Books like 'It Started With Joy'
Readers who enjoyed It Started With Joy by Cindy Kirk also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town athlete sports children female-mc christian family humor
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Doing It Right: A Second Chance, Single Parent Romance by Harloe Rae
Rated: 4.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“This doesn’t have to be the end for us.”Except it was.What did we know about happily ever after at the age of eighteen?Mason Braxter was a football legend—destined for glory far bigger than the confines of our small town. Meanwhile, I had dreams of my own—a simpler life that included staying put and growing roots.And all those plans of mine were going splendidly... -
Somebody Like You: A Small Town Single Mom Sports Romance by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’s rich, talented and way out of her league. Now he’s making her an offer she can’t refuse…Football has always been Cam Hartson’s life. When he's forced to retire following an injury, he slinks back to his small home town, planning to lie low and lick his wounds. Until he meets Mia Devlin. The beautiful single mom of two tearaway boys has no interest in love... -
The Family Journal by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJoin the millions who have fallen in love with New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown in her landmark hundredth novel. At the end of her rope, single mom Lily Anderson is determined to move her rebellious children in the right direction... -
The Horsepower of the Holiday by Liz Isaacson
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe told her once he wasn't interested in dating her if they weren't exclusive. She's a former racecar driver just trying to find the right man for her at 200 miles per hour. Can Oakley slow down enough to have a relationship with Ranger, or will they both be left lonely this Christmas?Ranger Glover has worked at Shiloh Ridge Ranch his entire life... -
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Seven Card Stud by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJamie Kincaid is a middleweight fighter, born to fighting royalty, and a shoo-in to be the next champion in the world-class Stacked Deck tournament.He’s a flirt. A romantic. A little too loose with his female companions, so when his cousins casually mention he needs to let one go before he hooks another— they’re not kidding... -
A Secret Baby in the Show Me State by Jessie Gussman
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA midnight tryst, an unknown admirer and a baby that is delivered to church with just a short note. On the day Deacon Hudson was set to be ordained, a bundle shows up at the church with a simple note on it. Deacon Hudson is the father. Take care of her.Deacon knows he’s not the father. The Immaculate Conception was a one time thing... -
My Kinda Player by Lacey Black, Sara Eirew
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAJ Summer witnessed four of her sisters fall in love and settle down. But not her. She’s stuck in a rut, destined to spend the rest of her life watching from the dugout, kissing frogs. Then one night, she meets a mysterious stranger, who makes her feel alive and realize she’s not as broken as she thought–until she wakes up alone... -
The Meaning in Mistletoe: A Hopeful Christmas Romance: Poppy Creek Book 4 (A Poppy Creek Novel) by Rachael Bloome
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsReturn to Poppy Creek in the fourth book in the beloved small-town series by Rachael Bloome... -
The Memory Keeper by Jenny Hale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the USA Today bestselling author of The Summer House comes a story about family bonds, one small town, and a reunion that changes everything.Hannah Townsend’s life is just as she’s always wanted it to be. She has the perfect job at a New York magazine, a small but elegant apartment in the upper west side, and an incredibly successful beau named Miles Monahan... -
At Home in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRuth Logan Herne, the bestselling author of Welcome to Wishing Bridge, invites readers back to the small town where big dreams come true. After surviving the streets of South Philly, Thea Anastas never thought she’d wind up working in rural New York. But a call from a friend in need convinced the nurse practitioner to make the trip... -
The Life We Wanted by Kelsey Kingsley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"You have too many rules.""And you don't have enough." Sebastian Moore thought he had it all. A drumming gig with one of the world’s biggest up-and-coming stars. The looks and charm to get him any woman he laid his eyes on. All the friends he could ever ask for. But something was always missing... -
Married by Monday by Cathryn Brown
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNeither of them wants to get married, especially not to each other.Isabella visits her friend Cassie in Two Hearts, Tennessee. Bella’s ready to go back to the city almost as soon as she arrives. And she has a situation to take care of when she gets home.Micah may want to stay in his small town, but his family has other plans for him. He has two choices to solve his problem... -
Taking What Is Mine by Abby Brooks, Will Wright
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRaising cattle is hard work, but Chet Wilde’s been doing it since he was a boy. It’s the kind of grind that takes a toll on a man and reveals who he is, deep down. What kind of man is Chet? He may just be the last real cowboy. He carries himself with a quiet dignity that commands respect from everyone he meets. Lately though, Chet’s started wondering if there’s more to life than work... -
Room for Just a Little Bit More by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFive years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant. One year ago, a horrible rainstorm flooded a bridge in town, leaving us with an Inn full of stranded travelers. Turns out one of those travelers would give me a whole new set of dreams, ones I never thought possible. Brody Murphy spent the last year teaching me what it was like to live, and more importantly love, again... -
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The Secret in Sandcastles by Rachael Bloome
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo childhood enemies. One adventure-filled summer. And an unexpected romance they're trying hard to resist...Penny Heart likes to play it safe... in life and in love. When she’s asked to brave her town's most thrilling adventures to revamp their outdated guidebook, things quickly go from bad to worse. The person assigned to help? None other than her childhood nemesis... -
Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCreator of the bestselling "Welcome to Wishing Bridge" and "At Home in Wishing Bridge" award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne invites readers back to the little town with the big heart with "Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge". Being a supermodel isn't just hard... -
One Hundred Goodbyes by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to Aspen Cove, the town where a stranger is simply a friend you haven’t met… Eden Webster has always been generous to a fault. The word no isn’t in her vocabulary. That’s how at twenty-eight she finds herself homeless, alone, and pregnant in Aspen Cove... -
Stone Cold Kiwi by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLet's inventory, shall we? State of my professional life: Brilliant, if counted in terms of sales of eight Poppy Cantwell children's books starring my often-confused blue hippo, Hazel; the very substantial proceeds from selling my Kiwi Adventures New Zealand glamping business; and any number of glossy magazine articles about my charmed existence... -
Home Sweet Love by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMillions of readers have fallen in love with Ava's bestselling books...come join the family. International Bestselling Author Ava Miles shares a powerful tale about the sweetness of home and falling in love for the first time. Chase Parker doesn’t believe in all that gushy home sweet love stuff. Moira Hale sure as heck does... -
Keep Holding On by Melissa Tagg
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSwoon-worthy Romance. Small-town Charm. Best friends reunite in Tagg's latest novel of second chances and enduring love. Beckett Walker hasn't stepped foot in Maple Valley in years. There's no getting past the painful memories, and there's every chance he'll be arrested as soon as he shows his face. Which is exactly what happens when he finally returns... -
Say I Do in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSometimes love is right on your doorstep... Eliza Shaw has never met a crisis she couldn’t manage. If her father thinks she’s going to take his attempt at selling the family home out from underneath her, then he clearly doesn’t know her at all. She‘ll chain herself to the banister if she has to... Kyle Kendrick doesn’t have time for the hassle of an eviction... -
Reunited in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe remembers the heat. She remembers the heartbreak. Twenty years later do they still have a shot at love? When an injury puts NFL star Krew Slattery’s future in question, he returns to his hometown of Good Hope. He plans to lay low, until he runs into Cassie Lohmeier. Krew has never forgotten the one amazing night they shared, and unfortunately for him, Cassie hasn’t either.. -
One Hundred Christmas Kisses by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKelly Collins invites you to celebrate a small town Christmas in Aspen Cove, where North Star wishes and love’s first kisses have the power to heal. It’s been a decade since veterinarian Charlotte Parker has been home to Aspen Cove. After the death of her mother, she hasn’t been able to bring herself to face her painful past. But if ever there’s a time to start over, it’s Christmas... -
Can't Fight the Moonlight by Barbara Freethy
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJustin Blackwood can't remember a time when he believed in the magic of anything, least of all love. A cynical businessman, who grew up in a broken home, he guards his heart with every breath he takes. His job has taken him all over the world and roots are the last thing he wants...until he meets a beautiful innkeeper in Whisper Lake... -
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The Calendar of New Beginnings by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe last thing international photojournalist Lucy O’Brien expected when she returned to her hometown was for her mother to ask her to shoot photos for a ‘Calendar Girls’-like calendar…Of course, it’s all for a good cause—raising money for breast cancer. Lucy agrees to help—ribald photos and all... -
Colton by Olivia Sands
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWelcome to Elm Ridge, Kentucky, where you’ll swoon, smile, and fall helplessly in love with the Green family. Colton Green thinks he’s got life all figured out. He’ll run the Red Widow Bourbon factory—a business that’s been in his family’s name for generations—build a beautiful home, marry a nice country girl, and start a family. After all, family is what the Greens are all about... -
Wild Love by Melissa Schroeder
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'm not the kind of girl who expects happily ever after. In fact, I prefer my partners don't get too clingy. Don't get me wrong. I like a good night of loving, but beyond that, I’m happy to see them leave inthe morning, without my number.Then I met him. Quinn is a big bear of a man, with massive hands and amazing...staying power. Like all night long and the next morning kind of staying power... -
Loving the Entertainer by Cami Checketts
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA famous hotshot and the woman who broke his heart.Being famous isn’t enough for Sawyer, he has to make everyone around him famous. When the woman who told him he’d never be enough comes back into town it’s time to show her all she’s missing out on... -
Holding Out For Love by Debra Clopton
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJillian Sinclair needs a man and she needs him now. She dreams of being a mother-but the doctor just gave her the news that if she plans to carry a baby herself then her time is running out. She also wants true love like her sisters but will she have to settle for something less than that in order to get her baby?The last thing she needs is the only man she's loved and lost coming back to town... -
Ain't She Sweet by Marie Force
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe latest Green Mountain Romance from the The New York Times bestselling author of It’s Only Love.Charlotte “Charley” Abbott has gone out with every guy under thirty-five in Butler, Vermont—except for one. Tyler Westcott’s attempts to date her may be determined, and frequent, but Charley can’t stand how he acts like he knows her better than she knows herself... -
The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability... -
Thankful in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKeeping this secret could cost him everything…Trinity McConnell came to Good Hope expecting to reconnect with a former colleague, not a former fling. But within hours of arriving in the picturesque small town, she’s face-to-face with Ryder Goodhue, the man who gave her the hottest, most romantic night of her life... -
Tie the Knot in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove always finds a way… Lindsay Lohmeier’s life is no bed of roses. After struggling at a job she loved, but ultimately lost, she opened her own florist shop in Good Hope. Her budding business won’t be her only new addition. Lindsay is pregnant. While she’s happy to open her heart to her baby, opening up to the father is another story... -
Bachelor Games in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBring on the Bachelor Games His latest girlfriend may not have broken his heart, but she sure as heck wounded his pride. Clay Chapin has looks, money and a knack for picking the wrong women. When the matchmaking matriarch of Good Hope insists she can find him the perfect woman, Clay figures he has nothing to lose by playing along... -
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Devil in Disguise by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe devil doesn’t come with pointy horns and a tail. He comes as everything you’ve ever wished for. When discipline is your life, structure’s a good thing, and Owen Johnson’s got plenty of both. An All-Pro NFL center who’s also a cattle rancher? Yeah, that’s structure. His marriage didn’t work out, but then, he picked the wrong woman. A Wyoming ranch doesn’t look nearly as romantic up close... -
The Farm Stand by Amy Clipston
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsExperience some sweet, garden-fresh romance in the next installment of Amy Clipston's Amish Marketplace series. Salina Petersheim runs her own booth at the Amish market, where she’s known for having the freshest and most delicious produce in the area. Her father is the bishop of her church district, and her brother is a deacon... -
Fix Me Not by Carey Heywood
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsContinue your love affair with the Thompson family in this hot and hilarious new romantic comedy from New York Times Bestselling author Carey Heywood! Paige Sullivan's life is a train wreck. In a matter of months she lost her business, her swanky apartment, and her big city life. Now she's stuck in Nowhere, New Hampshire, sleeping on her mom's couch... -
Marry Me in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOf all the things Hadley Newhouse expected to find in Good Hope, love wasn’t on the list. The baker extraordinaire has spent the last three years hiding her past and holding her breath. It isn’t that she likes being evasive. She just doesn’t want to open old wounds... -
Know Your Heart by Tracey Alvarez
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe is the one she couldn’t remember. She is the one he couldn’t forget… After being unexpectedly kicked off a movie set, her part given to a younger actress, Savannah Payne flees to her holiday house in Bounty Bay. There, in her little hideaway managed for her by her older cousin, she’ll be able to lick her wounds privately, and prepare for an audition of a lifetime in L.A... -
Seaside Hearts by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men... -
The Bridge to a Better Life by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author Ava Miles of the #1 National Bestseller NORA ROBERTS LAND comes a humorous and emotional romance about the power of love and second chances—perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery. "Ava's story is witty and charming... -
My Kinda Night by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPayton Summer doesn’t have time for love. Between running her own business in her hometown of Jupiter Bay and her monthly night out with her sisters, Payton has no room for men, dating, or the drama that it entails. Her life is fine just the way it is. Yet, her attraction to the one man she shouldn’t want can’t be ignored. Dean McIntire has one rule: don’t date clients... -
Gareth by Kimberly Rae Jordan
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWelcome to the fictional town of Serenity Point, Idaho, home to the large Halverson family.A mixed family with both biological and adopted children,their lives and relationships are held together by their love for each other and their faith.Gareth Halverson has studied for years to become a doctor, planning one day to take over his parents’ clinic in Northern Idaho... -
Summer in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA widow at twenty-six, Primrose Bloom returns to idyllic Good Hope, Wisconsin, with her two rambunctious young boys, seeking the beauty of the lakeside landscape and the comfort of home. After the loss of her husband and her job, all she’s looking for is peace... -
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Starlight on Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs sweeps readers away to a sun-drenched summer on the shores of Willow Lake in a stunning tale of the delicate ties that bind a family together… and the secrets that tear them apart… When caregiver Faith McCallum arrives at the enchanted, lakeside estate of Avalon's renowned Bellamy family, she's intent on rebuilding her shattered life and... -
The Truth Between Us by Tammy L. Gray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNine years to win her. Three years to love her. And one decision that destroyed it all. April Duncan was raised with three clear truths: the family name is absolute, ambition and success rule over every emotion, and love always comes with strings attached. Image was everything in her carefully crafted world... until the mirror cracked... -
Shelter Me by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s a city slicker. He’s a man married to small-town living. They are totally wrong for each other … or are they? Emily Flanagan loves everything about the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, especially her career. But when her mom suddenly takes ill, Emily has to put her life on hold and rush to Frazier Falls... -
Baby Dreams in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlways be my babyMarigold Rallis is not the type to fall to pieces. The youngest Bloom sister makes managing marriage, career, and a busy life in Good Hope look easy. But looks can be deceiving. Years of struggling with infertility while her sisters fill their nurseries have started to take a toll.It’s not just Marigold who is feeling the stress... -
The Real Mr. Right in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWill the real Mr. Right step forward?Free-spirited Oaklee Marshall loves living life on her own terms. She once thought she’d found Mr. Right but realizes now he was oh-so-wrong for her.Oaklee’s joie de vivre and larger-than-life personality captured Isaak Cochran’s attention from his first day in Good Hope. Having grown up in chaos, tradition and stability are important to him... -
Say Yes to a Second Chance by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes father knows best…At fourteen, one shared look convinced Adrianna Lee that she and her neighbor were soul mates. She’s older and wiser now, but a smile from Tripp Randall still makes her heart flutter.Tripp’s charmed life came to an abrupt end three years ago. When his wife died in childbirth, the loss brought him to his knees...
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