Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a firm believer in Jesus Christ, and I’ve spent the majority of my life reading Christian fiction, but one day, I felt Jesus drop a story onto my heart. And I wrote it. And He gave me more inspiration, and I kept writing. I always say Jesus gives me my stories. I must obey. The world needs more Jesus, and not every Christian book has to fall under “Christian romance.” The Christian fiction space needs warm, Christian family stories, and I pray God continues to let me write them. I hope you enjoy the Christian family books on this list as much as I did! 


I wrote...

Butterflies

By Samantha Roman ,

Book cover of Butterflies

What is my book about?

Candy Chancellor dreams of singing country music, but when her father dies in a car accident and her mom drowns…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Where Yesterday Lives

Samantha Roman Why I love this book

This book made me feel like I was eating Southern biscuits and gravy, but there weren’t seconds! I wanted more!

A death changes the world of this entire family, but told through the lens of four sisters, we see how complicated all families can really be.

One sister struggles with her marriage, another struggles with being single, the youngest, unsure of her next career move, and another has secrets too painful to share. With a grudge-holding brother and mom who are also grieving, the family must look to God for healing and redemption.

I felt the love and warmth on every page, and couldn’t stop reading it. Finding faith and love is the crux of this entire Christian family drama novel, and you won’t finish it with dry eyes. I sure didn’t!

By Karen Kingsbury ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Where Yesterday Lives as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

At thirty-one, Ellen Barrett has already won a Pulitzer prize. Sadly, though, her skill as a journalist far surpasses her ability to sort out her troubled past. When she returns to picturesque Petoskey, Michigan, for her beloved father's funeral, it's a traumatic emotional and spiritual journey for Ellen—a rediscovery of what is truly important and eternal.

Will facing her past tear Ellen apart—or teach her what is truly important in her life?

Ellen Barrett, thirty-one, is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist with an uncertain marriage, a forgotten faith, and haunting memories of her picturesque hometown and the love she left behind.…


Book cover of Christy Miller Collection, Vol 1

Samantha Roman Why I love this book

Reading Christy Miller Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 practically summarizes a good portion of my teenage life.

Well, that and me trying desperately to recreate the amazing scenes you don’t want to miss within these pages. Only told from the POV of fifteen-year-old Christy Miller, we meet a girl whose life has been upended by a sudden move to California, a wealthy but rude aunt, and a hot surfer on the beach.

Problem? He’s a die-hard Christian who plays guitar at church. She’s never accepted Christ and doesn’t know the first thing about beach living. In fact, she only has the world’s ugliest one-piece green bathing suit.

Christy Miller is the forever friend that I wish I could meet in real life!

By Robin Jones Gunn ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Christy Miller Collection, Vol 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The first twelve books in the popular Christy Miller series are now available in four treasured volumes!

Bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn packs each one with enough action, romance, and drama to keep you reading and wanting more. It all starts the summer Christy vacations on a California beach and meets two friends who change her life forever. But after moving across the country with her family, Christy must begin her sophomore year of high school uncertain where she'll fit in. A red-headed new best friend, a try at cheerleading, a job at a pet store, and expectations for the…


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Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of Truth Stained Lies

Samantha Roman Why I love this book

I absolutely devoured this book in just a few hours. 

This Christian family drama crosses over into mystery/suspense. In a family with three sisters and one brother, no one seems to be able to get it all together. One sister is a writer, but she’s being blackmailed for what she’s writing about. The other sister is notorious for one-night stands, the third sister is mostly stable with a husband and two kids.

Their brother? He’s going through a divorce. Only problem is that when he went to visit his soon-to-be ex-wife, he found her dead. With a shared son and a dying mother-in-law, who should have custody over the child? It seemed simple until the brother was listed as a person of interest for his wife’s death. The sisters all put on their detective hats to help their brother out.

I laughed at the sibling rivalry in this book and held back tears when it came to those relatable moments that Blackstock portrays beautifully. Because if I were honest, I would stop everything to help my own brother, defend him to the end, and I’d probably risk my life for him too.

Why do we do the crazy, unthinkable things for the people that drank the last of the milk, who drove us nuts, who took our sweaters? Because we can lie to ourselves and say they can be annoying, but the truth is we love them, and we’ll fight to death for our own.

I shared this book with my sister, and we grew even closer over it!!

By Terri Blackstock ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Truth Stained Lies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling suspense author Blackstock asks, When truth doesn't make sense, will lies prevail?

"Crisp prose, an engaging story, and brisk pacing make this thriller another home run for Blackstock." -Library Journal, starred review

Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she's about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, Cathy writes it off as mischief . . . until her brother's wife is murdered and all the "facts"…


Book cover of Welcome to the Honey B&B

Samantha Roman Why I love this book

This Christian fiction novel holds a special place in my heart because I didn’t really know who Melody Carlson wrote this book for.

Christy Miller was written for teens and young adults. Where Yesterday Lives was written for Young Adults. But what Christian family drama has characters that are 16, 37, and 72?! Okay, maybe grandma is 71, but the point of the matter is that it’s told from multiple POVs across three different generations.

As of writing this, I’m 28 and I loved it. Why? It’s about a family. A true-to-life family, with true-to-life problems. Girls get taken out of school and pulled away from their boyfriends in real life. Sometimes moms and dads get divorced. And sadly, sometimes grandma or grandpa may start forgetting things they should remember.

This story made me laugh, cry, and feel so grateful that even in our mess, God still loves us. If that is the message and story you want to read, this is the next book for you!

By Melody Carlson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Welcome to the Honey B&B as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When life feels like it's closing in around you, sometimes the solution is to open the doors wide and invite others in . . .

Jewel McKerry is on the brink of unraveling as she heads home to Oregon to help care for her father who has early-onset dementia. Her thirteen-year-old daughter is upset about the move. Her beekeeper dad is a humorous handful. Her mom is overworked and overwhelmed. Finances are stretched tight. And, according to her father, the neighbors are nothing but trouble.

Despite all of these challenges, Jewel takes on one more when she convinces her parents…


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Book cover of Oaky With a Hint of Murder

Oaky With a Hint of Murder by Dawn Brotherton,

Aury and Scott travel to the Finger Lakes in New York’s wine country to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings at the Songscape Winery. Disturbed furniture and curious noises are one thing, but when a customer winds up dead, it’s time to dig into the details and see…

Book cover of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

Samantha Roman Why I love this book

I love a good family drama where there’s a found family.

A young reporter is assigned to write the obituary of an alive woman, Mrs. Kip. Mrs. Kip lost her husband, never remarried, and never had children. But she lived what could appear to be a thousand lives as she held different roles and careers throughout her life.

In order for one job/role/calling to end, a part of her had to die. Now, faced with a young blonde who favors her, Mrs. Kip feels as though maybe this is the daughter she never had, the daughter who would listen to the stories, the daughter that might not be family by blood, but family by heart.

This story gave me a lot of “spread the Gospel” vibes, but also reminded me to not sleep on the seniors in our lives. They have a lot to offer, too. 

By Sara Brunsvold ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she's been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who's just entered hospice care.

But there's more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she's not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life…


Explore my book 😀

Butterflies

By Samantha Roman ,

Book cover of Butterflies

What is my book about?

Candy Chancellor dreams of singing country music, but when her father dies in a car accident and her mom drowns her pain in alcohol, her world crumbles. No one sees her pain, and she wants to make sure no one sees her mom. Leslie doesn’t want to remember losing her husband. Burying herself in work isn’t enough. Smoking and drinking are her usual “fix.” Until the day it isn’t.

Told through both Candy's and her mother Leslie's perspectives, Butterflies is a heartfelt Christian YA novel about grief, brokenness, and the healing power of faith. As Candy fights for her dreams and her family, she learns that hope can rise even from the ashes and God’s plan is always more beautiful than we ever imagined.

Book cover of Where Yesterday Lives
Book cover of Christy Miller Collection, Vol 1
Book cover of Truth Stained Lies

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