I love reading CCR (Contemporary Christian Romance) books that provide me with an opportunity to learn more about life in different parts of the world.
The familiarity of Australian settings is always fun for me to read, but I do enjoy arm chair travelling to foreign and exotic locations. The USA is a foreign setting from my perspective.
The USA is also the geographical center of Christian publishing in the English speaking world. A foreign setting CCR is typically defined as a book with a setting outside the USA.
A decade ago, before indie publishing became a viable publishing path for authors, it was difficult to find a large traditional US publisher who was prepared to take a financial risk on publishing a foreign setting CCR. It was well known in the Christian publishing world that foreign setting CCR books didn’t sell as well as CCR set in the US.
I’ve spent the early part of 2019 moving two group blogs from Blogger to WordPress. One of those blog is the nine year old International Christian Fiction Writers blog that covers the niche of foreign setting/international themed CCR. The challenge of finding readers who like International Christian fiction was the primary reason the blog was started in 2009, and is the reason why the blog is still relevant and needed in 2019.
A Tuscan Legacy is a great example of an international CCR series. The books span three continents and include characters from the US, UK, Italy and Australia.
Our Inspy Romance authors have written many books that fit into the niche of international/foreign setting CCR.
Kinsale Kisses: An Irish Romance by Elizabeth Maddrey
Two Americans fall in love in Ireland.
She wants stability. He wants spontaneity. What they need is each other.
Colin O’Bryan cashed out of the software company he founded and started a new life in Ireland. Content to wander from town to town as a traveling musician, he had no goals beyond healing from the betrayals that led to his career change, and finding his next gig.
After the death of her parents, Rachel Sullivan hoped her aunt’s B&B on the Southern coast of Ireland would be a place for her to settle and start a new life. Though she can’t deny the sparks in Colin’s touch, his lack of concern for hearth and home leave her torn. Can this free-spirited minstrel win her heart or will Rachel choose roots and stability over love?
This gentle inspirational romance will take you on a journey to Cork County, Ireland and give you a glimpse of Kinsale, Charles Fort, Blarney Castle, and Cobh as Rachel and Colin undergo their own journey of self-discovery as they learn that God’s plans are bigger than their own and that waiting on Him is worth the insecurity it brings.
Secretly Yours: A Christian Romance (Riverbend Romance Book 1) by Valerie Comer
Set in Canada.
Chef Lindsey Solberg agrees to cater the church’s Valentine’s Day fundraising banquet as a favor to her teen sister, but she’s shocked to discover the bad boy from her high school days is now Riverbend’s youth pastor. Seriously? How could he have changed that much?
Nick Harrison has prayed for years for an opportunity to make amends. Now Lindsey’s back in Riverbend and won’t give him the time of day. What’s a guy to do except leave a trail of gifts from a secret admirer?
Lindsey’s heart takes a beating when she realizes the boy who was never good enough is now a far better man than she deserves.
Riverbend, BC, is the quaint Canadian town you wish you were from, where everyone knows everyone, seasons are celebrated, and love is in the air.
The Other You (Heart of Africa) by Marion Ueckermann
Set in South Africa with a South African hero and American heroine.
Who am I? The question has Taylor Cassidy journeying from one side of America to the other seeking an answer. Almost five years brings her no closer to the truth. Now an award-winning photojournalist for Wines & Vines, Taylor is sent on assignment to South Africa to discover the inspiration behind Aimee Amour, the DeBois estate’s flagship wine. Mystery has enshrouded the story of the woman for whom the wine is named.
South African winegrower Armand DeBois’s world is shattered when a car accident leaves him in a coma for three weeks, and his young wife dead. The road of recovery and mourning is dark, and Armand teeters between falling away from God and falling into His comforting arms.
When Armand and Taylor meet, questions arise for them both. While the country and the winegrower hold a strange attraction for Taylor, Armand struggles with the uncertainty of whether he’s falling in love with his past or his future.
A Life to Live by Toni Shiloh
Two Americans fall in love in England.
Mia is headed to the famed Nottingham for a month long vacation. She never imagined she’d run into her high-school sweetheart thousands of miles away from her home town. Why would God throw them back together?
Caleb always regretted the way things ended with his high-school girlfriend, Mia. After a chance encounter in the streets of Nottingham, Caleb feels God is giving him a second chance to right the wrongs he committed. Unbeknownst to him, Mia has secrets that may require his forgiveness. Will her past overshadow his wrongs?
As Mia and Caleb work through old hurts and broken hearts will they let the blessing of forgiveness redeem their relationship?
A Model Bride: Faith-filled sweet and clean New Year’s Eve Christian romance in Scotland and London (The Macleans Book 1) by Autumn Macarthur
An American girl in London for the holidays falls in love with a Scotsman.
When Tiffany Gallagher flies to London to spend the holidays with her family, volunteering at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day isn’t part of her plan. Nor is having to travel to Edinburgh with Mac, the wounded and cynical Scottish photojournalist also volunteering at the shelter, to get the New Year’s Eve she’d dreamed of, a Scottish Hogmanay.
Returning to London determined to prove to her family and to herself that she’s good at something other than shopping, she sets up an ambitious back-to-work partnership between the shelter and Pettett & Mayfield’s department store. But her scheme means she and Mac are thrown together. When he turns the camera on her to help her get a modelling job, she begins to see past his wounds and discovers a man she could easily fall in love with.
Neither is looking for love, but love finds them anyway, though it can’t last when their plans will take them in different directions. Can they learn in time that no matter what they’ve planned, God’s loving purpose for their lives can’t be denied?
One Choice (Belikarian Weddings Series Book 1) by Ginger Solomon
An American, missionary girl raised in a foreign country takes it as her own only to be selected to join 49 others as the prince hunts for a wife.
Cahri Michaels is American by birth, but Belikarian by choice. Being selected to participate in the Bridal March forces her to give up the independent life she’s created for herself. She’s not ready to be anyone’s wife, much less to a man she doesn’t know.
Prince Josiah Vallis despises the centuries old tradition—the Bridal March—that is forcing him to choose a wife from fifty women. Why does it matter that he’s twenty-five and still single?
When Cahri and Josiah meet, passion ignites. Will it spark a godly love that can see them through or will they be burned, never to be the same?
Heart of a Prince: Christian Romance (Crowns & Courtships Book 1) by Carol Moncado
The story of San Majoria’s Crown Princess Astrid and Canadian Jordan Haines as they try to find God’s hand in the cards they’re dealt.
Canadian Jordan Haines is on vacation in the Caribbean. After the summer he’s had, a couple months of fun in the sun is just what the doctor ordered. What he didn’t count on was meeting a beautiful woman on a private beach – or falling hard.
Crown Princess Astrid of San Majoria seems to lead a charmed life. Just like everyone, there’s tragedy in her past, but she lives in a palace, has aides to do everything – and paparazzi hounding her private moments. Her sanctuary on her family’s beach is broken one day when a tired windsurfer takes refuge in her cove – and works his way into her heart.
But it’s just a summer fling, isn’t it?
After all, Jordan will be returning to Canada before long, won’t he?
When pictures of the two of them, and what looks like an engagement ring, appear in the tabloids, they have to deal with fallout – and the beginnings of a real relationship. Secrets kept become hearts broken as they try to discover if Jordan really has the heart of a prince.
Smile for Me: International Summer Love in the Bahamas… A Christian Romance Novel (Vacation Sweethearts Book 1) by Jan Thompson
Set in Nassau, Bahamas, with an American heroine and a hero from the Bahamas.
She is laid back.
He is uptight.
Never the twain shall…kiss?
A deadline-driven workaholic assistant school principal who meticulously plans his schedule months in advance meets an easygoing art teacher and studio potter with no sense of time, living her life as the seasons come and go. When they cross paths again at the Summer by the Sea Day Camp sponsored by his church in Nassau, Bahamas, how can they get along if they cannot see eye to eye?
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Do you read CCR set in foreign or exotic locations (real or fictional places)? Which setting would you like to read more in CCR books? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Wemble says
Hi Narelle, being an Aussie, I too enjoy the familiarity of books set in Australia. However, I also thoroughly enjoy ‘travelling’ the world through great books. I was actually quite surprised when I read that getting readers interested in international Christian fiction was an issue. Reading is the cheapest way to ‘travel’ after all:)
Blessings:)
Mary Preston says
You can’t beat armchair travel for adventure. I’m happy to travel the globe and different historical periods too.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I love to read stories set in far off places! And one of my favorite locations to read about is Australia :)
It really is the cheapest way to travel.
Renate says
Hi Narelle! The international diversity of the authors with variety of settings for the CCR stories was what intrigued this German American to become part of this blog. As a retiree, I enjoy the comfort of arm chair travels – no crowded air plane seats and no 7 or 13 hour time change adjustments and as Elizabeth Maddrey stated it is the cheapest way to travel. The Tuscan Legacy series is my favorite international series. My favorite setting is main land Europe. I have read most of the international books mentioned. One continent missing in most CCR books is South America. I will be exploring the International Christian Fiction Writers blog. Best wishes and enjoy your weekend.
MJSH says
I enjoy both real and fictional places.
Toni Shiloh says
I love traveling overseas via books. It’s the greatest way to travel.
Valerie Comer says
I was a founding member of International Christian Fiction Members – ten years already? During my own time crunch and cut back period a couple of years ago, I had to choose stepping back at ICFW so I could continue to do a good job here at Inspy Romance. I’ve read all the above-mentioned books – Narelle “forgot” to mention her own Aussie-set stories, which are also excellent. :)
Lori Smanski says
I just started reading CCR this year. Some I have enjoyed, others not so much. But that is with any genre. We find the authors we really enjoy.
Valerie Comer says
You’re right, South America is underrepresented! Jeanette Windle writes suspense set in Bolivia and Venezuela (and elsewhere) but it’s not primarily romance. You could check out Bogota Blessings (Passport to Romance) by E.A. West. I haven’t read it, but I’ve enjoyed the armchair traveling in other Passport to Romance stories like those by Marion Ueckermann, Christine Lindsey, and JoAnn Durgin. Ransom in Rio (Passport to Romance) by Theresa Lynn Hall and Santiago Sol (Passport to Romance) by Niki Turner are also available (haven’t read them, either) and are set in South America.
Now you have me wondering why I haven’t read the ones set in SA, though they aren’t the only ones I passed by! I did spend several months in Bolivia in 1980, so it’s not that I have an aversion to the continent at all. Hmm.
Arletta says
I love CCR set in other countries. Siri Mitchell’s Kissing Adrien and Moon over Tokyo are two early-CF books set in other places that still hold a special place in my heart.
Thanks for the list you mention in your blog. I’m going to be checking those out.
Dalyn says
I love foreign settings!! Take me away! I’m going to grab a couple of these. I don’t see them advertised or else I’d certainly buy more of them.
Betty says
I love books set in exotic places! I am an armchair traveler, so I travel through books and pictures. My son spent about two and a half years in Africa, but sent me pictures of bugs! No real scenery!
Lelia (Lucy) Reynolds says
When you can’t do it for real…traveling vicariously through books is the best way.
Jessica B. says
I love reading books set in locations other than the US, especially when the author takes time to describe the sights, sounds, and smells of a foreign location and bring it to life.
Autumn Macarthur says
LOL, yes, same here with the US being a foreign setting, Narelle! And the lack of publishers who’d consider CCR set in non-US settings once Heartsong Presents closed (and sadly, the limited distribution of HP books before the line closed) is what decided me to go indie.
Thankfully we can get books to readers now without needing to fit into what traditional Christian publishers will print, which allows for so much more diversity in our settings and our characters.
Paula Marie says
I am blessed.to have read nearly bevwey one of th books you listed, thank you for sharing!
Lisa Lee says
I have read numerous books set in Australia (Juliette Duncan & Vivi Holt) and some in Ireland (Josie Riviera). I enjoy reading books from other countries (I live in the US) because I can’t afford to travel the world physically and I can afford to do it by reading.
Carolyn says
Hi Narelle, I live in NZ so every book I read is armchair travel and I love it. I love reading about new places and even places I have visited. Often a place in a book makes me want to visit that location.
Linda Hogue says
Yes I love reading books from foreign places. They give me a sense of traveling to place I’ve never been.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Wemble, I agree, reading is the cheapest way to travel. :)
I think Aussie’s are used to ‘international’ entertainment (mainly from the US & UK) via books, tv, film, music, etc. We’ve grown up with a mindset and appreciation for the wider world around us that we want to go out and explore.
The internet and social media and the ease of access to ebooks and audiobooks and tv/movie streaming services, for example, is now opening up everyone’s access to the rest of the world. This may change the traditional book buying/reading trends for CCR set in foreign and exotic locations?
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Mary, I agree! It’s fun to travel and explore the world via reading. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Elizabeth, Hopefully Australia will remain a popular setting for readers. It’s expensive and time consuming to travel here from the US (plus the jetlag isn’t fun). Books are a much easier and cheaper way to travel. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Renate, The authors here at Inspy Romance have written a wonderful range of international CCR books. We have indie publishing to thank for most of these stories being published and available to readers around the world. :)
You’re right, there aren’t many CCR or even Christian fiction books I know of that are set in South America. Patricia Beal is from Brazil and her debut, A Season to Dance, is set in Germany and the US. Valerie has listed the authors who come to mind.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi MJSH, me, too! If it’s a foreign location, I’m open to believing anything is real. Researching exotic settings is so important. After the Crocodile Dundee movies were released, there was a book set in Australia that had crocodiles swimming in the wild in a coastal location in southern Australia. Crocodiles are on the move south from the top end in northern Australia, but it’s unlikely I’ll see crocodiles inhabiting this particular location in my lifetime. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Toni, I agree! A fabulous way to travel. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Valerie, yes, it will be ten years in November! I’m working on getting my six Heartsong books back into print, and then I’ll share the relaunch with everyone here at Inspy Romance. I need more hours in the day to get everything done, lol. We appreciated your years of support at International Christian Fiction Writers. :)
Natalya Lakhno says
Narelle, different locations are awesome! It’s like you are traveling while laying in your bed ;)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Lori, I’m glad you’ve discovered CCR books. There are a wide variety of stories and settings and writing styles in the CCR genre and not all of the books will be to everyone’s taste. I hope you’ll continue to find CCR books that you enjoy reading. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Arletta, You’re very welcome, and I remember those books! I hope you’ll find more CCR books that you’ll enjoy reading. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Dalyn, I hope you enjoy the books you’ve discovered from my post. A number of Inspy Romance authors specialise in CCR international settings – there are plenty of books to find here! :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Betty, Wow, the bug pictures would have affirmed your belief in arm chair travelling to Africa! Did you see Marion Ueckermann’s recent Inspy blog post on the bee swarm she experienced in South Africa? Talk about scary…
I haven’t visited Africa, but I do love reading books set there and seeing the scenery via movies/documentaries. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Lucy, I agree! Books are the best. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Jessica, yes, it’s fabulous when we can close our eyes and almost experience being in the setting for real. Often the foreign/exotic setting can be like another character in the book. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Autumn, yes, I remember our conversations back then regarding the direction of your writing journey. Ironically, back in 2014/15 it was easier to find my Heartsong books in Australian stores than on the shelf in the US. I’m working on getting those six books back into print, although other priorities keep coming up and stealing away my time. I will get there in His timing, and I expect many readers would never have seen the original version of the books in print.
The diversity of the CCR settings in books available now is something we could only dream about back in 2009. The blessing of indie publishing opportunities. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Paula, You’re very welcome and wow, I’m impressed that you’ve read so many of the books I listed! :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Lisa, yes, reading is a much more affordable way to travel the world. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Carolyn, yes, I love visiting places that I’ve read about in books. Back in 2013 I visited the US for the ACFW Conference that was held in Indianapolis. I travelled from Seattle to Chicago on the Empire Builder train with my critique partner, Suzie Johnson, and I was thrilled to see the Cascade Mountains which was the setting of one of Suzie’s books. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Linda, Yes, it’s fun to travel to new and far flung places via reading. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Natalya, yes, they are awesome! Books are great because they’re portable and you can read them anywhere. :)
Marion Ueckermann says
Having visited Rio de Janeiro, it’s definitely on my list to one day write a book set there, Renate :)
Marion Ueckermann says
Thanks for mentioning The Other You in your blog post, Narelle. Having traveled to many countries around the world, I love bringing those places and experiences to life on paper (and some places I haven’t yet seen).
My recent Potter’s House books are set in America (Colorado, Florida, and now Kansas), a slight challenge for this South African author who has only been to the USA once to the ACFW conference in Dallas where we were roomies (highlight of the trip meeting you, two of my crit partners, and many other Inspy and ICFW authors). Thankfully I have a wonderful street team who have helped me tremendously to get those Americanisms right.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Marion, You’re very welcome. It’s fabulous that you have the opportunity to travel and set CCR books in the places you visit. One day we’ll have to catch up again at ACFW! :)