Inspy Romance

Inspy Romance—Fall in Love With a Good Book

Narelle’s 5 Step Guide to finding good CCR books + #Giveaway

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How can we find the CCR (contemporary Christian romance) books that we’ll love to read? We live in a world where books no longer disappear and go out-of-print forever (which is a good thing!). How can we discover the CCR books that will meet or exceed our reader expectations?

In a recent StoryChats @ InspyRomance podcast/YouTube Episode #131, we answered a listener’s questions by dedicating an episode to talking about a beginner’s guide to discovering CCR books.

Our listener asked us to share our CCR book recommendations for someone who’s new to the genre. A valid question, and also a difficult question to answer in a short space of time. Elizabeth, Valerie, and I could have taken many hours (or days!) to mention all the CCR books we believed were worthy of being read.

Elizabeth and Valerie rose to the challenge, whereas I opted to take a different approach in answering our listener’s question.

I’m summarizing my answer here in my 5 step guide to discovering the fun and fabulous CCR books you’ll love to read.

Step 1 – Tropes: What types of stories do you like reading?

There are dozens of tropes, including second chances, fake relationships, marriage of convenience, stranded together, amnesia, runaway bride, etc.

Tropes are usually included in the book title or subtitle or book description.

Step 2 – Settings: What types of settings do you like to read?

USA, international, small town, farms and ranches (eg. cowboys), urban (eg. billionaires), beaches, lakes, snow, different seasons (eg. summer), holidays (eg. Christmas).

Step 3 – Visit the Inspy Romance ‘Books’ Website Page.

We have almost 10 years of CCR book history listed on our Books Page. The hyperlinked books are books that are available from our current group of Inspy Romance bloggers.

The books listed without links are from previous Inspy Romance bloggers, and include books that are no longer available eg. old multi-author box sets. Logistically, it’s too much work to keep track of hundreds of book links on the Books Page.

Step 4 – Read the Amazon (or a first chapter) sample before buying the book.

Does the sample hook you into the story? Do you like the author’s writing style?

Step 5 – Research the author and their books.

Search the Inspy Romance blog post archives (there’s a search box available on the website) for author names and book titles.

Read the author’s blog posts (and posts on specific books) to get an idea of the author’s book content. Do they write the types of stories you’d like to read? If you use social media, check out the author’s social media posts. If you listen to podcasts or watch YouTube, search for the author there to hear what they have to say.

Sometimes authors use pen names, and it can take a bit of time and digging around to find out more about the author behind the pen name. The book copyright page usually includes relevant author and/or publisher information.

If finding CCR books with faith content from a Biblical perspective is important to you as a reader, please don’t skip the research step. Invest the time in finding out more about the author’s faith and beliefs, and how that plays out in their stories. Don’t assume that a book that’s labeled Christian is going to include the Christian content you want and expect in a CCR.

Personal tastes and preferences, and the life experiences that each reader brings to the story, mean that we’ll like and dislike different books. We aren’t all going to love (or not love) the same CCR books.

I have hundreds of book recommendations on my author blog (not all of them are CCR, but most are Christian fiction) where I’ll recommend a book to readers who like specific genre and story elements.

I’m going to use my 2023 CCR releases as an example of using my 5 Step system.

Step 1 – Her Cowboy Blind Date – the tropes are above.

Step 2 – The story is set in a fictional small town in Kansas.

Step 3 – The book is part of a multi-author series (Easter in Gilead) and is listed on the Books Page.

Step 4 – The book sample is available at Amazon.

Step 5 – I’ve been blogging at Inspy Romance since we first launched in 2014. I’m talking about CCR books in a new weekly episode on Fridays at StoryChats @ InspyRomance with Valerie Comer and Elizabeth Maddrey.

Step 1 – Never Find Another You – the tropes are above.

Step 2 – The story is set in a fictional small town in Washington.

Step 3 – The book is part of a multi-author series (Trinity Lakes Romance) and is listed on the Books Page.

Step 4 – The book sample is available at Amazon.

Step 5 – See my answer above.

If you’ve never read a CCR book, I hope my 5 step guide will inspire you to look for a CCR book to read.

Our CCR reader community is amazing and a blessing to authors. Our readers are generous in how they share their love for CCR books with other readers. This can range from talking about favorite books with friends and family, and sharing paperbacks, to posting online blogs and reviews on social media, and participating in book clubs and reader discussions in online and in-person community groups.

Thank you to all our readers who take the time to support our author community. We appreciate you!

Questions for you: Do you remember the first CCR book you read? How do you share your love for CCR books with friends, family, and other readers? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

GIVEAWAY

I’m giving away a paperback or ebook copy of Her Cowboy Blind Date or Never Find Another You or one of my backlist books (winner’s choice) to a reader who comments on this blog post. The paperback option is only available for readers with USA or Australian mailing addresses, subject to paperback book availability. The giveaway will close on September 5, 2023, and the winner announced in the Sunday Edition.

Narelle Atkins (199 Posts)

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.


Comments

  2. I don’t remember the first CCR book I read . I tell my friends about the books I have enjoyed and I leave reviews to help others who might enjoy the book.

  3. I don’t remember my first CCR book, but I have a friend group and we all read them. It seems like someone always has a new recommendation when we meet for lunch.

  4. I’ve been reading sweet romance for many years, the first Christian romance I read was only about 4 years ago, it was one by Evangeline Kelly and appeared on my kindle recommendations.

    Previously I’d read some Love Inspired titles and really enjoyed them but I had no idea how many indie CCR authors there are! I came across this blog about a year ago after a recommendation in Elizabeth Maddrey’s newsletter, and it’s been such an amazing resource and lovely to chat with other authors and readers.

    I also really enjoy the story chats podcast, it’s well worth a listen. I’ve also found it really useful to sign up for author’s newsletters, as not only will you often get a free book, they are a good source or information on other writers and books you may enjoy.

  5. I have been reading Christian fiction for a long time (some CCR and some not) and I don’t remember the first CCR book I read.

  6. I do not remember the first CF book I read, though it could have been a Grace Livingston Hill, or it could have a Jane Peart. I really don’t remember! I do know that in the early 80’s, in our newly built Melbourne Square Mall, there was a Zondervan’s store, and they carried CF like Jane Peart, Jeannette Oke, and others. So, my paychecks were spent there! My oldest sister and I (she was married and out, I was still at home with our parents) would trade books back and forth, and a few times when she would be over visiting, we’d hit that store and both buy a stack of books like Harlequins (not Harlequins, but the Zondervan equivalent) and then after we each read what we bought, we’d swap them for the ones the other one bought. She still comes over and borrows books a lot, knowing that I still have quite a few paperbacks! During COVID, her library closed, and she called to see if I had books! So, she came over and picked up a bunch! I always post on FB about books I’ve read, and review all of them, too!

  7. I have a horrible memory so I don’t remember the first CCR book that I read. I share my love of CCR books with others by word of mouth and social media.

  8. I don’t remember when I read my first ccr book. I share my books by giving them to my aunt or cousins after I’m done reading them

  9. I don’t remember who my first CCR author was that I read. Usually I tell friends and family personally about books I enjoyed.

  10. Hi Narelle,

    What a fun post! I think my first CCR may have been Hallee Bridgeman, but other memorable ones are Dee Henderson, Staci Stallings, and Liwen Ho. I’m definitely grateful for this blog and all the great recommendations y’all keep sharing. I have a bookstagram account where I share about some of the books I’ve read (though I don’t post as often as I’d like.) I do post my reviews on Goodreads and Bookbub, and I also try to rec some books in groups where people ask for them, like the Avid Readers of CF on FB.

  11. I was on a medicine that caused depression. When our two kiddos went to school full time, I would sit and read for a good part of the day, just to escape. A friend came along side of me and introduced me to to Christian books. She knew I loved to read westerns, so she went and found some that were Christian. that was over 30 years ago. I have not stopped reading Christian books and have added to my western books by adding rom-com and cozy mysteries

  12. The first Christian Romantic fiction books I read were by Grace Livingston Hill. I volunteered at the library in the small town where I lived during High School (mid-1970s), and I found a treasure trove of paperbacks by her there. Not long after, Janette Oke came on the scene and I eagerly read all of her books. After college, I didn’t have much time to read anything except what I needed to, first as a school librarian and literature teacher, then later homeschooling my own children and teaching literature classes at a co-op. When the public libraries were closed during Covid, I was looking for free/inexpensive alternative sources for my students to access the books they needed to read for my class and discovered Hoopla, which we could use to borrow e-books through the library. While doing a search on Hoopla, I stumbled across Rachel Hauck’s book, Once Upon a Prince, and decided to give it a try. Things kind of snowballed from there and, especially since my youngest graduated in 2021, I’ve been an avid CCR reader!
    The main way I have shared about books I’ve read has been through being an ARC reader for several authors and leaving reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub. I do very little on social media, other than belong to several Christian author group chats, which is the other main place I share about what I read.

  13. I think the first CCR book that I read was My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade. After that I was addicted. I loved reading clean wholesome stories.

  14. I find a lot of excellent new-to-me authors vai recommendations from other authors who I’ve enjoyed in the past. I got started in Christian fiction by a church lady who loaned her books to me, and from there I found even more books to love and read.

  16. I don’t remember my first. Too long ago to recall. I do recommend books that I have enjoyed reading. My family are big readers.

  17. I think my first CCR series were Karen Kingsbury Redemption series. I fell in love with reading after that :)

  18. To be honest I can’t remember what was the first CCR book I read. Possibly something by Harlequin romance or by Grace Livingston Hill. I am blessed that my twin sister is also an avid reader, so we are always recommending favorite books to each other.

  19. I don’t remember what the first contemporary Christian romance was and I found Christian fiction a short time ago! About 5 years, I think… but my first Christian romance was a book by Julie Klassen.
    Hometown promise if I’m not mistaken was the first one having been the first to win for this blog.

  21. I am fairly sure the first would have been a HP book. I got back into reading due to Janette Oke’s When Calls The Heart series. I got more from here and a few other authors. we got the Koorong catalogue and I think it would have been and early HP book as they had some going out on special if not HP it was a series called Promises Promises. But for CCR I can’t be sure. HCR I can. and the first mysteries would have been Gilbert Morris’s Danielle Moss books.
    I read wide not just CCR but I will put up reviews at goodreads etc. and often share in FB and on Twitter

  22. I have been reading for too many years to remember my first CCR book. Sorry. I share information about the books that I love by writing reviews on Goodreads as well as talking about them on Facebook. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.

  24. Hi Audrey, Talking books with friends over lunch would work for me! It’s fun getting book recommendations from trusted friends who know our reading tastes. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  25. Hi Ruthie, I’ve enjoyed reading Evangeline Kelly books. There’s a treasure trove of books to be discovered here at Inspy Romance. I’m glad you enjoying StoryChats and discovered us via Elizabeth’s newsletter. I agree, author newsletter can be a great resource that’s full of helpful bookish information. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  26. Hi Jessica, I often rely on my Kindle to tell me whether or not I’ve read a particular book. I do remember my first CCR read – a Love Inspired book from Carolyne Aarsen – that was recommended to me when I was browsing in a romance book store. Christian fiction used to be hard to source in Australia. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  27. Hi Trudy, Wow, I didn’t know that Zondervan used to have bricks and mortar stores. I did know about their category romance line that was similar to Heartsong Presents. It’s fun that you can swap books with your sister. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  31. Hi Priscila, Hallee’s books are a good place to start reading CCR. I remember binge reading Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series. They’re on my keeper shelf. I often search in the groups when I’m looking for specific tropes or locations for StoryChats episodes. It’s fun sharing bookish posts. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  32. Hi Lori, I’m so glad your friend introduced you to Christian books. I love the uplifting message of hope that’s a foundational story element in Christian romance. Rom-coms are my go-to for a light and fun read. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  33. Hi Betty, It’s wonderful hearing your journey of reading Christian romance. Sadly, Christian fiction wasn’t widely available here in Australia until the Kindle arrived. I mostly ordered paperbacks online from the US because they weren’t available in our stores. We have equivalent library apps to Hoopla that make it easy to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the library. ARC reading and reviewing is very helpful and appreciated by authors. Bookish group chats are always lots of fun. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  35. Hi Megan, I’m glad the church lady started lending you Christian fiction books. When I first discovered Love Inspired, last century, I found out about their old international subscription service where I paid the US Reader Service price plus sea mail shipping rates which were very cheap. The monthly shipment of books could take 3 to 6 months to arrive, but I loved having those LI books to read, especially when my children were babies. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  38. Hi Natalya, When Karen Kingsbury was hugely popular a few decades ago, she was one of a handful of Christian fiction authors who had books in our library system. I read a lot of her books in the 2000’s. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  40. Hi Lilly, I’ve enjoyed the Julie Klassen books that I’ve read. It’s great to hear that a book you won here at Inspy Romance – I’m pretty sure that’s one of Merrillee Whren’s books – was the first CCR you read. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  41. Hi Jenny, I always enjoyed reading the Heartsong Presents books, especially the contemporaries. I enjoyed Aussie author Mary Hawkins’s HR books that were set in Australia. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  43. I don’t remember my first car book, but many, many years ago I was first introduced to Christian fiction through Grace Livingston Hill and Catherine Marshall.

  44. I don’t remember the first one that I read. I always pass on my books to either friends or family. I also donate them to the Goodwill book store in town!

  45. This is such a fun post. I honestly can’t remember exactly but it might have been a book by Carol Moncado. I usually share my love for CCR books by talking about them to my friends and families. Or sharing them on my blog and bookstagram.

  49. I have been reading Christian fiction for 20+ years, I think the first ones I read were historical or Amish. The first CCR I read was probably a Karen Kingsbury book, though I’m not sure as it was so long ago.
    I share books on my social media often, and if it’s a book I think someone specific will like, I’ll text or message them. And I try to leave reviews as much as I can. ❤️

  50. Hi, It’s likely a Karen Kingsbury book was your first CCR. In the early to mid 2000’s, KK books filled multiple shelves in the Christian bookstores where I’d buy paperbacks in Australia plus her books were in our library system. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  51. The first CCR book I read put out by a well-known Christian publisher, put a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn’t believe how much cussing was in this CCR. So, I am a little leary. However, I do still read a few.

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