As beauty is to the beholder, so are lengthy books to the reader. My personal preference is short, heartwarming stories that I can read quickly—so 350 pages is typically my cutoff. Anything above that feels long. It’s why you won’t catch me reading War and Peace, Les Misérables, or even Pride and Prejudice, but I can get my reading chops around The Great Gatsby. It’s also why you aren’t going to see any classic literature here. I also counted a book (or two) of novellas as one read. Hey, it was all bound together!
All that was just to say: here are the longest books I’ve read since starting my reading blog.
A Lancaster Amish Christmas by Anne Blackburne; Amy Clipston; Amy Lillard; Mindy Steele
Published by: Barbour Publishing
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Series: Amish Calling
Genres: Amish Romance | Christian Romance |Novellas & Short Stories
Pages: 448
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Christmas Is Simply a Time for Love
Enjoy a simple Amish Christmas in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, that is sweetened by second chances, trimmed in love, and wrapped in faith.
Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam by Anne Blackburne
When her parents suddenly died, Lucy stepped into the mother role for her infant sister with Down’s Syndrome. But Lucy’s boyfriend wasn’t interested in a readymade family. Living in the dawdi house on her brother’s farm, Lucy is happy with life—until she literally runs into the hardware store owner and desire for romance returns.
A Bird-in-Hand Christmas by Amy Clipston
After learning her boyfriend, Wyatt, was seeing someone else, Makayla moved across state and married. Recently widowed, she visits her parents for Christmas, only to find that Wyatt is still single and working for her father. When her five-year-old son instantly bonds with Wyatt, Makayla starts to hope for a second chance at love.
Christmas Lily by Amy Lillard
Seven-year-old Jacob Bontrager is working hard to help his lonely widower father find love again. He believes his pretty new teacher who has just moved to the community is perfect, but none of his matchmaking works until a snowstorm strands Lily Kate Troyer at the Bontrager farm. Could God and nature be on Jacob’s side?
Leaving Lancaster by Mindy Steele
The Wicky sisters didn’t expect their father to sell their thriving deer farm with plans to move them to Kentucky. Always obedient Louise fears for her growing jam business. Beth cannot wait to start a new adventure while her twin, Leah, is running out of time for a happy-ever-after. They have only one Christmas left in Lancaster. Can God deliver a Christmas miracle for all three?
Small Town Harmony by Milla Holt
Series: Rhapsody of Grace
Publisher: Reinbok Limited
Publication Date: February 5, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Christian Romance
Pages: 436
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Faith, fame, and family collide as a Christian music power couple hides a secret discord.
Ezra Falconer’s career with his brothers’ band always took center stage while his shy wife Martha was content to play a supporting role in the background. That all changed when Martha’s hidden talent was discovered and she became a breakout singing star. Shedding her frumpy image, her old-timey name, and 100 extra pounds, she transformed into the sultry and sophisticated “Morgan.”
Ezra, grappling with his own career setbacks, struggles to reconcile the confident superstar with the unassuming woman he married.
Martha returns from a sell-out international tour to a marriage on shaky ground. Unprepared for the pressures of fame, she navigates new opportunities that threaten to pull her and her husband even further apart.
As they hide their crumbling marriage from family, friends and fans, Ezra and Martha are asked to collaborate on a charity album, forcing them to confront the growing silence between them. How can they rediscover harmony while they’re singing in different keys?
Yours Blindly by Rose Fresquez
Series: The Office Heartthrobs – Book 2
Publisher: Independently Published
Publication Date: April 27, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 398
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He’s the bane of her existence. She’s the reason for his.
Most people at the office consider me a nice guy, friendly even—everyone, that is, except for the graphic designer. Lexi Sinclair branded me the enemy from the day I challenged her designs in a critical meeting. Despite her skill in crafting stunning visuals, I’m the gatekeeper of what ultimately makes it to our platforms. As the marketing director, I’m not just her boss by title; I define the strategy. Yet, she resists me at every opportunity, a challenge I’m tempted to sidestep—before she gets under my skin.
Fate, however, delights in complications. It starts with a blind date, and who else shows up but Lexi? As if that’s not bad enough, she becomes my temporary neighbor in adjoining townhouses. I play my music loud, she craves silence—my uncontrolled Great Dane destroys her porch plants. And now our confrontations spill from the boardroom to our shared driveway, turning every encounter into a battleground.
Yet, beneath her frosty exterior lies something unexpectedly fragile, revealed as life throws its harsh realities and forces us to rely on each other. With every heated exchange, our reasons for rivalry blur, and I can’t pinpoint when we shifted from foes to something resembling friends.
As our defenses crumble, sparks ignite and suddenly we breathe the same air. I realize then that she’s everything I didn’t know I needed, and my world can’t function without Lexi in it. I may never fully understand Lexi Sinclair, but perhaps that’s not necessary. Maybe I’m meant to be hers, blindly.
This is book 2 in the Office Hearthrobs Series. Each book can be read as a complete standalone.
With All Her Heart by Kelly Irvin
Published by: Zondervan Fiction
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Series: Amish Calling – Book 3
Genres: Amish Romance | Christian Romance
Pages: 384
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Bonnie is successful in her crafts shop but fears no man will see past her disability to her strong and loving heart. Elijah dreams of leaving the family business to focus on his carvings. Can they find a new path together?
Elijah Miller is a quiet and painfully shy man with a talent for carving the handmade toys and furniture that tourists in the Amish shops love. The large, boisterous Miller family is anything but shy. With a thriving auction business, they want him to do what he hates most: taking the stage and calling the auctions. He loves his family and wants to support them, but will they allow room for Elijah to follow his own dream?
Bonnie Yoder began the Homespun Handicrafts with her friends, Sophia and Carol. Each has a physical disability to overcome but together they prove that wheelchairs and rollators will not stop them from building a business and a craft community. Bonnie, with her chestnut curls and pretty face, yearns for a husband and family of her own but fears her spinal condition will keep any Amish man from choosing a life with her. Can a man like Elijah see past her walker to the woman behind it?
With the support of his beloved dog, Slowpoke, Elijah finds the courage to bring in samples of his handcrafted toys for Bonnie to consider for display in the shop. Through her advice, Elijah begins to see a possible new life doing what he loves best. Bonnie, in reconnecting with this old school friend, fears that the hope for a relationship that she feels may be another disappointment.
Can Elijah and Bonnie help each other find the lives they want and the love they desire?
The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
Publication Date: April 22, 2025
Genres: Thriller | Domestic Thriller | Psychological Thriller
Pages: 368
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She thought she was the only one lying about her identity. Until she stepped into her sister’s life.
Charlotte Kane has always dreamed of a different life, one where she isn’t living paycheck to paycheck. An existence worlds away from the chaos of her own. Then her estranged mother dies, and Charlotte makes a stunning discovery—she has an identical twin who was given up for adoption.
Acelynn Benedict is polished, successful and seems to have everything Charlotte yearns for—a wealthy, doting family in Savannah, a handsome boyfriend, a great career. She’s just as surprised as Charlotte to learn she has a sister. But when tragedy hits and Charlotte is forced to assume Acelynn’s identity in a desperate moment, she uncovers something altogether darker…
No one in her sister’s life is quite who they seem to be. And every discovery leads Charlotte deeper into a web of deadly secrets. Charlotte may have wanted Acelynn’s life, yet now that she’s living it, she wants out. But if she reveals the truth about herself, it will mean returning to her old life—and she’s already a dead woman there.
Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet
Series: Beignets for Two – Book 2
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: March 18, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Pages: 364
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Forty-year-old Kate Landry’s carefully planned life has become as messy as the powdered sugar on her famous beignets. Juggling the responsibilities of running her café, raising her teenage niece, and the emotional baggage from her breakup, Kate finds her world once again turned upside down when her first-ever crush, Micah Guidry, returns to town as the hunky local librarian.
As Kate struggles to implement her plans to expand her café amid the New Orleans Mardi Gras madness and the meddling of her conniving ex-fiancé, Micah becomes the unwitting hero of her misadventures, stirring up feelings she thought she’d long buried. How can falling in love in the Big Easy be this hard?
A Year of Flowers by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: 11/19/2024
Genres: Novellas & Short Stories | Contemporary Romance | Christian Romance
Pages: 368
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In this collection of four heartfelt novellas, three former friends have found success in the floral industry, but happiness–and love–remain elusive.
In An Apology in Bloom, wedding florist Jaime Harper is on a meteoric rise, working for an event company led by a successful and way-too-handsome boss. When a letter arrives from her past mentor with an offer too good to pass up, will she stay or head back to her hometown?
In A Bouquet of Dreams, Claire Murphy has always dreamed of owning a flower shop, and when her employers hint at retirement, she believes her moment has arrived. But first she must confront her past–and the man who caused her to flee her hometown years ago.
In A Field of Beauty, Tessa Anderson has found an acre of farmland to start her flower farm and forget the past. She’s grateful for the help of two men–her boyfriend, Tyler, and a quiet soil specialist named Dawson. But as the farm finally starts to bloom, Tessa will discover something that challenges everything she’s built.
In A Future in Blossom, Jaime, Claire, and Tessa return to their hometown, finally ready to face each other and their beloved mentor, flower shop owner Rose Reid. As they unite to pull off an extraordinary wedding, amid the flurry of preparations they just may find their way to forgiveness.
When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden
Series: The Women of Midtown
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Genres: Christian Historical Romance
Pages: 352
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In a world on the brink of war, two hearts must navigate shadows of uncertainty.
Inga Klein’s carefree life in New York takes a dramatic turn when she sails for Berlin, Germany, to serve as the secretary for America’s ambassador. Amid the glamour of life at the embassy, she continually finds herself at odds with the straitlaced and imposing Benedict Kincaid, the diplomatic chief of staff who harbors deep misgivings toward the German-born Inga.
As Europe hurtles toward World War I, Benedict’s determination to keep America out of the conflict adds to the already tense atmosphere. Despite their relentless sparring, Inga and Benedict succeed in keeping the embassy afloat through one crisis after another. But when they run out of diplomatic options, a marriage of convenience may be Inga’s only hope of escape from the impending war.
The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould
Series: Letters from Lancaster County
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Genre: Amish Romance
Pages: 352
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Leslie Gould delights in this sweet and humorous Amish romance reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail.
Lois Yoder has always found solace in the quiet life of Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she manages a gift shop that reflects her Amish community’s simple values. Her tranquil world is upended when Moses Lantz, a former Amishman turned Mennonite and the man who broke her heart, buys the shop with ambitious plans to transform it into a tourist hub–a move that Lois fiercely opposes.
Seeking a distraction, Lois joins a bird watchers’ circle letter under an alias. But unknown to her, Moses does the same at the urging of a friend. While their correspondence blossoms into a tender romance, the enmity between Lois and Moses in real life only intensifies. Can they overcome their animosity and embrace the love they’ve found through their letters, or will their stubborn hearts keep them apart forever?
This heartwarming Amish romance includes themes of bird watching, correspondence by letters, enemies to lovers, and family secrets for readers of Beverly Lewis, Wanda E. Brunstetter, and Shelley Shepard Gray.
Green Pastures by Patricia Johns
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: March 18, 2025
Genres: Amish Romance
Pages: 352
Format: paperback – received from Publisher
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Tabitha Schrock’s return to Lancaster County shakes the foundations of her family and community. After her departure during rumspringa and a recent divorce, Tabitha faces the challenge of reintegrating into Amish society while pursuing her dream of working as a veterinarian. Meanwhile, her sister Amanda, whose own prospects were dimmed by Tabitha’s leaving Shepherd’s Hill, decides to seize her chance at love by pursuing a man with a shadowed past. And their youngest sister, Rose, despite her beauty and romantic hopes, faces the harsh realities of matrimony, grappling with the weight of vows made before Gott and her community.
As the sisters navigate the intricacies of love, faith, and tradition, they are bound by their commitment to uphold their Amish way of life. But as they strive to keep their promises, how much are they willing to sacrifice to remain true to themselves and their community?
What do you consider a long book?
What’s the longest book you’ve read?
Thank you to The Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday!
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