Love Contained

by Debra Chapoton

Henry Winston’s life becomes a lie the moment his twin brother dies. A terrible secret threatens to unravel when he returns to the mission field and to the woman both he and his brother loved. Ling Su has rebuilt her life after the tragedy that separated her from the love of her life. When Henry and Ling Su find themselves running from a Chinese government agency that persecutes Christians, things get complicated. Henry takes refuge in a twenty-foot shipping container that has been stocked with food and water for just such a hideout. When the crane operator mistakenly lifts the container—with him inside—and stacks it on a freighter bound for America, he must endure an ocean crossing fraught with injury, hunger, and a crisis of faith. As well as an unexpected stowaway—Ling Su. Will love—and faith—find a way to conquer all obstacles in the path of this couple? From early ★★★★★ A wonderful story of faith, love, and facing up to your mistakes. Couldn’t put it down. I love Christian suspense and romance. ★★★★★ A nail-biting survival story about a Christian man, without being preachy. Loved it. ★★★★★ I thought the whole story was going to take place in a small cramped box, but it didn’t. There are some awesome settings around the world. The characters were real and relatable. Highly recommended. ★★★★★ Being a missionary myself, I was very interested in the blend of cultures. The book had a lot of twists and turns that made it readable with a bit of suspension of reality. Very Christian message. I enjoyed it! ★★★★★ Goodread books for women - goodread choices 2022 From the Ink & Insights contest ★★★★★ This story has all of the best mystery, adventure, and romance. ★★★★★ Very effective story telling. ★★★★★ All in all, a very well-written and thought-out story.
Books by Debra Chapoton Aaron After School (Second Chance Teacher Romance) Sonia’s Secret Someone (Second Chance Teacher Romance) Melanie’s Match (Second Chance Teacher Romance) School’s Out (Second Chance Teacher Romance) Summer School (Second Chance Teacher Romance) The Spanish Tutor (Second Chance Teacher Romance) A Novel Thing (Second Chance Teacher Romance) Edge of Escape The Guardian’s Diary Sheltered A Soul’s Kiss Exodia Out of Exodia The Time Bender The Time Pacer The Time Stopper The Time Ender The Girl in the Time Machine To Die Upon a Kiss Here Without a Trace Love Contained Spell of the Shadow Dragon Curse of the Winter Dragon
A Fault of Graves

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2021

About the author

With over 100 books to her name, Debra Chapoton is a master at writing Christian fiction and non-fiction. Writing under the pen name Marlisa Kriscott, she crafts heartwarming second-chance teacher romances, while under her own name, she transports readers into swoon-worthy Highlander tales (Loved by a Highlander series) and rugged cowboy love stories (Unbridled Hearts, Faithful Hearts, and Broken Spur Ranch series).
But her imagination doesn’t stop at romance—Debra's young adult novels plunge into the thrilling worlds of sci-fi, paranormal mysteries, time travel, dystopian futures, and parallel realities. She also pens insightful non-fiction works such as Sunday School lessons and delightful children’s books, making her a true literary chameleon.
Raised with a love for codes and intricate puzzles, Debra’s passion for storytelling goes beyond words; she seamlessly weaves secrets and hidden clues into her novels, adding layers of intrigue. With a career as a high school Spanish and English teacher, she draws inspiration from her students’ personalities, bringing authentic voices to her characters.

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, well-written story. I enjoyed the way the author explored the minds of her characters and their faith journey. Sometimes the only way I can tell a novel is a Christian/inspirational novel is that the content is clean and that the characters pray once in a while but there is no depth to it. I'm pleased this is not the case with Love Contained. It is the kind of Christian story I like to read, one that explores the characters' walk with God. [2nd]

[Florence Freed, lcixgran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!!

I read this book in one sitting, couldn't stop. Wondering about Faith. Would recommend to any age person. Very good.

[Debra Chapoton]

Trapped in a shipping container, sinking to the depths of the ocean … but this isn’t the worst thing that’s happened to Henry … or Ling Su.
The idea for this book came when I learned that thousands of containers fall off ships every year. They sink to the bottom of the ocean, but first they can float for up to 2 months. What if someone was inside? And why would they be?
I'd heard about horrible persecution of the Christian church in China and researched that as well. I put these two themes together to write Love Contained. I write "by the seat of my pants" so I didn't have an ending in mind. What happened surprised me as I hope it will surprise the reader. My pastor always ends his sermons with "Have faith, it all comes right," and I guess that goes for writing too.

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Standalone HEA

This book is about the life of a man who lost his identical twin tragically as a teenager while living in China. His parents were missionaries. Years later he returns, but ends up having to hide due to persecution of Christians. The miracles, healing, and faith that occur to get him safely back home is indescribable.