The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston – Heartwarming Second Chance Small-Town Romance | Christian Romance Book Nook  

The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston – Heartwarming Second Chance Small-Town Romance | Christian Romance Book Nook  

Looking for your next heartwarming Christian romance? Amy Clipston delivers a tender tale of second chances, small-town charm, and faith-filled love in her latest release, The Lighthouse at the Cove.

Meet Amy Clipston

Amy lives in the Charlotte area of North Carolina with her husband, younger son, mother, and a herd of cats. She works full-time for the City of Charlotte as a Senior Human Resources Generalist, and she is also a bestselling author of more than 60 heartwarming Christian romance novels. She has written Amish romance, Amish romantic suspense, and contemporary romance. 

Fun Fact: Amy donated a kidney for her husband so that he could receive a second kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins in 2011. She wasn’t a match for her husband, but she did match another woman waiting for a kidney. On the day of the transplant, Amy gave her a kidney that morning to the woman. Later that afternoon, that woman’s husband gave a kidney to Amy’s husband. She is a champion for both organ and blood donation, and that passion has worked its way into a few of her books, including the book of her heart, which is Finding You. This book details two kidney transplant recipients who fall in love and she poured her heart and soul into the story. 

About the Book: The Lighthouse at the Cove

Sometimes the road home isn’t on a map.

After a painful breakup and a stalled career, journalist Kaiah Ross sets out on a reporting road trip down the East Coast, hoping the miles will help her find her way again. But when car trouble strands her in the postcard-perfect town of Coral Cove, she’s forced to stop running–and unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a life that feels like something out of a dream.

Reid Turner has spent years putting others first–his career as a firefighter, his spirited young daughter, Piper, and the small town he’s always called home. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. But from the moment Kaiah arrives, her kindness, warmth, and quiet strength stir something in him he thought was long buried.

When Kaiah agrees to help promote the town’s annual “Light the Dark” Festival–a celebration meant to save Coral Cove’s historic lighthouse–what begins as a simple arrangement quickly turns into something more. Late nights of planning under string lights, shared laughter over coffee, and quiet, heartfelt moments with Piper begin to weave Kaiah into the fabric of Reid’s life . . . and into his heart.

But just as love begins to blossom, Kaiah is faced with an offer that could relaunch her career and take her far from Coral Cove. Now, she’s forced to choose between the life she thought she wanted and the unexpected love that’s given her a glimpse of home.

The Lighthouse at the Cove is a tender, romantic escape to a coastal town where hearts heal, hope shines, and love finds a way–right when you least expect it.

Tropes & Themes

  • Tropes & Themes
  • Friends to more
  • Firefighter hero
  • Single dad hero
  • Travel story
  • Damsel in distress
  • Emotional scars
  • Sworn off relationships
  • Small-town Christian romance
  • Second chance love
  • Hometown return

Release Details

Release Date: December 2, 2025 
Publisher: Tyndale House 
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance 
Buy Link: Amazon

Why Readers Will Love This Story

Amy Clipston delivers another tender, faith-filled romance full of hope and second chances. Readers will fall in love with the charming coastal setting, the sweet single-dad firefighter, and the gentle way faith weaves through every page. This clean, uplifting Christian fiction story reminds us that God can turn an unexpected detour into the very place our hearts have been searching for.

Author Interview: Behind the Scenes

What inner struggle or desire drives your main character(s) at the beginning of the story? How does that shift as the story unfolds?

Amy: After a painful breakup and a stalled career, journalist Kaiah Ross sets out on a reporting road trip down the East Coast, hoping the miles will help her find her way again. But when car trouble strands her in the postcard-perfect town of Coral Cove, she’s forced to stop running and unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a life that feels like something out of a dream.

Reid Turner has spent years putting others first, his career as a firefighter, his spirited young daughter Piper, and the small town he’s always called home. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. But from the moment Kaiah arrives, her kindness, warmth, and quiet strength stir something in him he thought was long buried. At the beginning of the story, neither of them are looking for love. They each start to feel their heart come back alive as they get to know each other.

What would you say is the heart of the romance in this story?

Amy: When Kaiah agrees to help promote the town’s annual Light the Dark Festival, a celebration meant to save Coral Cove’s historic lighthouse, what begins as a simple arrangement quickly turns into something more. Late nights of planning under string lights, shared laughter over coffee, and quiet, heartfelt moments with Piper begin to weave Kaiah into the fabric of Reid’s life and into his heart. But just as love begins to blossom, Kaiah faces an offer that could relaunch her career and take her far from Coral Cove. She’s forced to choose between the life she thought she wanted and the unexpected love that’s given her a glimpse of home. The tropes for this book are friends to more, firefighter hero, single dad hero, travel story, damsel in distress, emotional scars, and sworn off relationships.

What is one takeaway you hope readers carry with them after finishing this book?

Amy: I always hope that readers feel inspired and a sense of hope after reading my books, and this one is no exception. I hope readers find encouragement that God is always with us and that they will find a way through their hard times after reading this book. And I hope that readers will know that they are never alone, and there is always a chance to find love if they are hoping for it.

About the Author

Amy Clipston is an award-winning and bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She’s sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing career began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in Monroe with her husband, two sons, mother, and five spoiled rotten cats.

Visit Amy at AmyClipston.com


About the Christian Romance Book Nook

Hosted by Kelly Jo Wilson, the Christian Romance Book Nook is your cozy, faith-filled corner of the internet for Christian romance. Kelly connects readers with uplifting stories, honest author interviews, exclusive giveaways, and the joy of knowing you’re never alone in your love for clean romance focused on Jesus.

Come join our growing community, new friends, new books, and plenty of bookish encouragement are always waiting for you!

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You’ll receive:

  • Christian romance book updates
  • Author spotlights
  • Early giveaway access
  • Behind-the-scenes goodies

The current Christian romance book giveaway is open now — subscribers always hear about giveaways first.

Interview with Kristen Hogrefe Parnell: Bristly Hearts, Redemptive Hope, and Romantic Suspense in Watch Your Back

Interview with Kristen Hogrefe Parnell: Bristly Hearts, Redemptive Hope, and Romantic Suspense in Watch Your Back

Kelly chats with Kristen Hogrefe Parnell about her powerful Christian romantic suspense novel Watch Your Back, a story filled with grit, emotional depth, and redemptive hope. In this episode, Kristen shares her author journey—from self-publishing to traditional publishing—and how motherhood, faith, and perseverance shaped the writing of this deeply personal story.

They dive into Avery, a fiercely independent private investigator hardened by abandonment, and Ethan, a Coast Guard veteran wrestling with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Together, Kelly and Kristen explore themes of fear of failure, self-reliance, foster care trauma, and what it truly means to surrender to Christ in the midst of brokenness.

This episode is an honest and hope-filled conversation about sanctification, spiritual growth, and how Jesus meets us in the dark places—not necessarily to erase the struggle, but to walk with us through it.

If you love layered characters, opposites-attract tension, and faith-filled romantic suspense, this one is for you.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Kristen Hogrefe Parnell

Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective for women and young adults. A former English teacher, she now designs curriculum for a Christian academy and spends most of her time at her favorite assignment to date: being a mom to her toddler. Her books have won the Selah Award and the Grace Award, among others. She lives in the Tampa, Florida area with her husband and son. Visit Kristen at KristenHogrefeParnell.com.

Follow Kristen

Bible Verse for Encouragement

1 John 1:8–9 (NKJV)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Kristen Hogrefe Parnell New Book: Watch Your Back

You can’t watch your own back.

Private Investigator Avery Reynolds leads the charge to expose Tampa’s supposedly “extinct” mob. The crime boss responsible for her foster brother’s death is within her grasp—until she hits a wall in the form of Ethan Bridger, a Coast Guard veteran who unknowingly derails her sting operation. When the elusive “Big Eddie” comes out of hiding, he targets their mutual friends about to tie the knot.

Avery sets aside her angst toward Ethan to focus on ending the crime boss’s reign of terror. But working together exposes her trust issues and his PTSD stemming from a comrade’s tragedy. When Avery goes solo into a prisoner exchange operation, she discovers her vulnerability too late—and must lean on Ethan and the God she thought had abandoned her. But will that help reach her in time?

💞 Tropes in Watch Your Back

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Opposites Attract
  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Forced Proximity
  • PTSD / Wounded Hero
  • Emotionally Guarded Heroine
  • Found Family
  • Faith Journey / Salvation Arc
  • Redemption
  • Protector Hero
  • Private Investigator Heroine
  • Coast Guard Veteran Hero
  • Self-Reliance vs. Surrender

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Get updates on our book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.

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Kelly’s Personal Update

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!

Finding Forevermore Novel

Finding Forevermore is available today!

Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything.

Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth.

Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself.

As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper.

Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace.

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

Interview with Sarah Sundin: Forbidden Love and Unseen Faith in Mists Over the Channel Islands

Interview with Sarah Sundin: Forbidden Love and Unseen Faith in Mists Over the Channel Islands

In this episode, Kelly chats with award-winning Christian historical romance author Sarah Sundin about her newest World War II novel, Mists Over the Channel Islands. Set on the British Channel Island of Jersey during German occupation, this deeply emotional story weaves together courage, forbidden love, and sacrificial faith.

Listeners will fall in love with Ivy, a young female physician risking everything to help escaped forced laborers, and Garrett, a Dutch resistance fighter in disguise as a German engineer. Kelly and Sarah dive deep into the emotional tension of falling for someone in the enemy’s uniform, the historical realities of island occupation, and the incredible strength it takes to obey God even when the risks are high.

Don’t miss this heartfelt conversation about standing firm in faith when God’s goodness isn’t visible, loving sacrificially, and the power of unseen courage during history’s darkest days.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Sarah Sundin

Christian historical fiction author Sarah Sundin on the Christian Romance Podcast

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of Midnight on the Scottish Shore, Embers in the London Sky, The Sound of Light, and Until Leaves Fall in Paris, as well as the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Sarah lives in Southern California. Visit SarahSundin.com

Bible Verse for Encouragement

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Sarah Sundin’s New Book: Mists Over the Channel Islands

Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish.

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

💞 Tropes in Mists Over the Channel Islands

  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Opposites Attract
  • Forbidden Love
  • Slow Burn
  • Wartime Romance
  • Hidden Identity
  • Found Family / Community Support
  • Heroine in a Male-Dominated Field
  • Sacrificial Love
  • Protector Hero
  • Historical Real-Life Events

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Baker Book House

Get updates on our book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.


Kelly’s Personal Update

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!

Finding Forevermore Novel

Finding Forevermore is available today!

Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything.

Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth.

Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself.

As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper.

Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace.

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

Interview with Jennifer Willcock: Writing Hope After Church Hurt in Hymn of Life

Interview with Jennifer Willcock: Writing Hope After Church Hurt in Hymn of Life

Jennifer Willcock shares a behind the scenes look of her Christian romance book about a widow finding faith again called Hymn of Life. A pastor’s wife turned fiction author, Jennifer opens up about navigating church hurt, grief, and healing — both in her own life and in her characters’. In this inspiring episode, she shares how her love of storytelling and a burden for clean, hope-filled YA fiction led her into adult contemporary romance with a faith-driven twist. Hymn of Life isn’t just a love story — it’s a spiritual journey of redemption and second chances.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Jennifer Willcock

Jennifer Willcock is an award-winning writer of YA  and Adult fiction. The Wolf Kingdom series is a fantasy/retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. She has also written YA contemporary romance novels including the award-winning Exit Stage Right. She is thrilled that her English degree is finally being put to good use. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two sons, and their pet rabbit, Ollie. Visit Jennifer at JenniferWillcock.com

Follow Jennifer

Bible Verse for Encouragement

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
— Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV)

Jennifer Willcock’s New Book: Hymn of Life

Hymn of Life book cover, sweet and wholesome romance about a widow finding faith

Caught between her past life and a new beginning, Lauren must choose where her heart truly lies.

Lauren Grace is determined to find her happily ever after, but on her terms which doesn’t include a rockstar or any man for that matter.

Aaron Miles Scott’s life has stalled. He’s lost his muse, he’s hiding a secret he’d like to forget and his music career is taking a nosedive. The last thing he needs is a relationship to complicate his life.

Lauren and Aaron are brought together in a head on collision as they judge a talent competition. Aaron represents everything Lauren has sworn off—success, fame, notoriety. He definitely doesn’t fit into her new life.

Neither can deny the chemistry between them but is it enough? Will they be able to find their way past the secrets, lies, and wounds to their happily ever after?

💞 Tropes in Hymn of Life

  • Second Chance Romance
  • Enemies to More
  • Forced Proximity (Judging a Teen Talent Contest!)
  • Grumpy Meets Grace
  • Celebrity Love Interest (Ex-boyband frontman!)
  • Healing from Church Hurt
  • Redemption Arc
  • Found Family / Community Healing
  • Sweet romance about a widow finding faith

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Get updates on our book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.

[convertkit form=6900532]


Kelly’s Personal Update

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!

Finding Forevermore Novel

Finding Forevermore is available today!

Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything.

Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth.

Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself.

As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper.

Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace.

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

Interview with Susan May Warren: Track of Courage, Epic Romantic Adventure & Dogs That Heal Hearts

Interview with Susan May Warren: Track of Courage, Epic Romantic Adventure & Dogs That Heal Hearts

In this episode, Kelly chats with the legendary Susie May Warren, bestselling author of over 100 novels and queen of Christian romance books with suspense and adventure! Susie shares the inspiring journey behind her newest release, Track of Courage, the first book in the Call of the Wild series. Set in snowy Alaska, this story follows a wounded cop, a superstar singer in hiding, and a dog with a secret superpower—all wrapped in suspense, romance, and deep spiritual truths. From the depths of despair to daring rescues, Susie weaves faith into every scene, reminding us of God’s unshakable presence even in our darkest moments. With familiar fan-favorite characters, rich community vibes, and of course, some very good dogs, this episode is a must-listen for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of nearly 100 novels with more than 1.5 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and Montana Rescue series. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers’ Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota.

Visit her at SusanMayWarren.com

Follow Susie

Bible Verse for Encouragement

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NKJV)
And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.

Susan May Warren’s New Book: Track of Courage

Christian romance books with suspense and adventure, Track of Courage by Susan May Warren book cover

A hijacked plane. A pursuing killer. And a K9’s instinct to help them make it out alive.

Pop singer Keely Williams’s search for her biological mother in Alaska has been painfully unsuccessful. Now she just wants to escape this wild frontier and never look back. But when her plane is hijacked, she’s suddenly plunged into a race against not only an Alaskan blizzard but also a killer who’s on her tail.

After a career-ending injury, ex-cop Dawson Mulligan has only one friend–Caspian, the stray dog he adopted. Dawson just wants to figure out how to get his life on track, but during a flight home to Copper Mountain, he spots a downed plane and stops to help. Except, when his not-a-rescue dog runs off into the woods and discovers the trail of a missing survivor, it’s up to the former cop to stage a rescue.

But Dawson has no idea he’s being pulled into a deadly pursuit, or that Caspian is more than he seems. There might be redemption and second chances waiting for both Dawson and Keely if they have the courage to face their wounded pasts and fight for their future.

Join master storyteller Susan May Warren for a propulsive ride through the Alaskan wilderness, where love might be the riskiest–and most rewarding–adventure of all.

Prepare to experience edge-of-your-seat action combined with heart-stirring romance and heroic K9 companions in this exhilarating romantic suspense that will thrill fans of Lynette Eason and Elizabeth Goddard.

💞 Tropes in Track of Courage

  • Wounded Hero
  • Celebrity in Hiding
  • Forced Proximity (Blizzard Edition!)
  • Rescue Romance
  • Found Family
  • Opposites Attract
  • Animal Companion (Hero Dog!)
  • Slow Burn / Healing Together
  • Second Chance at Life
  • Suspense
  • Epic adventure

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Baker Book House

Get updates on our book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.

[convertkit form=6900532]


Kelly’s Personal Update

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!

Finding Forevermore Novel

Finding Forevermore is available today!

Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything.

Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth.

Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself.

As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper.

Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace.

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates