Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Naturally, a milestone like this has one reminiscing about beginnings. We first “met” back in the late 90s on AOL, but neither were looking for love. I was living in Florida and had recently decided to attend college in North Carolina. I wandered into a chat room (remember those?) for young adults who lived there to ask for any advice. One sweet guy offered some and the rest, as they say, is history.
This digital meet-cute turned into lots of instant messages, emails, old-fashioned hand-written letters, and phone calls. We first met in person when he was in town for a Walt Disney World trip. It truly was love at first sight. Several months later, I began attending college in the NC mountains, putting he and I about three hours apart. Though this was much closer than Florida, we dated long-distance for three years before I graduated, and we married.
Our college years weren’t the only ones we spent apart. My husband became a professional stage manager and has taken jobs with theaters on Broadway, in Chicago, back down in Florida, and on tour around the country with productions like Hamilton and Wicked. (I’m very, very proud of him!) To say we’ve had to master ways to keep our romance fresh while long-distance is an understatement. Of course hard at times, I’m so grateful that God paired me with someone who goes the extra mile to show me every day how much he loves me. Swoon!
This got me thinking about Christian romances that incorporate characters whose love stories take place with miles between them and/or have the digital age to thank for connecting them. Let’s take a look at a few, then you can share others you know about.
Writing Home by Amy Anguish – Inspired by a stack of letters of her grandparents, Christina becomes pen pals with Jordan, her best friend’s cousin who lives two states away. As they grow closer through written word, can love cross the distance?
Two Blue Doors Series by Hillary Manton Lodge – Inspired by her grandmother’s evolving story, Juliette resolves to explore the world of online dating. To her surprise, she finds a kindred spirit in Neil, a handsome immunologist in Tennessee. With a long-distance relationship simmering, Juliette faces life-shifting decisions.
Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant – Rory and Jude are two food truck cooks competing against each other at an annual festival. But Jude discovers Rory, his stiffest competition, is the person he’s been falling for online for the past month. A twist on the beloved rom-com movie, You’ve Got Mail!
An Informal Affair by Heather Gray – ER nurse Lia takes matters of love into her own hands and decides to try online dating. Her long-time friend and hospital IT guy Maverick agrees to join her to offer moral support. They meet regularly to trade bad date stories, but has God had another plan all along?
Lavender and Lace by Tara Grace Ericson – In their online writer chatroom, Lavender and Emmett are getting serious. In the real world though, he thinks she’s shallow, and she thinks he’s out of touch. When their worlds collide, will their hearts survive? Another modern-day nod to You’ve Got Mail.
All the Moore by Toni Shiloh – Leilah has been living behind the screen to hide her disability. She starts an online friendship with fellow gamer Reggie, feeling safe that they’ll never have to meet in person. But when Reggie gets a job promotion that will close the distance between then, Leilah can’t hide any longer.
My heart goes pitter-patter for these stories of long-distance romance in the digital age. Over the years, my husband and I have often talked about how in awe we are of God’s creativity to get us together. He really is in the details!
What other Christian romances can you think of that incorporate characters who fall in love online and/or over the miles?
Giveaway!
To celebrate twenty years of my own at-times distant romance, I’m giving away an ebook copy of one of the books mentioned above – winner’s choice! To enter, simply comment below. Entries close this Friday, July 29. Open to US and international readers with a valid email address.
Teresa Tysinger is an author of Southern contemporary romance inspired by grace. She writes on the fringes of being a wife, mom, and full-time communications professional. Teresa is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, the Association for Women in Communications, and the Religion Communicators Council. She’s an introverted Enneagram 4 (if you know, you know) and loves coffee, traveling, and almost every genre of music. Born in Hawaii, raised in Florida, and educated in North Carolina, she now resides in Texas with her husband, daughter, and dog.
In ‘Tea with Emma’ by Dianne Moody, Maddie’s best friend has a boyfriend that she meets on line and that Maddie is convinced is a stalker…
Oh my goodness. I love your story and I love the ones you mentioned as well!
My heart belongs to someone that I met on AOL so long ago in a music chat room. We clicked instantly. It took us 20 years before we met face to face, but we were already best friends, in love and had supported each other through divorces, having kids, life journeys with chats, phone calls and letters too. Unfortunately we have obligations to families and such so neither of us can move so that we can be together but we are always there for each other, always.
Sounds interesting! Thanks.
Aw thanks! :)
I love these creative ways of connecting with people.
I can’t think about a new title, but I sure loved Tacos for Two! Such a great story! Glad yours worked out!
Happy anniversary 🍾
I met my husband on a carnival cruise and we will celebrate our 30th anniversary in October
Yes, Betsy’s story is so good! and thanks :)
How fun!!! Happy anniversary (almost) to you, too.
What a beautiful story, I love it. My husband and I have been married for 45 years. I first saw him when he went and applied where I worked, after I saw him I was hoping he would get the job, well, less than a week he started working there and we got to meet, we went out for a month and then we started living together, so after a year we got married and we have been together ever since. Have a great week.
I know I’ve read stories where they had a long distance relationship, but I honestly can’t remember the titles!
My favorite online love story is yours 🥰
I love your story, too! Thanks for sharing.
No worries. There are many out there!
Well, that’s the sweetest!! Thank you, friend.
If I am picked: can I please have: Tacos for Two (this is on my list to buy) smiles
Welcome today and thanks for sharing.
I read a lot of historical westerns, a lot of mail order brides. Some times a female falls in love with the man she has been writing to. Sometimes it is better than the letters when they meet. Sometimes it is questionable and sometimes it is “oh my goodness, what happened?”
I love how you all met!
I love people who meet after letter/email writing!
Thanks! Me too :)
My book Love on Ice is about a long distance relationship conducted via email, Skype and messenger. Tricky to build a relationship when you live in different countries!
Love your how you met story. I have a pen friend who has sadly passed away but back in the early 90’s she meet her husband via a Christian pen friend program (the Eharmony before computers became the norm). They wrote back and forth she met him in person I think he was from Michigan or one of those states. She was from Washington State in the San Juan Islands. They were happily married he moved to where she lived and had a little girl. (We also corresponded via snail mail).
I also use to go to some Cricket chat rooms back in the day amazing how many Indian and Bangladesh men wanted to private message me in hopes of more to get to come to Australia. I ignored them but I did get to know a few lovely girls from India, South Africa and Crete (she was Indian and later married in Australia becoming a Christian). The chats were fun and I have met one of the girls. I also knew a few of the people due to knowing them from going to cricket games in Adelaide. It was fun and probably way safer back then (this was with yahoo chat).
Carolyn millers second book Love on Ice also is a long distance romance for a lot of the book with Holly training in Australia or Europe and Brent in USA/Canada
I just mentioned your book Your first one in the series was also with Bree in Toronto and Mike in Boston for a lot of the book
I was going to say Tacos for Two, but you already listed it. No other ones come to my mind tonight. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations on 20 years. God bless you.
I met a great friend online (she’s a girl lol) and my bible study group is made up of people from several different countries so we meet online (I haven’t found a church that fits in my country).
My friend went to Brazil to live in the house of a Christian family that she met online and currently I have two friends (these are boys hahaha) with whom I discuss Biblical topics, writing or fiction.
can’t think of any
I have read some but can’t remember what they are called cause it’s been awhile since I read them.my mom and dad I think this fall will be 28 or 29 years since they got married but can’t remember.my mom knew she was going to marry my dad in the 8th grade and know they have 13 children two granddaughters and 2 grandsons and two more grandchild on the way.
I love long sistance romance stories! I think there’s something so romantic about having to get to know one another slowly, through letters or something.
Love that! Thanks for mentioning it.
That’s so fun! We just returned from the San Juan Islands! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much!
Love how God makes connections!
Wow, that’s so sweet!
I totally agree!