Recommendations based on "Counting Miracles"

When Miles Ryan loses his wife in a hit-and-run accident, grief brings his life to a stand-still. As a deputy sheriff in the North Carolina town of New Bern, he longs to bring the unknown driver to justice. Then Miles meets Sarah Andrew. What neither can guess is how closely linked they are to a shocking secret.

The bestselling author of Message in a Bottle and The Notebook returns with a deeply moving tale of first love and its transformational powers."When I was seventeen, my life changed forever"... So begins Nicholas Sparks' touching tale of Landon Carter, a teenage boy living in the small town of Beaufort, North Carolina in the late 1950s. Landon is a typical teenager who just wants to have a fun senior year before heading off to college. The last thing he anticipated is Jamie Sullivan, the sweet, pious daughter of the town's Baptist minister. But on the evening of Beaufort's annual Christmas pageant, Landon will undergo a change of heart that will forever alter the course of his life. In the months that follow, Landon discovers truths that it takes most people a lifetime to learn- truths about the nature of beauty, the joy of giving, the pain of loss, and, most of all, the transformational power of love.Nicholas Sparks' most recent novel, Message in a Bottle has nearly 700,000 hardcover copies in print and was on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list for 28 weeks. The Warner paperback edition has over 1.5 million copies in print. In spring 1999, it was released as a major motion picture starring Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn and Paul Newman. A New York Times hardcover bestseller for 56 weeks and a paperback bestseller for well over a year, Nicholas Sparks' first novel, The Notebook (1996) has nearly three million hardcover and paperback copies in print combined.

Is your first love worth a second chance...' Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love...just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell broke her heart...an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends. But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them--but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.

Abigail Schrock knows God can make all things new, but does that include her broken heart It seems as if everyone is falling in love in Birch Creek, including Abigail Schrock. But when heartbreak descends on her already fragile world, she can't help but feel that if she'd only been a little prettier, she could be on her way down the aisle. To make matters worse, Abigail's two sisters have found love, and all Abigail can seem to find is the chocolate she has stashed away in the pantry. Asa Bontrager has never had trouble with the ladies in his Amish community--his good looks have always gotten him far. Which is why he's baffled by the call he's received from God to pursue Abigail, a woman who seems determined to turn him away. Can Abigail find the peace and joy she so desperately desires Will she allow herself to stop running and melt into the embrace of unforeseen comfort If she does, she may discover a love powerful enough to restore her hope in a promising future.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes an emotional story of forgiveness and healing. In between a checkered past and a fairytale future, three people must find a way forward. Brad Cutler is a 28-year-old rising star at his New York ad agency, about to marry Laura James, the girl of his dreams. Anyone would agree he has it all: a great career, a beautiful and loving fiancée, and a fairy tale life ahead of him--until memories of his high school girlfriend, Emma, begin to torment him. Lost innocence and one very difficult choice flood his conscience, and he is no longer sure what the future will bring except for this: he must find his old love and make amends. Friends since childhood, Brad and Emma became a couple in high school--before their relationship was forever altered by a single decision. Haunted by the past and confused about the future, Brad turns to God seeking forgiveness and redemption for the choice he and Emma made long ago. Brad, Emma, and Laura must work through the repercussions of a decision made as teenagers that continues to affect each one of them before any of them can look toward a new future. Contemporary Christian fiction Full-length standalone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs Also by Karen Kingsbury: Between Sundays, Beyond Tuesday Morning, and Unlocked

Love found them in a way that it seldom finds anyone ... A talented cowboy, angry and isolated. A mysterious woman with a secret. The two are national champions, top of their game, alone and intent on staying that way. How could they know what would happen when their two worlds meet? And what fears must they face if together they ignite a love that burns brighter than both of them?

"Lee Tobin McClain dazzles with unforgettable characters, fabulous small-town settings and a big dose of heart." —Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author Safe harbor and new beginnings await on the Chesapeake Bay… Pleasant Shores cop Evan Stone has worked hard to become a man of his word, overcoming the alcoholism that sent him down the wrong path in his youth. So when his late best friend’s sister asks for his help, he doesn’t hesitate. He promised he’d watch out for Cassie, and the cottage next to his will be a perfect short-term refuge for her and her dog. The other half of that promise—to stay away from Cassie romantically—is harder to keep.  Sheltered for years because of a childhood illness, Cassie is ready to reach for what she wants. And despite her family’s warnings and her own fears, Cassie’s heart wants Evan. As the return of his estranged son puts his sobriety to the test, Cassie and Evan are drawn together, finding strength through what they’ve each weathered. She knows Evan would risk anything to protect her, but are they willing to risk the price of loving, now and forever? The Off Season Book 1: Cottage at the Beach Book 2: Reunion at the Shore Book 3: Christmas on the Coast Book 4: Home to the Harbor Book 5: First Kiss at Christmas Book 6: Forever on the Bay Book 7: Second Chance on the Chesapeake Book 8: Secrets of Summer

He opened his home to twin boys Will he open his heart to their nanny? Self-made man Ryder Montgomery is the guy with all the answers…until he inherits custody of his out-of-control twin nephews. Nanny Elise Cooper is a lifesaver and even agrees to give him parenting lessons. Soon they’re starting to feel like a real family. But with an end-of-summer expiration date, is it even possible to build a future together?   From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Kristen Heitzmann Delivers Powerful New Romantic SuspenseMorgan Spencer has had just about all he can take of life. Following the tragic death of his wife, Jill, he retreats to his brother's Rocky Mountain ranch to heal and focus on the care of his infant daughter, Olivia. Two years later, Morgan begins to make plans to return to his home in Santa Barbara to pick up the pieces of his life and career.Quinn Riley has been avoiding her past for four years. Standing up for the truth has forced her into a life of fear and isolation. After a "chance" first meeting and a Thanksgiving snowstorm, Quinn is drawn into the Spencer family's warm and loving world, and she begins to believe she might find freedom in their friendship.The man Quinn helped put behind bars has recently been released, however, and she fears her past will endanger the entire Spencer family. As the danger heightens, she determines to leave town for the sake of the people who have come to mean so much to her.Fixing problems is what Morgan Spencer does best, and he is not willing to let Quinn run away, possibly into the clutches of a man bent on revenge. But Morgan's solution sends him and Quinn on an unexpected path, with repercussions neither could have anticipated.

All Beth Gallatin has really wanted out of life is to settle down in one town, with one man, and raise a family. But with her father's roaming ways, she's always been denied that dream; instead, she found solace in reading romantic books. With her father's passing, she can, for the first time, dare to claim the rugged Montana frontier as her home. Nick Lassiter has loved Beth since she first came to town, but she's always seemed to think of him more as a brother. Just when he finally gets Beth to consider him, however, a challenger threatens the affection growing between them. But neither Nick nor Beth is prepared when they must face the consequences of Nick's complicated past. As a past fraught with unwise choices and guilt invades their world, can Nick and Beth find a love that will last forever?