Where Hearts are Free by Golden Keyes Parsons

Where Hearts are Free

17th Century – Pennsylvania

Bridget is in love with one man … and promised to another. Amid the LIBERTY and promise of the New World, Bridget Barrington and Philippe Clavell fall in love. But nothing about their LOVE seems possible. To pay for the Clavell family’s passage from France, Philippe, a former member of French royalty, worked as an indentured slave to the Barringtons. Bridget is the heiress of the prominent plantation.
When Bridget’s parents discover the budding romance between their daughter and their servant, they quickly orchestrate her engagement to an older, more advantageous match. But Edward Moorehead has a SECRET. And he’s anything but a good match for Bridget.
Separated from her true love and in danger from her betrothed, Bridget must rely on God to deliver her from DARKNESS TO LIGHT.

Christmas Mail Order Brides by Various Authors

Chri stmas Mail-Order Brides: A Trusting Heart/The Prodigal Groom/Hidden Hearts/Mrs Mayberry Meets Her Match (Romancing America: Wyoming)

1880s – Wyoming, Nevada, California

Three unmarried women contact Mrs. Mayberry’s Matrimonial Society for Christians of Moral Character seeking husbands and travel the new Transcontinental Railroad hoping love awaits them.

In A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky, Annika Bergstrom, a Swedish immigrant, travels to Wyoming where her intended, Chase Simms, has disappeared, leaving his father and brother saddled with her future. When her groom returns, will her heart still be free to give?

In The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough, Jolie Addams is orphaned and hired to work for a lecherous benefactor. She chooses instead to become a mail-order bride, but on the way to Nevada, her stage is robbed. She and a wounded passenger are stranded. They are rescued the next day, but Jolie’s intended refuses to marry her after she spent the night alone with Clay Jackson. She and Clay are forced to marry. Can a relationship and love grow from such an awful beginning?

Also includes Hidden Hearts by Therese Stenzel and Mrs. Mayberry Meet Her Match by Susan Page Davis.

Masquerade by Nancy Moser

1866- New York

1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine. She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival. As for Dora, she lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions–yet is tormented by guilt and the presence of another love that will not die. Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts? Will love win out? There is no guarantee the switch will work. It’s a risk. It’s the chance of a lifetime.

The Engineered Engagement by Erica Vetsch

The Engineered Engagement

1906 – Minnesota

A Kennebrae keeps his word….

But Grandfather made the promise, and Eli Kennebrae is expected to carry it out. And maybe Grandfather got lucky with Eli’s brother’s brides, but there is no way Eli is going to participate in an arranged marriage. . .or is he?

Josie Zahn has admired Eli from a distance for years, but he hardly knows she exists other than as just “one of the Zahn girls.” If only she could get his attention. . . When Father announces her older sister Clarice’s engagement to Eli, both girls are crushed. Is there no way out of this nightmare?

Deception, intrigue, and danger make life miserable for the Zahns and the Kennebraes as they learn that Divine engineering is far better than human manipulation.

Valeria’s Cross by Kathi Macias and Susan Wales

valeriascross Valeria’s Cross

200s – Roman Empire

Valeria’s Cross is the story of a 3rd century Roman marriage, forged in violence and deceit and built on religious opposition. It is about the many ways that men and women love and fight and grudgingly respect. Yet in the end, God’s faithfulness triumphs.

A Convenient Wife by Anna Schmidt

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1800s – Massachusetts

His plan was simple—convince Caroline Hudson to take in his children as wards. Widower Tyrone Justice is stunned when the Nantucket schoolmistress requests a wedding instead! But really, what could be simpler than a marriage of convenience? Tyrone’s children will have stability, Caroline will have security…and neither Tyrone nor Caroline will have to risk their hearts once more. Bruised by past loves and losses, neither is ready to take that chance again. Unless a potentially deadly disaster makes them see the truth. Happiness lies within reach—if they’ll take a chance on the unplanned gift of love.

Highland Blessing by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Highland Blessings

1463 – Scotland

Highland Blessings is the story of a highland warrior who kidnaps the daughter of his greatest enemy and clan chief to honor a promise he made to his dying father. Bryce MacPhearson, a highland warrior, kidnaps Akira MacKenzie on her wedding day to honor a promise he made to his dying father. While Akira s strength in the Lord becomes a witness to Bryce, she struggles to overcome her anger and resentment when he forces her to wed him, hoping to end a half-century-old feud between their clans. While Akira begins to forgive, and Bryce learns to trust, a series of murders leaves a trail of unanswered questions, confusion, and a legacy of hate that once again rises between their families. Clearly, a traitor is in their midst. Now the one man Akira loves no longer trusts her, and her own life is in danger. Can Bryce look beyond his pain and seek the truth? Will Akira discover the threat against her before it s too late? How will God turn a simple promise into bountiful Highland blessings?

Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot

Scattered Petals: A Novel (Texas Dreams)

1856 – Texas

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston and heads for Texas, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks will leave her badly injured and her parents dead. Priscilla is determined to rebuild her life and make a home for herself in the beautiful Hill Country. But the bandits who took her parents’ lives also destroyed her hope for the future. Ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows what the future holds for him, and it’s not a woman like Priscilla. She deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who’s haunted by memories of his mistakes. The best thing he can do is leave her alone. When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life that, like the scattered petals of her childhood, is filled with promise. But then the past intrudes, threatening their very existence.

Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr

heartsawakening Hearts Awakening

1840 – Pennsylvania

With no means to support herself, Ellie Kilmer agrees to work as a housekeeper for the young widower who lives on Dillon Island, hopeful she can obtain a proper reference. But Jackson Smith quickly realizes that Ellie’s presence may solve his own problems–both the rearing of his young boys and the scandal that surrounds his first marriage.

When a marriage of convenience is offered, Ellie is initially humiliated. Though she is past the age most women marry, she has more pride than to agree to his outlandish suggestion. Yet what options does she have? To marry would mean a home and stability. So despite the rumors circling Jackson and his first wife, Ellie accepts this unlikely proposal…

The Marriage Masquerade by Erica Vetsch

The Marriage Masquerade

1906 – Minnesota

Noah just wants to start over.

Captain Noah Kennebrae can no longer deal with the shame and guilt from the wreck of his ship. So he changes his name and takes a job as assistant lighthouse keeper on Sutton Island, heedless of the marriage contract his grandfather has arranged for him. No woman in her right mind would want to marry him now, anyway.

Desperate to escape the calculating grasp of her father and his cronies, Anastasia Michaels leaves her home to take the unlikely job of housekeeper on a remote island. Knowing how terrified of water she is, surely her father would never think to look for her there.

But neither Nick nor Annie considered that God’s hand might be at work in their lives. When they each take things into their own hands, He must work a miracle to bring them back to His original plan.

The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch

The Bartered Bride

1905 – Minnesota

Can true love result from a business deal?

Jonathan Kennebrae is furious when his grandfather informs him that his future has been decided. He will marry Melissa Brooke or lose his inheritance. Jonathan has invested years of his life in Kennabrae Shipping, but heaven help him if Grandfather decides to take it all away for this.

Melissa, too, is devastated when her parents make their announcement. As little more than a bargaining chip in her father’s business maneuvers, she feels her secure world slipping away. Engaged to marry a man she has never met—someone “considerably older” than herself? What have her parents done?

Can Jonathan and Melissa find a way out of this loveless marriage, or must they find a way forward together?

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21:1

The Bride Backfire by Kelly Eileen Hake

The Bride Backfire (Prairie Promises Series #2)

1857 – Nebraska

Come on down for a real family feud in this witty romance, the second novel in Kelly Eileen Hake’s Prairie Promises series. In the Nebraskan Territory of 1857, the longstanding feud between their two families makes Opal Speck desperate to save the life of the Grogan who once pulled her from a burning building. Will her big white lie-that Adam is the father of her unborn child-land in enemy territory for the rest of her life? Find out how Adam and Opal deal with the repercussions of their shotgun wedding in The Bride Backfire!

Montana Rose by Mary Connealy

1875 – Montana

Fire up your love of romance with Montana Rose, where Cassie Griffin, a seemingly spoiled pregnant woman, is widowed one day and wedded the next. Marrying handyman Red Dawson seems the only alternative to Cassie’s being hitched to a brutal rancher. But can this “china doll” bear exchanging smooth silk for coarse calico? Red was reluctant to be yoked to an unbeliever, but sometimes a man has no choice. Will Red change Cassie’s heart by changing her name? Wade Sawyer is obsessed with saving Cassie from a marriage of convenience. How far will he go make her his own?

Ransome’s Honor by Kaye Dacus

Ransome’s Honor

1814 – England

The war with France has ended, and Captain William Ransome, known for never letting women aboard his ship, has returned to Portsmouth, England. Julia Witherington, considered an old-maid at 29, discovers that she must marry immediately to receive a large dowry. Julia knows that the only man she doesn’t want to marry is William Ransome. And the only man her father will approve of is…William Ransome.

When the couple strikes a financial deal to feign marriage for one year, the adventure begins. These stubborn people face humorous and hard situations that reveal what else they have in common—a growing affection for one another. This intriguing tale of faith and loyalty is a wonderful new offering for readers of all genres.

The Preacher’s Wife by Cheryl St. John

The Preacher’s Wife

1869 – Colorado and Nebraska

There was nothing remotely romantic about widowed father Samuel Hart’s marriage proposal. Yet Josie Randolph said yes. The Lord had finally blessed the lonely widow with the family she’d always dreamed of. And she was deeply in love with the handsome preacher, whose high ideals inspired everyone. Surely during their long journey across the western plains to his new post her husband would grow to love her.

Each mile brought them closer to home, yet drove them further apart. Samuel didn’t seem ready to open his heart again. But Josie was determined to be not just the preacher’s wife, but Samuel’s wife.

The Centurion’s Wife by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn

The Centurion’s Wife (Acts of Faith, Book 1)

33 – Middle East

Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist’s perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity…and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma.

Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil–facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions. Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine’s governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah’s mistress, the governor’s wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death–and missing body–is causing such furor.

This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, The Centurion’s Wife unfolds the testing of loyalties–between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.

Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy

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1867 – Texas

Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutches of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R’s – widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair – two people who couldn’t dislike each other more – an avalanche isn’t the only potential danger lurking amid the shadows of Calico Canyon. Will they make it out alive? Or end up killing each other in the process?

Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy

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1867 – Texas

Sophie Edwards is doing just fine alone, until a strange-yet oddly familiar-man rides into her life, insisting on rescuing her and her four daughters. Can she find a way to love a headstrong mountain man? When Clay McClellan discovers his brother has been murdered, he’s bent on finding the killers and seeing them properly hung. But first his Christian duty demands that he marry his sister-in-law. After all, Sophie needs someone to protect her – right? Faith and love help unruly wed newlyweds find common ground and a chance at love on the Texas frontier.

Sarah My Beloved by Sharlene MacLaren

Sarah My Beloved (Little Hickman Creek Series #2)

1896 – Kentucky

Sarah Woodward has come to Kentucky as a mail-order bride. But when she steps off the stage coach, the man who contacted her through the Marriage Made in Heaven Agency informs her that he has fallen in love with and wed another woman. Sarah is disappointed, but she feels that God led her to Little Hickman Creek for a reason. With her usual stubborn determination, she refuses to leave until she finds out what that reason is. Rocky Callahan’s sister has died, leaving him with two young children to take care of. When he meets the fiery Sarah Woodward, he proposes the answer to both their problems a marriage in name only. Sarah soon comes to love the children, but Rocky is afraid that she’ll never survive as a farmer’s wife with her privileged upbringing. Can he let go of the pain in his past and trust God’s plan for his life? Will she leave him or will they actually find a marriage made
in heaven?

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Spoke of Love by Cathy Marie Hake

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1750 – Virginia

The death of her husband forced Garnet Wheelock to become a mail-order bride. The torturous ship voyage was eclipsed only by the cruelty of her master in the New World of Virginia. But the Lord’s hand was upon her, and she has been bought by a new master and given a home. A widower of four years, Samuel Walsh longs for a women’s touch upon his home and family. The Widow Wheelock seems perfect for the task – she’s industrious and loving, and the children adore her. He’s vowed never to marry again, but when news of her pregnancy spawns accusations of impropriety, Sam weds Garnet to preserve his honor. Could their feelings run deeper than mere obligation? Can the Lord weave two broken lives together and create a future stronger than the past that haunts them?

The Prisoner’s Wife by Susan Page Davis

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1720 – Maine

Jack Hunter is about to be hanged for the murder of his neighbor. Jack knows he’s innocent, and the unscrupulous constables will seize his land when he’s dead. He asks Lucy Hamblin, the only girl he ever loved, to marry him in the jail. Her father broke them up four years ago, but now her father is dead. Will Lucy be willing to grant his last request and become the widow Hunter?

The Bachelor’s Bargain by Catherine Palmer

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1815 – England

Best-selling author Catherine Palmer brings readers another stand-alone Regency-period romance in the vein of Jane Austen. When Ruel Chouteau returns home after his supposed death, he shocks everyone. They are even more surprised when he mock-proposes to a common housemaid as proof that no woman in her right mind would marry him. Anne Webster is no ordinary woman, and when she is shot through the leg, it appears that she will surely die. She decides to accept Ruel’s proposal so he will be obligated to save and provide for her family. Since he will have a year to mourn her death, Ruel will be spared the hounding from his family and the many families of single women in the community. But after the marriage on Anne’s deathbed, she surprises them all by returning to full health! Now Ruel and Anne must face a future they never expected!

Dawn in My Heart by Ruth Axtell Morren

dawninmyheart Dawn in My Heart (Regency Series #2)

1814 – England

Called home to Regency London after his brother’s death, Tertius Pembroke, Earl of Skylar, must marry quickly and produce an heir. Lady Gillian Edwards seems the ideal bride: young, beautiful and innocent. But Sky is no ideal husband, having returned from the Indies gaunt, ill and plagued by a darkness that he dare not reveal even to his betrothed. Lady Gillian had promised Sky her hand in marriage but cannot give him her heart, not when she gave it to another man three years ago. Afraid of repudiation, Gillian buries her secret so deep inside herself, no one will every know, or so she hopes.

Through lies and deceit, their marriage slowly unravels. Then Sky becomes deathly ill, and his new found faith offers two virtual strangers a second chance at becoming husband and wife.

Renegade Husband by DiAnn Mills

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1885 – Nebraska

When Audra moves to frontier Colorado to marry the local pastor, she is assured a life of adventure. She never realizes how much adventure until her stagecoach is robbed – and she learns it’s her future husband’s twin brother who committed the crime. Through his life, Caleb Windsor has been blamed for the sins of his brother. But when he tries to stop his twin’s outlaw lifestyle by arranging a marriage for him, Caleb doesn’t realize how it will affect his own heart – especially when it seems Audra is much better suited to himself. Could Audra ever love a renegade husband? Can Caleb clear his name in time?

Child of the Mist by Kathleen Morgan

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1565 – Scotland

In the harsh Scottish highlands of 1565, superstition and treachery threaten a truce between rival clans. It’s a weak truce at first, bound only by an arranged engagement between Anne MacGregor and Niall Campbell-the heirs of the feuding families.

While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a traitor in his clan, Anne’s actions do not go unnoticed. And as accusations of witchcraft abound, the strong and sometimes callous Campbell heir must fight for Anne’s safety among disconcerted clan members. Meanwhile his own safety in threatened with the ever-present threat of someone who wants him dead.
Will Niall discover the traitor’s identity in time? Can Anne find a way to fit into her new surroundings? Will the two learn to love each other despite the conflict?

Sooner or Later by Vickie McDonough

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Rebekah’s dreams have become a nightmare. For years, her mother told her, “Sooner or later, some handsome man is going to sweep you off your feet and make you his wife. ” But that was before her mother and brother died, and before her stepfather agreed to marry her to a repulsive neighbor in exchange for liquor and a side of beef. Mason Danfield has no interest in a wife. He’s focused on his motherless niece and nephew. But when Rebekah flees her home in the middle of the night, Mason must intervene or see her suffer, maybe even die, on the prairie. Will God lead Rebekah to the love she yearns for sooner, rather than later? Will Rebekah and Mason allow God’s direction to fulfill their dreams?

Faithful Traitor by Jill Stengl

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1774 – New York

Mr. LaTournay, a wealthy New York merchant, desires her as his bride. Despite Georgette’s objections, her British parents transact the engagement. Amid rumors of war and disastrous setbacks for British loyalists, Georgette meets her ideal: a masked, mysterious, yet devoted admirer who speaks of faithful love. Honor compels her to send him away, but she cannot forget him – even when she learns that he is a traitorous conspirator whose life is forfeit to the Crown. True to her vows, Georgette attempts to forget her secret love – until accusations bring her own loyalty into question. Surely Georgette cannot love a treacherous spy whose face she has never seen! Yet how can she bring herself to betray him?

The Rescue by Lori Wick

The Rescue (The English Garden)

1811 – England

The Rescue, book two in the series, is set in 1811 England. When Anne Gardiner slips from a ladder into the arms of a stranger, her father, Colonel Gardiner, deems the innocent embrace cause for immediate marriage.

Weston eventually sees that the “marriage” was performed for the Colonel’s sake and that Anne had no choice. When he learns that she’s sacrificed her own reputation to protect his name, Weston finds himself drawn to Anne.

But will these two guarded people give love a chance? And can they trust God enough to step into a new, real relationship?

Promised to Me by Robin Lee Hatcher

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1897 – Idaho

Dear Mother and Father,

After all those years, I was certain Jakob Hirsch had forgotten me. Then came his proposal of marriage. With more impulse than wisdom, I crossed the ocean to begin a new life with him in Shadow Creek, Idaho. Little did I dream of the changes eleven years had brought to the man I once loved—which included three small children waiting with him at the station. I will not marry a stranger who no longer loves me, but I have agreed to look after Jakob’s children until the harvest is in. A cabin on his property provides me with respectable living quarters. If only it were as easy to separate my heart from this family! It will be difficult to leave when the time comes, for I am falling in love with these little ones—and, truth be told, with Jakob.

Your loving daughter,

Karola Breit

In Idaho, the land is good but life is hard for a German émigré whose dreams have turned to dust. Love found and lost can shatter a man’s faith. But it is about to strengthen that of the woman to whom he turns—and in the drought of summer, a withered promise springs to life. Promised to Me is book four in the Coming to America series about women who come to America to start new lives.

Mail Order Husband by DiAnn Mills

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1800s – Nebraska

As a widow, struggling to raise two boys and keep her Nebraska farm operating, Lena Walker knows the pang of loneliness. None of the nearby men meet her expectations, so she decides to advertise for a husband in newspapers back East. After all, she figures, men find wives that way.

In Philadelphia, Gabe Hunters has spent his life buried in books, believing every question can be answered from the printed page – especially of the Bible. When he sees Lena’s advertisement for a husband and father, he senses God pulling him to a place he’s never before seen and work he has never done. Lena is confident that God doesn’t make mistakes – but Gabe isn’t at all what she expected. How can she ever learn to love this man?

Circle of Honor by Carol Umberger

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1306 – Scotland

Adam Macintosh was there when Robert the Bruce killed Sir John Comyn and destroyed his family home. Sir John’s men staged an ambush and Adam, seriously wounded, has gone home to Castle Moy to recuperate only to find his father, Angus Macintosh, is dying and has named his son as the next laird. Leod Macpherson, who wants to be chieftain of the Macintosh and Macphereson clans, claims a cripple like Adam isn’t man enough to be laird.

Gwenyth Comyn, Sir John’s daughter, vowed not to rest until her father’s killer is dead. She has been taken captive and is a servant in Leod’s keep. When she is brutally assaulted, she accuses Adam, and is given the choice of having him killed or forcing him into a sham, handfast marriage. She saves his life by choosing marriage, but can a knight of Robert the Bruce and the daughter of Sir John Comyn live in peace?

Temporary Husband by Diann Mills

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1885 – Nebraska

Nettie is arrested doing God’s work.

When Nettie Franklin shares her temperance views with the local saloon customers, she lands herself in one of Mesquite, Nebraska’s two jail cells. And there’s no help from the town’s only judge–who happens to own the saloon.

Nettie’s only escape is through marriage to Riley O’Connor, a man she barely knows. Her temporary husband can both infuriate and fascinate her. As the weeks pass, Nettie sees that God may be using the situation to bring needed changes to her life.

Can a marriage of convenience bear all things–including love? Will God’s work include making this temporary marriage a permanent arrangement?

Riona by Linda Windsor

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570s – Scotland/Ireland

Riona, a gentlewoman of faith, discovers that her plan to help the disadvantaged includes not only the plague orphans in her charge, but the arrogant, handsome adventurer who feels honor-bound to save her and her lands by marrying her — with or without her consent. Lord Kieran of Gleannmara depends on nothing and no one save his wit and skill with steel, but soon a deadly twist of fate forces him to acknowledge his need not only for the lady Riona and her worrisome entourage, but for her Lord as well.

Unshaken by Francine Rivers

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1140 BC – Israel

She gave up everything, expecting nothing, and God honored her.

Meet Ruth, one of the five women in the lineage of Christ. Her loyalty—especially toward her mother-in-law Naomi—helped her to persevere in the face of tragedy, and God gave her a second chance at love. Readers will be encouraged by the truth that God will faithfully provide for His children even when all hope seems lost.

Unafraid by Francine Rivers

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1 BC – Israel

All eternity had been waiting for this moment. God chose one woman.

Meet Mary, one of the most revered women in history. But first, she was an ordinary woman striving to please God in the same way that women still do today. When God spoke, Mary responded in simple obedience. And God chose her to bear the long-awaited Messiah. She couldn’t know that raising the perfect son would break her heart and change the world forever.