Books like Pleasant surprises by Becky Melby

A hesitant young woman, running from herself, unexpectedly finds hope and love while working at a gym owned by a determined man who challenges her beliefs about faith and forgiveness.

When a single father sends his eight‑year‑old daughter to Florida for a summer of support, a compassionate woman must balance help with her own heart and faith.

Lauren Foster escapes city turmoil to find refuge in Holiday Harbor, Maine, where a toy store job and friendly locals await—until contractor Ben Thomas turns her peaceful life upside down.

In the midst of the French and Indian War, indentured servant Lily Harwood finds herself torn between duty, love, and faith as she navigates the rugged Pennsylvania frontier.

When New York fashion designer Celie Donovan’s life is destroyed by fire and unemployment, she leaves the city for a Connecticut apple orchard, where love and faith may help her rebuild her dreams with Matthew Patrick.

High‑powered lawyer Asher Chatam faces a career‑driven life until his eccentric aunts bring him to Chatam House, where he meets Ellie Monroe, a young teacher who shows him the value of love over deadlines.

Nine modern women embark on culinary adventures that spark romance, from starting businesses to finding love with an amputee, all while navigating personal trials and heartfelt quests for family.

Angel DeMarco leaves her privileged life to run a mission home for the homeless and recovering addicts, where undercover cop Greg Peterson’s investigation forces both to confront deceit, danger, and their own hearts.

Emily and Steven, each seeking family and stability, marry to combine their lives and children. A new home in East Texas tests their bond as they learn to bridge their differences and earn the children’s love.

Veteran Seth Hansen seeks healing in small-town Harland, North Carolina, but a storm and the hopeful waitress Lisa Sawyer ignite his spirit of service and Christmas joy—testing whether he can help her and himself find their true places.

April Douglas vows to honor her late sister Caitlyn by ticking off her adventurous wish list, from climbing a water tower to chasing a tornado, while a storm‑chasing TV weatherman with a hidden agenda watches and helps her confront her fears.

When Zoey Witherspoon’s DEA‑agent husband vanishes in a plane crash, she must raise her children alone in Sweetwater—until, two years later, he reappears, living with amnesia. Facing a fragmented marriage and a new future, Zoey wonders if a second chance can truly make her dreams come true.

Sydney can't believe she's falling for an ex-con. Fresh out of prison, Trace McKay is the first parolee to join the Sanctuary program run by Sydney Jennet's church. Trace doesn't deny causing a man's death, but there's more to the story than some people in Pine Bluff, Minnesota want to believe. But church members are expressing their dissent with more than their voices. Sydney tries to remind critics of the Sanctuary program of Jesus' command to ?love one another.” But never in her wildest imagination did she expect the first parolee to be a man so good-looking, a man who knows the Lord. . .a man she finds herself falling madly in love with. Trace has nothing to hide about his past, but someone in Pine Bluff won't forgive him for it. Will the menacing threats targeting Trace and Sydney tear the two apart? Can Sydney find the courage to face her own past and trust Trace with the secrets she's tried so hard to hide?

When a distant nephew inherits a ranch in Broken Bow, Nebraska, Paula Thompson must decide whether to embrace a new life and a traveling preacher’s quiet faith—and face a secret that could test both.