New inspys and women's fiction sure to win over readers
Here are some newer inspirational romance and women's fiction, compiled for you and HEA by some of our favorite romance authors (info provided by publishers and/or their websites.
Winning Over the Wrangler by Linda Ford (Harlequin Love Inspired Historical). The only thing Brand Duggan's outlaw kin ever gave him was an undeserved reputation. Once he's through breaking horses, he'll leave Eden Valley. Staying means risk—and heartache. And he has no business falling for a refined English miss like Sybil Bannerman. The rugged cowboy who rescues her from a stampede is just the kind of man Sybil Bannerman's editor wants her to write about. Yet she has no idea how big a secret Brand Duggan carries, until her life is threatened.
Dark Tide Susan Sleeman by (Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense). Gina Evans knows her brother was murdered—even if the police won't believe her. After catching a quick glimpse of the evidence her brother had gathered, the same criminals are after her and her baby niece. And Gina's only hope is the man she left behind. Despite the painful memories, private investigator Derrick Justice won't fail Gina and her baby. Yet now, the woman he never stopped loving and the baby he's come to adore are in a killer's crosshairs.
First Kisses: An Inspy Kisses collection of inspirational romances. The Rambler's Bride by Linda Goodnight: In 1870's Kansas, Widow Esther North will do most anything to save her land from her powerful cousin and the coming railroad-even kiss a stranger! Lovebirds at the Heartbreak Cafe by Janet Tronstad: A 1950's truck driver (Buddy) and a waitress (Penny) both have enough trouble without everyone in Webster's Crossing thinking they are falling in love. Her Mule Hollow Cowboy by Debra Clopton: Rescuing a beautiful cowgirl from being trampled has professional bull rider, Cliff Masterson, dreaming of romance, home, hearth and that first kiss...but Maddie Rose has had enough people in her life leave and she's not willing to risk her heart on a rambling cowboy. Deadly Hunt by Margaret Daley: All bodyguard Tess Miller wants is a vacation. But when a wounded stranger stumbles into her isolated cabin in the Arizona mountains, Tess becomes his lifeline. Necessary Proof by Camy Tang: Alex Villa became a Christian in prison, and because of his efforts to help stop a gang producing meth in Sonoma, he has been set up for the death of a cop. Kissed by a Cowboy by Lacy Williams: Former shy-girl Haley Carston is back in Redbud Trails, Oklahoma, to care for her dying aunt. She didn't count on cowboy Maddox Michaels, her high school crush and the man who might just bring her dreams of marriage and family back to life.
The following new releases were compiled by HEA contributor Serena Chase, author of The Ryn (Eyes of E'veria, book one) and The Remedy (book two), a romantic YA fantasy retelling of the classic Grimm fairy tale Snow White & Rose Red. Her website is www.serenachase.com.
Dating, Dining, and Desperation (A Dear Daphne novel) by Melody Carlson (B&H Books). Daphne Ballinger has learned to accept her deceased, eccentric aunt's strange request that she marry in order to inherit her estate, along with taking over her aunt's hometown paper's advice column. But knowing and accepting that God's will be done becomes harder when a new neighbor, a divorced socialite, learns of Daphne's predicament and takes on the task of finding her the perfect man, even if it includes speed dating. When God does open Daphne's heart, it is instead to take in a young girl left parentless and in the care of her dying grandmother. It may be a temporary arrangement until the girl's uncle returns from the Marines, but God uses Daphne to speak His heavenly love and protection into the life of the child -- whom Daphne soon discovers has a very handsome and single uncle.
The Reconciled Hearts Trilogy by Doris Elaine Fell (Barbour Books). Plunge into three dramatic stories of romance and mystery, set in beautiful cities in charming Europe. An ocean lies between violinist Kerina Rudzinski in Vienna and American Ashley Reynolds, but their destiny is intertwined with secrets. When Sydney Barrington unexpectedly inherits a mansion in the Cotswolds, she's pulled between the love of two men. . .and the mysteries concealed within Broadshire Manor. A twist of fate propels Professor Rachel McCully to return to the home of the man who captured her heart nearly a decade before. . .but mystery swirls around him and the mansion in England's fabled Lake District.
How Sweet the Sound by Amy Sorrells (David C. Cook). A Southern Novel of Second Chances. From a distance, the Harlans appear to be the perfect Southern family. Wealth and local fame mask the drama and dysfunction swirling through their family line. But as the summer heats up, a flood tide of long hidden secrets surface. Devastation from a rape followed by the murder of two family members brings three generations of the Harlans together on their pecan plantation in Bay Spring, Alabama. Chief among them is Anniston, who by the time she turned thirteen thought she'd seen it all. But as her heart awakens to the possibility of love, she begins to deal with her loneliness and grief. This tender coming-of-age tale, inspired by the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, shows how true healing and hope comes only from God. Though our earthly family can wound and disappoint, our heavenly Father brings freedom to those long held captive through His mercy and grace.
The British Brides Collection by Kelly Eileen Hake, Tamela Hancock Murray, Jill Stengl, Bonnie Blythe, Pamela Griffin, Gail Gaymer Martin (Barbour Books). Explore English gardens, London ballrooms, and Scottish castles as nine brides-to-be experience all the legendary drama and epic romance that British literature is known for. Each of the nine short stories will sweep you away to a different era of time spanning over 500 years of history in the British Isles. Penned by an exclusive selection of Christian fiction authors, this collection will become a cherished favorite for fans of faith-based romance.
Sarasota Brides (Barbour Books). Romance blossoms in Sarasota, Florida, in the Mennonite community of Pinecraft. There, three young women find their plain and contented lives disrupted by love. Will Mary find lasting love with Abe, despite the stigma that follows her because of her mother's sins? Can Shelley trust Jeremiah, even though his past—and her parents—are stacked against him? And should Ruthie fall for a man who is not even Mennonite?
Simple Faith (The Peacemakers) by Anna Schmidt (Shiloh Run Press). After losing her beloved husband and daughter and surviving Hitler's Sobibor death camp, Quaker widow Anja Steinberg dedicates her life to helping others and keeping her son safe. As a member of the resistance, she helps displaced Allied airmen get back to their units in England. The journey is rigorous and filled with danger and there is no time for romance. Anja knows that Mikel, her fellow resistance worker, loves her. He would make a good husband and father for her son, but she doesn't share his feelings. Is friendship enough? Then American Peter Trent parachutes into her life. She must face facts—her heart did not die with her late husband and true love could be hers again. But marrying Mikel may be the only way she can save Peter.
Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig (Bethany House Publishers). Two years ago, her fiance perished during their voyage to America. Now she discovers it may have been murder... Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children. Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiance.
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell (Bethany House Publishers). A girl with the best of intentions. A heart set on Hollywood. An empty pocketbook. That's all it takes for Ellis Eton to find herself working as a telephone operator for a look-alike friend. For Ellis, this job will provide not only acting practice but the funds to get her a start in the movies. She's tired of always being a disappointment to her traditional Boston family, and though she can't deny the way he makes her head spin, she knows she's not good enough for Griffin Phillips, either. It's simple: avoid Griff's attentions, work, and get paid. But in typical Ellis fashion, her simple plan spirals out of control when she overhears a menacing phone call...with her very own Griff as the target. With an endearing heroine as her lead, Siri Mitchell takes readers on a madcap tale of love and discovering one's true desires!
Lip Reading by Harry Kraus (David C. Cook). She could save millions, or save herself. She just needs a little longer. Dr. Rebecca Jackson's research could save millions of lives, but it may only be possible if she is willing to sacrifice her own. Becca has a scar that she covers every day, a constant reminder of a night with Noah that went terribly wrong and changed the direction of her life. Will she ever be able to face the truth and accept forgiveness? And when sparks of rekindled love appear, can Rebecca and Noah overcome their past to love again?
A Shining Light by Judith Miller (Bethany House Publishers). After Andrea Wilson receives the devastating news that her husband has been lost at sea, she returns home to Iowa with her young son, Lukas. But what she finds there causes more heartache: The family farm has burned and her father has died, leaving Andrea with nothing. Andrea must rely on the kindness of the people from the nearby Amana village who invite her to stay with them for a time. She discovers much generosity and contentment among the Amanans--especially from the tinsmith, Dirk Knefler, who takes her son under his wing. But is the simple, cloistered life in Amana what Andrea wants for Lukas's future? Is she willing to give up the comforts and freedom of the outside world? And when yet another round of shocking news comes her way, will Andrea ever be able to find the serenity and hope that have eluded her for so long?
Shadow Hand (Tales of Goldstone Wood #6) by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers). By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. As her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory. But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal parasite. A world that is hauntingly familiar.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Renee Ryan, author of Claiming the Doctor's Heart. Her website is reneeryan.com.
Mail Order Bride: Savannah's Cowboy by Crystal Anne Tilden. Miss Savannah Winter leaves Georgia for the small town of Dovetail, Texas to be a mail order bride. Wearing her best hat and her bravest face, she steps off the train expecting to find a respectable marriageable man waiting for her. Instead she is met by a rangy looking cowhand who is fifty years old if he is a day. When she refuses to marry him and rebukes him for misrepresenting himself he tries to force her to go with him. A handsome cowboy strides over and confronts the lying creep who lured her out West. As sickness spreads through town and her relationship with the cowboy becomes more complicated, it becomes unclear whether she will find love in Dovetail or return home content to be a spinster schoolmarm.
Be Mine by Shannon Guyman. Men are terrifying to Bailey Downing. Not that she wants anyone to know that, but with her mom insisting she fall in love and Kam Matafeo pushing her to feel things she doesn't want to feel, Bailey is determined to make a nice, safe choice. Dean Hogan is the perfect man for her. Smart, wealthy, charming and best of all, safe. But when her romance begins to unravel with Dean, she's faced with a choice: open her heart, or stay safe, cold and lonely. Kam is determined to help Bailey no matter what it takes and with the support of her sister Taryn and her brother Rob, she makes the decision to be brave. But Kam's ex-girlfriend Meredith isn't shy about wanting him back. Bailey will have to learn to fight for what she really wants. The question is, would she rather be safe or would she rather be loved.
The Wedding Game by Amy Matayo. Cannon James has a plan: Sign on as a contestant for his father's new reality show, marry a blonde hand-picked by the producers, and walk away two million dollars richer. It's all been arranged. Easy. Clean. No regrets. Until Ellie McAllister ruins everything by winning the viewer's vote. Now he has to convince America that he's head over heels in love with her. Not easy to do since she's a walking disaster. Ellie McAllister has her own problems. She needs money, and she needs it now. Despite her parent's objections and her belief that marriage is sacred, she signs on to The Wedding Game…and wins. Now she's married to a guy she can't stand, and if she wants her hands on the money, she has six months to make voters believe she loves him. Not easy to do since he's the most arrogant man in America.
War for the Heart by Christina Simpson. Lanie was 18 when she lost her parents in a tragic accident. Then Connor, the boy she loved, chooses to leave for the military when she needed him the most. Ten years later, Connor returns to town after Lanie has spent the last decade doing everything she can to forget the pain of her past. She is not ready to face the one man who destroyed the last bit of love she had. Captain Connor McKinley made hard choices as a young man, but wouldn't change them for anything. The only thing he regrets is leaving the love of his life, Lanie. He's decided that no matter what, he is going to win her again. Will he succeed? It's a war for the heart, and if anyone knows how to handle war, it's him.
WOMEN'S FICTION
A Changing Marriage by Susan Kietzman (Kensington). Susan Kietzman follows her acclaimed women's fiction debut The Good Life with another insightful, moving story that goes behind the scenes of a "perfect" family to expose the realities of modern love and marriage.
The Third Hill North of Town by Noah Bly (Kensington). Noah Bly's debut is an imaginative and thought-provoking work of period fiction—part On the Road, part Leaving Las Vegas—that explores racial relationships, love and friendship in the 1960s.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Angela Kay Austin, author of Rumer. Her website is www.angelakayaustin.com.
Just To Be With You: The Sullivan's by Bella Andre (Oak Press). Ian Sullivan, the powerful and wealthy CEO of Sullivan Investments, has never failed at anything in his life...apart from love and marriage. Certain that he'll never take the plunge again, the last thing he expects is for a beautiful actress to turn his perfectly organized world completely upside down. Tatiana Landon, one of the hottest talents in Hollywood, has been waiting for true love her whole life. When she meets Ian, she's certain she's finally found it...along with a passion that sizzles hotter than anything in her wildest dreams. All she needs to do now is find a way to convince him to take the risk of loving again. Ian soon realizes that Tatiana is just as focused on winning his heart as he is on locking it away. But when unexpected circumstances thrust them into a world where real-life rules don't apply, will Ian finally recognize Tatiana as his one true love?
Deceiving Lies: A Novel by Molly McAdams (HarperCollins). Rachel is supposed to be planning her wedding to Kash, the love of her life. After the crazy year they've had, she's ready to settle down and live a completely normal life. Well, as normal as it can be. But there's something else waiting—something threatening to tear them apart. Kash is ready for it all with Rachel, especially if "all" includes having a football team of babies with his future wife. In his line of work, Kash knows how short life can be and doesn't want to waste another minute of their life together. But now his past as an undercover narcotics agent has come back to haunt him . . . and it's the girl he loves who's caught in the middle. Trent Cruz's orders are clear: take the girl. But there's something about this girl that has him changing the rules and playing a dangerous game to keep her safe. When his time as Rachel's protector runs out, Trent will turn his back on the only life he's known—and risk everything if it means getting her out alive.
Four Years Later: A Novel (One Week Girlfriend Quartet) by Monica Murphy (Random House). Over. That about sums up everything in my life. Suspended from my college football team and forced to cut back my hours at The District bar because of my crappy grades, I can't keep turning to my sister, Fable, and her pro-football playing husband, Drew, to bail me out. I just can't seem to find my own way. Weed and sex are irresistible temptations—and it's messed up that I secretly hand over money to our junkie mom. A tutor is the last thing I want right now—until I get a look at her. Chelsea is not my type at all. She's smart and totally shy. I'm pretty sure she's even a virgin. But when she gives me the once over with those piercing blue eyes, I'm really over. But in a different way. I won't deny her ass is killer, but it's her brain and the way she seems to crave love—like no one's ever given her any—that make me want her more than any girl I've ever met. But what would someone as seemingly together as her ever see in a screwed up guy like me?
Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown). The Carmichaels and the Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a happy occasion: a wedding that will unite their two families. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride's late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter's future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event -- but in reality, things are falling apart.
Flora: A Novel by Gail Godwin (Bloomsbury USA). Ten-year-old Helen and her summer guardian, Flora, are isolated together in Helen's decaying family house while her father is doing secret war work in Oak Ridge during the final months of World War II. At three, Helen lost her mother, and the beloved grandmother who raised her has just died. A fiercely imaginative child, Helen is desperate to keep her house intact with all its ghosts and stories. Flora, her late mother's twenty-two-year-old first cousin, who cries at the drop of a hat, is ardently determined to do her best for Helen. Their relationship and its fallout, played against a backdrop of a lost America, will haunt Helen for the rest of her life.
Pack Up the Moon by Rachael Herron (Penguin Group). Three years after a horrible tragedy took her son and tore her family apart, artist Kate Monroe is beginning to pick up the pieces of her life and move on. At a gala showcasing her triumphant return to the art world, Kate's world is rocked again when the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-two years ago introduces herself. Pree is the child Kate never knew and never forgot. But Pree has questions that Kate isn't sure she's ready to answer. For one thing, she never told Pree's father, her high school sweetheart and ex-husband, Nolan, that they had a daughter. For another, Kate hasn't spoken to Nolan for three years, not since the accident which took their nine-year-old son from them. But to keep Pree from leaving forever, Kate will have to confront the secrets that have haunted her since her son died and discover if the love of her family is strong enough to survive even the most heartbreaking of betrayals.
Safe with Me by Amy Hatvany (Washington Square Press). The screech of tires brought Hannah Scott's world as she knew it to a devastating end. A year after she signed the papers to donate her daughter's organs, Hannah is still reeling with grief when she unexpectedly stumbles into the life of the Bell family, whose fifteen-year-old daughter, Maddie, survived only because Hannah's daughter had died. Mesmerized by this fragile connection to her own daughter and afraid to reveal who she actually is, Hannah develops a surprising friendship with Maddie's mother, Olivia. The Bells, however, have problems of their own. Once on the verge of leaving her wealthy but abusive husband, Olivia now finds herself bound to him in the wake of the transplant that saved their daughter's life. Meanwhile, Maddie, tired of the limits her poor health puts upon her and fearful of her father's increasing rage, regularly escapes into the one place where she can be anyone she wants: the Internet. But when she is finally healthy enough to return to school, the real world proves to be just as complicated as the isolated bubble she had been so eager to escape.
The All You Can Dream Buffet: A Novel by Barbara O'Neal (Random House). Popular blogger and foodie queen Lavender Wills reigns over Lavender Honey Farms, a serene slice of organic heaven nestled in Oregon wine country. Lavender is determined to keep her legacy from falling into the profit-driven hands of uncaring relatives, and she wants an heir to sustain her life's work after she's gone. So she invites her three closest online friends—fellow food bloggers, women of varied ages and backgrounds—out to her farm. She hopes to choose one of them to inherit it—but who? There's Ginny, the freckle-faced Kansas cake baker whose online writing is about to lead her out of a broken marriage and into a world of sensual delights. And Ruby, young, pregnant, devoted to the organic movement, who's looking for roots—and the perfect recipe to heal a shattered heart. Finally, Val, smart and sophisticated, a wine enthusiast who needs a fresh start for her teenage daughter after tragedy has rocked their lives. Coming together will change the Foodie Four in ways they could never have imagined, uniting them in love and a common purpose. As they realize that life doesn't always offer a perfect recipe for happiness, they also discover that the moments worth savoring are flavored with some tears, a few surprises, and generous helping of joy.
Two Sisters by Mary Hogan (HarperCollins). The third child in a family that wanted only two, Muriel Sullivant has always been an outsider. Short, dark-haired, and round, she worships her beautiful blond sister, Pia, and envies the close bond she shares with their mother, Lidia. Growing up in their shadow, Muriel believes that if she keeps all their secrets—and she knows plenty, outsiders always do—they will love her, too. But that was a long time ago. Now an adult, Muriel has accepted the disappointments in her life. With her fourth-floor walk-up apartment and entry-level New York City job, she never will measure up to Pia and her wealthy husband, their daughter, and their suburban Connecticut dream home. Muriel would like nothing better than to avoid her judgmental family altogether. One thing she does quite well. Until the day Pia shows up to visit and share devastating news that Muriel knows she cannot tell—a secret that will force her to come to terms with the past and help her see her life and her family in unexpected new ways.
If you're an author who has an upcoming new romance, you can send information about the book (subgenre, title, author, publisher, release date, 100ish-word blurb) to happyeverafterusat@gmail.com. Please include "new release inspirational" (or whatever subgenre it is) in the subject line. HEA will do its darnedest to get your listing into a new releases post as close to your publication date as possible. All romances and subgenres are accepted, including self- and indie-pubbed.