Christian Romance Novels

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Who else has read them?

I found out about them from an old roommate of mine that would go to Mardel’s to get them. I started reading a few (there are quite a few at Mardel’s in the dollar section of the book area) and they are pretty good! They may not always be the most high quality writing in the world, but they are fun, mindless little books that give you a good love story without the raunchy stuff. The books usually end with a wedding or a proposal of some sort and “happily ever after”. They are clean!
 
Not specifically Christian-themed by sir Walter Scott’s historical novels match your description. The romance is very chivalrous, proper, noble, there is no impropriety. At the same time, it’s by no means boring or unmoving or stale. I loved them a great deal.

The same can be said of some other writers from the same period but not all, as some experiment with lifting societal taboos and that can result in the sensuality of it going somewhat astray.
 
When I was a young woman I read Janette Oke’s series, best known for Love Comes Softly. I loved those books. Real Christian love, self-sacrifice, hard work, men being good men and women being good women, and best of all, babies came along in the stories with no reason to talk about the details of the private and intimate marital act. Clean romance for all ages. Christian romance novels are a good choice because girls will always love romantic stories of people falling in love, getting married and starting a family.

The only caveat is a young woman should not box herself in with these stories and miss out on real flesh-and-blood Christian men who might want to court them but aren’t just like their favorite character. (I am thinking of the Christian novel equivalent to some women’s fascination with Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen novel).
 
Christian Romance Novels are pretty much all that I read! 😃

I like the series by Heartsong. I am a HUGE fan of Janette Oke books.

I’m reading one right now called Love Finds a Way by Wanda E. Brunstetter. It was written this year!
 
How about some Catholic fiction? I enjoy Christian fiction also and started searching around for fiction in which the main character just happened to be living her Catholic faith. There’s a series by Katherine Valentine called Miracle for St. Cecelia’s. Think Mitford series but with a Catholic slant instead of episcopalian. I think there are 5 in the series.
 
There are the fairy tale novels by Regina Doman, which are Catholic.

The Shadow of the Bear
Black as Night
Waking Rose
Midnight Dancers
Alex O’Donnell and the Forty Cyberthieves
 
creole54 said:
How about some Catholic fiction? I enjoy Christian fiction also and started searching around for fiction in which the main character just happened to be living her Catholic faith. There’s a series by Katherine Valentine called Miracle for St. Cecelia’s. Think Mitford series but with a Catholic slant instead of episcopalian. I think there are 5 in the series.
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Thanks for the suggestion! Sounds great.
 
I love them. Janette Oke, Ellen Gable (Catholic), Tracie Peterson, Tamera Alexander, Karen Witemeyer, Amanda Cabot, Tricia Goyer, Karen Kingsbury, Catherine Palmer, Julie Lessman (her characters are Catholic but I don’t know if she is specifically), Loree Lough. There are so many others, I’ve never read Shadow of the Bear but I used to listen to the radio program based on the book and it’s sequel. I am finding new writers all the time, there are a lot of great writers out the. If anyone has a kindle and would like to borrow some of mine just PM me. I have quite a collection that I own and I borrow a lot as well. I’m reading two right now that I borrowed. I’m going to check out those that are recommended that I don’t have yet, I’ve put Katherine Valentine on my wishlist on amazon so I can check out the books when I have time.
 
If you can get hold of them, Ethel Mannin’s novels are amazing!

Late Have I Loved Thee is a really moving and beatiful story, based on the life of St. Augustine, about a man who lives a very worldy life before a tragic accident makes him re-think his ways and explore his faith. If you love the outdoors and mountain climbing too - you’ll love it!

She also wrote one called The Dark Forest, which is set in a fictitious European state but there are very strong parallels to the Nazis and the effects of political extremism of any kind.
 
Has anyone read or seen actual romance novels featuring Catholics? Obviously there is a big market for the Christian/Inspirational romances, but I’d love to see some with actual Catholics. As a freelance writer aspiring to novels, I really need to look into this. I think there must surely be a market for it.
 
Francine Rivers has some great ones – the Mark of the Lion series is amazing. While it’s not romance per se, the storyline is fantastic. There’s also Redeeming Love which is basically a version of the book Hosea out of the Bible. It’s one of my favorites.
 
I’m not much for romance novels, or christian fiction, but I like historical fiction with Christian naratives. I must pick up the worst books, because Christian books set in moden times somehow come across as preachier, whereas with historical fiction, it seems ot just blend in with the theme better. Maybe because modern day culture has become so far removed from Christianity…
 
my ABSOLUTE favorite is a 4-book series that is from the mid 1990’s by author Lance Wubbles, called the Wispering Hills series. it’s about a young newly married couple who farms in the mid-west and the husband goes to war, the young mom develops a wonderful faith relationship with God and learns to be a farm-wife. completely right up my ally!!! i read the entire series every year and my books are so worn they may fall apart!

i’ve also downloaded some ‘free’ books to my Nook. i just search undere “0.00 christian romance”. right now i’m reading the second of a three book series called “Emily’s Chance”. a good current series about a ranching family in texas and the romances of their three kids. really good too!!

LOVE them.
 
BeluvdLily said:
Has anyone read or seen actual romance novels featuring Catholics? Obviously there is a big market for the Christian/Inspirational romances, but I’d love to see some with actual Catholics. As a freelance writer aspiring to novels, I really need to look into this. I think there must surely be a market for it.
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I don’t know if this is wrong to do here, but I’ve begun writing and publishing YA Catholic fiction; in fact, Regina Doman was working with me on editing it for possible publication, but Sophia Press had to let go of their Fiction Line, unfortunately.

My Catholic YA mystery (with a bit of romance) novel is $1.99 on Amazon.com:

ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519H0YBSTcL.SL160.jpg
 
Christian books are the only kind of fiction I’ve read lately, too, and I actually used to read a lot of romance stuff before I realized how bad they were for my spiritual life. I’ve read a lot of the same authors that trinichiqn has, plus Julie Klaussen (very Austin-esque from what I’ve heard) and Jamie Carrie, who sometimes has Catholic characters. I have read Julie Lessman’s work and she does have Catholic characters, but I wouldn’t really recommend hers. Her understanding of pre-Vatican Catholicism is terribly flawed and the family featured just doesn’t really act like a good Catholic family, especially for the historical time frame.

I actually love to write and hope to eventually publish some Christian novels, especially with a leaning toward Catholics. I feel like there’s enough of a need for Catholic novels out there. Would anyone be interested in reading more Catholic novels? Mostly I just have ideas and not any completed novels, but hopefully someday… 😃
 
I am booked challenged and only like short stories since I really never have extra time to read. Then I happened upon Chicken Soup for the soul books and Small miracles. Stories are 1 - 4 pages long and have inspirational feel good themes, and makes you realize how blessed you are and how giving of yourself can change you and those on the receiving end.🙂
 
If some of you have completed manuscripts, you still have time to enter!

tuscanypress.com/

I just submitted my own YA novel (the first in a series) that had originally been considered by both Coming Home Publications and Sophia Institute Press before they both cut back on their fiction lines (which seems disheartening, since we want Catholic fiction and the established publishing houses aren’t finding a market for it!)

As an aside, if you’d like a good mystery series (no gore) with solid Catholic characters (an extern nun in a cloistered monastery), pick up Aimee and David Thurlo’s Sister Agatha series! There are six books–Bad Faith, Thief in Retreat, Prey for a Miracle, False Witness, The Prodigal Nun, and Bad Samaritan.
 
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