Today’s featured novel: The House That Love Built by award-winning novelist Beth Wiseman. Known for writing bestselling Amish fiction, Wiseman is also growing her list of non-Amish, contemporary romances. Both this one and Need You Now (her first in this genre) are set in small-town Texas, a familiar background she loves exploring and writing about. Prior to becoming a novelist, Wiseman received honors for her work as a journalist. Today, she and her husband are empty-nesters who live in a small Texas community. When she’s not writing, Wiseman enjoys painting (which you can view on her Fans of Beth Wiseman Facebook page).

About this book: In the charming town of Smithville, Texas, Brooke Holloway is raising two young children on her own, supporting them by running the family hardware store. The last thing on her mind is falling in love. But she’s intrigued when a stranger moves to town and buys the old Hadley mansion. She’s always heard that house holds a secret—maybe even a treasure—and she can’t wait to see inside. When she meets the new owner and they spend time together, she can’t deny the attraction. Could God be giving her another chance at happiness? Or is she betraying her late husband’s memory by even thinking that way?

Owen Saunders bought the Hadley place to spite his cheating ex-wife. She’d always wanted to restore an old house in Smithville. Now he’s going to do it without her. But if anything needs restoration, it is Owen’s heart. Then he meets Brooke and her kids and finds himself tempted by love. Can he bring himself to trust a woman again?

Throw an eccentric uncle into the mix, along with the town’s teenage troublemaker, and even a finicky cat—and one thing becomes clear: God is bringing them all together for a reason.

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Reminds me of… a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. Novels by Susan Meissner or Lisa Wingate.

Judge this book by its cover? If you like the looks of it (as I did), I can almost guarantee you’ll like what’s inside.

Rating: 5/5 stars. Charming romance.

Buy or borrow?: Buy if you like Christian contemporary romance

Why did I read this book? To review for BookSneeze. Because I’ve never read a book by this bestselling author and wanted to give her a try. Because I liked the cover.

My take: One of the joys of book reviewing is opening myself up to genres I don’t normally read. Christian contemporary romance, for instance. I usually steer away from straight romances as I generally prefer a little more heft to my entertainment. But I liked the looks of this one by an untried author and thought it worth the try.

Am I ever glad I took that chance.

Turns out I spent many delightful hours curled in my favorite reading chair immersed in this delightful story. Though the plot is simple, the characters quickly endeared themselves to me with their warm humanity, making me care what happened to them. Gentle humor sparked like summer fireflies, and a nicely woven mystery and an occasional surprising plot twist kept those pages turning.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I recommend The House That Love Built for any mom who enjoys a simple, sweet romance. Or make it a gift for yourself, a perfect summer read.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers and Booksneeze for providing me a copy to review. All opinions are mine.

Learn more about Beth Wiseman and her books at her excellent website, bethwiseman.com.