12 Romance Novels to Add to Your TBR
Most book lovers have a lengthy list or pile of books we affectionately call our TBR pile. And many of us don't care if the stack is towering or we have no more shelf space; we'll still buy more books and add more to our to-be-read list. If you're looking for book recommendations so you can expand the list, these twelve Christian fiction romances are a great place to start!
1 - A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham
Daphne Austen’s tea shop is all things refined, elegant, and Jane Austen, much like the owner. When a pub opens next door, her daintiness is assaulted by rock music, greasy meat, and a Brit named Finn who flirts too much for anyone’s peace of mind. When the caterer for a celebrity wedding falls through, Finn and Daphne’s prank war turns into rivalry as they compete for the job. The matchmaking town and Finn’s adorable daughter watch in delight as their dueling blurs into teasing, flirty fun of which even Jane Austen would approve.
Steam Level: 💋💋💋
2 - Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson
Penelope Mae “Pip” Dupont is officially an assistant for mystery writer Hugh Griffin but really, she’s in charge of organizing and assisting a group of best-selling author friends dubbed “The Magnificent Seven”. On the second day of the inaugural luxury book cruise for the Seven and three hundred avid readers, Hugh is found murdered and the culprit is one of the Seven. With the help of Western author and friend Nash, she must discover which of the authors murdered Hugh before the end of the trip, as well as explore the possibility of romance with the man she’s only ever considered a friend.
Steam Level: 💋
3 - Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh
A year after her husband’s affair and their subsequent divorce, Claire is still spiraling downwards. Tired of being angry and living in the past, she decides to create a new life for herself. With the support of her adult daughter, Minnie, she moves to Chicago and as part of her new beginning she decides to try things that scare her. Then Minnie sets up a dating profile for her and Claire dives back into the dating game while her new friend Miles and Minnie collaborate to set her up with the most promising guys. But could her best match be the one who’s right in front of her?
Steam Level: 💋💋
4 - Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh
After getting kicked out by her roommate, struggling actress Rosie Waterman desperately accepts a job as the director of Cinderella. When she arrives she finds she’s missed one critical detail: the theatre is at a retirement community and the actors are all grandparents. Feeling completely unprepared, she dives into her role with too-good-to-be-true Booker Hayes by her side and resident curmudgeon Arthur Sterling as her begrudging mentor. But her elderly cast and brewing romance may be just the thing she needs to show her how wonderful life is and how the people in it are what make it worth living.
Steam Level: 💋💋
5 - First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer
Rom-com author Gracie Parker hasn’t written a bestseller since she and her baseball pro husband Noah divorced five years ago. A recent injury leaves her helpless, the deadline for her dying book haunts her, and the last thing she needs is her back-stabbing nephew calling Noah to come take care of her. Noah has never let go of Gracie and he sees this as his chance to get their marriage back. But both will have to confront the memories and hardships that led to their divorce if they have any chance of reuniting.
Steam Level: 💋💋💋
6 - Spies, Lies, and Alibis by Natalie Walters
Special Agent Ben Bradley has spent the last eighteen months working undercover in order to trap criminal mastermind Lorenzo Ramirez. His cover is nearly blown when his high school crush Cybil Langton bursts on the scene - and appears to be in the thick of the crime. Cybil has orders from her own contact to take down her boss and find out how Ben fits into the puzzle. When both are sent on a trip to Italy, each sees the other as a potential asset to getting to the bottom of their respected cases. With old flames sparking and mistrust on both sides, what could possibly go wrong?
Steam Level: 💋💋
7 - To Love a Beast by Karen Witemeyer
When an angered debutante causes permanent damage to his face, Everett Griffin flees to the Texas wilderness and becomes a hermit with only his staff for company. Five years later, Callista Rosenfield travels to his manor to fulfill his commission to rebind his entire library after her father is injured. Griffin begrudgingly allows her to stay and is slowly conquered by her sweet spirit that sees past his beastly behavior and appearance, but a jealous suitor intends to cut their happily-ever-after short and end their love before it truly begins.
Steam Level: 💋
8 - A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano
Ballet is a competitive joy that often ends in tragedy. Ella Blythe knows this truth, but her focal point is to avoid her mother’s tragic tale and become a talented ballerina like her parents once were. One fateful night she dances with one of the most famous ballerinas and falls in love with him. Five years later, she has the chance to perform with him but as she comes closer to her goal, the more her life echoes her parents’ disastrous love story. As she searches the past with rumored playboy Jack Dorian, her ballet slippers carry her closer to a truth that will either send her over the edge or grace her with a finale she never dreamed possible.
Steam Level: 💋💋
9 - The Words We Lost by Nicole Dees
Ingrid’s world fell apart the day her best friend Cecelia died on the operating table. Her grief causes a rare side effect which inhibits her ability to read, which is disastrous for a senior acquisitions editor. Her boss agrees to give her a pass on one condition: find Cecelia’s missing manuscript, the one her fans have been searching for ever since she died. Ingrid travels to Washington State, where she and her teenage love Joel Campbell are given a letter Cecelia left for them with clues about how to find the manuscript. Together they wrestle with their past and grief while rediscovering the spark that never died between them and the words they thought were lost forever.
Steam Level: 💋
10 - A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay
Art restorer Emily Price surprises herself when she marries Ben Vassallo after knowing him for two weeks. Her whirlwind marriage takes the couple to Italy as Ben’s father nears the end of his days. As she settles into her new life and tries to establish a connection with her husband’s family, her father-in-law asks her to recover a mural in a church that will disrupt the uneasy peace in his family. Emily’s fixer tendencies threaten to pull apart what she’s trying to put back together. She must learn to let go and fly if she wants to thrive in her marriage and Ben’s world.
Steam Level: 💋💋💋
11 - Laurel's Dream by Pepper Basham
When he’s rejected from military service because of his limp, Jonathan Taylor crosses the Atlantic from England to serve in the Appalachian mountains as a teacher. Laurel McAdams has big dreams different from most mountain girls’ and when she meets Jonathan, she finds a kindred spirit who encourages her aspirations. But not everyone is thrilled about a “flatlander” coming to their parts. When an unforeseen disaster dismantles their plans, can the couple see this as a twist in their dreams or will it destroy the friendship they treasure? The sequels are The Heart of the Mountains and Hope Like Wildflowers.
Steam Level: 💋💋💋
12 - Then There Was You by Kara Isaac
After breaking up with her commitment-phobic boyfriend, Paige McAllister impulsively takes a job in Sydney, Australia at a megachurch as an event coordinator. Josh Tyler, the pastor’s son and leader of a popular worship band, avoids all relationships but he is especially guarded against Paige, as she reminds him of the last woman in his life. Paige’s quirky and authentic nature lowers his defenses but the walls he’s built can’t be removed entirely. Can he work through his fears, or will Paige fly back to America without him taking a chance?
Steam Level: 💋💋
What books are on your TBR list? Tell me in the comments below!