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Books to Fall in Love With 2018

Valentine's Day (Books To Fall in Love With)

Books to Fall in Love With 2018

Congratulations to the five winners of our Valentine's Day contest! These readers received a copy of each of our seven featured books and some delicious chocolate. Those who entered had the option of responding to the question “Who is your all-time literary crush?” which many of you answered, much to our delight. We had so much fun compiling your top 10 “Literary Loves and Lusts,” which you can see below. Many thanks to all who participated!

This year's featured Valentine’s Day titles were:

  • DRIFTWOOD COVE by Debbie Mason
  • THE KISS: Intimacies from Writers, edited by Brian Turner
  • LOVE PARISIENNE: The French Woman's Guide to Love and Passion, written by Florence Besson, Eva Amor and Claire Steinlen, illustrations by Sophie Griotto
  • LOVE THAT LASTS: How We Discovered God’s Better Way for Love, Dating, Marriage, and Sex, by Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke
  • OUR BEST LIFE TOGETHER: A Daily Devotional for Couples, by Joel and Victoria Osteen
  • SURPRISE ME by Sophie Kinsella
  • TRUE TO YOU: A Bradford Sisters Romance, by Becky Wade

Winners

Amber from Vancouver, WA
Joy from Jeremiah, KY
Laura from Grants Pass, OR
Lindsey from Tempe, AZ
Sandra Christine from El Paso, TX

The Top 10 Literary Loves and Lusts
1. Rhett Butler from GONE WITH THE WIND
2. Heathcliff from WUTHERING HEIGHTS
3. Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series
4. Jack Reacher from the Jack Reacher series
5. Mr. Darcy from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
6. Noah Calhoun from THE NOTEBOOK
7. Ranger from the Stephanie Plum series
8. Will Traynor from ME BEFORE YOU
9. Atticus Finch from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
10. Sherlock Holmes from the Sherlock Holmes series
 

Driftwood Cove by Debbie Mason - Romance

FBI agent Michael Gallagher never dreamed that his job would bring him back to his hometown of Harmony Harbor. Or that one of his best leads would be the woman he once loved. He regrets the way they ended, and he’d do anything to make things right with her now. But first he needs to regain her trust. Shay Angel wants to leave the past behind her. And that includes Michael Gallagher, the only man she ever let close enough to break her heart. But she needs his help to find her uncle and clear his name. She won’t hesitate to risk everything to save her family, but will she dare to risk her heart all over again?

The Kiss: Intimacies from Writers edited by Brian Turner - Fiction/Essays

In this wide-ranging collection of essays, stories, graphic memoir and cross-genre work, writers explore the deeply human act of kissing and share their thoughts on a specific kiss --- the unexpected and unforgettable, the sublime and the ambiguous, the devastating and the regenerative. Selections from beloved authors “tantalize with such grace that they linger sweetly in your mind for days” (New York Times Book Review), as they explore the messy and complicated intimacies that exist in our actual lives, as well as in the complicated landscape of the imagination.

Love Parisienne: The French Woman's Guide to Love and Passion written by Florence Besson, Eva Amor and Claire Steinlen, illustrations by Sophie Griotto - Self-Help/Relationships


From the world's most romantic city comes this enchanting guide to passion and love. Three chic Parisian women share their secrets for every stage of romance, from fleeting flirtations to the beginning of a relationship to partnerships that last a lifetime. Featuring tips on what to wear on a first date, where to go for a spontaneous romantic getaway, how to keep things hot between the sheets, and so much more, these pages give readers the tools to handle every amorous situation with allure and grace.

Love That Lasts: How We Discovered God’s Better Way for Love, Dating, Marriage, and Sex by Jefferson Bethke and Alyssa Bethke - Christian Living/Relationships


In LOVE THAT LASTS, New York Times bestselling author of JESUS > RELIGION Jefferson Bethke and his wife, Alyssa, expose the distorted views of love that permeate our culture and damage our hearts, minds and souls. Drawing from Jeff’s “prodigal son” personal history and from Alyssa’s “True Love Waits” experience, the Bethkes point to a third and better way. Blending personal storytelling with biblical teaching, they offer readers an inspiring, realistic vision of love, dating, marriage and sex.

Our Best Life Together: A Daily Devotional for Couples by Joel Osteen and Victoria Osteen - Devotional


In OUR BEST LIFE TOGETHER, Joel and Victoria Osteen want to encourage you in your marriage and remind you that God brought you together to help each other succeed and to become all He created you to be. There’s no better way to experience the fulfilling marriage God intends for you than to set aside a devotional time together each day and set your minds in the right direction for a positive, happy, faith-filled marriage. When you live together in unity, you honor God and open the door for His blessings to flow into every area of your life. If you will do your part, God will do His part, and you can live in love!

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella - Fiction


After 10 years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another 68 years…and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all.

True to You: A Bradford Sisters Romance by Becky Wade - Romance


After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now. Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. However, when John, an adoptee, is diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his ancestry. John enlists Nora's help to uncover the identity of his birth mother, and as they work side by side, this pair of opposites begins to suspect that they just might be a perfect match. But can their hope for a future survive their wounds from the past?