Christian Fiction

Equally hilarious and heart-rending, Carlson’s (The Christmas Tree Farm) novel draws on her own experience as a caregiver to provide a devastatingly real novel of deep, quiet faith in the face of a family’s worst fear. Pat Simmons and Katie Powner explore similar themes in Lean on Me and A Flicker of Light.

Cantore (One Final Target) draws on her real-life experience as a police officer to write compelling thrillers that accurately portray cop life and also offer a deep thread of faith, along with interesting characters. Cantore fans will also enjoy DiAnn Mills, Elizabeth Goddard, and Cara Putman.

Peterson (“Heart of Cheyenne” series) always finds something new to highlight about the western United States, even with her prolific repertoire. She pens excellent villains who serve as foils for her romantic heroes, and each book is like a deep dive into the human psyche. Suggest read-alikes by Amanda Cabot and Sandra Dallas.

With shifting loyalties, a global geopolitical stage, family feuds, the legend of the Scottish selkie, and a forbidden romantic attraction, this novel has many of the best elements of historical fiction. Readers will also notice a few cameos from Sundin’s previous novels. For read-alikes, try the sweeping historical dramas of Amanda Dykes and Cathy Gohlke.

Lovingly poking fun at a variety of romance tropes, Monzon (All’s Fair in Love and Christmas) delivers all the swoony feels, along with a message about true beauty and God’s pursuing love, timely in an age of toxic social media comparison traps. Readers will be eager for more books about Little Creek’s side characters and appreciate the zany situations similar to those in the work of Melissa Ferguson and Becca Kinzer.

With perfectly paced and realistic romance, Deibel (The Irish Matchmaker) delivers another book that will leave readers feeling like they have traveled to historic Ireland right from their living rooms. Both a romantic comedy and a thought-provoking Christian read, Deibel’s latest will appeal to fans of Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund and A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

In a novel that should be required reading, Miller (The American Queen) movingly explores the aftermath of racial trauma and how resilient people can open their hearts again. Read-alikes exploring Black historical experiences include When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson Browne and Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee.

Frantz (The Seamstress of Acadie) always provides an exquisitely researched historical setting; here she deals unflinchingly with the controversial legacy of the tobacco lords and the early stages of rebellion in the American colonies. Those who like to read beyond the victor’s perspective in history will also enjoy A River Between Us by Jocelyn Green and The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli.

Fans of Lynette Eason and Nancy Mehl will love this thrill-a-minute ride from Goddard (Hidden in the Night).