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Christian Fiction January 2020
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| Smoke Screen by Terri BlackstockStarring: recently divorced Brenna, who's in an ugly custody battle with her wealthy ex and has turned to alcohol to cope; her high school sweetheart, injured fire jumper Nate, who's come home to recover.
What it's about: Nate's dad went to prison for murdering Brenna's pastor father 14 years ago. Now, Nate's dad has been pardoned, shocking Brenna's family. As Nate tries to help Brenna keep her kids, he also reluctantly works with his dad, who wants to prove he's innocent.
For fans of: twisty romantic suspense stories, realistically flawed characters, and novels with themes of grace and redemption. |
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| The Painted Castle by Kristy CambronThe setting: East Suffolk's Parham Hill Estate in 1842, 1942, and now.
The women: artist Elizabeth, who marries the owner of the manor as part of a plot to avenge her father's death; widowed Amelia, who uses the large home to house displaced children and American pilots during World War II; and art historian Kiera, who's asked to authenticate an old portrait discovered at the rundown estate by an intriguing stranger.
Why you might like it: Like the earlier books in the Lost Castle trilogy, this sweeping final entry revolves around three women in three distinct time periods, each connected to the same castle. |
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The bridge to Belle Island
by Julie Klassen
Investigating a mysterious death on a remote island on the Thames, a disgraced lawyer is unexpectedly drawn to the case’s chief suspect, an enigmatic woman who has been having recurring nightmares about the victim.
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| A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott1871 Arizona Territory: After her photographer father's death, strong-willed Meg Pero escapes her staid aunt's home in the east to take his place as part of a U.S. Army survey of the Grand Canyon.
What happens: Meg finds the crew is led by the man she once loved, Captain Ben Coleridge, and that he has a secondary motive for the journey -- locating his own father, who went missing months ago.
Why you might like it: This evocative 1st entry in the American Wonders Collection has a charming second-chance romance, a bit of suspense, and offers a glimpse at photographic technology of the time. |
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The rebel bride
by Shannon McNear
During the clash between Union and Confederacy, quiet Tennessean Pearl MacFarlane is compelled to nurse both Rebel and Yankee wounded who seek refuge at her family's farm. She is determined to remain unmoved by the Yankee cause--until she faces the silent struggle of Union soldier Joshua Wheeler, a recent amputee. He is desperate to regain his footing--as a soldier, as a man, as a Christian--in the aftermath of his debilitating injury. He will use his time behind enemy lines to gather useful intelligence for the Union--if the courageous Rebel woman will stay out of the line of danger.
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Books You May Have Missed
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| Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti CallahanWhat happens: Joy Davidman, an atheist, writer, and housewife with two small children and an unfaithful alcoholic husband in 1940s New York, reaches rock bottom and prays. Wanting to know more about God, she writes to Christian apologist C.S. Lewis, beginning years of correspondence that eventually leads to love and marriage.
For fans of: C.S. Lewis; touching, thoughtful historical fiction.
Awards buzz: Written from Joy's point of view, this lyrical novel won two 2019 Christy Awards, for Historical Romance and Book of the Year. |
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| A Bound Heart by Laura FrantzIsle of Kerrera, Scotland, 1752: Though they grew up together and both are Christian, Scottish laird Magnus MacLeish and beekeeper and herbalist Lark MacDougall live very different lives as adults.
What happens: A tragedy sees both pushed away from their homeland and making a long sea voyage as indentured servants, heading to Colonial Virginia and the West Indies.
For fans of: Jocelyn Green, Jody Hedlund, Julie Klassen, and evocative, slowly building romances. |
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| The Persian Gamble by Joel C. RosenbergWhat it's about: Former U.S. Secret Service agent Marcus Ryker forms a precarious alliance with a Russian double agent -- who happens to be the son-in-law of Russia's president -- to halt a world-threatening nuclear war involving enemy nations Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
Series alert: This 2nd in the Marcus Ryker trilogy after The Kremlin Conspiracy will be followed by The Jerusalem Assassin in March.
Who it's for: those who enjoy fast-paced political thrillers with an evangelical Christian worldview. |
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| A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel SawyerFeaturing: Laurel, a naive 18-year-old who longs for her own family but is committed to helping her aging mother; Langdon, a spoiled playboy; Willie, a night watchman with an ill father, who falls for Laurel; Quincy, a groundskeeper, the son of a former slave, and Willie's friend.
What happens: Laurel works at a silk loom at the 1895 Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition where she meets the others and is courted by Langdon, who's using her to secure his inheritance.
Why you might like it: This moving novel thoughtfully addresses racism and social class disparities. |
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| A Reluctant Belle by Beth White1870 Mississippi: Five years after the Civil War, strong-willed Joelle Daughtry manages her family's plantation-turned-hotel and runs a school for the children of freed slaves. But with the KKK becoming more active, prejudice and danger abound. When a progressive political candidate is murdered, Joelle helps his son, who's her childhood friend, look for answers, and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle.
Series alert: This thought-provoking, richly detailed 2nd in the Daughtry House series features complex topics and characters and touches of humor. Newcomers can start here or pick up the 1st book, A Rebel Heart; the 3rd entry, A Reckless Love, comes out in June. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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