Tag Archives: #ChristianFiction

Reader’s Log 059: Discovering and New Beginnings

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Wish-List 5

Even though my book selections to-read next year is full, I can’t help continue to be on the hunt for more. Searching for books is all part of the fun of discovering new authors, new titles or perhaps re-visiting a genre you haven’t picked up in a while. Whatever the case, it is thrilling and well worth your time!

Not too long ago, I got back into Christian Fiction and I have read a few great ones this year. Back in the day, I felt many of the stories I read were cheesy and unrealistic. I’m delighted I took the chance to come back to the genre and I’m pleased with what the authors are bringing to the genre. My thanks to the authors and publishers! You’ve brought back so many readers to the genre.

Check out below what I have added to my wish-list and may they inspire you to add them to your to-read pile.  

Stephanie

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

Pub Date Apr 28 2026 by Harlequin – Romance

PAGES: 368

Christian | General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson

Publish Date April 14, 2026 by Tyndale House Publishers

PAGES: 384

Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance

1940. Via Belle’s sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via’s reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.

2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother’s favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve—she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she’ll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.

Described as a “powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction” (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.

Standalone dual-timeline historical mystery filled with drama, faith, and intrigue

Clean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, or Patti Callahan Henry

Includes discussion questions for book groups

On Living Stone (Salome’s Story) by Heather Kaufman

Publish Date January 20, 2026 by Bethany House Publishers

PAGES: 400

Christian

“A beautifully told and imagined story.”–Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author on Before the King

“A biblical story with a heart for today’s world, pulling out an array of joy and hope, sorrow and loss.”–Mesu Andrews, award-winning author on Up from Dust

Every stone sings as it finds its purpose. This is the lesson restless Salome learns from her father as she grows up by the Sea of Galilee. Known as the wild girl with the quick tongue, Salome is determined to silence the critics who claim she has no future. An unexpected romance and the gift of two sons, James and John, leave her hopeful and resolved to prove herself as a mother.

Salome’s dreams are challenged, however, when her sons answer the call to follow Jesus of Nazareth. As James and John are drawn deeper into Jesus’ ministry, opposition to his message intensifies, leaving Salome with a choice. Can her family continue down the path of discipleship when it might cost them everything? With threats abounding, Salome must confront her fears, even as she discovers her own worth in this most unexpected rabbi.

A journey of faith unfolds in this New Testament-inspired story of Salome, mother of Jesus’ apostles James and John. This compelling biblical fiction book explores themes of family, sacrifice, courage, and redemption, making it a stirring read for fans of The Chosen, Francine Rivers, Tessa Afshar, and Angela Hunt.

The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin

Publish Date Apr 14 2026 by Tyndale House Publishers

 PAGES: 368

Christian | Romance | Women’s Fiction

When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin.

1873. After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she’d leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy—a friend of her husband, John—offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John’s skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate, Henry’s spirited, much younger wife. Kate’s sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town’s elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it’s clear her marriage is not what it seems . . . and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home—built in the 19th century for a doctor and his wife—Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy’s disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.

Witness Protection- A Legal Suspense Novel by Robert Whitlow

Publish Date April 07, 2026

PAGES: 464

Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson

Christian | General Fiction (Adult)

Jon Tremaine has lived in hiding for years–will coming out of the shadows to help a friend be too great a risk?

All is finally good. Jon Tremaine has created a new life in Brunswick, Georgia, as part of the Federal Witness Protection program after testifying against the former drug cartel he was involved with. Only his wife, Sarah, and a handler with the US Marshal’s office know his true identity, and he is now the manager of a large commercial tree farm with a baby on the way. But when one of Jon’s employees is arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into the United States, he goes against his better judgment and inserts himself in the middle of the case, believing the man is an unsuspecting mole manipulated by sophisticated drug dealers.

Kelli Quinn, a highly skilled litigator with an Atlanta law firm, has moved to Brunswick to work with her best friend from law school, hoping to rebuild her life after a painful divorce. She and her two children find a temporary home with her aunt Carly, a woman whose great faith is making an impression on her new houseguests. For the first time in a very long while, Kelli sees a future where she can find balance between the job she loves and the family she loves even more.

New to the firm and in need of clients, Kelli agrees to represent Jon’s employee. The unfolding investigation reveals layers of criminal activity and possible connections to Jon’s past, putting everyone at risk of exposure–and even death.

Reader’s Log 056: Current Reads and Contemplation

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I finished Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together by Ilana Kurshan. The book has been published but I haven’t turned in my review yet because there is something the author briefly mentions about a group of people that made me pause and I’m trying to work out how I’m going to address this issue objectively. I will say I wish she had fleshed it out a bit better to get a clearer picture and that is part of the problem I’m having with the passage. Also, the author’s narrative often moves rather quickly onto other things… Okay, that is all I’m going to say about the subject until I release my review. Be sure to be on the lookout for it!

The books I’m currently reading are enjoyable thus far and I recommend them to consider reading. In this post, I will show three of them and the fourth book will be for another post because it is a very complex topic that I will be talking about in depth.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend of resting and reading.

Stephanie

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Not yet published Expected Date: March 24, 2026 – I have a review copy from the pubs.

1920’s London was enthralled by the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Filled with priceless statues, jewels, and the gold-encased mummy of the boy Pharaoh himself, the burial site unleashed a fascination with the ancient world and revolutionized the world of archeology.

The discovery was made by Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and his associate, famed archeologist Howard Carter. What no one knows is that without the pioneering spirit of Lady Evelyn Herbert, Carnarvon’s daughter, the tomb might never have been found. As a young woman, Evelyn was fascinated by the story of Hatshepsut, a woman who had to assume the guise of a man in order to rule Egypt. Although she brought peace and prosperity to Egypt, her male successors ruthlessly and thoroughly erased her name from history.

Lady Evelyn’s ambition to find the tomb of Egypt’s first woman ruler exposes her to life-threatening danger and pits her against archeologists who refuse to believe the tomb can be found―and certainly not by a woman. Refusing to give up, Evelyn is on the verge of success when she is suddenly forced to make an agonizing choice between loyalty to her beloved father and Carter and realizing the dream of a lifetime.

About the author:

Marie Benedict is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Lady Clementine, Carnegie’s Maid, The Other Einstein, and the novella, Agent 355. With Victoria Christopher Murray, she co-wrote the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian and the Target Book of the Year The First Ladies. 
Her books have been translated into thirty languages, and selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List. 
Up next is the February 11, 2025 release, The Queens of Crime, the thrilling story of Agatha Christie’s legendary rival, mystery writer Dorothy Sayers, the race to solve a real-life murder, and the power of friendship among women.
And in April, her first children’s book will released, a middle grade historical adventure co-written with Courtney Sheinmel called The Secrets of the Lovelace Academy.

Phoebe by Paula Gooder

Published September 4, 2018

Sometime around 56 AD, the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He entrusted this letter to Phoebe, whom he describes as the deacon of the church at Cenchreae and a patron of many. But who was this remarkable woman? Biblical scholar and popular author and speaker Paula Gooder imagines Phoebe’s story—who she was, the life she lived, and her first-century faith—and in doing so opens up Paul’s world, giving a sense of the cultural and historical pressures that shaped his thinking and the faith of the early church. After the narrative, Gooder includes an extensive notes section with comments on the historical context, biographical details, cultural practices, and more. Rigorously researched, this is a book for anyone who wants to engage more deeply and imaginatively with Paul’s theology.

About the author:

Paula Gooder is a speaker and writer on the Bible, particularly on the New Testament. She began her working life, teaching for twelve years in ministerial formation first at Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford and then at the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham. Following this she spent around eight years as a speaker and writer in biblical studies travelling the country and seeking to communicate the best of biblical scholarship in as accessible a way as possible, after that she spent six years working for the Bible Society as their Theologian in Residence and then for the Birmingham Diocese as their Director of Mission Learning and Development. She is currently the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright

Published April 1, 2025

In 1874, a battered woman awakens atop a forgotten gravesite by Lake Superior. Identified only by the locket around her neck inscribed with the name Rebecca, she seeks refuge with an elderly lighthouse keeper named Edgar. But as Rebecca struggles to remember who she is, she finds herself haunted by the lingering memories of Annabel, a mysterious woman who perished in the unforgiving waves of Lake Superior years earlier. With the spirit of Annabel seemingly reawakened, and an unknown adversary on the hunt to silence Rebecca once and for all, there is more at stake than just reclaiming her own memories. Rebecca must reclaim Annabel’s as well.

In the present day, author and researcher Shea Radclyffe escapes to the lighthouse outside a historic mining town in Michigan, seeking clarity about her failing marriage. Instantly drawn to the lighthouse’s landlord, Shea contends with the vengeful legend of Annabel’s ghost and a superstitious community that has buried the secrets surrounding a decade-old murder. As the secrets harbored around Annabel’s lighthouse unravel, Shea must navigate a fight of torn loyalty, self-discovery, and the haunting forces of love and a vengeance that should have drowned a century before.

About the author:

Daphne du Maurier and Christy Award-Winning author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing suspenseful, mysteries stained with history’s secrets.

Reader’s Log 054: Girl Lost by Kate Angelo

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I have been on the lookout for more mystery thrillers written by christian authors and I came across Kate Angelo and I thought I would add her book “Girl Lost” to my to-read list. This book comes out in September so I may purchase it when it does. I did spot this book on NetGalley but decided not to request it because I’m working on my backlog of reviews to turn in. So many books, so little time.

Stephanie

Pub Date Sep 23 2025 by Revell

Christian | Mystery & Thrillers | Romance

Description

A LOST BABY

Luna Rosati found acceptance and comfort with her childhood foster family, but when she became pregnant at sixteen, she gave the baby up for adoption and left without a word. Now a CIA counterintelligence officer, Luna wants to reconcile her fractured sense of self by finding the only blood family she has–the teenage daughter she’s never met. As Luna closes in on learning the girl’s identity with the help of her mentor, Stryker, she prepares to meet him in her old neighborhood–the last place she wants to be. Then Stryker is captured.   

AN INESCAPABLE PAST

Special Agent Corbin King changed his last name to escape the shadow of his convicted father serving a life sentence. When he runs into Luna, the object of his failed teenage romance, the two must put their pasts aside and work together to expose a secret that someone’s willing to kill for.

A DEADLY THREAT

But when they encounter a kidnapping, missing bodies, and murder, the secrets Corbin and Luna are keeping from one another are only the beginning of the threat they face with more than their own lives at stake.

Book Review: One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

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Pelican Harbor #1

Publication Date: March 03, 2020

Christian Fiction| Mystery & Thrillers | Romance

When Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, after her father retires, there’s no time for an adjustment period. He is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, and Jane quickly realizes she’s facing someone out to destroy her father.

They escaped from a cult fifteen years ago, and Jane has searched relentlessly for her mother—who refused to leave—ever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?

Reid Bechtol is a well-known journalist who makes documentaries, and his sights are currently set on covering Jane’s career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity.

Jane finds herself depending on Reid’s calm manner as he follows her around taping his documentary, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to cross.

It started with one little lie. But Jane Hardy will do everything in her power to uncover the truth.

My thoughts:

One Little Lie is the first book I have read written by Colleen Coble and I am happy to report I enjoyed this story. I love a good mystery that is a page turner and has you fully invested in the characters plight and the actions they take to right the situation they find themselves in. Those actions are not always the correct ones and that is par for the course when it comes to human nature and this story shows that. This story also shows how our past determines our choices in life in how we handle those choices. This story is faith based and gives a realistic picture of the struggles I mentioned above.

Out of all the characters relationships, I have to say Jane and her friend Olivia friendship touched me the most. Though Olivia was a side character, her gentle influence and support of Jane helps Jane through her process of healing from being in a cult and encouraging Jane to find true faith, healing, peace and reconciliation with God.

There are a few things left unanswered but I’m hoping to find those answers in the next book of this series.

If you are looking for a clean mystery with a great plot this one is for you!

Stephanie

The publishers recently made this book available on NetGalley again for review. I was delighted to read this book for an honest review.

Book Review: The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz

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Publish Date Jun 10, 2025 by Tyndale House Publishers | Tyndale Fiction

Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance

About the Story:

Lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival.

Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.

When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.

If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.

My Thoughts:

The Lawyer and the Laundress is a beautiful faith based, wholesome, clean story blended with history of the British colony in Canada, 1837.

There aren’t too many fiction stories I’ve read based in Canada so I was delighted to chose this story and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Christine Hill Suntz story flows really well and she pulls the reader in with her fantastic character development. After I read this story, I went to search for her other works and discovered that this is her debut novel. Her characters Sara, Sara’s grandma, James, and Evie now hold a special place in my heart and I felt such a deeply emotional tie to their story as if they were my own family. I wanted to reach out and protect them from danger. That means a lot when a story evokes such emotions. Be sure to have a tissue box next to you while reading this story!

Christine Hill Suntz is now one of my new favorite Christian writers and I look forward to reading more of her stories.

I rated this book five stars! If there was an option for ten stars I would rate it thus.

My thanks and appreciation to Tyndale House Publishers for a galley copy though NetGalley for an honest review.

Stephanie

Reader’s Log 041: Book Spotlight

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These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

I spotted These Blue Mountains on NetGalley and have added it to my wish-list of books to read this year. The story looks so good! I like the fact that this story takes place on two continents. I’m not requesting a review copy because I have so many reviews to get through but when I read the story, I will be sure to share my thoughts.

Stephanie

Pub Date Jul 15 2025 by Bethany House

Christian | General Fiction (Adult)

Description:

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel’s world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz’s name in a photograph of an American memorial for German seamen who died near Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda travels to the US. Her quest takes a shocking turn when, rather than Fritz’s body, his casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.

Local deputy Garland Jones thought he’d left that dark chapter behind when he helped bury Fritz Meyer’s coffin. The unexpected arrival of Hedda, a long-suffering yet captivating woman, forces him to confront how much of the truth he really knows. As they work together to uncover the identity of the woman in the casket and to unravel Fritz’s fate, Hedda and Garland grow closer. But with Hedda in the US on borrowed time while Hitler rises to power in Germany, she fears she’ll be forced to return home before she can put the ghosts of her past to rest.

Praise for These Blue Mountains

“These Blue Mountains is a masterful tale that weaves together two continents, two wars, and two lives defined by longing and resilience.”–PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, New York Times bestselling author

“North Carolina’s mountains hide the secrets of a war long past and a young love cut short in this atmospheric tale of unexpected hope.”–LISA WINGATE, New York Times bestselling author

Book Review: The Burning of Rosemont Abbey Naomi Stephens

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Pub Date Oct 15 2024 by Bethany House Publishing

Book Description:

1956: In the quiet village of Wilbeth Green, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey set the residents’ tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of being the arsonist. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection–she felt her twin’s death an hour before the abbey went up in flames. Knowing no one will believe her, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the skepticism of her neighbors and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul’s closest friend, is torn between his duty and a lingering loyalty to Paul and warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.

My Thoughts:

The title of this book is what captured my attention to this story in the first place because of my deep fascination of Monasteries in England and its history. My heart clinches when I imagine an old abbey burning that survived through the centuries despite its history. Why would someone do such a deliberate act of destruction to such an historic building. Particular one that can be traced back to the pre-Norman conquest. I needed to find out plus I love a good mystery.

The mystery surrounding the burning of the abbey had me thinking of all sorts of scenarios of who could have done it, Paul being the number one suspect. Stephens does a brilliant portrayal of bringing to light of other potential suspects, their backgrounds, connections and the possibility of how it could have happened and why. I must say, I was really caught off guard on who the arsonist was and the plot twist I did not see coming! Despite Louisa’s feeling her brother’s death, I couldn’t help feeling and hoping throughout reading the story, that she was wrong.

Louisa’s inner turmoil is shown throughout the story and she is flawed-of course-as we all are. Louisa certainly gets herself in sticky situations and despite her rocky relationship with her brother Paul and her disapproval towards him, her convictions to find out what happen to him, despite the obstacles she faces, is commendable. It is an extraordinary thing to see someone seeking redemption for a person whose lifestyle they don’t approve of or no matter how strain their relationship is to each other. We see that with Louisa in regards to her brother and I am proud of her.

What an excellent period for the setting of this story and I admire a writer who can develop realistic characters of the time period, and culture. I also love how the author weaves in a brief history of the Abbey and how much the building meant to the community. My heart was saddened right along with the congregation.

Wonderfully written mystery, fast paced, suspenseful, thought provoking, and a great plot! I will definitely be on the lookout for more stories by this author.

Stephanie Hopkins

I obtained an ARC from Bethany House through NetGalley for an honest review.

Side Bar: It has been quite a while since I’ve read a Christian fiction story. In the past, oftentimes, I found the stories to be cheesy and unrealistic. I felt the genre was too confining and I sensed-at times-writers were walking on egg shells. While I understand the sensitivities on topics and how it is to be written for the genre and such, I feel like that is where many writers failed to make the characters actions, and speech at times believable. My feelings on the genre left me not picking it up any longer. This is NOT to say I want to read explicit scenes and such. I don’t particularly care for that one bit. You can write strong dialog, plot, conflict, danger, character development and relationships without explicit scenes, profanity and so forth, while getting your point across. The Burning of Rosemont Abbey has proven that and I’m delighted I chose to read this story.