"you're the one that i want" by susan may warren

I've had You're the One that I Want in my possession for several months now, but I just finally got around to reading it. Why? Because I have adored Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series, and this is the final book. I just didn't want the journey to end!

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Owen Christiansen has been in a downward spiral since an injury ended his NHL career. But a job on an Alaskan crabbing boat offers a fresh start . . . maybe even a shot at romance with Elise “Scotty” McFlynn, the captain’s daughter.

Used to being one of the guys, to never relying on anyone, Scotty doesn’t believe in happily ever after―especially with someone like Owen. Her instinct is confirmed when Casper Christiansen arrives to drag his prodigal brother home, bringing with him a truckload of family drama―and even worse, the news that Casper is wanted for questioning in connection to a crime back in Minnesota.

But Owen is more than the sum of his mistakes, a truth both he and Scotty discover when she escorts both brothers to Deep Haven as part of her new job on the Anchorage police force. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of family, faith, and fresh starts, Scotty begins to see potential for a happy ending . . . if she’s brave enough to embrace it.

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You're the One that I Want is Owen Christiansen's story. Owen, the prodigal son, the family black sheep, the character I most disliked throughout the series. Yet, in a testament to Warren's great writing, as I began the book, I found myself rooting for—and even really, really liking—Owen!

While the book focuses on Owen and Scotty's relationship, it also ties up loose ends from the other Christiansen books—especially regarding Casper. I was surprised to find that I was not "Team Casper" for most of the novel ... and that brings up something that I've greatly appreciated about the Christiansen Family series: the Christiansens are most definitely not perfect, even after a "come to Jesus" moment. The characters mess up—sometimes in major ways—yet they remain a family and love each other, while also not excusing bad behavior. This is especially evident as the family deals with the fallout of both Owen's and Casper's actions throughout the series.

Not only is You're the One that I Want a fabulous conclusion to the Christiansen Family novels, but the entire series is wonderful, and I highly recommend all of the books! 5 stars.

Note: This series is one that is best read in order. Start with Take a Chance on Me, and then work your way through the rest. This is one of my favorite series of all time!

Buy the book.
Read my reviews of other Christiansen family novels: When I Fall in Love (5 stars); Evergreen, a Christiansen family novella (5 stars); Always on My Mind (5 stars); and The Wonder of You (5 stars).

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Susan May Warren is the ECPA and CBA bestselling author of over fifty novels, with more than one million books sold. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. She can be found online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook at SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @susanmaywarren.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased this book myself and reviewed it by choice. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"the wonder of you" by susan may warren

The Wonder of You continues Susan May Warren's wonderful Christiansen Family series.

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Mortified after her semester abroad is cut short, Amelia Christiansen returns to Deep Haven, certain she isn’t brave enough for the adventures she’s dreamed of. The last thing she expects is for the man who broke her heart to cross the Atlantic and beg forgiveness.

Heir to a European hotel dynasty, Roark St. John has trekked from one exotic locale to another, haunted by tragedy and the expectations that accompany his last name. Amelia is the first woman to give him a reason to stop running. He’ll do anything for a second chance—even contend with Amelia’s old flame, who is intent on sending Roark packing.

While one surprise after another leaves Amelia reeling, Roark’s continued presence only highlights the questions pursuing her. Like him, is she running from the life God has called her to? Could finding her new place mean leaving home behind?

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The overarching theme in The Wonder of You is pursuing the life God has called you to, wherever that may be and however that life may look.

After returning home from Europe with her heart broken, Amelia wonders if God's plans for her really include more than Deep Haven. Maybe she should settle down with Seth, her high school boyfriend, and live out her days in Deep Haven. But her heart continues pulling her toward Roark, even though she's not sure she can fully trust him. She struggles to understand what God wants for her.

Max Sharpe, Grace Christiansen's fiance, also struggles to understand God's plan for his life. Knowing he faces declining health and eventually death due to Huntington's disease, he decided that children could not be in his future. But when an orphan practically falls into Grace's lap, Max begins to realize that God may have something bigger in mind for him and Grace.

I love the way that Susan May Warren seamlessly weaves spiritual truth into a completely gripping family drama. One thing that has stuck with me, even several days after finishing the book, is a conversation that Amelia has with her best friends about following God's call. One of her friends says that if God called her to missions, she would just say no—after all, people say no to God all the time. That got me thinking—in what ways have I said no to God, and how much richer would my life be if I had said yes? Food for thought, for sure.

Of course, I enjoyed the novel for more than the deep thinking it provoked! The romance between Amelia and Roark was sweet (if a bit frustrating at times), and I loved how Roark fit into the Deep Haven community. I also enjoyed looking in on most of the other Christiansens again, as well as Jensen and Claire (from Take a Chance on Me).

Though it was the "B" plot of the novel, I absolutely adored the story surrounding Max and Grace. They are my favorite of the couples so far, so I was thrilled to jump back into their story and see how their relationship progressed since they fell in love in When I Fall in Love.

I feel like a broken record whenever I review one of the Christiansen Family books because I have only good things to say about them! This is a series that you absolutely don't want to miss, and The Wonder of You is just as gripping as all the preceding books in the series. 5 stars.

Read an excerpt.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of other Christiansen Family novels: When I Fall in Love (5 stars), Evergreen (5 stars), and Always on my Mind (5 stars).

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Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors. 

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter, Facebook

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"always on my mind" by susan may warren

Warren's excellent Christiansen Family series continues with Always on my Mind.

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After a failed dig in Honduras, aspiring archaeologist Casper Christiansen heads home to Minnesota to face his unresolved feelings for Raina Beaumont, the woman of his dreams. But when he arrives unannounced on her doorstep, he receives the shock of a lifetime: Raina is pregnant with someone else’s baby.

Heartbroken, especially when he discovers the identity of the baby’s father, Casper tables his dreams and determines to be dependable for once, helping his older brother, Darek, prepare the family resort for its grand reopening. Casper longs to be the hero of at least one family story, but a never-ending Deep Haven winter and costly repairs threaten their efforts—and the future of the resort.

Worse, one of Casper’s new jobs constantly brings him into contact with Raina, whom he can’t seem to forget. A tentative friendship begins to heal fresh wounds, but can they possibly overcome past mistakes and current choices to discover a future together?

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Not since Karen Kingsbury's Baxter saga have I been so engrossed in a book series. (We all know how that turned out, but I don't think this series will have the same fate.) In the Christiansen family, author Susan May Warren has created characters who are realistically flawed yet wholly likeable. (With the exception of youngest son Owen who, at this point, isn't very likeable at all. I have no doubt he's redeemable, though!)

Casper Christiansen and Raina Beaumont's story, which began in When I Fall in Love, takes center stage in Always on my Mind. Casper and Raina are both lost souls, though in different ways, and in each other they find someone who causes them to become better versions of themselves. Isn't that what we all want in a partner—someone who loves us as we are, yet pushes us to be better?

Though I loved the preceding novels in the series, I soon realized that Always on my Mind had the potential to be supremely annoying. (Don't worry: it wasn't!) Raina made decision after decision that I didn't agree with, and I tend to have a low tolerance for heroines (or heroes) who make "stupid" decisions. Here, though, Raina's decisions—while not what I would choose—were understandable. Warren did such an excellent job of fleshing out Raina's past, both here and in When I Fall in Love, that while I wanted her to be with Casper and tell the truth about certain events, I understood why she was so hesitant.

I went into Always on my Mind with one idea of what would happen, and the book's actual events turned out to be completely different, yet wholly satisfying. Of course Susan May Warren had a better idea of what should happen to her characters than I did! Also, there's a delicious set up to the next novel, The Wonder of You, which will finally let us know what on earth happened to Amelia Christiansen in Europe. I can't wait! 5 stars.

Note: The Christiansen Family series is one you'll want to read in order. Each book leads into the next, and you could be pretty lost if you don't go in order. You probably could get away with skipping Evergreen, which is a novella that falls between When I Fall in Love and Always on my Mind, but why would you want to?

Read the first chapter.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of When I Fall in Love (5 stars) and Evergreen (5 stars).

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Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors.

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter, Facebook

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"evergreen" by susan may warren

Fans of Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series will love this glimpse into the lives of John & Ingrid, the Christiansen parents.

An empty nest has Ingrid Christiansen dreading the upcoming holidays, but her husband, John, couldn't be more excited about this new season of life. He even has a surprise trip abroad planned. He’s sure she'll love it. What’s more romantic than Christmas in Paris?

Before he can stop her, however, Ingrid agrees to spearhead a major church project. Then their faithful dog, Butterscotch, needs emergency surgery, draining their savings. And then—because disasters strike in threes—an unexpected guest arrives, dredging up old hurts.

As a beautiful blanket of snow transforms the north woods into a winter wonderland, a deep chill settles over John and Ingrid’s marriage. With the holidays fast approaching, their only hope of keeping their love evergreen depends on turning the page on the past and embracing a new chapter of their future.

I'd be hard pressed to name a series I'm enjoying more than Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series. Each of the novels focuses on one of John & Ingrid Christiansen's adult children. Up to this point, we've seen glimpses of John and Ingrid, but we haven't really gotten to know them. But Evergreen, a novella that falls after the third book in the series (When I Fall in Love), rectifies that.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this novella. After all, how interesting could empty nesters be? Well, I shouldn't have doubted; Evergreen is every bit as engaging and heartwarming as the novels about John and Ingrid's children. There's also a depth of emotion—both good and bad—that I didn't anticipate. Yes, I cried. Twice.

Through the pages of this novella, John and Ingrid became more than the wise, supportive parents we saw in the previous novels. They became real, fleshed out characters who I wanted to both hug and smack at various times. I'm sure I'll look at them differently when they appear in future Christiansen Family novels. 5 stars.

Buy the book.
Read Susan May Warren's blog post about Evergreen.
Read my review of When I Fall in Love.

Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors.

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter, Facebook

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers and the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"when i fall in love" by susan may warren

About the book: Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she'd vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled-or maybe yanked-away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace's faith will face its toughest test yet.

My take: Words cannot express just how much I love this series! After flying through Take a Chance on Me and It Had to Be You in one weekend, I couldn't wait to get my hands on When I Fall in Love. It did not disappoint.

While I always love Warren's novels, When I Fall in Love hit a bit closer to home, probably because I saw shades of myself in Grace. A homebody by nature, Grace faces several moments that require extreme bravery, and her life becomes better for it. Likewise, I've made and followed through on several decisions that stretched me and molded me into the person I am today ... but at the time, I would rather have stayed curled up in bed. How fitting that I read this book on the heels of Annie Downs' Let's All Be Brave. The two books definitely complement each other.

Of course, Grace's journey wasn't the only aspect of this book I loved—it also features a phenomenal love story! Grace and Max's story is one of those toe-curling, sigh-inducing romances. There's also a subplot featuring Grace's brothers Casper and Owen and her friend Raina that took a major turn at the end of the novel, and I can't wait to see how that story line will turn out. While I'm sorry to reach the end of this novel, I'm eagerly anticipating the next in the series!

My rating: 5 stars

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of other Susan May Warren novels.

About the author: Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors.

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter,Facebook

About the giveaway:  Susan May Warren's newest book in the Christiansen Family Collection, When I Fall In Love,  has won over readers' and critics' hearts alike. With critical reviews like, ". . . an exquisite romance. Profoundly touching on the topic of facing fears, this book is a true gem," and more than 60 five-star reviews at Amazon, When I Fall in Love is sure to please.

Susan has teamed up with some amazing food bloggers for a fun food challenge and a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway!

  One grand prize winner will receive:

• A KitchenAid Mixer
• The first three books in the Christiansen Family Collection.
• Melissa Ringstaff’s Kitchen Planner
• Jackie Brown's Freezer Inventory sheet

Grab your aprons and wire whisks and buzz on over to the When I Fall in Love website to learn more and enter the Hawaiian Chef Showdown! Susan is challenging you to make a Hawaiian-inspired dish using coconut, mango, or one of the other ingredients mentioned in the book. You’ll get extra points for creating your own recipe—plus she might share it on the When I Fall in Love site! Or if you're not up for an adventure in the kitchen just click one of the icons below for easy entry.

Hurry, the giveaway ends on August 10th. All winners will be announced August 13th at Susan's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Susan's blog on the 13th to see if you won!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."