5 Reasons Why You Should Read Love Inspired Novels

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By Lisa Jordan

I read a discussion recently where a reader was concerned about the content and quality of Love Inspired novels because the parent publisher releases secular romance novels as well. This particular reader didn’t want to support a company whose values contradicted with her own.

Every reader needs to choose her books based on her own convictions. However, if you’re on the fence about reading Love Inspired novels, here are five reasons why you should:

1. The books are God-ordained. The Love Inspired authors whom I know are firmly entrenched in their faith. They pray over their stories and for their readers. The content is clean, conservative, and suitable for teenagers to read. Additionally, the books are shelved next to secular romances, so our reach is even greater than if they were only in Christian bookstores.

2. The books are great quality. Writing for Love Inspired takes a certain skill because you have a limited amount of words to tell your story well. In addition, the editors are sensitive to the conservative readership, and they have high standards for the books they buy.

3. The books offer hope. We write romances, so, of course, our books will end with happily ever afters. However, these novels offer hope of God’s redemptive love and grace. I remember reading Finding Hope by Brenda Coulter years ago, and then standing in the shower sobbing because the message she had woven within her story was exactly what I needed to hear at that time. It’s still one of my favorite LI novels.

4. The books are cost effective. You can buy a Love Inspired novel at Walmart for less than the cost of a Venti latte at Starbucks. And with no added calories!

5. Reading Love Inspired novels keeps us writing them. If readers stop buying and reading our novels, then our sales numbers decline. If sales aren’t high enough to support the line, then the parent publisher may choose to close the line.

Writing for Love Inspired is more than a paid profession–it’s my mission field. I can use my books as a way to reach out and minister to those who may never come to church. Handing them a Love Inspired novel offers a gentle witness to a Godly lifestyle. God doesn’t call all of us to mission fields overseas, but He does command us to go and make disciples of all nations. Writing for Love Inspired allows me to do that within my own community and circles of friends.

If you’ve been on the fence about reading a Love Inspired novel, I suggest you visit the website and check out the authors. Perhaps borrow from the library or from a friend. You will find stories that capture your heart with a sweet romance and a message of faith that ministers to the soul.

Lakeside Romance Cover Lisa Jordan is an award-winning author for Love Inspired. Her fifth novel, Lakeside Romance, releases in August 2016. Lisa is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Group. In her free time, she enjoys family time, kayaking, stamping, & snuggling with her dog while Netflix binging. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.

Comments 0

  1. I wonder if your concerned reader is aware that nearly every Christian “publisher” is actually, like Love Inspired, an imprint of a larger publishing house that sells books that are definitely secular in nature and sometimes even anti-Christian. I’m just grateful for every one of those imprints which provide high quality, God-honoring novels for both Christians and seekers. Thanks, Lisa, for a post that will hopefully convince some readers to get off the fence about such novels!

  2. I have enjoyed every Love Inspired novel that I have read. I look forward to reading more Love Inspired novels. 🙂

  3. Hi, Lisa. I subscribed to the Love Inspired Suspense eBooks to show support to the authors as well as to get to know them and their books. As a former secular author who wrote under a pseudonym (Alyson Reuben), I came under conviction and decided that I HAD to start writing in a way that glorified God, not flesh. I took down my website and stopped blogging under the name. Now I’m writing under my real name. Admittedly, the switch is slightly overwhelming.

    As you mentioned, the Love Inspired line is part of Harlequin, although, for the most part, it isn’t connected. I’m friends with several of the Harlequin authors, including MIRA Beth Ciotta and her sister Elle J. Rossi. In fact, Beth wrote a credit for me in my books. However, I haven’t met many of the Christian authors, which leaves me feeling very lost in the field. I’m attending the conference next month and can’t WAIT to meet a new sisterhood (and brothers) of writers!

    I wholeheartedly agree with supporting Harlequin’s Christian line. Like you said, the intentions behind the stories are not JUST to entertain but to also bless readers. 🙂

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