Woo, we’ve got two Reading posts this month! 😀

A couple weeks ago, I discussed all of my favorite reads of 2023. Today, I’d specifically like to highlight the best Christian fiction I read last year. Let’s get started!

Faith Under Pressure by Courtney M. Whitaker

Courtney is a Christian indie author friend of mine, and she’s the sweetest soul! I read her debut novel, Faith Under Pressure in early 2023, and found it to be a fantastic addition to the contemporary young adult Christian fiction genre! In this book, Courtney covers tough topics high school students often go through with grace, and always points readers back to Jesus in the process. If you’re looking for clean, contemporary YA that promotes biblical truths, this is the book for you! I can’t wait to read her second novel, Soul on Fire, this year.

All That Really Matters (McKenzie Family Romance, #1) by Nicole Deese

Okay, so you’ll see some repeated titles from a couple of my recent posts, but bear with me. It’s because they were wonderful, okay? 😛

All That Really Matters is a contemporary Christian romance that follows Molly McKenzie, a beauty influencer who has strayed away from her faith, and Silas Whittaker who runs a home for new adults who are fresh out of the foster care system. I laughed, I cried. The romance was top-tier, and though there isn’t a ton of faith content in this book (that I remember anyway), Molly’s character arc is amazing to watch. The Lord really works in her.

If I Run (If I Run, #1) by Terri Blackstock

If I Run was my first Christian mystery/thriller book, and it’s made me want to track down all the Christian mystery/thrillers I can find because I’m growing weary of the language and unnecessary content in secular mystery/thrillers.

If I remember correctly, the faith elements in this are more pronounced towards the middle and end of the book, and they are perfectly written! There was one character in particular (who I loved!) who one of our main characters meets on her journey that plants seed of the gospel in her life.

Legends (Shallows, #3) by Denver Evans

This is the final book in an indie clean fantasy trilogy by Denver Evans. The series follows a quirky inventor named Emerson, who meets luminescent mermaids in the first book, and comes across a phantom ship in the second. In Legends, Emerson takes on yet an adventure he didn’t ask for. While this book is marketed as “clean” rather than “Christian fiction”, the author is a Christian and there are allegorical references to God in the trilogy. So, if you like clean, cozy fantasy books, I recommend checking out this trilogy.

This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof

Short and sweet, but so, so sad! This Quiet Sky is a historical fiction YA novella that follows sixteen-year-old Sarah as she falls in love with a boy who has a fatal illness (not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb! 😉 ) That’s all you need to know, other than you’ll need some tissues. ❤ This book is a fantastic example of how Christian fiction can cover tough topics with grace and still bring glory to God in the process.

I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones

If you’ve visited Authoring Arrowheads before, you may already know that Jenny B. Jones is one of my favorite authors. While she is focusing on writing clean fiction now, I’ll Be Yours is a standalone YA Christian Sports Romance. Jones does an excellent job of tackling tough topics such as parental neglect and family drama in this book. The faith elements were on the lighter side in this book, if I’m remembering correctly, but they were still present.

When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1) by Gabrielle Meyer

Lastly, we have my favorite read of 2023, which I have already fangirled about multiple times here on Authoring Arrowheads and Instagram.

Nevertheless, I’m about to do it again. 😛

When the Day Comes wasn’t just the best Christian fiction book I read last year, but one of the best Christian fiction books I’ve ever read, period. Why?

In this Historical/Time Travel Christian fiction book, Gabrielle Meyer absolutely NAILED tackling tough topics with grace. While Libby’s faith was discussed throughout the book, it was portrayed naturally and not in an in-your-face kind of way that Christian fiction often gets a bad reputation for. Libby was portrayed realistically, and not as a “perfect” Christian who has her life together and who never sins. She dealt with so much trauma in this book, and the author always pointed the reader back to God. God gets SO much glory in the book’s ending! Just please read this. You’re missing out if you don’t. Trust me. 🙂

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

Have you read any of these books? What Christian fiction books did you read and enjoy in 2023? Let me know in the comments!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀