 Happy December! There are a number of wonderful new books out this month. I hope you'll load up your Kindle with some of these and enjoy! December 1st  The Cowboy's Mixed-Up Matchmaker by Valerie Comer Friends don’t let friends turn thirty… single. It’s been almost fourteen long years since two teens made a pact to marry each other if both remained single at thirty. But the nearer the time comes, the more Lauren Yanovich steps up her matchmaking game to let James off the hook. Not that he likely remembers. James Carmichael has been waiting forever, praying Lauren will be waiting for him. But, just when the end is in sight, she begins dating someone else, and his hopes crumble. What’s a cowboy to do when the love of his life insists they’re all wrong for each other?  The Beast's Fake Marriage by Bree Livingston A Beauty and the Beast retelling…A woman with a secret, a recluse, and a marriage of convenience. For over a year Isabeau Daniels lived in fear of a stalker. Now, with him in jail, she’s ready to start fresh in Dallas as a housekeeper for Rowan Masters—a well known lawyer and recluse. A car accident left Rowan Masters burned—both physically and emotionally. He’s spent the last twelve years hiding in his family home—and now, to keep his home he’s forced to marry. Isabeau loves the feeling of safety that Rowan’s mansion offers, and he needs a wife. When a marriage of convenience turns into something more, can they leave behind the nightmare of the past and find the beauty in loving each other?  Contracted Cowboy by Liz Isaacson A fake ad brings a cowboy to Georgia's door just in time for all the Quinn family holiday parties, so she hires Logan to be her boyfriend. Nothing can go wrong with this plan...except she might lose her heart to her newly contracted cowboy. Georgia Quinn doesn't particularly love being one of the dozens of Quinns in Quinn Valley. Her family is just so loud, you know? And she's certainly not looking forward to a holiday season full of family get-togethers when she has to do everything alone after her painful break-up months ago. When her granny mentions the holidays would be more fun with a boyfriend, Georgia seizes onto the idea and puts out an ad for someone to come fix the barn at the ranch. But what they really need to fix is her heart, and there's no one more suited for her than carpenter and cowboy Logan Locke. Logan's the quiet type, and he hasn't had a serious relationship in a long time. But he desperately needs the money, and if Georgia needs her barn finished or a date to a party, he doesn't care as long as he gets paid. Georgia and Logan pose as the perfect couple, showing her ex that she's moved on when she hasn't and his family that he can be serious about something when he never has been before. But how badly will they both crash and burn if they let their feelings become real in a relationship that is anything but? December 4th  Love in Focus by Franky A. Brown Is it possible to have a picture perfect vacation…with your ex? Struggling photographer Laura Whaley is thrilled to shoot a week-long family reunion on the beach. But getting to stay in a beach house for free isn't as exciting when she learns it's her ex-boyfriend's family. Focusing on her work is nearly impossible when it comes to taking snapshots of the man who once captured her heart. Scott Hodgkins is shocked to see Laura again, but his mother is livid. Things didn’t exactly go well the last time they were all together. Trying to convince his mother that Laura is only the photographer and nothing more, only goes so far, because he’s not sure that’s how he feels. His mother is holding the keys to his dream of starting his own business, but what if Laura still holds the key to his heart? One week on the beach can change everything, but only if they let it.  The Songs That Brought Me Back by Mylissa Demeyere Have you ever made a mistake? One so monumental you lost everything? I did, and I hate myself for it! All I want to do is close my eyes, and let the darkness consume me. Make it all go away. The end. Ainsley is drowning in the depth of her despair. One wrong decision left her alone, with only regret as her constant companion. To escape it all, she makes another choice. One she hopes will end everything. Instead, she’s thrown into a whole new world filled with opportunities she doesn’t believe she deserves. Ethan gives the appearance of breezing through life. But underneath his bright facade, he’s scarred by loss. When fate leads him into Ainsley’s world at the exact moment she needs someone the most, he can’t ignore the chance to right the wrongs of his past. Ainsley and Ethan will struggle to help each other heal and start anew. They’ll learn that the secret to conquering their pain lies within their power, if only they can do it together. Always together. Sometimes the ending is really the beginning.  Romancing the Cat Burglar by Pamela Gossiaux To do a great right, do a little wrong. A honeymoon in Paris! Except…there’s more at stake in the City of Lights than romance. Abigail’s specialty as an ancient maps librarian has brought her to a prestigious symposium at the Louvre, where she has one final chance to prove herself and save her job. Tony, a recently reformed cat burglar, is there to search for his family’s roots and learn more about his great-grandfather. Then Abigail’s wedding ring is stolen, and she and Tony put sightseeing on hold to track down the thief. The emerald ring is highly desired by thieves and collectors for its connection to a famous Italian artist, but it’s worth more to Tony and Abigail as a family heirloom and symbol of their love. As the newlyweds seek answers, the line between right and wrong blurs. With Abigail’s future in jeopardy, and Tony’s reputation following him, how far will they go to find the truth? December 6th  Of Stars and Evergreen by Jessica L. Elliott Crispin and Lumi return to Christmas Pine, this time to help Steven Morgan fall in love, and it's going to take all their magic to succeed. Steven is a shy photographer with a secret crush on Gemima Saunders, an actress at Christmas Pine's community theater. Just when Steven feels ready to make a move, his flirty older brother, Brent steps into the picture. Gemima tells herself she's too busy for romance. But her heart tells a different story as she gets to know the Morgan brothers. The question is, which one will win her over? December 7th  Wings of an Angel by Shanna Hatfield The last thing she needs is a romance . . . The first thing he intends to do is make her fall in love Veterinarian Angela Carol escaped her past and started a brand new life in the friendly community of Faraday. Her charming little boy, Nick, a thriving practice, and a comfortable home are all she needs to be happy. At least that’s what she continually tells herself. But her traitorous heart longs for Nick’s teacher, a man who’s become her best friend. With no intention of falling in love again, she struggles to keep her thoughts and heart in line where Drake is concerned. Drake Miller had plans to be the next NBA star, but when an injury left him sidelined in college, he decided to teach and return to his hometown of Faraday. There’s nothing he enjoys quite as much as shaping the minds of the first grade students in his classroom, unless it’s making Angela Carol smile. The first time he saw her, he knew he was a goner, but the widow has made it clear she has no interest in getting involved in a relationship. How can he prove to her that it’s worth taking a chance on love? The unlikely team of Nick, along with his pet sheep, Shep, and a dove named Jasper, work to spread a little romance along with holiday cheer. Will their efforts be enough to unite Drake and Angela in time for a Christmas miracle?  With Two Eyes Into Gehenna by Jane Lebak A rosary in one hand. A dagger in the other. Sister Magdalena never heard of the Catherinite nuns until the day she faced her own death sentence. Rome, 1562. It’s the era of the Index of Banned Books and the Roman Inquisition. Kings still burn heretics. The worst threats come from within the Church itself Only seventeen, Magdalena killed a priest who tried to rape her within the walls of her convent. His powerful family will see her executed, and then they’ll destroy her mother and young sister. Instead, the pope makes an offer. To save her life and protect her family, Magdalena can disappear into a secret religious order, one with a demanding physical regimen to go along with the prayers. She’ll pray the psalms and learn to climb walls. She’ll sharpen her mind and fine-tune her body. Perfected, she’ll infiltrate the Council of Trent. Magdalena’s order slips through cathedrals and palaces at the council, the Pope’s silent operatives. They act as bodyguards for the cardinals They gather intelligence. If they find heresy, the penalty is death. But when one of the pope’s own men is named a heretic, Magdalena must decide how far she’ll go to protect her church. December 10th  Crushing on the Billionaire by Liwen Y. Ho He’s a billionaire entrepreneur. She’s his high school crush. A secret she’s hiding threatens to destroy their chances of a future together. Devon Brooks has everything he could buy, except for love. When he bumps into his ex-girlfriend while on vacation, he realizes she holds the key to filling the void in his heart. He only needs to convince her it’s hers for the taking. Kylie Martin is low on cash and hope. Seeing her old boyfriend gives her a glimmer of the life she could have had, if only she had treated him better in the past. She doesn’t deserve his kindness, but she can’t help but be drawn to his charm. Second chances and stolen glances are all it takes for two former lovers to find love again. December 17th  Not Another Billionaire! by Gigi Marlowe Another billionaire? No thank you! After her last billionaire beau, Kylie Mitchell has vowed to avoid rich men from now on. But she didn’t count on falling on Scott Ryan while overseas on a business trip. When the embarrassment wears off, the attraction doesn’t, and Kylie can’t get him off her mind even after she’s back home in New York working for her ex-boyfriend boss, Alex. When Scott shows up at her office and asks her out, she can’t resist. He may be a big name in new space technology, but he is also down-to-earth, kind, and unassuming—not your typical billionaire. Kylie falls a little more every day, and just when she is certain she has made the right decision this time, she discovers that Scott has been hiding a huge, life-altering secret. Retreating with her emotions in a tangle, Kylie finds an all too familiar shoulder to cry on—Alex’s. But is he the solution? Kylie must decide. Is her love for Scott strong enough to bridge the break in trust? Or will she decide to write off billionaires forever? December 18th  Hunter's Truce by Elle Beaumont The Big Bad Wolf never killed for fun—he was on a mission. Little pig, little pig, let me come in. I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in. We're tired of death, of prejudice and more, if you don't make some changes I'll kick down your door. When Niklaus von Brandt's mother is murdered by a poacher it moves him to make a change in the kingdom of Abendrot. Once a kingdom founded by werewolves, it is now ruled by humans who have one goal: eradicate the werewolves. In order to protect what is left of his family, he must make an important decision, one that leads him to become an assassin, and the shadow the kingdom murmurs about. Too bad the royal family has a secret—a secret that Niklaus plans on using to his advantage, and in the meantime he has given King Ansgar three chances before he comes huffing and puffing. December 20th  Christmas in Port Scuttlebutt by Barbara Ellen Brink At the grand opening of The Port Playhouse, Shelby Gunner directs her first Christmas play to a packed house. Spirits are high after the show and amid the hubbub and excitement someone leaves a baby outside her dressing room door. Later that night, a young woman and her newborn are discovered missing. As snow piles up and the temperature drops, time is of the essence to bring them home safely. A suicidal man found unconscious near Lake Superior may be the last person to have seen them, and he can’t help because he made a wish… that he had never been born. December 21st  The Spare and the Heir by Carol Moncado Crown Princess Esmerelda of Islas del Sargasso wants nothing to do with Prince Gabriel of Auverignon and his well-deserved reputation as a playboy prince. Unfortunately, she's been secretly engaged to him since she was three. Her mother, Queen Carlotta, has decided it's time for the two of them to get married - and Gabriel is all too keen to make it happen. But she saw what this kind of arrangement did to her own mother, and Esme wants nothing to do with it. For his part, Gabriel has been in love with Esme since he was a teenager and deeply regrets his years of wild oat sowing - even if some of them did serve a greater purpose. One he can't tell Esme about, not yet. He knows, far better than she does, that their fledgling relationship is going to be tested to the hilt as life's body blows rain down. All he can do is be steadfast in his commitment to her, to their marriage, and to helping her become the queen he knows she can be. He's always been the spare. She was born the heir. Together, they can form a new dynasty where even arranged marriages can turn into something beautiful.  One Flew Through the Dragon Heart by C. S. Johnson Brixton Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun. Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family's disgraced legacy—and she knows the risk is great, to both his life and her heart. With others seeking the power of the Dragon Eyes, Brixton and Adelaide must outwit their foes and face down their families to save London from an ancient legend that sleeps beneath the magic portal in their city. But the renewed passion growing between them may prove to be the greater peril ... December 26th  Love from A to Z by Lia London Falling in love is a family affair... For seven years, Antonio Seneca has had to be a father to his two younger brothers. He might struggle in the kitchen, but he makes sure the boys get their homework done and stay out of trouble. Only now that they've discovered girls, he has to decide if a love life would be a welcome distraction or a complete disaster. Smart and sassy Zaira Vasquez got herself through a nursing degree and landed her first job at a hospital, but being a single, working mom is exhausting, no matter how cute her toddler daughter is. With only two relatives nearby to lend a hand, she needs adult companionship. Could it be that the handsome young man across the street is a remedy for her loneliness? Growing from neighbors to co-workers to friends, Antonio and Zaira try dating while parenting, and parenting while dating, and find that the two occupations aren't always compatible. How can they navigate the chaos of the present and the heartaches of the past to form something beautiful for their future?  Check out these new releases from authors involved with American Christian Fiction Writers. You're sure to find a new favorite! Amish Romance:
The Amish Sweet Shop by Laura Bradford, Mary Ellis, and Emma Miller — It’s almost Valentine’s Day at Beechy’s Sweets, where the Amish gifts of love and faith are even sweeter than the home-made candy. In The Sweetest Courtship by Emma Miller, bachelor Jacob Beechy is a master candy maker whose mother longs for grandchildren, so she sets out to find him an assistant confectioner during the Valentine’s holiday—and a wife. In The Sweetest Truth by Laura Bradford, Sadie Fischer can’t see beyond her scars from a barn fire, but there’s a young man who sees only sweetness when he looks at her, and he’s sending her Beechy’s chocolate and mysterious gifts leading up to Valentine’s Day. In Nothing Tastes So Sweet by Mary Ellis, Pregnant widow Hannah wants to buy her English employer’s hardware store, but ends up following a clue from Beechy’s to clear a man’s name—and finds a partnership in work, faith, and love. (Amish Romance from Kensington) Amish Christmas Memories by Vannetta Chapman — When a young Amish woman collapses in the snow shortly before Christmas, Caleb Wittmer rushes to her aid. Only, “Rachel” remembers nothing of who she is. Now his family has taken in the pretty stranger, disrupting Caleb’s ordered world. He’s determined to find out where she belongs…even if Rachel’s departure means saying goodbye to his old-fashioned heart forever. (Amish Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin]) A Quilt for Jenna (Apple Creek Dreams #1) by Patrick E. Craig — On her way to win a quilting competition—and a ticket out of Amish life, Jerusha finds her God, her missing husband, and a lost little girl in the heart of the Storm of The Century. (Amish Romance from P & J Publishing) The Road Home (Apple Creek Dreams #2) by Patrick E. Craig — Adopted into an Amish family as a child, local historian Jenny Springer is looking for the parents she never knew. When Jenny meets Jonathan Hershberger, a drifter from San Francisco who lands in Apple Creek fleeing a drug deal gone wrong, she is intrigued by this Englischer with an Amish name, and offers to help him discover his Amish roots. While Jonathan discovers his need for home, family, and a relationship with God, Jenny finds more than she hoped for—truth and love and the knowledge that you can go home again. (Amish Romance from P & J Publishing) Jenny’s Choice (Apple Creek Dreams #3) by Patrick E. Craig — When Jenny’s husband disappears in a terrible boating accident, she returns home to Apple Creek, Ohio and her adoptive parents. Working through her grief, she pursues newfound writing dreams and is presented with a possible romance with a handsome young publisher, until the elders of her church confront her consideration of going outside her faith to pursue her dreams. At the same a faint hope that her husband might someday be found alive holds her heart in the past. (Amish Romance from P & J Publishing) Minding the Amish Baby by Carrie Lighte — Amish store clerk Tessa Fisher isn’t ready for marriage or a family—until a baby girl is abandoned on her doorstep. Now Tessa and her gruffly handsome landlord, Turner King, must mind the baby together. And soon Turner and the sweet-cheeked kind are burrowing into Tessa’s heart. But with secrets between them, can the temporary family find a way to stay together forever? (Amish Romance from P & J Publishing) Contemporary Romance: Who I Am with You by Robin Lee Hatcher — Jessica was pregnant and facing divorce when her husband and daughter were killed in a car accident. Withdrawing from friends and family, she feels far away from God. Then months later she receives her great-grandfather’s Bible at her grandmother’s funeral. Ridley has suffered his own loss. Bitter over disgrace at his job, an ended career, and subsequent breakup with is girlfriend, he retreats to a vacation property owned by his parents to lick his wounds and hide from the press. Thumbing through the Bible later, Jessica journeys through the aged margin notes, back to faith and wholeness. And the broken roads they have followed bring Jessica and Ridley to each other as well. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing) Historical: Three Christmas Novellas by Mary Connealy — Three Christmas Novellas in one volume: Long Horn Christmas, The Sweetest Gift and The Christmas Candle. (Historical, Independently Published) The Making of Mrs. Hale by Carolyn Miller — Can a runaway marriage ever be redeemed? Julia Hale ran off to be married in Gretna Green, following romance instead of common sense. But her tale isn’t turning into a happily ever after. Her new husband is gone and she doesn’t know where—or if he’s ever coming back. Julia has no option but to head home to the family she betrayed by eloping and to hope they’ll forgive her.Along the way she will learn how relationship with God can bring restoration and hope, and find the answers she needs both for her husband and her future. (Historical, Kregel Publications) Child of Light by Annette O’Hare — While praying for her own Christmas miracle after five years in a childless marriage, Margaret offers aide to a destitute and expectant young woman during the holidays. She is condemned for her decision to help a woman of ill repute and must face the consequences of doing what is right. Will Margaret’s prayers for a child of her own be answered this Christmas or does God have something else in store? (Historical from Harbourlight Books [Pelican]) The Plum Blooms in Winter by Linda Thompson — Inspired by a Gripping True Story from World War II’s Daring Doolittle Raid–Japan, 1948: A prostitute seeks her revenge; a war hero finds his true mission. (Historical from Mountain Brook Ink) Historical Romance: The MissAdventure Brides Collection by Mary Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Kathleen E. Kovach, Debby Lee, Donna Schlachter, Marjorie Vawter, and Kimberley Woodhouse — Seven daring damsels refuse to let the cultural norms of their eras hold them back! Follow along as they trek the wilderness as a fur trapper; teach in the backwoods; campaign for women’s rights; breed llamas; drive cross-country; become a hotel tour guide; and pursue art. Will they meet men who admire their bravery and determination? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing) Kiss Me Once Again by Gail Kittleson — When Glenora Carson’s first love perishes along with the crew of the U.S.S. Arizona on December 7, 1941, she locks away her heart and her dreams of attending college on scholarship, instead choosing to hold down the home front by helping out the family business – Carson’s Garage. The grease-stained overalls don’t do much to compliment her female figure, but they cover her female heart well enough. That is, until Hank Anderson, a wounded warrior back from battle, walks into the garage and into Glenora’s life. Is an old maid’s future Glenora’s fate, or will Cupid throw a wrench in her plans? (Historical Romance from WordCrafts Press) Stagecoach to Liberty by Janalyn Voigt — Can a desperate young woman trust the handsome Irish stranger who wants to free her from her captors? (Historical Romance from Mountain Brook Ink)
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