February 14 can mean different things for many people. For some, it’s a night out to dinner, flowers, candy and precious moments spent with the love of your life. For others, it can be the loneliest day of the year. Death, divorce and missed opportunities can leave many feeling left out by a holiday that declares love is for all.
But something I can recommend for anyone who likes to read is the gift of a good book. For a romantic. For a friend. For yourself.
One author I’ve recently discovered is Tamera Alexander, who writes historical romance, much of it with a southern flair. In The Inheritance (Bethany House), McKenna and Wyatt weave a compelling tale of new beginnings. In A Lasting Impression (Bethany House), Claire and Sutton meet while in the employ of Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, who built the famed Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor in Nashville, Tennessee.
I rarely remember character names after I’ve read a novel, but Alexander’s characters leave me wishing the character and I could be friends. Alexander writes in such detail that readers feel as though they’ve been transported into the character’s mind and are living the book through the character’s eyes. A wonderful experience.
If contemporary romance is more your style, try Anita Higman’s latest release from Barbour Publishers, Texas Wildflowers. Higman writes with a refreshing sense of humor and some of her witty asides will leave you giggling your way to the end.
Both Alexander’s and Higman’s books are available from Christian Book Distributors—CBD.com.
This Valentine’s day, give yourself the gift of love—God ordained it and put references to it throughout his Old and New Testaments. Who better to recommend love than Him?