• Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Historical Romance Books,  Best Romantic Suspense Books

    In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

    Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.

    When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?

    When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.

    A lesson God taught the author while writing the novel:

    “At the heart of my novel is the theme of trust. The heroine, Sybil, must make several difficult decisions where she learns to trust her inner voice, which is sometimes at odds with the seemingly obvious choice. God used this story line and character arc to remind me that answers in my own life may not always be easy or quick or tied up in pretty pink bows, but that I needed to trust him—with everything!”

    Abigail Wilson

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Clean and Wholesome Romance,  Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Heart of Clay by Shanna Hatfield

    It’s never too late to give love a second chance. . . even for a hard-working cowboy.

    Callan Matthews awakens one day to the realization her husband has taken a nose dive off the pedestal where he’s resided since the moment they met. As Clay unwittingly tugs at the last few threads keeping her from completely unraveling, she has to choose between walking away or running back into his arms.

    Easygoing cowboy Clay Matthews works hard and plays even harder. He’s the last person to wade into emotional turmoil, but he’s up to his neck in it trying to decipher his wife’s suddenly frosty feelings toward him.  When tragedy strikes and a life-altering secret is revealed, this tender, sometimes humorous sweet romance embraces the beauty of letting go of the past and daring to fall in love all over again.

    The author on writing Heart of Clay:

    “I began writing my first book, Heart of Clay, in February 2010. I’d been toying with the idea of the story for a while and I finally decided to sit down and see if I could write it!  The idea was one of a realistic couple struggling to hang on to their marriage instead of letting it go.”

    Shanna Hatfield

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Clean and Wholesome Romance,  Best Historical Romance Books

    A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter

    Who to trust when her reputation is at stake…

    Miss Amelia Stalwood may live in London at her absent guardian’s townhouse, but she’s never actually met any nobility; instead of aristocrats, her closest friends are servants.

    Quite by happenstance, she’s introduced to the Hawthorne family and their close family friend, Anthony, the reformed Marquis of Raebourne. They welcome her into their world, but just as she’s beginning to gain some confidence and even suspect that she may have caught Anthony’s eye, she’s blindsided by an unexpected twist in her situation accompanied by nasty rumors. Will she lose her reputation when the world that has only just accepted her turns its back on her, or will she rest in the support of the friends who’ve become like family and the man who’s shared his faith and captured her heart?

    The author on faith during Regency England:

    “Despite the general debauchery across much of the culture, there were people who were devoutly Christian. This was the generation laying the groundwork for greats such as Charles Spurgeon and D.L. Moody to rise up and change the world. While the faith was certainly present, evangelism as we know it today was not a priority yet.”

    Kristi Ann Hunter

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Clean and Wholesome Romance,  Best Historical Romance Books

    The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz

    Love, betrayal, and new beginnings…

    When colonial Williamsburg explodes like a powder keg on the eve of the American Revolution, Lady Elisabeth “Liberty” Lawson is abandoned by her fiancé and suspected of being a spy for the hated British.

    No one comes to her aid save the Patriot Noble Rynallt, a man with formidable enemies of his own. Liberty is left with a terrible choice. Will the Virginia belle turned lacemaker side with the radical revolutionaries, or stay true to her English roots? And at what cost?

    What the author wants readers to learn through The Lacemaker:

    “That history is truly God’s story, and during that tumultuous period when America fought for its independence, He was at work creating one of the greatest, God-honoring nations in the world through the flawed yet selfless heroism of our founding fathers, the American people, and courageous women like our heroine who supported the cause for liberty.”

    Laura Frantz

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Historical Romance Books

    Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson

    A Compelling Series Set on the 1840s Frontier…

    Grace Martindale has known more than her share of hardship. After her parents died, raising her two younger sisters became her responsibility. A hasty marriage to a minister who is heading to the untamed West seemed like an opportunity for a fresh start, but a cholera outbreak along the wagon trail has left Grace a widow in a very precarious position.

    Having learned natural remedies and midwifery from her mother, Grace seeks an opportunity to use her skills for the benefit of others. So when she and her sisters arrive at the Whitman mission in “Oregon Country,” she decides to stay rather than push on. With the help of Alex Armistead, a French-American fur trapper, Grace begins to provide care for her neighbors, including some of the native populace. But not everyone welcomes her skills–or her presence–and soon Grace finds herself and those she loves in more danger than she imagined possible.

    In Tracie Peterson’s words about writing Christian Romance:

     I always saw my writing as a ministry that could be used to share my faith and encourage others.

    Tracie Peterson