didn’t think it was pious enough!

This book explores “stuffy” religion, “open minded” religion, and how God’s grace covers each person. If you are tired of the weak religion of other Christian fiction, then read this book. It’s like a breathe of fresh air.

Echoes (The Glenbrooke Series #3)

The story line is actually a love story that begins on the internet. The main character, Wren, is weighing the pros and cons of having a relationship on-line and of sharing that information with her friends and family.

If you’ve ever met someone on-line and it turned romantic then you know the emotions that Wren is dealing with. Her judgment and all of her friends are warning her of the possibilities of meeting KC in person. She tries to weigh her options. The author does a great job of answering all of your questions and keeping you in suspense.

I won’t spoil anything for you, but it’s a really modern story. I enjoyed reading it.

This Christian Romance Novel is modern, entertaining, and educational. It speaks of cultural differences between Asia and America. I have to say that it was an eye opener for me. As a Christian woman in America, I struggle with submitting to my husband daily…but in this book, the main character Lily brings a whole new dimension to the term “submission to men”. In Asia Lily is taught to submit to her father without question and to show an unparalleled level of respect to all men. Then she comes to America and she is thrown into a sea of culture change.

This book contains romance, family issues, and culture shock. Lori Wick did a great job on this one. She teaches you how to be sensitive to the differences in culture while drawing you to hope for Lily to change and adjust to the culture of America.

As an enthusiastic reader of Christian Romance Novels, I can honestly say that this book did not disappoint. Usually, in a Christian romance you know which way the plot is going to turn just a little ways into the book…this book is different. You are longing for a happy ending, and you’re not positive it will come.

The plot and subject matter in this book, I’ll try not to spoil, is very mysterious. I have never read a Christian romance book that dealt with this particular problem before and it was refreshing to read deeper into the mystery and gain a deeper understanding of the characters and all they went through.

The author weaves a love story around the main characters Melanie and Joel. They fall in love and Melanie only knows the vaguest basics of Joel’s life. This leaves Melanie wondering how well she really knows the man she claims to love. Someone from the past arrives and Joel is forced to demonstrate his love for Melanie in the most painful way imagineable.

This book is a very entertaining read as you try to figure out:

• What is Joel hiding?

• Will Joel and Melanie’s love survive?

• Will there be that “Happily Ever After” that CRN readers crave?

I hope you enjoy A Scarlet Cord as much as I did.

A. Gail

Karen Kingsbury is a great Christian romance author.  She has written several books (actually series) that revolve around one family: the Baxter family.  This allows the reader to become even more invested in the characters than they normally would.  Below is a listing of the series Kingsbury has written around the Baxter family.

Remdemption:

• Redemption
• Remember
• Return
• Rejoice
• Remember

Firstborn

• Fame
• Forgiven
• Found
• Family
• Forever

Sunrise

• Sunrise
• Summer
• Someday
• Sunset

These series started in 2002, 2005, and 2007 respectively.  Watch out though, if you’re into Christian romance fiction and you start one, you may have to read them all.

The Sunrise series by Karen Kingsbury is a great example of Christian Romance Fiction. You will become deeply attached to the Baxter family as Kingsbury takes you through the gamut of emotions.

Start with the first book.