Underrated: 10 Christian Authors You Should Add to Your TBR Today

There’s an argument about the purpose of reviews. Some adamantly believe that reviews are primarily for the benefit of authors. They make the book more visible and help writers find new audiences. Others claim that reviews are reader-centric and used to encourage others to read a book or warn them away.

Reviews ARE essential, but they don’t have to be an either/or prospect. They have multiple purposes and can benefit everyone involved with a book—the reader AND the writer.

I’m a writer, and a great review makes my day. I’ll screenshot it and share it on all my social media with a great big “THANK YOU!” to those who left kind words on Goodreads, Amazon, or BookBub.

As a reader, I seek out books suggested by others and do my best to promote the authors whose books I’ve enjoyed. But too often, I’m pulled up short when I realize the books I loved don’t have many reviews. When I share my recommendations, I get comments like, “I’ve never heard of this author!” or “I’ve never seen this book before! It looks good!”

And that’s why I review: because people NEED to read books by these talented authors. They don’t know what they’re missing.

 If you are looking for talented authors writing phenomenal stories, here is a handy-dandy list to get you started.

Catherine Brusk

I was introduced to Catherine Brusk’s Finding Faith series when I asked for Contemporary Christian fiction recommendations in an FB group. She suggested her books, and I immediately downloaded her first novel, What Love Washed Up.

I didn’t even make it halfway through before I stopped to write a “Pre” review. I wanted EVERYONE to read her fantastic work. The book’s second half was just as impressive, so I wrote another review when I was done. What Love Washed Up has become my go-to suggestion when people want a gritty novel that compassionately deals with difficult issues.

This Christmas, Catherine Brusk released a holiday-themed rom-com novel that also explores the serious issue of how women are treated while working in full-time ministry. It’s called Forgiving St. Nick and should be read all year round.

Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig is a new-to-me author. I started with Twice Sold Tales, the first in her Bookstrings series. Her books are a comfy hug full of literary references and imperfect main characters whose dynamic changes keep the reader fully engaged.

I’ve also read her book, Random Acts of Shyness, a sweet story about a zookeeper whose awkward spouting of animal facts has seriously hurt his dating game. With the help of his sister and an online dating app, Heath “practices” dating with the hopes that someday he’ll be able to approach the girl he ran off by spouting information about the bladder-emptying capabilities of mammals.

I’ve not read any of Havig’s historical novels, but I can attest that her writing is solid and peppered with humor. Pick your favorite genre and read a Chautona Havig book today.

Jane Daly

The first book I read by Jane Daly was The Girl in the Cardboard Box. I left a review, and Jane Daly ended up reading my book Plague of Lies and left her review in turn.

Jane asked me to write an endorsement when she started preparing the Broken series. Of course, I said yes. Daly has a gift for creating novels featuring the grittier side of Christianity. We often picture those living the Christian life as perfectly dressed people attending church every Sunday, but Christ welcomed everyone. He reached out to the broken and brought them into the family of God. Daly’s characters explore the issues of acceptance, spiritual growth, and generational divides.

Jennifer Sienes

My introduction to Jennifer Sienes was via a promotional program. I was committed to reading and reviewing Shadow Dancing, the second book in the Bedford County series. Before it became available, I downloaded and read book one, Night Songs. That first book made me a fan. I went on to read Itty Bitty Faith and her Christmas novella, Tangles and Tinsel. All of her books are filled with quick-moving plots and dynamic characters. When I see her name on the cover, I download it. If you’re looking for novels about second chances, put Jennifer Sienes’s name in the Amazon search bar.

Seines is also an insightful podcaster. She interviews other authors about their work, encouraging them in their calling. https://www.jennifersienes.com/podcast/

Kimalee Finelli

Kimalee Finelli has only one novel available (so far), but it is a must-read. Under Authority is fiction but is so realistic it reads like a memoir. For those who have no experience with the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, Finelli’s novel offers a clear view of how easily a family can be sucked into a toxic ministry where their autonomy is siphoned away. For those of us who have left the clutches of the IFB, the story is uncomfortably true but also uplifting at the same time. I look forward to Kimalee Finelli’s future work.

Heidi Gray McGill

Last year, I was approached online by Heidi Gray McGill, who was putting together a promotion of novels featuring plus-sized heroines. She wanted to know if I’d participate since most of my books have plus-sized characters. Of course, I said yes. https://thelitlady733988438.wordpress.com/2022/09/01/641/

To familiarize myself with my fellow participants, I downloaded their books and started reading. Among them was Heidi’s novella, Dial P for Perfect. It turned out to be a sweet and funny contemporary Christian novel.

Encouraged, I checked out Heidi’s other work and discovered her Discerning God’s Best series. I fell in love with the first volume, Desire of My Heart, and went straight to the sequels. And then, I downloaded the prequel. Now, I’m anticipating book four! (I seriously can’t wait!). Gray goes past what we’d consider the “typical” hardships of living in the West and digs deeper into the psychological and medical results of the trauma experienced by the early pioneers.

Heidi Gray McGill has a gift for writing deep characters who seek God’s love as they navigate the natural world. Her novels, whether historical or contemporary, shine through with excellence. Her participation in writing some of the Suamalie Islands series has highlighted her ability to build worlds and develop dynamic characters facing realistic physical and spiritual challenges.

Jeri Massi

While much of Jeri Massi’s fanbase is due to her series of children and YA books featuring the Peabody kids, I got to know the author by reading her non-fiction treatises on fundamentalism. As a former fundamentalist who had worked deep within the system, Massi had the credentials, but the trio of books, Schizophrenic Christianity, Bitter Root, and The Big Book of Bad Baptist Preachers, go further than personal experience. Massi includes citations for every accusation, and her work has become the premier source for those who want to learn more about the history and tactics of the Independent Fundamentalist Movement.

KC Hart

I didn’t know what a cozy mystery was until I started reading KC Hart’s Katy Cross mysteries. Her amateur sleuth isn’t perfect, but she is committed to discovering the truth, taking the reader along with her.

I loved reading her mystery novels and when I saw Hart recently released a contemporary Christian novel, Our Head Strong Love, I read that too—and was blown away. It starts with such a complex conflict; I had no idea how she would write herself out of the corner she’d created for herself. She succeeded, and I was impressed with Hart’s writing skills.

V. Romas Burton

In her first series of high-fantasy books, The Heartmaker Trilogy, V. Romas Burton builds a world like no other, then adds references to Dante’s Divine Comedy. The result is a series that will stay with the reader long after the cover closes.

Burton is now writing her second series, The Legacy Chapters. The first two books, Fortified and Justified, are available now and would be welcomed additions to the libraries of fantasy lovers everywhere.

Carolyn Miller

Carolyn Miller’s book The Breakup Project was featured in Heidi Gray McGill’s plus-sized heroine promotion. It was the first time I’d ever read a “hockey romance.” I didn’t even know there was such a thing. Miller’s Original Six Hockey Romance books have given me an excellent education in the subgenre. Her books are uplifting, funny, heartfelt, and spiritually profound. You don’t need to be a sports fan to add her excellent novels to your TBR.

As you expand your reading list and find new authors, please remember to share your discoveries and leave reviews. Readers AND writers will thank you!