2022 Selah Award Finalist
What people are saying
“In Anchor My Heart, Sara Beth Williams goes beyond two characters finding a second chance at love, by tackling difficult subjects like friendship, grief, and debilitating anxiety with sensitivity as we walk through troubled waters with these lovable characters.” Melony Teague, Author of A Promise to Keep.
“Anchor My Heart is a gripping journey through crippling loss and the love that finds its way in spite of it all.” Behind the Story podcaster, Naomi Craig
“When I read Anchor My Heart, I became immersed in the character’s mind, experiencing their journey. Realistic dialogue and characters make this a stellar novel. Sara Beth Williams is a new favorite author of mine.” Contemporary romance author Lisa Renee
“Bring your tissues! Anchor My Heart faces honestly the difficult, painful, and individualistic processes of grief and dealing with life following a significant loss. Williams’ vivid descriptions of the psychological and physical consequences of grief are moving and realistic – as someone who has experienced loss, I can attest her descriptions capture the emotions of grief beautifully. She also highlights the importance of community in bringing healing through the lived experience of walking through grief together. The characters in Anchor My Heart are multidimensional and believable, and while you do ache for them as they go through their pain, you also rejoice with them in God’s redemption. A must read!” Award winning Christian Fiction and Non fiction author, Donna E. Lane, Ph.D.
A reckless mistake landed Jacob “Jay” Mathews behind bars, but it was his inescapable guilt that led him to God. Upon his release, with the help of a spiritual mentor and friend, he strives to move forward with his life. Determined to graduate college, get a job, and follow God’s word, the last thing Jay needs or wants is a girlfriend. Until he meets Lacey Bennett.
When fervent prayers for reconciliation between her divorced parents go unanswered, and her older sister tragically dies, Lacey questions how God could allow such tragedies to befall her family. Turning her back on her past and God, she focuses on her future. College and theater are her ultimate goals; falling for the one type of guy she swore to avoid—a Christian—is not. No matter how much she wants to resist, Jay is irresistible.
As their relationship deepens, Jay struggles with Lacey’s unresolved anger and her unwillingness to even discuss faith. All he wants to do is reveal how God changed his life, but doing so would mean revealing his status as an ex convict. Finally, as she begins to rekindle her faith, past secrets collide, threatening to destroy everything they’ve built. Now, Jay must rely on his faith more than he ever has before. Can they learn to forgive—or is their relationship fractured beyond repair?
Joel Bennett has always known Serena Hayes as his sister’s gregarious best friend. In the three years since Lacey began college, Serena became a regular house guest, but lately, she’s absent more than not. When Joel discovers she’s in an abusive relationship, protectiveness from within roars to life.
With only a part time job to support her and nowhere to go, Serena fears leaving her current relationship would jeopardize her chances of graduating college. After a brutal attack leaves her no choice, she courageously moves out. On her journey toward regaining confidence, self-worth, and independence, Joel falls in beside her, encouraging her. The way he emulates Godly love and compassion draws her close—not just to him, but to the God who can satisfy her longing for love better than any man.
Attraction sizzles between them, but events from their pasts cast shadows of doubt. When the unthinkable happens, can Serena open her heart to a second chance at love, or is she destined to be alone?