These Christian Fiction Books Turn Loyalty Into a Dangerous Game—And I Loved It
There’s a special kind of book-induced suffering that happens at 2AM.
You know what I’m talking about. The kind of novel that keeps you turning pages like a fool, even though you have responsibilities in the morning. The kind that pulls you so deep into its world that you forget you’re a real person who should be sleeping.
I’ve had my fair share of late nights. I’ve burned the midnight oil, the 3AM oil, AND the 6AM oil. Just staring at the ceiling, questioning my own morals, and whether I’d actually survive in the story.
When I tell you I’m an avid reader, please don’t take that lightly.
BUT these Historical Christian (clean, whatever you wanna call ‘em) books will convert any skeptic.
Onward.
No. 3
The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green
I’ll be honest—my first attempt at reading The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green didn’t go well.
It wasn’t the book’s fault. I just wasn’t in the mood for historical fiction. But then, by pure chance, I found it at my library and decided to give it another try. Boy, oh boy.
There are two things that still stand out to me, and I’ll do my best to avoid spoilers.
First, the character of her dad. He was so well-developed that he elicited all kinds of emotions—hope, disappointment, and that gut-punching realization that his chances at redemption were always just cheap, self-serving illusions.
By the end, I was genuinely disgusted by his cheap cowardice.
I’m a naturally loyal person, and I get it, sometimes fear takes over when your bad decisions catch up with you. But there’s a difference between being afraid and being a selfish idiot coward.
The way he put someone who truly cared for him at risk just to save his own sorry behind was simply repugnant.
(And please note, a book that ellicits emotions like that is a GOOD book. So this is a compliment!)
And then there was the plot twist. I’ll say this—it was a surprise.
I think if there had been a few clever hints or a snapshot of something, the twist could’ve felt more like a… I don’t know, a well-earned revelation?
Instead, it was a bit deflating.
And yet, despite all that, it was still a great read. It’s not the kind of super-heated summer novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but it is a cozy read with a good push. Perfect for when you want something with depth and intrigue, but without the risk of slipping into an emotional abyss.
No. 2
Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill
Usually, historical fiction feels dusty and not in a good way.
But this one didn’t.
The dusty roads, the scratchy fabrics, the old money accents, even the cruel thunderstorms… they all felt alive, so vivid that you could almost feel the tension rising off the page. That constant push and pull between safety and danger kept me fully inside the story.
I think the beauty of this book is how it tugs at those old, dusty cords of the human heart, the ones dealing with trust: who deserves it and what price you're willing to pay for it.
And you feel every single moral question with the heroine. I think this book is tattooed to my memory because of her (and I can’t say that of many books!)
She’s not a character you forget easily. She feels like someone you could be, or someone you’ve known. Someone caught right in the middle of things, between wrong and right, between surviving and standing firm.
And when trust becomes the most dangerous currency, well, let’s say that finding money gets really expensive (yes, it’s a riddle).
I haven’t yet read more from Crystal Caudill (because, well, sometimes we make dumb decisions… or worse, we fail to make wise ones). But this story convinced me I should. Whether or not the book hands you the answer, I’ll leave that to you. What it does give you is the question — and if you’re anything like me, you’ll carry it with you long after you’ve finished the final page.
No. 1
Shadowed Loyalty by Roseanna M. White
Okay, so Shadowed Loyalty—it hooks you right from the start.
Listen (or read, whatever), I’ve read six books by Roseanna. Six. And I’ve read them multiple times—she’s that good.
But this one is the most dramatic ever.
You’re thrown into the middle of everything from the get-go. The way the story unravels is just beautiful. It’s like, well… you don’t know what’s happening at first, but you feel it pulling you in.
I couldn’t stop reading. When I couldn’t read, I literally found the audiobook on Spotify just to keep going. The pacing never lets you go, and the way the story juggles four storylines at once is masterful. You find yourself rooting for the good guy, of course, but he will infuriate you.
You’ll hate the villain, you will. But you’ll also understand him—and why she made the stupidest decision of dating him. But in this book, like in every well-written story, villain and hero are just two sides of the same coin.
What I love most is how it plays with loyalty.
There’s loyalty that comes from ownership (or oweship, if that’s a word).
There’s loyalty tied to money.
Loyalty from habit.
Loyalty from obligation.
Every single character in this fascinating story has to wrestle with loyalty in their own way. But the point of the book is a higher standard—love.
Love goes beyond loyalty. It does not rejoice in evil. It is not unkind. It doesn’t kill others; it sacrifices itself.
But you don’t know that until the very end. Go read the book. Please.
