Welcome to Day 2 of the Five Fall Favorites Party hosted by Rebekah Morris at Read Another Page! (Make sure you visit there for all the party details, including finding all the other participants.) Some of the best
biking weather, especially down where I live, is in the fall. When
the breeze has that distinctive autumnal quality, biking makes it
extra delicious. Bikes with baskets are the best – they can hold
your book as you pedal to a special place to read it.
One type of book that might be ideal for reading in that special place is a clean, Christian romance. Some of you don’t read romance, and that’s fine; the general romance genre is not my favorite. But I have read and loved a number of books where romance plays a part but isn’t all that the plot concerns. Here are my top five:
Green Dolphin
Street by Elizabeth Goudge
Elizabeth
Goudge is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her books may be best
classified as Christian literary fiction; they’re so much more than
romance or any other single genre. Many don’t even contain much
romance, though most deal with married characters. Green
Dolphin Street was
almost an anti-romance at times because the main marriage within the
book didn’t work out quite as planned. Certain characters have to
learn to work at love. It was amazingly deep; every page was a feast
of either insight, beauty, or heartache, often all three. It’s set
in the 19th
century, split between one of the English Channel islands and New
Zealand. Read my full review on Goodreads.
How Do I Love
Thee? by Nancy Moser
This one is definitely a romance, but it’s one of the sweetest I’ve
read. And it’s even better because it really happened! Elizabeth
Barrett was a talented British Victorian poet confined to her bedroom
because of ill health and a controlling father. Robert Browning
adored her published poems and came to visit her, and against all
hope, Elizabeth finally had a chance at a real romance . . . Find on Goodreads.
Least of All
Saints by Grace Irwin
In 1920s Toronto, Andrew Connington is a non-believer who becomes an
ordained minister because he believes Christian moral values should
be propagated. His spiritual journey, as well as Irwin’s
wonderfully realistic and intelligent writing, makes this novel a
rich and affecting read. It wouldn’t be classified as a romance,
but it contains an enjoyable love story. Find on Goodreads.
The Challenge by
Carolyn
This
is a definite romance, but I enjoyed it because it’s so different
than any other romance, even Christian ones. In the beautiful
Missouri countryside where they work with horses, David and Hope are
thoroughly committed to the Lord, and He calls them to follow an
unconventional courtship. Find on Goodreads.
Emmeline by
Sarah Holman
I
love Jane Austen, but her classic romances (which are actually more
along the lines of witty social novels) can’t officially be filed
under the genre we’re discussing. So why not select a beautiful
retelling of one of her most popular novels, Emma?
Set in 1930 at the beginning of the Great Depression in America,
Emmeline
is a sweet Christian romance along the lines of Grace Livingston Hill
that follows the story of Emma,
but with its own unique twists and additions. Read my full review on Goodreads.
What
are your favorite clean, Christian romances?
Don't forget to enter the giveaway going on with fun prizes!
Emmeline looks so sweet!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is! :)
DeleteI want to read Emmeline sometime! :D
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to sometime soon! It really is a fun, sweet book.
DeleteThese look like the type of romance books I like. The ones where the romance isn't the main focus of the story. :) Thanks so much for sharing these. *shakes head over a growing stack of to read books*
ReplyDeleteYes, those are my type of romance books!
DeleteHaha, I know what you mean about the growing stack...
"How do I Love Thee" was such a good book. I am touched you included my book here. I'm adding a couple of these others to my to-read list.
ReplyDeleteYes! I remember us talking about how much we both enjoyed it.
DeleteI thought Emmeline was very fitting for my list. :) I so much enjoyed how you fit such strong Christian values into her story. They were in Emma, too, of course, but you made them more explicit.
These all sound like good books! My list of books to read it growing! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm getting a lot of new ideas for books to read, too, from all the other party rooms. :)
DeleteEmmeline is such a good book!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it though?! :)
DeleteI loved Emmeline! ;) (And I just might have to try Green Dolphin Street.)
ReplyDeleteYes! So glad you did. And Green Dolphin Street is an amazing book, one that you can really sink your teeth into.
DeleteEmmeline sounds like a sweet book. More books to add to my TBR! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a very sweet book! Happy reading! Isn't it encouraging to know how many good books really are out there?
DeleteEmmeline looks good, but I'm kind of confused.. Should the Vintage Jane Austen books be read in order or are they specifically stand-alone novels?
ReplyDeleteThe Vintage Jane Austen books are stand-alone novels, so they don't have to be read in order. :)
DeleteHow Do I Love Thee? is the one that caught my eye ... I want to read that one (and the rest of the series, too, I hope!).
ReplyDeleteYes, yes! The rest of the series is amazing, too! How Do I Love Thee? was my favorite, but I really, really enjoyed the other three as well.
DeleteGreen Dolphin Street and How Do I Love Thee? will be going on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteYay! I really recommend the other Elizabeth Goudge books and Nancy Moser's books about real women in history as well, but the two I mentioned represent my favorites.
DeleteNice list! It's true that it's a little difficult to find clean, Christian romances. :/ The only one on your list I've read is Emmeline. ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you! This was a good genre to pick because we can get recommendations from people with similar reading tastes. :)
DeleteYay for Emmeline!