The Best Christian Fiction I Read in 2020

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If you think for just a few seconds, you can probably come up with a dozen or more things you didn’t get to do in 2020. It was quite a year for cancellations. But, thankfully, reading was not cancelled!

I set a goal for myself to read 100 books in 2020. Sadly, I didn’t quite make it. But I read a lot of really great books. I also have myself permission not to finish a book if I wasn’t enjoying it. Big step for me!

I read a lot of different genres, including fiction and nonfiction. I think fiction is a great way to escape, and we probably all needed some escape in 2020!

My list of Best Christian Fiction I Read in 2020 is pretty varied. It’s got everything from suspense to Regency romance. I think you can find something you might like here, too!

An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz

This was my first book by Laura Frantz, and I absolutely loved it! It was the first book I read in 2020, and still made it on the list.

Tessa Swan is An Uncommon Woman. She lives on the Virginia frontier with her mother and five brothers. She might be the only woman not on the lookout for a husband. But the new fort commander, Clay Tygert, just might change her mind.

See my full review of An Uncommon Woman.

Isaiah’s Legacy by Mesu Andrews

Biblical fiction isn’t generally a genre I enjoy. But I found this entire series so captivating!

It’s a beautifully imagined account of the story of Israel’s most wicked king, Manasseh, and his wife Shulle. Even though there is only a brief mention of Shulle in the Old Testament, Mesu weaves the story in such a way that I was hooked.

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin

WWII is my favorite historical time period. The Land Beneath Us is the third and final book in a series, but I’m so glad I read it!

The series revolves around three estranged brothers, and the role each of them played during the invasion of Normandy. After reading The Land Beneath Us, I went back and read the other two. I highly recommend this whole series.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

Rachel has been a favorite author of mine for a long time. The Fifth Avenue Story Society is one of her best to date.

It’s about five people who get mysterious invitations to participate in a story society. It seems like a random group of people, but there is something for each of them to learn…and teach.

One Little Lie and Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble

These books are the first in Colleen’s new Pelican Harbor Series ! I read both of these books this year, and I cannot wait for the third.

It revolves around Jane Hardy a small-town sheriff in Alabama. Jane and her father escaped from a cult fifteen years ago after the death of Jane’s newborn son.

Even though Jane has made a new life for herself, she’s still dealing with the fallout from those days. And someone is coming after her and her family for revenge.

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese

This story about a single woman trying to adopt a child was so sweet and unexpected. It will really pull all of your heartstrings!

Lauren has always wanted to be a mom. But when her dream guy never comes along, she pursues adoption as a single mom.

But just when her adoption dream is about to come true, she meets Mr. Right, and now she has to choose. I honestly couldn’t get guess how this was going to end. But it was totally worth the wait.

A Gilded Lady by Elizabeth Camden

I read The Spice King last year and was so excited for this sequel. Elizabeth Camden writes strong female characters, and I really enjoyed reading Caroline Delacroix’s story.

I love when books really include parts of history that I didn’t know much about. Reading about the assassination of President McKinley from an insider’s view was so interesting!

This whole series is great, and I’m excited for the conclusion in 2021.

Being Known by Robin Jones Gunn

Some books just hit home, and Being Known did that for me this year. It’s a story about women who could be you, or could be your best friends.

It highlights that many of us have struggles, even in seemingly perfect lives. If you’re a fan of Christy Miller or Katie Jensen you’ll be familiar with these characters. But even if you aren’t (I wasn’t) these books are so good!

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson

I’m not usually a Regency romance kinda gal. But this was more than romance. Call it Sherlock Holmes meets Jane Austen meets Murder, She Wrote. Three of my favorite things all in one book.

This book was full of twists and surprises. I wouldn’t even really call it a romance. Maybe a mystery with romance on the side. This was my first book from Abigail Wilson, but I’ve read two others since, and they are all great!

Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

Stories That Bind Us was totally unexpected for me. I thought it would be more about race relations, but it only touched that topic.

The story revolves around Betty Sweet, who has been recently widowed at 40. She still has so much life ahead of her, but how can she go on?

Then, Betty’s estranged sister returns with her biracial son. Betty’s life isn’t over, it’s just going a different way.

Airborne by DiAnn Mills

Airborne opens on an airplane where a deadly virus has been released. People begin to die left and right. Who’s behind it, and when and where will they strike again?

This book felt like it could literally have been pulled from the headlines. Reading it felt surreal as the characters went into quarantine and wore PPE.

These were things we probably wouldn’t have known about last January. But by the time I read this book in the fall, they were common terms. Crazy, right?

Chosen People and Promised Land by Robert Whitlow

I have never read anything by Robert Whitlow. I saw Promised Land at my library, and was immediately intrigued.

It was a topic I didn’t expect, and made me consider things I’d never thought about before. If you’re at all interested in Jewish history or end times prophecy, this is a great series for you.

The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

When Addie Cowherd loses her place at university during the Great Depression, she needs a job. She gets a position delivering books on horseback in rural Kentucky.

I always love Kim’s books. They are so well-written and always leave me feeling happy at the end.

If I Were You by Lynn Austin

This book was so, very, very good. It’s hard to read a book where you somehow feel on the side of the protagonist and the antagonist.

It’s the story of two friends who grew close during the hardest days of WWII, but grew apart after it ended. When they are reunited in America four years later, their lives aren’t what they expected.

I promise you won’t want to miss this one.

Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green

This entire story is told through letters written during one summer in WWII. That can be a difficult ploy to pull off, but in Things We Didn’t Say, Amy Lynn Green does it just right.

The main character, Johanna Berglund, is introduced through a letter stating that she has been charged with treason. Then, the reader travels back in time and reads dozens of letters detailing how exactly she came to be there.

The story is intriguing, and one I just couldn’t put down. It’s WWII in a way you’ve probably never seen it before.

Honorable Mentions

Here are a few other books that I enjoyed, but didn’t quite make the “best of” list.

What was the best book you read in 2020?

Share with your friends!

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