I can’t believe that 2018 is here much less that I’m already looking at books releasing in March or later! I’ve been wanting to do a most-anticipated list and what better time than the first day of a new year for new traditions?
So, here’s my very first ever ‘Most Anticipated’ list ever featured on A Simply Enchanted Life. You can expect four separate lists from me on the following dates: Quarter 1 (Q1): January 1 – March 31. Quarter 2 (Q2): April 1 – June 30. Quarter 3 (Q3): July 1 – September 30. Quarter 4 (Q4): October 1 – December 31.
Deadly Exchange by Lisa Harris
Deadly Exchange by Lisa HarrisAdd to Goodreads
Expected Publication: January 2nd, 2018 by Harlequin
Genres: Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 224
NO EASY ESCAPE
Chased across Amsterdam by a human trafficking ring, social advocate Kayla Brooks refuses to help them recapture Mercy, the young girl she rescued from their clutches. Even if they’ve already abducted her father as a hostage… and wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. There’s only one man Kayla can turn to for help: her ex-fiance’s brooding older brother, Levi Cummings. Though Kayla relies on the handsome former Army Intelligence Officer’s experience, fully trusting Levi seems impossible after she helped send his brother to jail. But as they struggle to save her father, protect Mercy, and outmaneuver the traffickers, Kayla and Levi’s bond transcends pure survival. Armed with only a few clues about her father’s location, though, Kayla and Levi must bring down the crime ring… or lose all their lives.
Amish Sweethearts by Amy Clipston
Amish Sweethearts by Amy ClipstonExpected Publication: January 9th, 2018 by Zondervan
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 432
Love is in the air in these four sweet romances!
Love and Buggy Rides (previously published in An Amish Harvest)
Janie Lantz is a cashier at Lancaster Souvenirs and Buggy Rides, where Jonathan Stoltfuz is a buggy driver. A frightening accident brings Janie and Jonathan together in a blossoming friendship, yet daunting obstacles stand between them and something deeper. Can love kindle into flames that burn away fear and regret—and lead them to a life together?
A Home for Lindsay
From Amy Clipston’s beloved Kauffman Amish Bakery series comes Lindsay Bedford’s story. Lindsay is happily looking forward to the day she becomes Matthew Glick’s wife and is excited for the plans he has for the house he will build her. So, when Matthew suddenly calls off the wedding, she is blindsided. She knows there is more to the story than what he is telling her, but will he open up and let her in on his own heartbreak?
Where the Heart Is
Tobias Smucker is back home, and it’s no secret he and his father are still not on the best of terms. But what is surprising is that his little sister’s best friend, Mariella, has been harboring her own secret feelings for Tobias. With her help, he begins to unravel a family mystery and learns that everyone has their own hidden depths, including his father.
Love Birds (previously published in An Amish Market)
While Ellie Lapp and her mother are still mourning the loss of her brother, Seth, Ellie starts working at one of the gift shops in town. Seth’s friend Lloyd is talented at carving wooden birds, but his father disapproves and expects him to take over the family farm someday. Ellie sees the beauty in Lloyd’s creations and insists Lloyd sell the birds in the gift shop where she works. As Ellie and Lloyd spend more time together, they begin to develop feelings for one another, but she accidentally betrays his trust. Will she lose any hope of a future with him?
Isaiah’s Daughter by Mesu Andrews
Isaiah’s Daughter by Mesu AndrewsAdd to Goodreads
Expected Publication: January 16th, 2018 by Waterbrook Press
Genres: Ancient World, Christian, Fiction, Historical
Pages: 400
In this epic Biblical narrative, ideal for fans of The Bible miniseries, a young woman taken into the prophet Isaiah’s household rises to capture the heart of the future king.
Isaiah adopts Ishma, giving her a new name–Zibah, delight of the Lord–thereby ensuring her royal pedigree. Ishma came to the prophet’s home, devastated after watching her family destroyed and living as a captive. But as the years pass, Zibah’s lively spirit wins Prince Hezekiah’s favor, a boy determined to rebuild the kingdom his father has nearly destroyed. But loving this man will awake in her all the fears and pain of her past and she must turn to the only One who can give life, calm her fears, and deliver a nation.
“Andrews (The Pharaoh’s Daughter) offers her unique brand of in-depth Bible knowledge and storytelling flair … [she] is gifted at bringing the past to life…” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The Celebration by Wanda Brunstetter
The Celebration (Amish Cooking Class #3) by Wanda E. BrunstetterExpected Publication: February 1st, 2018 by Shiloh Run Press
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Fiction, Religious,
Pages: 320
Return to Holmes County, Ohio, for Amish style cooking class.
Lyle and Heidi Troyer have taken in a brother and sister, who were orphaned when their parents were killed in a car accident. Hoping to help the children adapt and make friends, Heidi decides to hold a series of cooking classes for kids. But kids are always accompanied by an adult—and that is where the trouble arises. Miranda Cooper is living the life of a single mom to her two kids while separated from her husband, but Trent is trying to worm his way back into her heart. Denise McGuire’s life as a wife, mom, and real estate broker is full and spilling over. Darren Keller, single dad and firefighter, and Ellen Blackburn, single mom and nurse, find a few things in common. Will hearts be healed over plates of Amish food?
This is the third book in The Amish Cooking Class series. Book #1: The Amish Cooking Class – The Seekers Book #2: The Amish Cooking Class – The Blessing
A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette
A Light on the Hill (Cities of Refuge Book #1) by Connilyn CossetteExpected Publication: February 6th, 2018 by Bethany House Publishers
Genres: Ancient World, Christian, Fiction, Historical
Pages: 336
Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times and the disdain of the townspeople keeps her from socializing. And marriage prospects were out of the question . . . until now.
Her father has found someone to marry her, and she hopes to use her love of cooking to impress the man and his motherless sons. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies–and unexpected allies–she will encounter on her way.
Phoebe’s Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Phoebe’s Light (Nantucket Legacy Book #1) by Suzanne Woods FisherExpected Publication: February 6th, 2018 by Revell
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Historical, Romance
Pages: 352
Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she’s doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a “minder” on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Mitchell, a man whom she loathes.
Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary’s journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe’s shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way–just in time.
In this brand-new series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her signature twists and turns to bear on a fascinating new faith community: the Quakers of colonial-era Nantucket Island.
The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron
The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron
Preorder: Amazon or Barnes&Noble
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Expected Publication: on February 6th, 2018 by Thomas Nelson
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Historical
Pages: 384
Broken-down walls and crumbling stones seemed to possess a secret language all their own.
What stories would they tell, if she finally listened?
Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French Resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .
Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.
Bridging the past to the present in three time periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and of an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations.
The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin
The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy Book #1) by Sarah Sundin
Preorder: Amazon or Barnes&Noble
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Expected Publication: February 6th, 2018 by Revell
Pages: 384
In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France–including those of her own family’s summer home–in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.
As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.
The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin’s practiced pen with this powerful new series.
Words from the Heart by Kathleen Fuller
Words from the Heart by Kathleen FullerExpected Publication: Thomas Nelson on February 13th, 2018
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Fiction, Religious, Romance,
Pages: 320
Her fingertips brushed against something else in the box of doilies. She lifted a bundle of letters, neatly tied with a thin red ribbon . . .
Ivy Yoder hasn’t heard from John King in over a year. She knows it’s time to let go of the idea that they will one day marry, but she’s humiliated to be one of the oldest single women in her Amish community of Birch Creek. When quirky Cevilla Schlabach asks her to help clean out an attic, Ivy is grateful for the distraction.
Noah Schlabach isn’t from Birch Creek, or even Ohio. His job as an auctioneer takes him around the country and away from a typical Amish life, but he still remains devoted to his family. So when his aging aunt asks him to help clean out her attic, he agrees. Plus, who knows what curious items he might find up there?
As Noah and Ivy work side by side, they come across a different kind of treasure: a packet of letters written during the Korean War. Soon they are swept up in the story of two young people falling in love—even as they remain determined not to fall in love themselves.
Words from the Heart is a moving story of lost love letters, fragile fears, and the beauty of taking another step forward.
Who The Bishop Knows by Vannetta Chapman
Who the Bishop Knows by Vannetta ChapmanPreorder: Amazon or Barnes&Noble
Add to Goodreads
Expected Publication: Harvest House Publishers on March 6th, 2018
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Romance, Suspense
Pages: 352
What You Don’t See Might Hurt You
Every year, residents of the small Amish community in Monte Vista, Colorado, look forward to the Ski Hi Stampede, the state’s oldest professional rodeo. The rodeo is always good, clean entertainment for the hardworking farmers of the San Luis Valley. But this year, the Stampede turns deadly for one Amish man. Did rodeo fans see an unfortunate accident? Or something more sinister?
Amish bishop Henry Lapp is known far and wide for his uncanny ability to draw and remember the smallest details of anything he’s seen, skills that have served him well in past investigations. He was at the rodeo that day. The problem? He didn’t see Jeremiah Schwartz’s death.
With a murderer on the loose and members of his community being threatened, Henry must act fast. But can he solve a crime he didn’t see? This time around, Henry will have to rely on his keen sense of human character and observation, skills he’s honed in his role as bishop, if he hopes to crack the case.
Who the Bishop Knows is a story of accepting our talents, putting one another first, and trusting that God will care for His children.
What are your most anticipated books in 2018? Share them with me in the comments below!
Oh my these sound, great might have to look into reading some once my TBR pile shrinks lol I am excited for Legendary second book from Caraval and Zenith.
Those covers look great! Some of the reviews scared me. You’ll have to tag me in your reviews on facebook so I make sure to see them!
Oh hmm, yeah i tend to notice i go into a book without reading much about it haha!! of course i forgot i can do that with you. :P
Thanks for including me on your list!
Ty for writing an amazing series! ❤️
Thanks for including me here, Kristin!
Most welcome! I started reading Isaiah’s Daughter today and I’m really loving it. <3