June 2014 ACFW New Fiction Releases
Start the summer off right with a stack of new novels for that cruise, road trip, or just lying around in the backyard hammock. Below are June releases in Christian fiction. Enjoy!
Contemporary:
All Right Here by Carre Armstrong Gardner — Ivy Darling can’t have children of her own, and her husband Nick’s resentment is forcing them apart. And while Ivy has the support and love of her large, close-knit family, Nick’s family has never welcomed her into the fold. When the three children next door are abandoned by their mother, Ivy and Nick take them in for the night. One night becomes several, and suddenly Ivy and Nick find themselves foster parents to the only African-American kids in the town of Copper Cove, Maine. As Ivy grows more attached to the children, Nick refuses to accept their eclectic household as a permanent family. Just as Ivy begins to question whether or not she wants to save her emotionally empty marriage, Nick begins to discover how much Ivy and the children mean to him. But is his change of heart too little, too late? (Contemporary Fiction from Tyndale House)
A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert — Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream. Her world is filled with designer clothes, luxury cars, and stunning homes. But her Neiman-Marcus lifestyle comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly, she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must start over against incredible odds to save her family–and discover a life worth living. (Contemporary Fiction from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])
The Cat Lady’s Secret by Linda W. Yezak — Emily Taylor loves to help people, loves to ease their burdens and make their dreams come true. But when a conman ruins her reputation, she discovers that helping others is safer and easier from behind the scenes. When one of Emily’s gifts captures the attention of an avid journalist, her identity as the town’s anonymous benefactor-and her renewed relationship with her high school sweetheart-are threatened. As her private life begins to unravel, she realizes the one hope for regaining control lies behind prison walls. (Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Harbourlight Books[Pelican])
Contemporary Romance:
A Romance Rekindled by Kimberly Rose Johnson — Susan Hill can’t forget how Blake Mitchell jilted her and left their hometown without an explanation. But when he returns to Leavenworth, the ruggedly handsome writer evokes conflicting emotions, especially when Susan meets the child she assumes is his daughter. Since his parents’ deaths six years ago, Blake’s been raising his little sister on his own. But he’s never forgotten the woman he left behind. Now, he can’t undo the past, but maybe he can change the future…if he can convince Susan to give him one more chance. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Lakeside Sweethearts by Lisa Jordan — Agnes Kingsley can hardly bear to walk past the house she lived in as a married woman. It’s full of bad memories she’s never shared-not even with her best friend, Ian James. But now Ian wants her help to restore that old home for a community project. Agnes knows it’s for a good cause, but as their work brings them even closer together, she’s afraid to trust-in herself or in the feelings she’s secretly harbored for her childhood friend. Yet as they chip away at the house, walls come down around both their hearts…uncovering a foundation to last a lifetime. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Their Unexpected Love by Kathleen Y’Barbo — Widowed contractor Logan Burkett knows exactly what troublemaking teens need: discipline. A former rabble-rouser, Logan had his life turned around by firm guidance and hard work. But try telling that to Pippa Gallagher. The softhearted event planner runs a skate park ministry for troubled teens and thinks a place to be themselves is the answer. As he and Pippa work together renovating the space, they seem to disagree about everything. But when disaster strikes, Logan finds himself feeling very protective of the beautiful planner and surprised to discover they share one very special thing in common…love. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inpspired [Harlequin])
Historical Fiction:
The Hatmaker’s Heart by Carla Stewart — Nell Marchwold is fortunate to have landed a job as an apprentice designer at the prominent Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City. When Nell’s fresh designs begin to catch on, her boss holds her back from the limelight, claiming the stutter she’s had since childhood reflects poorly on her and his salon. But it seems Nell’s gift won’t be hidden by Oscar’s efforts. Soon an up-and-coming fashion designer is seeking her out as a partner of his 1922 collection. The publicity leads to an opportunity for Nell to make hats in London for a royal wedding. There, she sees her childhood friend, Quentin, and an unexpected spark kindles between them. But thanks to her success, Oscar is determined to keep her. As her heart tugs in two directions, Nell must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream, and what her dream truly is. (Historical General Fiction from Faith Words [Hachette])
Historical Romance:
Four Weddings & a Kiss by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher — In 1885 five western preachers sit around a campfire talking about unlikely couples they’ve seen God bring together. (Historical Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing [Thomas Nelson & Zondervan])
The Beaches and Brides Romance Collection by Lynn A. Coleman, Susan Page Davis, Mary Davis, Paige Winship Dooly and Cathy Marie Hake — Venture along historic American shorelines, enjoying five stories that are full of adventure, challenge, and romance. In Key West a couple collides over a child’s welfare. In Washington, a captain’s wife guards a secret. In Maine, a castaway returns from the dead. In Georgia, a woman dares to man a lighthouse alone. In Virginia, a wounded soldier recoups at a seaside cottage. Watch as God works through their challenges to bring them safely to a harbor of love. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
Stuck Together by Mary Connealy — Tina Cahill, newly arrived from the East, is determined to get the saloon in Broken Wheel, Texas, closed for good. To that end, she pickets outside the place every afternoon. Unfortunately, so far no one has paid any attention. Vince Yates earned the nickname “Invincible Vince” because of his reputation for letting absolutely nothing stop him. But Vince is about to face his biggest challenge yet: his past has just caught up with him. His father, mother, and the sister he didn’t know he had, show up in Broken Wheel without warning. Vince has a lot of people to take care of, and Tina doesn’t approve of how he’s handling any of them. But with almost all the other men in town married off, Vince finds himself stuck with feisty Tina over and over again. Of course, Tina is the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, so if he could just get her to give up her causes, he might go ahead and propose. But he’s got one more surprise coming his way: Tina’s picketing at the saloon has revealed a dark secret that could put everyone Vince loves in danger. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker Publishing Group])
Truth Be Told by Carol Cox When Amelia Wagner takes over her father’s newspaper in 1893 Granite Springs, Arizona, she vows to carry on the paper’s commitment to reporting only the truth. But Amelia soon learns that even the truth can have serious consequences. Her father’s revealing articles about the Great Western Investment Company have caught the attention of the wrong people, and pressure mounts for Amelia to retract her father’s statements. Determined to find out the real story, Amelia begins her own investigation. She’s joined by Benjamin Stone, a Great Western employee who’s been assigned to keep tabs on her. What they uncover stuns them both–and has far-reaching implications for not only Ben and Amelia but all of Granite Springs. Can they reveal the truth before the enemy finds a way to silence them for good? (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker Publishing Group])
A Place in His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino — Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Puritan Barnabas Horton is still grieves the loss of his beloved wife and needs only a mother for his two young sons. And yet these two very different people with very different expectations will take a leap of faith, wed, and then embark on a life-changing journey across the ocean to the New World. Along the way, each must learn to live in harmony, to wait on God, and to recognize true love where they least expect to find it. (Historical Romance from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])
Ozark Reunion by Helen Gray — In the aftermath of the Great Depression, it’s time for Riley to start over. And the first step is winning the trust of his Missouri hometown. But it isn’t easy for a man with a troubled past. Especially when his first love, Jolene Delaney, seems to believe that the new rumors about him are true. After Riley broke her heart, Jolene threw herself into teaching school and caring for her father and little sister. But she knows something is missing from her life. Especially when she comes face-to-face with Riley again. Can he convince Jolene that he’s truly a changed man? Or will he succumb to old temptations and destroy her faith in him once again? (Historical Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer — Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole’s father has always focused on what she’s not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping. Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it’s too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family’s greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father’s rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole’s plans. After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world. Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father’s rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family’s legacy? (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker Publishing Group])
Historical Women’s Fiction:
Yankee In Atlanta by Jocelyn Green — When soldier Caitlin McKae woke up in Atlanta after being wounded in battle, the Georgian doctor who treated her believed Caitlin’s only secret was that she had been fighting for the Confederacy disguised as a man. In order to avoid arrest or worse, Caitlin hides her true identity and makes a new life for herself in Atlanta. Trained as a teacher, she accepts a job as a governess to the daughter of Noah Becker, a German immigrant lawyer, who enlists with the Rebel army. Though starvation rules, and Sherman’s troops edge closer to Atlanta, rages, she will not run again. Will honor dictate that Caitlin and Noah follow the rules, or love demand that they break them? (Historical Women’s Fiction from River North [Moody Publishers])
Mystery:
Blind Trust by Sandra Orchard — Kate Adams had no idea she was carrying counterfeit money, and she can’t believe that it came from her sweet neighbor. Or that it lands her in the middle of another one of Detective Tom Parker’s investigations. Determined to prove her neighbor’s innocence, Kate stumbles into a pit of intrigue that is far deeper than a two-bit counterfeit operation-and strikes too close to home for comfort. As family secrets come to light, her world-and her budding romance with Tom-begin to crumble. To Kate, it’s clear that she won’t be safe until she uncovers all of Port Aster’s secrets. But is it too late for her and Tom? (Mystery from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])
Romantic Suspense:
Moon over Maalaea Bay by H. L. Wegley — They expected the honeymoon of their dreams. What they got was a nightmare wrapped in revenge and kidnapping. (Romantic Suspense from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])
Suspense:
Sky Zone by Creston Mapes — Jack Crittendon is expecting a mindless night on the job at Festival Arena, but when Homeland Security picks up intel about a potential terrorist threat, Jack is thrust into a life-or-death battle to save himself-and the lives of thousands of innocent people. (Suspense from David C. Cook)
What stands out to you as a MUST read? Who is your favorite romance author?
Note: This list is compiled from those books registered by ACFW member authors on Fiction Finder and reprinted with permission of ACFW.
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