 It's the holiday season. Treat yourself - or a loved one - to some fabulous books to read! Check out the new releases below and have a blessed Christmas! December 1st  The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match by Bree Livingston A cowboy afraid of risking his heart, a broke chef with a dream, and a business arrangement that changes everything. After the last four years, Bear West is tired of being the fifth wheel during his family’s yearly holiday get togethers—but he’s not ready to put his heart on the line. It’s safer to hire someone to be his girlfriend. Except when he meets Winnie Fordham, his heart’s beating a different tune. Winnie Fordham is on borrowed time. She made a deal with her dad that if her dream of opening a restaurant didn’t happen within two years, she’d hang up her apron to join his law firm. When her best friend and partner cleans out the bank account, she’s gotta think outside the box to make her dream come true—like pretending to be Bear West’s girlfriend. It’s a short-term business arrangement until they realize they might just have all the ingredients to make it forever.  Doctor Millionaire by Elle Rush Twelve friends. Ten-year reunion. One $50,000,000 lottery ticket. The only reason Dr. Doug Little returned to work in his dying hometown was to keep a promise. Two years and he’s gone. The only things getting him through his first couple months are his ten-year reunion and working with his old high-school crush. Although Jackie Dunn loves her quiet world, her small-town life gets even harder when her part-time hospital job is in peril. If not for her friends’ encouragement, she’d head to the city for better opportunities for herself. At the reunion, all the returning graduates chip in for a lottery ticket, but nobody expects to win the fifty-million-dollar jackpot. Doug’s share should be more than enough to buy his freedom, but the town doesn’t want to let their new doctor go. Jackie is the only thing that makes Hopewell bearable; the problem is the more time he spends with her, the more he forgets how much he wants to leave. When he finally finds a way to escape, Doug realizes he’ll be doing it alone. Jackie doesn’t have much time to show him the life he accidentally created for himself in Hopewell is far better than anything his millions could buy him anywhere else.  Rules are made to be Broken by Mylissa Demeyere I've loved Will Henderson from the first day I laid eyes on him. But I made a solemn promise that same day. I would never, ever date Will Henderson. For almost a decade,Charlotte Dubois has loved Will Henderson from afar, squelching her heart's silent yearnings. But no way could she date her best friend Kelsey's brother.Their whole friendship is based on one rule: No friend of Kelsey can ever date Will.Instead, Charlotte has watched him date and break more hearts than should be legal. Will Henderson never got over that stolen kiss he shared with Charlotte years ago--though he's tried valiantly to rid his system of his sister's best friend. When circumstances bring the two into each other's arms again, Will wants to convince Charlotte to break the rules and take a chance on him. But to do so, they will have to hide their relationship from the ones they love most. Can true love triumph, or will they both end up losing? December 2nd  The Blue Moon Caper By Phyllis Entis Another coast-to-coast challenge for the Dickens Detective Agency. When Bruno Caravaggio confesses to a murder he didn’t commit, Damien returns to Atlantic City to find the killer and clear his friend’s name. His task is complicated by Bruno’s desire to protect his mother, and her equally strong instinct to defend her son. While Damien is away, Millie agrees to look into the claim of an eccentric Carmel-by-the-Sea resident that her children are trying to poison her. Her investigation leads her to Rancho Luna Azul, which sells its meat at several farmers markets in the area. As she explores the connection between Rancho Luna Azul and the poisoning claim of her client, Millie becomes enmeshed in the FBI’s probe of a drug distribution ring operating out of the same premises. Risking capture - and possible death - at the hands of the drug ring, Millie bluffs her way inside and collects the evidence the FBI needs to complete its case. December 3rd  The Truth that Lies Between by W.D. McComb Three adventurous teenagers, yearning for manhood. Two mysterious disappearances. One Mississippi farm at the center of it all. When he’s not busy trying to win over the girl of his dreams, Case Reynolds fishes, camps, and races three-wheelers on a local farm with his best friends, the carefree Jack Masterson and brilliant Jet Townsend. But Case’s life changes forever when he finds the murdered remains of a local drifter in a barn, the beloved farm comes up for sale, and Jack’s abusive stepfather Stone disappears without a trace. The evidence points to all three events being connected. And when the boys discover that not only are they prime suspects in the drifter’s death, but the future of the farm depends on exposing the truth, they set out to find Stone and catch the killer on their own. Their secret quest takes them on a journey of danger and self-discovery that they never could have imagined. Because Stone had dark secrets, killers will kill again, and the truth isn’t always what it seems, even between best friends. Can Case and his friends execute their plan to bring justice to those who deserve it and find a bit of redemption for Stone—and themselves—in the process? Loyalties will be tested. Unyielding courage will be required And a little ingenuity never hurts...  Not in the Plans by Jessica Marie Holt Two neighbors, on a quiet street, in a cozy Southern town. Jackson is a once-jilted bachelor looking for a way to patch up his broken dreams. Emory is a struggling single mom determined to hold things together on her own. When Emory's little boy brings them together unexpectedly, they find a new source of hope in each other, just in time for Christmas. But then Emory's past threatens to derail her little family's future, and her new relationship with Jackson. Will hope be enough to save them?  Fatal Heir by L.C. Ireland Aldrin’s greatest hope carries a pitchfork. On the brink of destruction at the hands of the undead, the kingdom of Aldrin needs a hero… With the ability to see spirits, immunity from the mind-bending mists, and royal blood running through his veins, an illiterate farm boy from the outlands may just be the hero everybody needs. But there are others who foresee a different future for the young prince; one of chaos and death. And they will stop at nothing to keep him from claiming his birthright. The key to saving the future of his people is buried in the past. And the dead have started talking.  The Holiday Hunting Lodge by Jennifer Griffith Snow, a hunting lodge, and a flight—both to and from—love. Music composer Jesse Parrish has a dream contract! He’s been signed to write the soundtrack for a film with award potential. This one job could make his whole career. Twelve themes, all due to the producer at Christmas—but he’s completely blocked. He doesn’t have a single theme, let alone twelve. He needs to get out of Vancouver and somewhere he can think. Aspiring private pilot Mattie Daines has been crushing on Jesse since before he started dating Mattie’s older sister. His music makes her heart sing—but what kind of creep-o falls in love with her sister’s boyfriend? That’s half the reason she’s been working as an outdoors guide anywhere but Vancouver for the past couple of years. When Mattie hears that Jesse is desperate for a private plane to take him to a friend’s mountain lodge, she leaps at the chance, if only to prove that she can be around him without her knees going weak. Mattie whisks Jesse off to the mountains in her plane, but when bad weather threatens the flight, will this dangerous plane ride also threaten Mattie’s firm resolve not to let feelings for Jesse back into her life? December 4th  Hope is Born by Multiple Authors Nine stories. Nine pasts to overcome. Nine futures hang in the balance. Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but what happens when the past threatens to destroy the peace and joy of the season? When the men and women in these stories face overwhelming challenges in their lives, can hope be restored this Christmas? Mountaintop Christmas by Stacy Monson Wilderness camp leaders Mikayla Gordon and Dawson Dunne have planned their perfect mountaintop Christmas wedding, but nature seems to have other plans. Mikayla will have to face the one thing that has terrified her since childhood or her hopes of a magical mountain wedding to the man of her dreams will be buried deep under the fresh coating of snow. Like Wool by Eleanor Bertin Young David Fawcett is all duded up for a night of punk rock with his buddies when the past butts into his plans, thrusting him out into the cold of a snowy Christmas Eve to face his worst enemy. Ever Greening by Deb Elkink Thirty-year-old anti-Advent Holly, who’d abandoned Montana as a pregnant teen, faces another Christmas—and this time the meaning of the Incarnation—in the barren desert of Nevada far from the evergreen forest of home. A Beautiful Christ-mess by Brenda S. Anderson When prodigal son Zachary Belden returns home at Christmas to surprise his family with news, he’s surprised with other news that turns his surprise into a big mess and challenges his newfound faith. The Christmas Sweater by Janice L. Dick Jeanne, a retired librarian and one-year widow, is dreading her first Christmas without Sam. However, when her childhood friend moves in next door, Jeanne wonders if alone might be better. Spunky Debbie McCormick won’t allow Jeanne to wallow in her grief, and seems intent on pushing her into decisions she’s not ready to make. Taste of Heaven by Sara Davison When Shawn and Daphne Cook’s hopes for their future are crushed, it takes a chaotic Christmas Eve service to remind Daphne that she has been putting her hope in the wrong things. Her plan is to get to her husband and share that revelation with him, but whoever has been watching them from the shadows just may have a plan of his own. The Jukebox Cafe by Angela D. Meyer Retired Marine Mike Thompson is struggling as the new pastor at Hillside Community Church in Preston Hill. Can one special Christmas Eve help him move beyond a past that’s holding him back? The Caretaker’s Christmas by Johnnie Alexander Mac never means to eavesdrop, but when the reclusive cemetery caretaker learns that two mourners will be alone for the holidays, he plans a Christmas Eve party for the recent widow and the foster teen. In seeking to ease their loneliness, will Mac find peace for his own grieving heart? Reno-Vating Christmas by Regina Rudd Merrick Steve Reno lost his wife two years ago and has two grown children, while Roxy Emerson has been alone for over ten years and is a grandmother. They’re not looking for romance, but when the contractor and restaurant-owner are thrown together at Christmastime, they realize that God does indeed have a hope and a future for them. December 6th  Sweet Treats: Recipes by Deborah Garner Delicious recipes from the Moonglow Christmas Series, including: Glazed Cinnamon Nuts Cherry Pecan Holiday Cookies Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cranberry Drop Cookies White Christmas Fudge Molasses Sugar Cookies Lemon Crinkles Swedish Coconut Cookies Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies Cocoa Kisses Angel Crisp Cookies Gingerbread Eggnog Trifle Spiced Apple Cookies Divinity Puffs Mint Chocolate Macarons Santa's Whiskers Cookies Pecan Pie Cobbler Almond Thumbprint Cookies Dutch Sour Cream Cookies Grandma's Opera Fudge Peanut Blossoms Mocha Candied Nuts Peppermint Candy Canes Ginger Crackle Cookies and more! December 10th  Christmas Coins by Kristy Tate It was the future...and she lost it. For more than a hundred years, Zoe Hart's family has been buying keepsake gold coins and banking them in a small wooden box for inheritance and posterity. When Zoe loses the box, she is heart-sick. It was hope...and she found it. When Ethan and his daughter Hannah face a crisis, Hannah prays for help. When she finds the coin box, she truly believes she has received an answer. But prayers aren't always fulfilled in expected ways. And sometimes, the miracles hoped for are so much less than what God has in store. Book four in the popular Canterbury Romance series. All books can easily be enjoyed in any order.  The Light Thief by David Webb THE SUN IS DEAD. Humanity has moved deep underground. The Lightbringers have reinvented electricity. Their presence offers reassurance. But some believe it's safer in the shadows. Aniya Lyons has never forgiven the Lightbringers for the abduction of her brother. She’s overjoyed when he escapes and returns three years later, but he comes bearing a dark secret. Before he can share it with her, the Lightbringers steal him away again and murder their parents. Aniya is devastated, and she knows that she’s next. So Aniya plunges into the dark tunnels of the Web, where savages and mutated beasts lie in wait. She despairs that there is no safe place to hide, that she will be running for the rest of her life. But there is a glimmer of hope. If she can make it to the Lightbringers’ Hub before they hunt her down, she may be able to sneak in and rescue her brother. But the closer Aniya gets to the Hub, the closer she gets to discovering the horrible truth that led to the destruction of her family. The dark secret the Lightbringers would do anything to protect. And if she chooses to use this secret against them, it may carry unimaginable consequences and a great cost that Aniya may never be ready to pay. December 12th  A Little Christmas Pretense by Rachel Andersen All she wants for Christmas is a little respect, but fate has a little something more in mind... Cindy Ash is looking for the right time to quit her job as a personal assistant to the acting head of Fortescue Publishing. That is, until Richard Prince walks into her life. Between their instant chemistry and the office upheaval created by announced leadership changes, Cindy's life is turned upside down. She’s just not sure she wants it to turn right side up again. Richard Prince has every intention to fly into Kansas City, help his boss pick the next president of Fortescue Publishing, and get back to his normal life. But that’s before he gets paired with the enchanting and opinionated Cindy Ash. Now, he's not sure he ever wants to go back to the way things were before... Will Cindy and Richard find a new love before the New Year? Or will the stress of finding Fortescue Publishing’s new leadership end their relationship before it even begins?  Lady in Red by Stacy Claflin She appears only at night, watching and waiting… When local children begin to vanish, Officer Alex Mercer is positive the cases are tied to recent threats against his family—especially since the first girl to go missing is his best friend’s daughter. It all ties back to Alex. He’s sure of it. The only solid link to the missing kids is a mysterious woman in a red dress. But that isn’t enough to go on, and Alex has orders to focus on another case. As if that will stop him. While working off the clock, he stumbles upon something so chilling it finally provides the proof that he was right all along: the kidnappings are part of an elaborate worldwide scheme. Alex will stop at nothing to take down the dangerous criminal empire… if they don’t end him first.  Gift of Grace by Shanna Hatfield Sometimes the best gifts Are those freely given from the heart . . . Ready to begin a new life far away from the sad memories of the Civil War, J.B. and Nora Nash head west on the Oregon Trail. They settle into the small community of Pendleton, Oregon, on a piece of land where they’re excited to build a future and their dreams together. A devastating tragedy leaves them both reeling as they draw further and further apart. Nora blames J.B. for her unhappiness while he struggles through his own challenges. Only a miracle can bring them through their trials and reunite them for Christmas. Together, will they discover the gift of grace in this sweet holiday romance brimming with hope, history, and abiding love? December 19th  A Home for Christmas by Julia Ridgmont They’re willing to risk everything for a new life together. But are they ready to take a chance on love? 1881 Oregon The only way of life that spinster Leah Ackerman has known for the past several years is one of poverty and servitude. When a chance encounter with a woman looking for a bride for her brother thrusts Leah into an entirely different world out west, she knows she’ll either have to either buck up or back down. If only she didn’t feel so inferior to everyone else around her, including her betrothed… As a fairly young pastor of the congregation in Hope Hollow, Oregon, Blake Jefferies has his hands full. And now that he’s a widower with a four-year-old daughter, he has more than he can handle. He’s tired of depending on the good graces of the women in town to take care of her, especially when it seems all the single females want is a chance to win his heart in return. What he needs is a good, hard-working woman who can be a mother to his daughter and provide a way for him to care for his parishioners. When he meets his mail-order bride, Leah, for the first time, he’s not only struck by her beauty, but by her charm. But she’s hiding something that may cause the tenuous relationship they’re forming to totally unravel. Will Leah and Blake learn to trust each other? Can they break the social barriers before them? Will they find a love worth fighting for, or will they turn from each other when things get hard? Enjoy this companion novella to Julia Ridgmont’s new series, Brides of Hope Hollow as well as each standalone story in the Spinster Mail-Order Brides multi-author series! Each of them is sweet historical romance at its finest!  Gift of Hope by Shanna Hatfield A tender gift given Can warm even the coldest heart . . . When his affections are spurned by the girl he plans to wed, Graydon Gaffney rides off in the swirling snow, determined to stay far away from fickle females. Then a voice in the storm draws him to a woman and her two sweet children. Despite his intentions to guard his emotions, all three members of the DeVille family threaten to capture his heart. Giavanna DeVille holds the last frayed edges of her composure in a tenuous grasp. In a moment of desperation, she leaves her sleeping children in her cabin and ventures out into a storm to release her pent-up frustrations where no one can hear her cries. Much to her surprise, a man appears through the blinding snow. He gives her a shoulder to cry on and something even more precious. . . hope. Can the two of them move beyond past heartaches to accept the gift of hope for their future? December 18th  The Sentimental Journey by Tammy Sinclair Kara Michaels could have gone on living her simple, solitary life if it wasn't for her insatiable curiosity. And of course, the old trunk in the attic. When an antique watch catches her eye, she is suddenly thrust back in time - and onto the homefront of WWII. Kara is terrified until the family residing in her home takes her under their wing. Soon, their enlisted son returns for a visit and she finds herself instantly drawn toward him. But their time together can't last. While she and Jerry face being parted by war, she has to decide where she belongs. Although she's learning to feel at home in this new world, she knows it's not truly hers. Is she willing to stay, even if Jerry can never return? As Kara wrestles with uncertainty, she longs for the same faith she sees in Jerry and his family, but with so many questions, it's hard to completely trust. Especially when she has to hold tight to her strange secret alone. December 23rd  Vestige of Hope by Sara Blackard Does his future lie in the past? Thrown out of his element into a time not his own, he must overcome his doubts to save the life he never knew he wanted. Soldier, Hunter Bennet, is always in control… …control of his missions. …control of his life. …control of his emotions. Until he hesitates on an important mission, leaving a child orphaned. Chased by the demons of failure, he finds himself thrown back in time. Why has God called him here? Viola Thomas’s idyllic life in the new state of Colorado is shattered when her father fails to return from his winter trapping trip in the Rocky Mountains and a man tumbles into her life from the future. Threats from an unwanted suitor who has pestered her for years jeopardize all she holds dear. Now she must trust a man from a world far from her own. Hunter must reach through the shadows of doubt to save his future but in doing so will he fail in the most important mission of all?  Midnight Shift by Linda Rawlins When two patients of respected surgeon, Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, die under odd circumstances, she is threatened with loss of medical privileges, a malpractice suit and financial ruin. Elizabeth is determined to discover why her patients are having unexpected complications but her anxiety only escalates when handsome Detective Jake Wagner shows up in her office looking for information as part of a criminal investigation. Distressed, she begins to dream about her dead patients. Elizabeth has dreamt of the dead before, something she experienced after being hit by a drunk driver when she was young. For years after the accident, Elizabeth resisted the dreams and kept the dead away. But now, the dead are reaching out again. Realizing she needs help to save herself and her career, Elizabeth has no choice but to welcome them back and hope that sometimes the dead can protect the living. December 25th  One Daughter at a Time by Deb Graham Weak-willed Julie finds herself alone with four daughters and one on the way. She panics and moves to Glyth House, an old mansion in MInnesota. She’d always relied on Dan, but he’s gone, leaving her to raise their daughters alone. With the help of their new community, can Julie grow a backbone and teach the girls all they need to know, one daughter at a time? By the author of the Jerria Danson series and the best-selling Cruise Tips books. December 26th  Gift of Faith by Shanna Hatfield When their faith is tested Will Christmas bring a miracle? Handsome and engaging, Marc Rawlings could have his choice of girls, but he only has eyes for gentle Amy Madsen. Ready to begin a future with her, he instead asks her to wait for him while he heads off to war. Bound by his duty to his country, Marc leaves his heart with her, counting on the day they’ll be reunited. Amy Madsen spends her days working in her family’s bakery and her nights gazing up at the sky, hoping her fiancé knows she’s thinking of him. When tragic news arrives, Amy refuses to believe it, clinging to her promises to Marc and her faith that he’ll return to her. It will take a miracle and a unique gift of faith to bring a happy holiday during a wartime Christmas in 1942. December 27th  Impassioned Grief
by Angelique Conger The passion of love … And the sorrow of grief … Comes to us all. For Lisyl and Firoz in the ancient land of Nod, life brings enough troubles to challenge any family. Each devastating trial is worse than the last. Each tugs at their love, attempting to unravel the bonds that hold them together. Can their love, and their trust in Jehovah, withstand the final test? Impassioned Grief, by Angelique Conger, is the 9th of the 12-book series, Lost Children of the Prophet. Read this installment of Lost Children of the Prophet and join with Lisyl and Firoz in their struggle to conquer grief and find joy.
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