best books of 2014: top 10

According to my Pinterest board, I reviewed 88 books in 2014. I'm not sure I remembered to pin all of my reviews, and I did read a few books that I didn't review, so I'm guessing that I read between 90 and 100 books during 2014. That's insane! I enjoyed—even loved—the vast majority of books that I read this year. It really seems like the inspirational market was on fire in 2014—there were just so many great books published, and I still have a bunch of titles on my TBR list. Here's hoping 2015 is just as good!

I had a really difficult time narrowing my list of best books down to ten, but after much debate, I did it ... though I will list some honorable mentions at the end. (Note that these are books that I read in 2014; they may have been published earlier.)

10. An October Bride by Katie Ganshert (my review)

I read each of Zondervan's Year of Weddings novellas, and An October Bride was my favorite. I absolutely love fake dating/engagement stories (almost as much as I love marriage of convenience stories), and Ganshert's novella nears perfection. Plus, it can be read in about an hour, making for a really enjoyable evening.

9. Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck (my review)

I'm absolutely loving Hauck's Royal Weddings series, and Princess Ever After was a pure delight. If you like fairy tales with a side of reality, then this is the book for you! (Also note that you don't need to have previously read Once Upon a Prince in order to enjoy Princess Ever After.)

8. All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant (my review)

If you enjoy cooking competition shows like I do (my most recent fave was Food Network's Holiday Baking Championship), you'll love Betsy St. Amant's romance/behind-the-scenes look at a Food Network-ish show. Plus, the cover is to die for!

7. Luminary by Krista McGee (my review)

This may seem like an odd choice, since I also read the wonderful conclusion to McGee's Anomaly series in 2014. I gave both books 5 stars, but I enjoyed Luminary just a bit more. I think it was because it focused on Thalli's introduction to the world outside of the State, and Revolutionary (the final book) takes place almost entirely in the State. Both books are fantastic (as is Anomaly, which was #9 on my best of 2013 list); I just liked Luminary a bit more.

6. Silenced by Dani Pettrey (my review)

Finally in 2014, Pettrey gave us the story we'd been waiting years for—Jake and Kayden's story! (At least I'd been waiting years for it!) Silenced is the fourth book in Pettrey's fantastic Alaskan Courage series. Not only is the romance wonderful (and long overdue!), but the suspense in Silenced felt so much more, well, suspenseful than in the previous novels. Read this book ... but read the others in the series first (Submerged, Shattered, Stranded)!

5. A Promise in Pieces by Emily Wierenga (my review)

Of all the books on the list, A Promise in Pieces surprised me the most. When it arrived in my mailbox, I thought, Why on earth did I request this book? Then I started reading. Not only is the story completely captivating, but this book is also responsible for the top "ugly cry" of the year. I was practically sobbing! A Promise in Pieces is so much more than a romance—it's a beautifully written, life-affirming masterpiece. (And I still say that Hallmark should make it into a movie!)

4. In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin (my review)

Is it any surprise a Sarah Sundin book landed on my list? Each year that I've compiled a list (2011, 2012, 2013), a Sundin book has made the cut. 2014 couldn't be the odd man out! In Perfect Time is the perfect (ha, ha) conclusion to Sundin's Wings of the Nightingale series, and I think it's probably my favorite of the three books in the series. Now I'm eagerly awaiting Sundin's next release!

3. Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter (my review)

Dancing with Fireflies is the second book in Hunter's Chapel Springs series to make one of my "Best of" lists—Barefoot Summer was #10 on my 2013 list. Where Barefoot Summer was wonderful, Dancing with Fireflies was simply phenomenal. In fact, for much of the year I thought it would end up in the top spot. It did get edged out (barely), but it's still one of the best books I've read in a long time.

2. When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren (my review)

The love that I feel for Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series knows no bounds. In fact, this is one series that I think I could happily reread (and I very rarely reread books). While I completely adored Take a Chance on Me and It Had to Be You (though I never reviewed them ...), I fell head over heels for When I Fall in Love. Grace Christiansen is my favorite book heroine of 2014, probably because I see bits of myself in her. Because of the way Warren is writing this series, with one book flowing into the next, you really need to begin with Take a Chance on Me and just dive into the series. Trust me; you want to read these books!

1. Meant to be Mine by Becky Wade (my review)

In 2012, I read Wade's My Stubborn Heart and immediately knew I'd found another writer to watch. (That book ended up in the #1 spot on my Best of 2012 list.) While I enjoyed her follow-up novel, Undeniably Yours, I didn't have the same connection with that book that I'd had with My Stubborn Heart. (Don't get me wrong—I liked it. A lot. But it just wasn't quite as good as My Stubborn Heart.) So I went into Meant to Be Mine a bit cautiously, wondering if Wade could capture the magic of My Stubborn Heart again. And she did! I read Meant to Be Mine in one evening (and early morning)—I simply couldn't put it down! Not only was the romance sizzling hot (without crossing the line), but the characters were some of the most realistic that you'll find in the inspirational market. Celia and Ty were certainly not perfect ... and that made them even more likable. Even now, I'm itching to read the book again. It's so, so good!

Honorable Mention (because I couldn't stop at 10):
A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher (my review)
Take A Chance on Me, It Had to be You, and Evergreen (my review) by Susan May Warren
A May Bride by Meg Moseley (my review)
Friend Me by John Fabion (my review)
Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin (my review)

There are my favorites ... what did you love reading in 2014?

Disclosure of Material Connection: 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.”

"a promise in pieces" by emily wierenga

About the series: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. The Quilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

About the book (from Litfuse): A baby quilt touches many hearts as it travels from family-to-family and through generations.

After the end of World War II, Clara Kirkpatrick returns from the Women's Army Corp to deliver a dying soldier's last wishes: convey his love to his young widow, Mattie, with apologies for the missed life they had planned to share.
Struggling with her own post-war trauma, Clara thinks she's not prepared to handle the grief of this broken family. Yet upon meeting Mattie, and receiving a baby quilt that will never cuddle the soldier's baby, Clara vows to honor the sacrifices that family made.

Now a labor and delivery nurse in her rural hometown, Clara wraps each new babe in the gifted quilt and later stitches the child's name into the cloth. As each new child is welcomed by the quilt, Clara begins to wonder whatever happened to Mattie—and if her own life would ever experience the love of a newborn. Little does she know that she will have the opportunity to re-gift the special quilt—years later and carrying even greater significance than when it was first bestowed.

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

My take: I've read several of the Quilts of Love books with mixed results. Some I've really enjoyed, and others have been difficult to get through. But A Promise in Pieces? It's in a class of its own.

One thing that makes A Promise in Pieces unique is the way it's told. It begins in the year 2000 as Clara, her husband Oliver, and their children and grandchildren are traveling to New Orleans to deliver a special quilt to a museum. This portion (and all other portions in 2000) is written in third person. Then Clara begins telling her story—and the story of the quilt—to her grandson Noah, and this part is written in first person from Clara's perspective. What's different about this is the reader can actually hear Clara speaking to Noah—it's as though this portion was a transcription of Clara's speech. Wierenga switches seamlessly between Clara's story and the action in 2000 as she unveils Clara's story in pieces.

Ultimately, though, what makes A Promise in Pieces special is the story itself. Clara and Oliver's love story is so sweet and unusual, and the story of the quilt and how it touched so many lives is truly special. And near the end, when Clara faces something she'd dreaded her whole life, well, let's just say I had to stop reading for a bit to regain my composure! The end is not what I expected, but it's very fitting for Clara.

At a mere 193 pages, A Promise in Pieces can be read in an evening, but the story will stick with you much longer than that. It's one of those novels that I would love to see made into a film. (Hallmark???) I highly recommend it!

My rating: 5 stars

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of other Quilts of Love novels: Aloha Rose, Tempest's Course, and A Wild Goose Chase Christmas.

About the author: Emily Wierenga is a former editor, ghostwriter, freelance writer and staff journalist, a monthly columnist for The Christian Courier, and the author of Save My Children (Castle Quay Books, 2008), Chasing Silhouettes (Ampelon Publishing, 2012) and Mom in the Mirror (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013). Emily resides in Alberta, Canada. This is her first novel.

Learn more about Emily at http://www.emilywierenga.com.

About the giveaway: The latest Quilts of Love release, A Promise in Pieces by Emily Wierenga is receiving glowing reviews.

Emily is celebrating the release of her debut novel with a "Women Helping Women" shopping spree giveaway.

  One winner will receive:

• $200 to spend at Emily's favorite shops, Noonday Collection & Vibella (Click through to learn more about how these companies exist to make a difference in the lives of women!)
• A Promise in Pieces by Emily Wierenga
• A Stitch and a Prayer by Eva Gibson
• Rival Hearts by Tara Randel

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 10th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love blog on May 12th. Then be sure to stop by the Quilts of Love Facebook page on May 29th for the "Quilting Bee" Facebook party with Emily and other Quilts of Love authors. RSVP for an evening of book chat, quilting tips & tricks, prizes, and more!

Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

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."