Once upon a time, Christian publishers sold Christian fiction.
Choosing a book by a Christian publisher was one easy way to find books that reflected our Christian values.
I’ve read some excellent books lately, including several from Christian publishers, but I have found some of them are definitely lacking in terms of Christian content.
I’m not necessarily surprised, as I suspect general market stories sell better than faith-based stories (and spicy stories probably sell better than sweet).
But it does make it harder to find solid faith-based fiction. Fiction with realistic main characters who may or may not be Christian, but who are seeking God and moving closer to Him, not moving further away. Solid plots. Great locations. Minor characters who live their faith. Stories I can read and enjoy and even learn from.
Jennifer Rodewald’s Redemption Shores series fits the bill.
This is now a six-book series that’s a little different from most. It has a small-town setting, the same as many popular romances. It has a lot of the same tropes as other books (like amnesia or marriage of convenience).
What’s different is that the first books wove two developing relationships together and didn’t tie them up in a neat bow at the end of the book.
In Lake Shore Wandering, the reclusive Hazel meets Bennett and it’s not exactly an easy relationship. In fact, it’s a relationship that takes multiple books to resolve, with each subsequent book introducing the reader to more characters in the fictional town of Elk Lake.
I have loved all six Redemption Shores novels, and definitely recommend them if you’re looking for solid Christian fiction with some romance, but which also deals with complex problems in a realistic way.
About Jennifer Rodewald
Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.
Born in Colorado, she experienced both the seclusion of rugged mountain living and the busy streets of a Denver suburb during her growing up years. Somewhere in the middle of college, she married a Husker and found her way back to the quiet lifestyle of a rural area, which suits just fine.
Blessed with a robust curiosity, Jen loves to research. Whether she’s investigating the history of a given area, the biography of a Christian icon, or how nature declares the glory of God, her daily goal is to learn something new. Aiming to live with boundless enthusiasm, her creed is vision, pursuit, and excellence.
Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life.
You can find Jennifer Rodewald online at:
The Redemption Shores series
Get away to the majestic beauty of Elk Canyon Lake, a remote and breathtaking wonder hidden in the stunning Montana Mountains. There you’ll find unexpected romance, page-turning adventures, and soul-stirring redemption.
Redemption Shores is a new saga-style series that is set in the small mountain town of Luna, Montana. This romantic Christian fiction is full of relatable characters, complex family relationships, emotional romance, profound faith journeys, and the healing that comes from faith, hope, and love.
REDEMPTION SHORES SAGA:
1. Lake Shore Wandering (Hazel and Bennett)
2. Lake Shore Return (Hazel and Bennett, Janie and Hunter)
3. Lake Shore Splendor (Hazel and Bennett, Janie and Hunter)
4. Lake Shore Awakening (Hazel and Bennett, Janie and Hunter)
5. Lake Shore Sanctuary (Isa and Grady)
6. Lake Shore Renewal (Charlee and Noah)