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Doors to the Past series, review of Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes

258 pages Barbour fiction November 1, 2022 publication date

About The Book

Discover the Story Behind a Secret Passageway
 
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Gracie Kingston begins renovations on the Philadelphia house inherited from her grandmother and finds a secret room. It is connected to a house nearby, the home of William Still, the man known as the father of the Underground Railroad. As she researches, she discovers a mystery in her house’s ownership. In 1855, Olivia Kingston helps a mother and her young child by hiding them in a secret room in her home. As she helps, she learns that there may be an impostor conductor in their community. As Gracie’s and Olivia’s stories intertwine, they learn the meaning of sacrifice and love.

Don’t miss other great books in the Doors to the Past series:
The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman
Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham
Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse
Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel
Behind Love’s Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels
High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt
Love’s Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik
A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma
Laura’s Shadow by Allison Pittman
Passages of Hope by Terri Haynes
In Spotlight and Shadow by Rachel Scott McDaniel
The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

I have really been enjoying the Doors to the Past series, of which Passages of Hope is a part of.
This book is told with a dual timeline.
Gracie McNeil inherits a home in the historical district in beautiful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As she’s having remodeling work done on the home to ready it for her yarn shop, she’ll open a secret room is discovered.
Olivia Kingston, a conductor of the underground railroad houses and hides many, many Blacks helping them as they go on their way seeking freedom from slavery. Olivia is able to change her childless marriage after she’s able to adopt a sick child.
The author tells her story about a terrible and unjust time in history in a gentle and respectful manner.
I absolutely loved this book. The bravery of these women during their time period is amazing.
Gracie is going through so much, missing her grandmother terribly, worrying about eviction from the home, money worries and not having the best relationship with her uncle. She is blessed with such a strong romantic relationship though.
The story goes back and forth between the two time periods smoothly and I enjoyed seeing how discovering a hidden room brought forth history studying and the discovery of such strong and dynamic women in Gracie’s family.

Pub Date 01 Nov 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Terri J. Haynes, a native Baltimorean, is a homeschool mom, writer, prolific knitter, freelance graphic artist and former Army wife (left the Army, not the husband). She loves to read, so much that when she was in elementary school, she masterminded a plan to be locked in a public library armed with only a flashlight to read all the books and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She is a storyteller at heart. Her passion is to draw readers into the story world she has created and to bring laughter and joy to their lives.

Terri is a 2010 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest finalist, and a 2012 semi-finalist. She is also a 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarterfinalist. Her publishing credits include Cup of Comfort for Military Families, Crosswalk.com, the Secret Place Devotional, Vista Devotional, Urbanfaith.com and Publisher’s Weekly.

Terri and her husband pastor a church where she serves as executive pastor and worship leader. Terri lives in Maryland with her three wonderful children and her husband, who often beg her not to kill off their favorite characters.

Visit her blog, http://www.inotherwords.terrijhaynes.com or her website, http://www.terrijhaynes.com.

Have a beautiful day and keep smiling.

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Sweeter Than Honey-African American Romance

320 pages Montlake publisher June 28,2022 publish date

About The Book

A talented baker and a small-town sheriff forced into a fake relationship decide whether to take a chance on love in this delectable romance from Joy Avery.

Baker extraordinaire Rylee Harris has a recipe for everything—except love. It’s been five years since she lost her husband, but romance is still a struggle for Rylee. In her small hamlet of Honey Hill, North Carolina, Rylee knows she’ll be the talk of the town when she finds someone new.

To ease her mother’s worries about her love life, Rylee impulsively invents a fake relationship with the only man who’s caught her eye: the town sheriff, Canten Barnes. It’s supposed to be a secret, but secrets don’t last long in Honey Hill. One bit of gossip leads to another, and soon the whole town thinks Rylee and Canten are an item.

As Rylee and Canten embark on a make-believe relationship to save face, they slowly realize that their feelings for each other aren’t fake at all. Can Rylee and Canten keep the charade going—or will the town’s prized baker and respected lawman take a real chance on love?

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

Sweeter than Honey is a book you just need to read. I fell in love with Rylee Harris, a baker in Honey Hill, North Carolina and sheriff, Canten Barnes. Both have lost a spouse and though not ready to move on romantically they “secretly” have been attracted to each other. Rylee’s mother tries to set her up with other people, so she tells her she is dating, Canten. Canten agrees to it for his own reason, the ladies in town just won’t leave him alone. The sexual tension is there when they are together. Will this “fake” relationship last much longer before it becomes “real.” The book is filled with humor. I loved seeing the camaraderie between Rylee and her best girlfriends. Talking about laughter, oh the things these ladies talk about and get into. The book is so charming, I just loved the characters. You’ve got to love Canten, as the sheriff he arranges his schedule so he’s able to drive past the bakery when Rylee is working at 4:30 a.m. just to be sure he safe. Canten and Rylee each have a dynamic relationship with their parents and each other’s parents. This couple is sweet, sassy and everything in between and I will now need to read more by this author.

Pub Date 28 Jun 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

By day, Joy Avery works as an engagement manager. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds–creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily ever after.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories; instantly, she knew these were the type stories she wanted to pen.

Real characters. Real journeys. Real good love is what you’ll find in a Joy Avery romance.

Joy is married with one child. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, crafting, collecting glitter and Sharpie markers, and driving her husband insane.

Joy is a member of Romance Writers of America.

When they say you can’t, Prove them wrong.

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Your Good Morning post for today.

Old Man Sees Fresh Flowers on His Wife’s Grave Every Day and Meets a Young Woman There One Day — Story of the Day

By Sonali Bharadwaj

A grieving widower begins to notice fresh flowers on his wife’s grave on a daily basis and discovers they were left by a young woman he’d never met or seen before. Who was she? And how did she know his wife?

When Edgar Brooks’ wife Caroline died of cancer, he was left all alone, depressed. He and Caroline had been married for 45 years, and despite the fact that they had no children, their lives were filled with love and peace.

Caroline was a homemaker, and Edgar had retired as a teacher. When Caroline was bedridden after her diagnosis, Edgar spent days and nights by her bedside, looking after her and assuring her that everything would be fine.

“You’ll be fine soon, honey. And you’ll see, everything will be great,” he’d assure her.

But deep down, Edgar was aware that it wasn’t really an assurance for Caroline, but for him. Because he could handle losing anything in life but his beloved wife. However, as luck would have it, Caroline died of cancer, leaving him all alone.

After losing his beloved better half, Edgar didn’t feel like doing anything and followed the same monotonous schedule. He’d eat breakfast at a local diner, then buy a bouquet of Caroline’s favorite flower, and head to the cemetery where he sat beside her grave and spent hours talking to her.

“How are you, Caroline? Do you like the shirt I’m wearing today? If only I had a little more time with you, I would take you on a world tour. You promised you wouldn’t leave me, Caroline. Remember?” he’d say to her, occasionally crying out like a child when he realizes she’d never return.

Seeing the 81-year-old Edgar sobbing his heart out at his wife’s grave, nobody would believe he was the same cheerful man he’d been when Caroline was around him. But outliving his wife had aged the man in an instant and left him heartbroken and devastated.

One morning, Edgar arrived at the cemetery and was perplexed when he noticed fresh flowers on Caroline’s grave. At first, he thought it was left there by mistake or by a close friend of Caroline’s who might have paid her a visit.

But when he returned the next day, there was a new batch of fresh flowers there, as well as the next day and the day after that. At this point, Edgar was curious as to who brought them there. He asked the cemetery caretaker if he knew anything about it, but he answered he had no clue.

Edgar stood by his wife’s grave, baffled, staring at the flowers and looking around, but nobody appeared in close sight. Who is this person who’s been leaving flowers every day?

As he placed the bouquet he brought, he whispered, “Looks like someone loves you just as I do, honey. But I really don’t know who this person is. Whoever it is, I would love to meet and thank for honoring you with flowers every day.”

And so, Edgar decided to skip breakfast the next day and head to the cemetery early to see if he could catch a glimpse of this mysterious person.

When he arrived, he found a young woman placing flowers on Caroline’s grave. She wore a simple black dress with matching stilettos. She clasped her hands, muttered a brief prayer, and prepared to leave after placing the flowers. But Edgar stopped her.

“Excuse me! Please wait!” he called out to her and the young woman stopped in her tracks upon hearing his voice.

Edgar walked as fast as he could with his cane and was panting heavily as he approached her. “Mr. Brooks, are you okay? You look tired,” the woman said, concerned.

Edgar stared up at her, his eyes wide open with surprise. He’d never seen or met her, so how did she know who he was? “Young lady, you – you…how do you know who I am? And how do you know my wife?” he asked in a trembling voice.

The young woman smiled at him. “Would you mind if we take a seat, Mr. Brooks? There’s a lot I’d like to share with you,” she suggested.

The older man didn’t quite understand what was happening, but he followed her regardless.

They sat down on a bench nearby and the young lady introduced herself. “I’m guessing your wife never told you about me… My name is Amanda Jenkins, and I’m your wife’s daughter.”

Edgar’s cheeks flushed, surprised by the revelation, but he refused to believe Amanda’s words. “DAUGHTER? Look, miss! This is a terrible joke! Do you think you can just tell me a random story, and I’d believe that? It’s a terrible, terrible thing…I have no idea why you’re doing this, but please, don’t insult the memory of my wife by saying such things! Caroline couldn’t have children! So it’s not possible!”

“I’m sorry you’re learning about this now that she’s gone, Mr. Brooks, but I’m not lying.”

Amanda showed him a photo of a crumpled note with something scribbled on it from her phone’s gallery. Edgar took the phone in his hands, and upon closer inspection, he recognized Caroline’s handwriting.

“This… this can’t be true,” the man said in a shaky voice as he read the message.

“Dear Josh,

If you find this note, please do not come looking for me. I’m sorry I wasn’t a good mother or partner. Please shower our child with love and raise her with affection.

With love,

Caroline.”

“I, too, had no idea,” Amanda went on. “Dad only recently told me the truth after I found this crumpled note in one of his old diaries. He and Caroline dated a long while back, and then she found out she was pregnant with me.

“Dad wasn’t wealthy and Caroline’s parents were opposed to their relationship, so she had little choice but to abandon me after birth and hand me over to my father. He married my mother, and they raised me with affection. But when I found out about Caroline, I wanted to meet her, so I started looking for her on Facebook and that’s where I found her profile. However, I was too late.”

“But this…I really can’t believe Caroline kept this from me. The doctors said she couldn’t bear children because of complications. I – I don’t know what to say at this point…”

“I think it was fate that planned it this way for us, Mr. Brooks. I found my biological mother after she was no longer alive, and you’re learning about her past just now. Maybe she was afraid of losing you, which is why she never told you. My dad always says that we can do anything to protect our loved ones, and I think she did that too.”

Edgar’s eyes welled up as he sat quietly ingesting everything he had just heard. He reasoned Caroline kept the truth from him because she was worried he would leave her since she couldn’t have any children after Amanda. For a while, neither he nor Amanda spoke. Then Edgar excused himself and slowly strolled back home.

That day after meeting Amanda, Edgar’s life took a new turn and changed for the better. He began to meet Amanda regularly and they would visit Caroline’s grave together. Over time, they became good friends.

Even though Caroline’s absence still left a void in him, Edgar felt a sense of her younger self alive in the form of Amanda.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Never keep anything from your partner. Caroline may have kept the truth from Edgar when she was alive, but in the end, the truth found its way to Edgar.
  • The gloomy, dreary clouds of sadness don’t last long. Edgar was depressed after losing Caroline, but he regained happiness after meeting Amanda.

Have a beautiful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Sometimes all you need is a little encouragement, Lauren the Jumping Cow by T.I.Frazier

22 pages Timothy Frazier publisher December 15, 2022 publish date

About the Book

Taking place in the countryside, Lauren is a Jersey cow (calf) who is determined to be a jumping cow when she grows up. She has to work hard and train if she is going to accomplish her dream. In the end, she doesn’t just jump but discovers she can fly.

This story teaches children to believe in themselves and to try new things even if it has never been done before. It encourages the spirit of exploring yourself and to push beyond what you think is possible.

My Thoughts

Lauren the cow lives with her mother in the countryside. When this jersey calf grows up, she is determined to become a jumping cow.
One thing I noticed right away is how vividly illustrated this book is. Younger children will be especially drawn to these beautiful illustrations. Older children who can understand the concept of the story will appreciate the lesson it tells, as it will help them to believe in themself.
Lauren wants to be a jumping cow and as they are not known for jumping the way horses are she starts out small and works her way up to bigger and higher things, a blade of grass, a stick and has finally worked her way up to trying to jump over a fence. Lauren, try as she may fails time and again though she has plenty of encouragement from the other animals on the farm.
Will she be able to jump the fence finally and become the jumping cow she is determined to become? Children will enjoy reading this with an adult and the encouragement they'll get out of it.
Highly recommended as a positive book for children.

Pub Date 15 Dec 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

T.I Frazier was born on the East Coast and spent most of his younger years living near Boston, MA. As a young teenager, his family moved to Southern California, where he completed High School and competed in Track and Field. Tim graduated in 2008 from Calvin University with a degree in Sociology and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Western Governor’s University in 2018.

Before writing his first book, he worked in a variety of financial-related roles, including business banking, private banking, analysis, and procurement in the healthcare and food industries. Concurrently, Tim served 10 years with the United State Army National Guard in various roles, including Chaplain Assistant, and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010.

Today, Tim works for a trust company as he continues to write inspiration and children’s books. He also looks to inspire others through various speaking engagements. If he isn’t running around playing with his toddler son and wife Lauren, he may be on the farm with his faithful dog Rocky and cat Al.

Thank you for stopping in. Have a marvelous day.