With beautiful themes and strong writing, Lowe (Under the Magnolias) delivers a romance that lifts up women and men and shows how love can overcome the walls built around secrets. Nicole Deese and Natalie Walters are similar contemporary authors in the genre.
In her adult fiction debut (a semi-autobiographical novel), singer/songwriter Morgan (How Could I Ask for More: Stories of Blessings, Battles, and Beauty) highlights the hardscrabble life of the 1960s working poor. Fans of classic coming-of-age stories such as To Kill a Mockingbird or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn will enjoy this unflinching tale of an American family longing for a “Year of Jubilee,” where debts are forgiven and captives are set free.
Mills (Trace of Doubt) delivers another action-packed novel that offers intrigue and an adventurous ride. Recommend to fans of Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason, and Carrie Stuart Parks.
This is historical fiction as it is meant to be told: a glimpse (based on true events) through the eyes of people caught up in the maelstrom of world events beyond their control.
Byrd (“Daughters of Hampshire” series) delivers a crossover hit for fans of Susie Finkbeiner and Cynthia Ruchti. This is women’s fiction as it is meant to be written with intriguing characters making decisions that ripple through generations. This is also a timely pick featuring the story of an Asian immigrant and her descendants facing both struggles and triumphs while creating community in the U.S.
Shocklee’s (Under the Tulip Tree) novel is like the coffee at the Maxwell House: good to the last drop. Read-alikes include other exposition stories such as Jocelyn Green’s Shadows of the White City and Kim Vogel Sawyer’s A Silken Thread.
With nods to The Taming of the Shrew and the musical Oklahoma, this novel is more lighthearted than Rivers’s (The Masterpiece) typical epic sagas but still retains hallmarks such as compassion for the downtrodden and redemption for the sinner. Read-alikes include Joanne Bischof’s The Gold in These Hills and Tamera Alexander’s “Fountain Creek Chronicles.”