Drawn by the Current is another amazing book in the Windy City Saga by Jocelyn Green. The reason I love this author’s book so much is that though historical fiction they are based on true events. We find a wonderful mixture of fact and fiction effortlessly mixed into this book with plenty of research into details to back up her writing. Another one taking place in Chicago she reawakens the tragedy of the SS Eastland, a passenger ship used for touring, capsizing on 24 July 1915. Many lives were unfortunately lost. close to 1,ooo. The author’s writing honors these passengers and crew members lives. I was captivated while reading this page-turner , may we never forget the victims of this tragedy. This is one of my absolute favorite authors. This story is worth staying up late for.
Pub Date 01 Feb 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
GoodReads Synopsis
A birthday excursion turns deadly when the SS Eastland capsizes with Olive Pierce and her best friend Claire on board. Hundreds perish during the accident, and it’s only when Olive herself barely escapes that she discovers her friend is among the victims.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Olive returns to her work at an insurance agency and is soon caught up in the countless investigations related to the accident. But with so many missing, there are few open-and-shut cases, and she tries to balance her grief with the hard work of finding the truth. Is she just overwhelmed, or is someone trying to impede her investigations? When clues surface that impact those closest to her, how deep will she dig?
Newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen begins helping Olive with her cases, and they develop a fast friendship. Just when Olive begins to unravel the secrets, more setbacks arise. It will take everything she’s got to find the truth and stay ahead of those who want to sabotage her progress.
About The Author
Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.
The honors her books have received include the Christy Award in historical fiction, and gold medals from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.
Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, strawberry-rhubarb pie, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.
Happy Friday, welcome. Today I am featuring The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers.I have seen great reviews for this one but haven’t read it yet. I’d love for you to join me and list the first line of the book you are currently reading in the comments then jump over to Reading Is My Super Power and find some other great First Line Friday books as well.
For the audience of Fiona Davis and Lisa Wingate, a vibrant historical debut set in 1946 North Carolina following a young female seamstress who uncovers dangerous truths about the Big Tobacco empire ruling the American South.
“Myers brilliantly seduces us with her setting—a North Carolina town of beautiful socialites, opulent dresses, and elegant soirees—before revealing a terrible secret that threatens the entire community. This is a story of courage, of women willing to take a stand in the face of corporate greed, and most definitely a tale for our times.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who’s just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina—the tobacco capital of the South—where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a prosperous wonderland in full technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply uniformed female factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of all, her aunt’s glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco executives.
When a series of unexpected events thrusts Maddie into the role of lead dressmaker for the town’s most influential women, she scrambles to produce their ornate gowns for the biggest party of the season. But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn’t quite the carefree paradise that it seems: A trail of misfortune follows many of the women, including substantial health problems. Although Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise.
Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn’t know who she can trust—and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the proud, strong women with whom she has forged strong bonds.
Shedding light on the hidden history of women’s activism during the post-war period, at its heart, The Tobacco Wives is a deeply human, emotionally satisfying, and dramatic novel about the power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth.
. Does this sound like a book you’d be interested in? Leave your first line in the comments below. Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.
We once again return to Moonglow Cove, Texas,a beautiful and charming area. With the breeze coming off of the water and the delicious out of the way seafood restaurants that are so unpretentious you’re sure to want to stay awhile to sample all there is to offer. The view from the lighthouse is fabulous. I love stories about sisters and this one is a hit. Sisters who are estranged get a very unexpected inheritance from their grandmother. The thing of it is there are conditions with it and they must be followed to the specifications listed or it’s all forfeited . These sisters haven’t seen each other for six years after an argument that left them not speaking. One of the conditions is they must live together in the family lighthouse in Moonglow Bay and must reconcile. These women used to be the best of friends, the older one protecting and looking out for the younger one as they didn’t have the best home life growing up. They soon realize being apart from each other they’ve missed out on so much in the lives of each other, like one of the sisters has a daughter leaving the other feeling sad and left out because she hadn’t known this. Another strange condition of the will is the sisters must keep an old family starter mother sourdough alive and bake with it and enter a baking contest at the end of the summer. What I loved about this book is it’s real honestly, the characters could be your neighbors or even yourself. I could definitely see these situations happening in real life and the character interaction was so charming with a little dram mixed in. The book has such a positive vibe to it though. I love seeing strong,positive women. Very uplifting,positive and charming. A fun and entertaining book. Can’t wait to read the next in the series!
Pub Date 15 Mar 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Lori Wilde returns to Moonglow Cove, Texas, with a heartwarming novel about two estranged sisters who must come together after they receive a bizarre inheritance from their grandmother.
It was an inheritance neither sister expected–a lighthouse in Moonglow Cove, left to them by a grandmother they never knew! Harper and Flannery weren’t exactly best friends either. For years, Flannery had held down the home front, taking care of their sick mother and raising a daughter, while Harper sent nothing but checks. And after their mother’s funeral the two sisters had an argument that left them not speaking for six years–why, Harper didn’t even know she has a niece!
But life has a way of changing when you least expect it. And the sisters discover their grandmother’s will has a stipulation: the two of them must live there, work out their issues… and compete in baking challenges with a hundred-year-old sourdough starter. If either of them gives up, or fails to keep the starter alive, they lose the lighthouse. Will they be able to come together and see their grandmother’s wish come true? Or will these two sisters forever be estranged?
About The Author
BIO
Lori Wilde is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 97 works of romantic fiction. Her writing has won numerous awards and her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her series The Wedding Veil Wishes inspired three movies from Hallmark starring Lacey Chabert, Autumn Reese, and Alison Sweeney. The movies broke viewing records for Hallmark.
Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University, along with a Master in Liberal Arts from the same university. She holds a certificate in forensics and is also a certified yoga instructor. A sixth-generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.
Thank you for stopping by today.
Does this sound like a book you would enjoy reading? Which are your favorite books by this author?
With so many historical fiction ww11 books out there knowing which books to give your time to can be a daunting task. Not a problem with Sarah Sundin’s books though with each one meticulously researched they are automatic reads for me. I was intrigued with this one starting with the gorgeous cover. I am a big fan of books that grab my attention by being unique and this one definitely is. American ballerina Lucie Girard is a ballet dancer in Paris but knows she must leave the ballet to protect the Jewish owners so they can escape the Natzi’s advance towards Paris in 1940 so she buys their bookstore, Green Leaf Books . We meet Paul a widower and his precious young daughter who is so smart. His daughter convinces him to go to Lucie’s bookshop which is where they meet. Paul is an American as well living in Paris who just wants to return home but has been convinced to keep his factory running and while doing so obtains military information from his German customers. Sparks fly but Lucie is convinced Paul is siding with the German’s to whom he sells his vehicles to. I loved everything about this book as it really drew me in. The plot is incredible and we find as we read we become wrapped up in the resistance,sabotage,hiding RAF pilots,hidden messages in books, an incredible escape that you could just feel the tension from. The author is a master at taking you along with her on her writing journey because you are going to experience what she is writing about as though you are there.
Highly recommended!
Pub Date 01 Feb 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
GoodReads Snyopsis
When the Nazis march toward Paris, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. The Germans make it difficult for her to keep Green Leaf Books afloat. And she must keep the store open if she is to continue aiding the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.
Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. But in order to carry out his mission, he must appear to support the occupation—which does not win him any sympathy when he meets Lucie in the bookstore.
In a world turned upside down, will love or duty prevail?
About The Author
Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling author of Until Leaves Fall in Paris (February 2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), the Sunrise at Normandy series, and three more World War II series.
Sarah’s novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, and When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were both named to Booklist’s 101 Best Romance Novels of the Past 10 Years.
A mother of three, Sundin lives in California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers’ groups. Sarah serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. Please visit Sarah at http://www.sarahsundin.com, on Facebook at SarahSundinAuthor, on Twitter at @sarahsundin, and on Instagram at @sarahsundinauthor.
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.
I have really been looking forward to reading this one……..
Paperback, 384 pages
Expected publication: May 10th 2022 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Nora Beady, the only female student at a prestigious medical school in Bologna, is a rarity. In the 19th century women are expected to remain at home and raise children, so her unconventional, indelicate ambitions to become a licensed surgeon offend the men around her. Under constant scrutiny, Nora’s successes are taken for granted; her mistakes used as proof that women aren’t suited to the field.
Everything changes when she allies herself with Magdalena Morenco, the sole female doctor on-staff. Together the two women develop new techniques to improve a groundbreaking surgery: the Cesarean section. It’s a highly dangerous procedure and the research is grueling, but even worse is the vitriolic response from men. Most don’t trust the findings of women, and many can choose to deny their wives medical care.
Already facing resistance on all sides, Nora is shaken when she meets a patient who will die without the surgery. If the procedure is successful, her work could change the world. But a failure could cost everything: precious lives, Nora’s career, and the role women will be allowed to play in medicine.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
So let’s get started shall we?
Currently Reading
Would you say it’s pretty obvious I’m behind on my NetGalley reviews? But there’s really no wrong time to read a book right? As long as we enjoy a book it can be read any time of the year in my opinion.
I am also reading this to post a review on the publication date.
This is what I finished recently
This one got a lot of hype but I wasn’t overly impressed with it.
I also finished this recently. It was a lovely feel good rom com I enjoyed a lot.
What’s On The Agenda next
This one sounds very interesting and informative.
I’ve really gotten into cozy mysteries lately. They are so much fun to read and try to figure out who did it and why.
What’s your thoughts on these books? Have you read any of them?
This weeks topic is book with your favorite theme/trope. I enjoy lots of different themes so this week I’m choosing “People In Uniform” as my theme. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl so visit her blog to find some other great tropes this week.
My Top Ten People In Uniform books I’ve enjoyed.
These are exciting books I’ve read in one of my favorite tropes. What are some of your favorite themes/tropes to read?
t’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
This past week I’ve gotten a lot more read than the previous week. Some books were ones I had already started but it’s always nice to finish ones you’ve set aside. Here let me show you what I’ve read and what’s on the agenda next.
What I read last week………
Sasha Hansley hates Christmas. As a child, it was her favourite time of year, but ever since the tragic death of her mother, it has completely lost its magic.
But when she gets an unexpected phone call from her eccentric estranged father, she’s forced to dust off her snow boots.
He has been running a Lapland style Christmas village in Norway and after suffering a heart attack, he is on strict doctor’s orders to slow down. Eager to reconnect with her dad, Sasha books the next flight out there. Only she has never actually been on a plane before, let alone to the Arctic Circle.
Met at the runway by drop-dead-gorgeous Taavi Salvesen, they sleigh ride through the snow with the Northern Lights guiding their way.
When Sasha uncovers sacks of unopened Santa mail – letters that children and adults from all over the world write to Santa every year – she realises that she can send a little bit of magic out into the world by replying to some of them.
With Taavi on hand to help, will Sasha rediscover her own excitement for Christmas and find love among the letters?
Christmas is a time for love, laughter, families and friends, and in Mermaids Point, everyone is getting ready for the festive season.
For Nerissa and Tom, this will be their first Christmas as a couple, but making sure they have time for each other, whilst blending their families, will take some careful planning. What festive traditions will they make their own?
Laurie and Jake are flat out running Laurie’s seafront café, packaging up orders of mince pies, sausage rolls and other delectable Christmas goodies, as well as finding time for Jake’s journalism. But when Jake’s mum offers them an unexpected gift, their plans are turned upside down.
Alex can’t help but be charmed by beautiful and talented Ivy, but he’s still recovering from his ex-wife’s betrayal and has a secret life he’s not ready to share with anyone yet. But as the Christmas spirit starts weaving its magic, Alex may find himself ready for love sooner than he imagines.
For Andrew, nothing is more important than family. As friends and family gather beneath his roof it’s a time for reflection about what the future might hold.
As far as Nick is concerned, pop sensation Aurora Storm is the ‘one that got away’. After they shared a brief holiday fling, he has been thinking about her ever since. Is Christmas the perfect time to finally reach out to her, or is love at first sight just in fairy-tales?
Sarah Bennett captures the joy of Christmas perfectly in these captivating vignettes. Christmas Surprises at Mermaids Point is a guaranteed joy for fans of Mermaids Point and new readers alike .
A delightful new cozy mystery from USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower!
There’s fowl play afoot on the farm
Shiloh Bellamy has saved her family’s farm from financial ruin—but now what? She’s barely scraping by on the farm’s new organic business model and the fall festival she organized to drum up business comes to a screeching halt when the body of a prominent townswoman is discovered underneath a scarecrow in a nearby field. Worst of all, the evidence points to Shiloh’s childhood best friend, Kristy, as the prime suspect.
Between cooking up delicious treats made with her farm’s produce, convincing her cantankerous father to let her do things her own way, and dealing with a newcomer in town who could be serious competition for her customers, Shiloh doesn’t have time to wade into a murder investigation. But with a killer on the loose and suspicious activity circling closer and closer to Shiloh and the people she loves, she realizes there’s nothing to do but roll up her sleeves and get down to the dirty work of finding the killer and clearing Kristy’s name once and for all.
This book is perfect for cozy mystery readers and fans of Kate Carlisle, Denise Swanson, and Bree Baker .
All NEW from bestselling author Della Galton and her wonderful Bluebell Cliff Hotel series.
Art dealer Ruby Lambert is on a mission to lose her baby weight ahead of her sister’s Olivia’s wedding in 6 months’ time. To add fuel the fire, Ruby has also been ‘honoured’ with the unenviable task of being Head Bridesmaid. So determined not to let Olivia down, she signs up to a swanky new diet & fitness club, The Bluebell Booty Busters.
Uncertain of what to expect Ruby meets Harry Small, a wealthy local businessman who ‘joins’ Booty Busters, after pressure from his wife, who’s worried about his health and growing waistline.
Ruby and Harry soon team up as diet buddies, supporting each other through their dieting crisis’s. But something seems amiss at Booty Busters when they both discover that if it looks too good to be true; it probably is….
Will Ruby and Harry ever reach their targets?
And will Ruby do her sister proud and be the Belle of the Ball?
When Jennifer Smiley’s grandmother, Ginny, leaves her an old farmhouse on Edgewater Road in seemingly quiet Ross County, Ohio, Jennifer can’t pass up the opportunity for a new beginning. Almost immediately she meets a group of men who generously help her move in. When she realizes that they work for Lincoln Bennett, her next-door neighbor, she’s intrigued. Lincoln is gorgeous and has dark, lapis-blue eyes she could get lost in . . . but he doesn’t seem all that friendly. She’s torn between getting to know him and sticking with the solitude she knows so well. Maybe she could let down some of those walls she’s built around her emotions?
Lincoln Bennett likes to keep his head down and get his work done. He’s been to prison and he knows that a lot of folks don’t take kindly to a man with that kind of history. Plus, he’s busy helping other ex-cons get back on their feet. But when he meets Jennifer, he can’t help but feel an instant attraction. Will she be able to look past his unsavory history? Will she be able to accept the men he’s working so hard to help?
While Jennifer gets to know Lincoln and his friends, she also begins to unravel her grandmother’s story, putting together the pieces from scraps of memories and things she finds in her new home. She soon discovers that Ginny Smiley harbored some dark secrets on Edgewater Road—and that those secrets include both Lincoln and her own absent father. Is learning the truth worth the heartache it could bring?
As the weeks pass and she and Lincoln become closer, Jennifer learns there is a lot to uncover in Ross County—wonderful friendships, darling towns … and more than one secret that might be better left buried.
New York Times bestselling author Karen White weaves a story of friendship past and present, love, and betrayal that moves between war-torn London during the Blitz and the present day.
A captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal – and finding hope in the darkness of war.
London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.
London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …
In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother’s death and her hidden past–a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake.
We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
What I’m Reading Now
What’s Up Next For Me……….
Lots of great reading on the agenda for me. What are you reading plans and what have you read?
This time split novel charmingly and effortlessly combines modern and WWII time periods. The writing style shines and we see such character development throughout the story. The Last Night In London is a beautiful story that will hold you spellbound while reading it. Precious and her best friend Eva are best friends and models who lived through the Blitz in World War II London. The contemporary side has American journalist traveling to London to interview Precious in London about fashions from before the war. We all have secrets and many come to light during this time. Some that have left scars on the lives of the keepers. Deep,emotional,compelling,poignant. This really is worth the read. I recommend it!
Pub Date: 20 Apr 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
New York Times bestselling author Karen White weaves a story of friendship past and present, love, and betrayal that moves between war-torn London during the Blitz and the present day.
A captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal – and finding hope in the darkness of war.
London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.
London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …
About The Author
With more than 1.8 million books in print in eight different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 23 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series.
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s latest novel, Dreams of Falling, was published in June, 2018 by Berkley Publishing, a division of Penguin Random House Publishing Group.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs. – See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st…
Thank you for visiting today. Have a wonderful weekend!
This is a unique book. Many authors struggle to write fluently in more than one genre not so with this author her contemporaries are every bit as wonderful as her Amish books. Edgewater Road is a very intriguing book that kept me flipping pages quickly after I started it because I just had to see how it ended. I enjoyed seeing how the author shows the main character’s strength after an unfortunate event happens to her. The character goes deep within herself to find inner strength,courage,fortitude and healing. The author could have had the woman portrayed as weak and helpless but I liked the strength she gave her. I also believe the saying ” don’t judge a book by it’s cover” applies here as well in the sense that we should not judge a person by how they look and their past activities. I was very impressed by this book and look forward to the next book in the series.
Pub Date 01 Mar 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
When Jennifer Smiley’s grandmother, Ginny, leaves her an old farmhouse on Edgewater Road in seemingly quiet Ross County, Ohio, Jennifer can’t pass up the opportunity for a new beginning. Almost immediately she meets a group of men who generously help her move in. When she realizes that they work for Lincoln Bennett, her next-door neighbor, she’s intrigued. Lincoln is gorgeous and has dark, lapis-blue eyes she could get lost in . . . but he doesn’t seem all that friendly. She’s torn between getting to know him and sticking with the solitude she knows so well. Maybe she could let down some of those walls she’s built around her emotions?
Lincoln Bennett likes to keep his head down and get his work done. He’s been to prison and he knows that a lot of folks don’t take kindly to a man with that kind of history. Plus, he’s busy helping other ex-cons get back on their feet. But when he meets Jennifer, he can’t help but feel an instant attraction. Will she be able to look past his unsavory history? Will she be able to accept the men he’s working so hard to help?
While Jennifer gets to know Lincoln and his friends, she also begins to unravel her grandmother’s story, putting together the pieces from scraps of memories and things she finds in her new home. She soon discovers that Ginny Smiley harbored some dark secrets on Edgewater Road—and that those secrets include both Lincoln and her own absent father. Is learning the truth worth the heartache it could bring?
As the weeks pass and she and Lincoln become closer, Jennifer learns there is a lot to uncover in Ross County—wonderful friendships, darling towns … and more than one secret that might be better left buried.
About The Author
Shelley Shepard Gray lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. A busy wife and mother of two, she spends her days writing and keeping track of her two teenagers. Her two dogs keep her company when she writes in her basement.
Shelley enjoys writing about the Amish and visits Amish communities in Adams and Holmes counties several times a year. When not spending time with her family or writing, she serves on several committees in her church.
She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.
Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news…or become her friend on FaceBook.
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