Born in 1947, Rivers started her writing career by publishing various romance novels before she became a born-again Christian in 1986.
After that, Rivers’ writing moved away from the romance genre. Instead, she started writing inspirational novels with strong Christian themes.
During the period of her career when she wrote romance novels, Rivers published 11 books.
This includes 8 standalone novels and the Second Chance At Love Series, which features 3 novels.
When it comes to her Christian-inspired romance novels, River has written more than 25 books.
Selling millions of copies of her books all over the world, two of Francine Rivers’ most popular novels are The Last Sin Eater and Redeeming Love.
These novels were so well received that both have big-screen adaptations. Francine Rivers’ most popular novel series is her Mark of the Lion series.
To date, this series has sold more than half a million copies.
If you enjoyed reading The Last Sin Eater and Redeeming Love, you’ll also love the works of the 5 similar authors we have for you in this post.
If you enjoyed reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, you’ll also thoroughly enjoy reading the works of similar authors like John Eldredge, Beverly Lewis, Karen Kingsbury, Glenn Beck, and Janette Oke.
Check out this list to find 10 brilliant book recommendations.
Books By Francine Rivers
As we mentioned above, Francine Rivers is best known for her romance novels and inspirational Christian-inspired romance novels.
Whilst her most popular novels are arguably Redeeming Love and The Last Sin Eater, Rivers still has a lot more to offer.
The First novel Rivers published was a romance novel called Kathleen. Published in 1979, this charming book kickstarted her writing journey.
She has since gone on to publish a further 36 novels, with the latest being The Lady’s Mine which was published in 2022.
Almost all of Francine Rivers’ novels are leisurely-paced reads that are filled with strong, relatable characters, provocative storylines, and descriptive details.
The bulk of her novel collection also has a heavy focus on evangelical Christian beliefs.
More often than not, the characters in her books, who are never perfect, face difficult battles with issues normal people face in the real world.
This could be anything from everyday struggles to serious crimes which have left victims shattered.
The outcome in most Rivers novels sees faith help individuals overcome their battles. A prime example of this can be found in A Voice In The Wind.
Rivers wonderfully relates modern world situations and religious dilemmas, whilst ensuring her stories are as historically accurate as possible.
They are both incredibly interesting and thought-provoking.
Pros
Like Rivers, Eldredge writes novels designed to make the reader think.
Eldredge’s books are surprisingly relaxing to read.
Cons
Romance isn’t as prominent in Eldredge’s writing.
Themes: Christianity, soul searching, peace, faith, masculinity, and Christian culture.
Beverly Lewis
If you enjoyed the works of Francine Rivers for the difficult issues she tackles and the provocative issues raised, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the works of Beverly Lewis too.
Like Rivers, Lewis knows how to tell a good story whilst addressing harsh realities and sensitive topics.
Beverly Lewis is a Christian fiction novelist and children and adults author who has published more than 100 books.
A former teacher, Lewis aims to educate and inspire the reader through her stories.
Most of her books focus on faith, survival, and love. A good example of this is The Love Letters, which sees a young Marlena care for her estranged sister.
Themes: Cultures, love, family, passion, dedication, survival, religion, and Christianity.
Karen Kingsbury
Another writer fans of Francine Rivers will enjoy is Karen Kingsbury.
Like Rivers, Kingsbury is an author of inspirational, Christian-inspired novels that explore serious topics within the evangelical framework.
Emotional, romantic, thought-provoking, heartwarming, and at times, hard-hitting, Rivers readers will find the controversial topics Karen Kingsbury talks about in her writing incredibly interesting and extremely compelling.
Another interesting thing readers might like is that some Kingsbury novels look at real stories.
For example, one of her novels tells the story of a murder she once covered when working as a journalist.
One of her best novels is Love Story: A Novel which was adapted into a television series. This #1 bestselling author is responsible for the popular A Thousand Tomorrows novel.
Pros
Some of Kingsbury’s novels are based on true stories.
Kingsbury’s Baxter series has been adapted into a television series.
Beck isn’t afraid to tackle serious and controversial issues in his writing.
Readers come away knowing a lot more about the world.
Cons
Beck’s novels are very political too.
Themes: Politics, real-life problems, corruption, faith, miracles, desperation, and desire.
Janette Oke
The final author on this list is Canadian author Janette Oke. Janette Oke is an author of inspirational fiction.
Most of her novels are set in a pioneer era, centering around the most amazing female protagonists.
Up to now, Oke has published almost 200 books, selling more than 23 million copies worldwide.
However, Oke’s first novel Love Comes Softly, which was published in 1979, still remains one of her most popular.
Like Rivers, Oke’s writing heavily focuses on Christian themes and faith. So much so, she has actually won numerous awards for her dedication to Christian fiction.
This includes the famed Christy Award of Excellence and the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association.
Whether you like Rivers’s novels for the Christian themes, romance, or thought-provoking messages, there’s a book in this post that you will enjoy.
Most of the authors in this post are #1 bestselling authors that have published a wide collection of interesting, exciting, and inspiring Christian-inspired books.
Some of the authors on this list have published well over 100 or 200 books.
Common themes you can expect to find in all 10 book recommendations on this list are Christianity, religious cultures, love, dedication, family, drive, faith, and miracles.
Now you have my list of recommended books at your fingertips, try to decide which book you want to read first. This could be tricky as they are all excellent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Francine Rivers’ Books Biblical?
Whilst not all of Francine Rivers’ books are biblical, some feature biblical stories.
More often than not, these books essentially retell popular biblical stories.
Which Francine Rivers’ Books Have Been Adapted For TV?
The only Francine Rivers’ books adapted for TV are Redeeming Love and The Last Sin Eater. Both have been developed into films.
Hi, my name is Anna Davis and I have been working with books for five years now. I got a job at my local library, so I could be closer to all of the books! I created this website in the hopes of inspiring others to start reading again. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite book from my site!
