July 2023 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
Dial S for Second Chances by Linda Shenton Matchett — Jade Williams agrees to be on the high school reunion committee because the-one-that-got-away is out of the country and won’t be home in time to attend the festivities. Now, he’s not only home but joined the committee. Is it too late to back out or can she set aside forty-five years of regret and pretend she isn’t to blame for her broken heart? One of the downsides of being rich means fielding requests for money and favors. But when an old high school buddy contacts Derek Milligan to be on the reunion committee as just one of the gang, no strings attached, he can’t resist. At the first meeting, he’s dismayed to find himself sitting next to his former high school sweetheart. He should be angry. Instead, he’s attracted. Can he risk his heart a second time? (Contemporary Romance from Shortwave Press)
Fire and Ice by Carolyn Miller — Hannah Wade’s heart might’ve once been touched by a rancher’s son, but her real passion has always been sports. Years later, when her sports career is cut short by injury and an opportunity arises to be one of Calgary’s first female sports analysts, she jumps at the chance. Trouble is, some of the old dinosaurs she works with think she’s only there to look good, add ratings, and stir controversy among the fiercely loyal hockey fans. She longs for the chance to prove herself, so when an opportunity comes along to interview newly traded defenseman Franklin James, she meets him. Or, more accurately, re-meets him. With disastrous effect. Can these two overcome prejudice and find a way forward? And what has faith – or the lack of – got to do with anything? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Sweet Romantic Fiction Editors’ Choice Christmas Collection by Barbara Britton, Renee Blare, Anne Greene, C.E. Hilbert, Susan Lyttek, and Dixie Jarchow — An editors’ choice collection of Pelican Book Group’s Christmas stories. Join the fun at Christmas and all the year through. (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing (Pelican)
General Contemporary:
Room for Love by Marguerite Martin Gray — God gave her peace then; maybe He’ll do it again. When Amy Lee’s son heads off to college, the bed and breakfast owner finds life even lonelier and emptier than she had after losing her husband. She needs something to occupy her mind and heart while she reinvents her life again. What more could she ask for than an after-school program for local children and a renewed interest in painting? Then the arrival of a professor of archeology shakes her world and makes her yearn for the way things were only a few short months ago. Still grieving the loss of his beloved wife, and ignoring the warnings and protests of his grown children, Professor Walker Standish escapes on a six-month sabbatical. His heart, barely beating these past months, jerks to. (General Contemporary from Celebrate Lit Publishing)
General Historical:
Rebecca by Shannon McNear — Born the daughter of a Powhatan chieftain and a woman of unknown origins, Mato’aka enjoys a carefree life. When strange men from across the eastern waters appear near her home, she regards them at first as a mere curiosity. Soon, though, she finds herself torn between friendship with one of their leaders and the opinions and politics of her elders. Drawn to a young Englishman, John Rolfe, who has lost a wife and baby daughter, she shares his griefs. . .and perhaps something more. Could she have a future among the English of Jamestown, accepting their ways and even changing her name? Could her fate be a part of the lasting legacy of the Lost Colony of Roanoke? (General Historical from Barbour Publishing)
Historical Biblical:
Plagues and Papyrus: Egyptians by Christine Dillon — What if life is built on the wrong foundation? Kheti and his family have farmed papyrus along the Nile for generations. He’s confident the gods of Egypt and the harmony maintained by the divine Pharaoh are the sources of his prosperity. Then he watches his beloved river turn to blood, his crops fail, and his nation descend into chaos. The Hebrew God wants his people released from slavery. When the gods remain silent and Pharaoh is powerless to stop the carnage, Kheti wrestles with which way to turn. Replant his flattened crops and cling to Egypt’s gods? Or forsake his roots to follow new friends and a new faith to a distant land? Could there be a place in God’s family for an Egyptian who kept God’s people as slaves? (Historical Biblical from Links in the Chain Press)
Historical Romance:
A Summer at Thousand Island House by Susan G. Mathis — She came to work with the children, not fall in love. Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy. But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community? (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
Hoping for Treasure by Bettie Boswell — A few months after Ginny and Scott’s marriage begins, tragedy strikes when a miscarriage dashes their hopes of starting a family. As Ginny seeks comfort through a manuscript about her great-grandparent’s unlikely post-WW 2 romance, she discovers secrets about her family and the Woodson House’s hidden room. Ginny found the manuscript about her great-grandmother’s romance hidden in a secret compartment in an old wooden desk, along with poems about Missy’s life after the Civil War. When researching her musical, Ginny wondered if Samuel and Missy’s romance led to marriage, but how did her grandmother come into possession of the poetry? As she and Scott read through the story, they find some comfort until Ginny’s teaching position is threatened, if a tax levy doesn’t pass. Scott helps campaign, but finds his own tenure threatened by the distraction. Can Scott and Ginny survive the trials that face them in their young marriage? (Historical Romance from Mt. Zion Ridge Press)
Over the Horizon by Penny Zeller — A most unusual proposal…Alone in 1870s Idaho Territory, Paisley Abbott has nowhere to turn. With no other options, she finds herself consenting to an unconventional, but mutually beneficial agreement. During an unplanned return to his family’s farm, prodigal Tyler Shepherdson inherits three orphans. When Tyler finds a woman hiding in the back of his wagon, an idea begins to form and he makes a rash decision that results in perhaps one of the most spontaneous marriages of convenience ever. Despite an unorthodox beginning to their marriage, will Paisley and Tyler trust God as they forge ahead to create a home for three children? Will love arise from a desperate situation? (Historical Romance from Maplebrook Publishing)
Uncharted Grace by Keely Brooke Keith — An inherited orchard offers a fresh start in a new village for social butterfly Caroline Vestal. She believes Good Springs is where she will finally find a soulmate, but building a genuine relationship means being honest—even with the family secret that could ruin her new life before it begins. With his relaxed manner, professional expertise, and dapper appearance, physician Jedidiah Cotter makes a good first impression in his new village. Once the Good Springs elder council officially titles him, he can establish his career and be safe from the obligation to return to his crooked family’s business back home. But when the council unexpectedly stalls the process, Jedidiah must discover the cause and quickly find a cure. Though Caroline is smitten with the dashing new physician who lives across the road from the orchard house, his attraction to her drives him to ask questions she isn’t prepared to answer. If she trusts the wrong person with the shocking truth about her family’s past, she could lose the inheritance and the man she loves. (Historical Romance from Edenbrook Press)
Romance:
Sweet Romance for Every Season by Felicia Ferguson, Hope Bolinger, Renee Leonard Kennedy, and Lori Z. Scott, — So many sweet romance stories always take place over Christmas. We love an adorable kiss in the flurries of gentle snow. But it’s time some other holidays get a little love too. Set during every month of the year, this collection of sweet romances will have you swooning from early January to summer solstice to New Year’s Eve. Proving that a happily ever after can take place at any time of the year. An anthology from End Game Press authors, we are very proud to bring you their excellent stories! (Romance from End Game Press)
Romance Mystery:
Like Honey for the Bones by Brandy Heineman — Present Day. Solveig Borja fled Virginia to escape the guilt of one reckless night, and once she settles the family estate, she’s Norway-bound and never looking back. Meanwhile, Kyle Benton has come seeking asylum from past sins—which Solveig shatters even as their hopeless romance blooms. But when they discover a skeleton at Rice Caverns, its century-old mystery holds startling links to the here-and-now. 1919. The Great War is won. Gussie Rice longs for her beau’s return from France, until she learns he’s confined at a stateside hospital and her closest confidant is part of the secret. Her bid for love sparks a confrontation that ricochets through time…Bad blood and escalating threats swirl around Solveig, and Kyle’s new life proves no haven from the old with his brother’s killer trolling the shadows. As the past rears up, the cavern’s hidden places beckon with power to light their hope or to swallow them in utter darkness. (Romance Mystery, Independently Published)
Romance Novella:
His to Adore by Z. Peabody — Elise Montgomery has always wanted to be a professional singer. Becoming one of the world’s greatest Gospel singers of all times, is more than a dream, it’s one of her life’s goals. Elise would sing for her supper in almost any venue she could, to pay her dues. Now comes her big break, to join a Gospel tour in New York. When Elise has a five-hour layover on her way to an awards show, Elise gets side-tracked by a tall, handsome cowboy. That night Elise makes one of the hardest decisions of her life when she walks away from her handsome cowboy. But that decision will come back full-circle four-years later. (Romance Novella from Z. Peabody Publishing)
His to Honor by Z. Peabody — Braun Hartgrove, is a retired Army Ranger and detective with the Cody, Wyoming police department and a happy bachelor. After ten-years of serving his country, Braun is happy to settle into his life in his childhood town, enjoy his bachelorhood, and enjoy some nights with his military family at his favorite place, The Caverns. While attending his future brother-in-law’s bachelor party, Braun gets an unexpected surprise, one that he will later figure out, too late is his greatest blessing. Now the bachelors’ life doesn’t seem so enjoyable. But Braun needs to wait to claim his blessing, and wait he will, because what is his, only God can take away. (Romance Novella from Z. Peabody Publishing)
Science Fiction/Time Travel:
A Gilded Age Getaway by Stephania McGee — Can one magical night of glamour in the past save their future? When Fiona Robinson imagined her life with Tyler, she dreamed of a grand adventure. Together. But after a decade of marriage, suburban seclusion, and stress from his job, she’s let the strain of being a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers squeeze all the fun out of their relationship. With pressure mounting at work and his homelife growing stale, Tyler’s fighting to recapture the joy in his marriage. But he can’t seem to do anything right, his job’s drained his energy, and his wife no longer resembles the fun-loving girl he married. Then Fiona’s mother presents them with an anniversary weekend getaway at a seaside B&B, and they hope it can rekindle their romance. But they never could have imagined their room would transport them to the Gilded Age in New York! Now, can one night at the famed Vanderbilt ball reignite their spark, or will they be stuck in a future neither of them expected? (Science Fiction/Time Travel, Independently Published)
Thriller/Suspense:
A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen — A car accident that might not be an accident at all. A murderer bent on revenge. And a woman desperate to keep her family together. She’s already lost her soul mate. She’ll do anything to protect her children.For the sake of her kids, Camilla Wright managed to survive after her husband’s murder. When she’s awakened in the night with the news that her teenage son and nephew have been in a horrific car accident, she rushes to the hospital in a haze of shock and panic.The boys were supposed to be skiing in the mountains east of Salt Lake City. What were they doing so far west? More alarming, the wreck might not have been an accident at all.While Jeremy fights for his life, Camilla is running out of time to discover who lured her son and her nephew into the desert. With each new clue, the terrifying truth becomes clearer. Her husband’s killers are closing intenure threatened by the distraction. Can Scott and Ginny survive the trials that face them in their young marriage? (Thriller Suspense, Independently Published)
Thriller/Suspense/Crime:
No Child of Mine by Kelly S. Irvin — When the remains of a young girl are found near the site of a foster child’s kidnapping, two colleagues risk their lives to bring one home and find justice for the other. The day a colleague’s eight-year-old foster child is kidnapped at a wedding reception, homicide detectives Deborah Smith and Alex Luna find the bones of a little girl not far from the abduction site. Both are determined to save the boy and solve a five-year-old murder, even as Deborah struggles to hang on to her newfound sobriety while Alex works to get a foothold in her life. The two detectives travel from the seamy underside of San Antonio’s drug-dealing gang territory to the back roads of rural America where secrets fester in simple country homes. Their investigation rips off the bandage that covers the cracks in an overburdened, understaffed foster care system and reveals the painful reality that children are all too often battered, terrified victims of the people who should love them Deborah and Alex must risk everything–even their lives–to bring a little boy home safely and unmask a child’s murderer. (Thriller/Suspense/Crime from Ally Press)
Romantic Suspense:
Defending the Witness by Sharee Stover — To catch a killer…She must trust her protectors. After witnessing a murder at the hands of a notorious gang leader, Ayla DuPree is a marked woman sent straight to witness protection. But when her handler is killed and her safety compromised, she has no choice but to run—forcing US Marshal Chance Tavalla and his K-9 to chase her. Can Chance keep Ayla alive long enough to find safety and justice? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired/Harlequin)
Frozen in Jeopardy by Melanie D. Snitker — A routine stop turns deadly. When Police Officer Gabe Harrison and his K-9 partner, Loki, investigate a stranded vehicle during the fury of a winter storm, they unexpectedly uncover evidence of a drug shipment. Suddenly, gunfire erupts from the tree line, and Loki is hit. Gabe is forced to shoot the attacker before taking him into custody. With Loki in need of urgent medical care, Gabe races to the veterinarian, praying he’ll get there in time. As the storm of the century howls through Destiny, Dr. Paige Wade decides to stay at her clinic to care for any animals that need help. Her quiet night takes a turn when her longtime friend brings in a prisoner along with his beloved dog suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite all the distractions, she’ll do everything in her power to save Loki’s life. With the storm raging outside and a violent gang intent on freeing the member Gabe has captured, Gabe and Paige must race against the clock to protect the clinic–and each other–until help arrives. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
Unseen Danger by Jerusha Agen — This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them? After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble. Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team. Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh’s only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn’t see before it’s too late. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
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A Louisiana Christmas to Remember by Morgan Tapley Smith, Betsy St. Amant, Lenora Worth — Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family? In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places… In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…
Redeeming the Cowboy by Lisa Jordan — Five years ago, bull rider Bear Stone lost everything. His best friend. His fiancée. His career. And Piper Healy, his best friend’s wife, never forgave him for the rodeo accident that killed her husband. Now they’re working together to save his family’s ranch. But can this cowboy choose between his last chance at the rodeo…and the woman he’s falling for? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired/Harlequin)
Where Love is Planted by Dawn Kinzer — A beautiful horticultural therapist.A handsome social worker in a woman’s prison. Will their loyalty to others cost them their own happiness? Or will something beautiful grow where love is planted? (Contemporary Romance from Morningview Publishing)
A Counterfeit Betrothal by Denise Weimer — A frontier scout, a healing widow, and a desperate fight for peace. At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory in 1813, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
Francine’s Foibles by Linda Shenton Matchett — World War II is finally over, and America is extra grateful as the country approaches this year’s Thanksgiving. But for Francine life hasn’t changed. Despite working at Fort Meade processing the paperwork for the thousands of men who have returned home, she’s still lonely and very single. Is she destined for spinsterhood? Grateful that his parents anglicized the family surname after emigrating to the United States after the Great War, first-generation German-American Ray Fisher has done all he can to hide his heritage. He managed to make it through this second “war to end all wars,” but what American woman would want to marry into a German family? Must he leave the country to find wedded bliss?? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)
The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky — In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England’s Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd’s staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she’s left searching for answers. In 1912, after her father’s death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again. (Historical Romance from Bethany House)
Wooing Gertrude by Jodie Wolfe — Enoch Valentine has given up finding peace for his past mistakes. He throws everything he has into being the new part-time deputy in Burrton Springs, Kansas while maintaining the foreman position at a local horse ranch. But when trouble stirs on the ranch, he questions whether he’ s the right man for either job. Peace has been elusive for most of Gertrude Miller’s life, especially under the oppressiveness of an overbearing mother. She takes matters into her own hands and sends for a potential husband, while also opening her own dress shop. Gertrude hopes to build a future where she’ ll find peace and happiness. Will either of them ever be able to find peace? (Historical Romance from White Rose Publishing)
The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner — After years of drifting, fifty-year-old Pete Ryman has settled down with his potbellied pig, Pearl, in the small Montana town of Sleeping Grass–a place he never expected to see again. It’s not the life he dreamed of, but there aren’t many prospects for a high-school dropout like him. Elderly widow Wilma Jacobsen carries a burden of guilt over her part in events that led to Pete leaving Sleeping Grass decades ago. Now that he’s back, she’s been praying for the chance to make things right, but she never expected God’s answer to leave her flat on her face–literally–and up to her ears in meddling. (Literary/Contemporary from Bethany House)
Fall Back and Find Me by Sarah Hanks — Two resilient women separated by over 150 years are linked forever by their challenges, values, and determination. (Split Time from SonFlower Books)
Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills — When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother’s murder, with details never revealed publicly. Alarmed by Carson’s inside knowledge of Trenton’s death, Risa reaches out to her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson’s background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems were installed by Carson’s stepfather and children have gone missing. There’s a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic from Tyndale House)
Seeking Justice by Sharee Stover An agent and her K-9 partner risk their lives in the ultimate mission.
The Text by Julane Fisher — In 2048, 25 years after a pandemic killed one-third of the world’s population, America is flourishing under the department of Safety Threats and Reinforcement (STaR). STaR keeps citizens safe and healthy STaR’s social media app, Allicio, boasts two billion users. The a power outage shuts down STaR’s health monitors and disables millions of mobile phones. Sixteen-year-old Rami Carlton earned a starting spot on the varsity volleyball team. For fun, she races tech-genius Finley Drake to decipher the online identities of their techie friends. The game is harmless. So they thought. Rami receives a chilling text message that she’s being watched. That night, her mother disappears. Despite thousands of city-wide monitors, STaR’s Reinforcement Division cannot locate Rami’s mom. And Rami’s stalker threatens to kill her brother if she talks to Reinforcement Officers. When Finley hacks the nation’s cellular provider, Connect Mobile, he discovers STaR has a secret. STAR isn’t just watching. They’re manipulating Allicio. And Rami is their next target. (Young Adult from Infinite Teen)
