Christy Awards 2026 Finalists – Contemporary Romance

The Christy Award is destined to nurture creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres. These 2026 finalists are books published in 2025. 

You select ONE of the Contemporary Romance  finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in a comment. If you win that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the finalists. (I have provided links to my reviews of the books I have read.)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Giveaway details may vary with each book (print, ebook only or winner’s choice of either, plus audible options for Canadians.) Edition availability will be noted in bold after the title/author/publisher of each entry. ALSO NOTE: *Giveaway is for US and Canada OR ebook international if you have US Kindle account*

Echoes of a Silent Song, Amanda Wen
Kregel Publications, 9780825449819

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – paperback, ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account

A split-time romance from an award-winning author
When a choral composer and conductor falls victim to creative block, he resorts to his fallback plan of teaching high school choir. Callum Knight’s goal at Peterson High is rediscover his muse, extract himself from teaching, and get back to Boston as quickly as possible.

As the long-suffering accompanist at the high school, Peterson-native Blair Emerson has watched the revolving door of choir directors and their negative impact on her choirs over the last few years. She is less than impressed when a disheveled Callum stumbles in on his first day.

But then they discover an unsigned, unfinished, and handwritten choral composition by a clear musical genius. Blair recalls rumors of Iris, a Peterson student from the 1970s who composed music but was found dead during her senior year. Blair and Callum work to determine if the piece is hers, and the truth they uncover shakes both of them to the core.

With rhythm and flair, Amanda Wen takes readers on an unexpected journey into the depths of a small town’s history in this riveting first book in the Melodies and Memories duology.

Hearts on the Fly, Toni Shiloh
Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group, 9780764245206

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account

Jabari Hall has spent his entire life chasing victory on ice–but one devastating hit leaves him benched, not just from hockey, but from the future he thought he had. Now, as he struggles with deteriorating eyesight, his well-meaning teammates set him up on a date, hoping it will cheer him up–only the date they choose is none other than Val Elliott, his ex’s sister.

Val never expected to be sitting across from Jabari, especially after the way he broke her sister’s heart. But when Jabari opens up about his diagnosis, Val’s guarded heart softens, and she offers him a listening ear out of compassion. What begins as a simple friendship quickly turns into something more.

As Jabari navigates life off the ice and searches for a new purpose, he’s drawn to Val in ways he didn’t expect. With her loyalty to her family on the line and Jabari searching for faith and a new purpose, can they make it to the goal together, or will their hearts wind up in the penalty box? https://kavsbestreads.ca/2026/01/27/hearts-on-the-fly-giveaway/

Kate Landry Has a Plan, Rebekah Millet
Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group, 9780764240966

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account

I turned to him, and he winked at me. Winked! We needed clear lines in place between us. We would not be flirty friends. We’d be friends, period. The sooner I made that distinction, the better.

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?

The Voice We Find, Nicole Deese
Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group, 9780764241208

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – paperback, ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account

Sophie Wilder returns home to California with nothing more than a failed Broadway career and a geriatric cat. Stuck working at the family winery with her egotistical brother and desperate for a way to revive her acting dreams, she takes a side gig as an audiobook narrator with Fog Harbor Books. But getting mixed up in the life of her reluctant sound engineer was never a part of her plans. 

August Tate is still reeling from taking guardianship of his teen sister. Determined to find a solution to her degenerative hearing loss and to prevent his private recording studio from going under, he agrees to produce audiobooks part-time. When Sophie breathes new life into his creativity and forms an unexpected bond with his sister, rooted in their common faith, he must confront the reasons he turned away from his own.

Bestselling and award-winning author Nicole Deese weaves an emotionally charged romance rich in the complexities of love and family.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 19 2026 (after 12 pm)  REMEMBER TO CHECK GIVEAWAY EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH TITLE!