BOOK REVIEW: ONE PERFECT SPRING by Irene Hannon

ONE PERFECT SPRING

Irene Hannon

Claire Summers is a determined, independent single mother who is doing her best to make lemonade out of the lemons life has handed her. Keith Watson is a results-oriented workaholic with no time for a social life. As the executive assistant to a local philanthropic businessman, he’s used to fielding requests for donations. But when a letter from Claire’s eleven-year-old daughter reaches his desk, everything changes. 

The girl isn’t asking for money, but for help finding the long-lost son of an elderly neighbour.
As Keith digs reluctantly into this complicated assignment, he has no idea how intertwined his life and Claire’s will become–nor how one little girl’s kindhearted request will touch so many lives and reap so many blessings.
Through compelling characters and surprising plot twists, Irene Hannon offers readers this tenderhearted story of family connections that demonstrates how life is like lilacs–the biggest blooms often come only after the harshest winters.        ~ publisher

Publisher: Revell Published: May 6.2014 Length: pb 380 pgs | kindle 368
* MY THOUGHTS?

Contemporary story revealing poignancy of past regrets and the miracles of restoration that result from one eleven year old girl's letter of compassion for her neighbour.  One perfect spring pastime. 

Timed with spring's arrival of lilacs after a record breaking severe winter, I was delighted to read lilacs have the biggest blooms after just such a winter - picturing the overall theme of the novel.

The distractions and disturbing interruptions of the life these characters would choose, work their own results and more fragrant bouquets in the end.  Serious life issues encountered by each of the main characters - from 11 year old Haley, daughter to single mom and teacher, Claire, working to renovate an aging home rather than paying rent; middle aged neighbour, Maureen, having recently battled cancer and carrying inner regrets of earlier life decisions; influential philanthropic business owner, David, having lost his wife and working to regain an adult daughter he'd lost in the process of building his wealth; and Keith.  Employee of David's and current charitable project manager, who is struggling with memories of rejection by his birth mother and her various drug dependent alliances.

Quite the tableau into which Ms Hannon immerses readers.  One that kept both my fascination and curiosity piqued.  Development of the dual relationships were unique and authentic to their ages.  Haley was a treasure to story and reader alike.  Sugar, sweetness and bringer of light into many lives, Ms Hannon captivates readers with the charm of this child.

The issues are resolved in various degrees and outcomes, not all as anyone would hope, but realistic to life in sorrows and joys enough to relieve and reassure of life's worth.

A beautifully romantic book that would make an ideal movie!
Ms Hannon is a welcome addition to my library. 
I definitely recommend
ONE PERFECT SPRING for your spring/summer reading.

* Author Bio:

Irene Hannon, who writes both romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than 45 novels. Her books have been honoured with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), a National Readers' Choice Award, a HOLT Medallion, a Daphne du Maurier Award, a Retailers Choice Award and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. 

A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, long walks, cooking, gardening, travelling and spending time with family. She and her husband make their home in Missouri.

To learn more about Irene and her books, visit irenehannon.

Follow @IreneHannon on twitter

Like and follow Irene's FB page

Fan, friend and follow Irene on Goodreads 

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*Appreciation to Revell for providing an ecopy to read for review without cost or obligation.

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REVIEW: A MARRIAGE IN MIDDLEBURY by Anita Higman

What happens when the matchmaker finds a match for herself?Charlotte Rose Hill has been serving up country delicacies, uniquely blended teas, and matchmaking advice for her quirky but beloved customers for more than 10 years. But for her, marriage seems like an elusive butterfly, always out of reach. At 18, Charlotte fell in love with a young man, Sam Wilder, but his family convinced her to walk away from their relationship. She did, and then became engaged to another man, who later died before they were married. Now, more than a decade later, Charlotte finds that she still has feelings for her first love. Initially thrilled to learn that Sam has come home to Middlebury, Texas, Charlotte is devastated to learn that he’s brought someone with him: his fiancée. But all is not lost when the townsfolk decide to get involved. Will Charlotte and Sam find their way back to each other?                                                                 ~goodreads

Length: 302 pgs Kindle 304 PB Published: Nov 5 kindle Nov 1 PB Publisher: Abingdon Press

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My thoughts? From the welcoming hospitality of the cover to the end of the book,
I loved this story. Having first met author, Anita Higman, via her standout book of 2013, Winter in Full Bloom [my review HERE]
I was quick to snap up  Higman's next novel.
No disappoints. Captivating contemporary storyline -
anytime there's a tearoom involved my interest engages. Imagine having tea blended for your personality! But this was much more than homey. Authenticity in personalizing characters, yes.  Creative characters, yes. And some deeply engaging relationships develop that kept me engaged in these multiple connections.  Fascinating subplot dealing with contemporary issues of parenting  results in multiple complications needing some great resolutions.
Ms Higman handles her story and relationships with a deft hand.
I was keenly aware of the romance of this tale of love lost for a woman past the typical 20s. Not a common story when youth is the prized commodity in novels, but definitely endearing for this reader.  And realistically written. The romance element fulfills on its promise leaving not a few sighs of satisfaction!
Many scenarios that intrigued and inspired me.  As do the characters.
Higman 's style of writing faith is unobtrusive - a natural component of life.
Highly recommended for your reading enjoyment! 
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Author bio: Anita Higman

CBA best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has twenty-nine books published (several co-authored) for adults and children, and she has seven books coming out in the next two years.  She won a 2011 RWA Readers Choice Award (first place) and has been honored in the past as a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston.  Ms Higman was named a Favourite New Author in the 15th Annual Heartsong Presents Awards, and in the 16th Annual Heartsong Presents Awards her co-authored novel, Castles in the Air, was one of the winners in the Favourite Contemporary Romance category. Anita contributed to an animation script that won a Gold Remi Award.                       Find AnitaHigman online and on twitter @ anitahigman * * My appreciation for an ecopy to read and review without compensation or obligation. * Find and follow FHC online:

@_eHope - Goodreads - Facebook - Pinterest

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MONUMENTS MEN #1: SHADOWED BY GRACE by Cara Putman

Posted a week prior to Women's History Month, I am adding this to the series due to Cara Putman's intriguing story of Rachel. A young American woman pursuing her craft as a photographer, Rachel longs to photograph WWII activity overseas. Her desire is granted when her newspaper employer agrees to   relocate her for a frontlines position in Italy. Unusual for a woman of her time, this story is worthy of inclusion in this series... SHADOWED BY GRACE [STORY OF MONUMENTS MEN #1] by Cara Putman "Shadowed by Grace "is a dramatic story inspired by the Monuments Men of World War II by acclaimed author, Cara C. Putman.
Desperate to save her dying mother, Rachel accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy to capture images dangerously close to the front lines of WWII. Her real motive - to find the father she never knew -- an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother need to survive.  In her quest, Rachel becomes involved with what will become the Monuments Men effort to save great monuments and works of art from the Third Reich. Soon enough she will find more than she ever imagined--in war, in love, and in God.  
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Pages: 352 pb Publisher: Broadman and Hollman Books
Published: Dec 4.13 and Jan 1.14 * Author, Cara Putman's thoughts :
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Books are born many ways. Shadowed by Grace started when I walked by a display at our local library the summer of 2010. There a new non-fiction book stood cover out.

The photo on the front piqued my interest: a clearly WWII soldier standing with a large painting. The stories I read in that book, Monuments Men, by Robert Edsel, intrigued me and made me want to learn more. Before long, characters and story ideas filled my mind, and I began fleshing out the story that became Shadowed by Grace.

The idea of an elite, tiny group of soldiers who were tasked with saving Western civilization fascinated me. Their task was compounded by the fact that WWII was the first war that involved constant aerial bombardment.

What challenges would they face?

What would they fear? 

Then I started looking for unique roles American women filled on the European front. The idea of a war correspondent who was a photo-journalist seemed the perfect fit. An artist in her own right, she would understand the importance of saving art. Rachel Justice and Scott Lindstrom were born and became the heroine and hero in Shadowed by Grace.

* My thoughts?
Cara Putman's WWII novel explores a variety of plots and subplots,
ever increasing levels of wartime intrigue and human interest. Rachel is conflicted in caring for her ill mother whilst pursuing her desire to find the father she's never known.   In a bid to gain the finances that will help fund the health treatments that could save her mother's life, Rachel gains approval for overseas travel to photograph frontlines of the war.  Though her mother is adamant in dissuading her, Rachel remains single minded in her pursuit to find her unknown father.
The journey to attain her goal is treacherous and self-affirming.  Rachel grows in her art of photography, relationships, and faith  even as she is both captured and captivated by the intrigue of the journey. Historical details of the time and Monuments Men's mission specifics well researched and intriguing, 
I did not want to put this story down.   The horrors of the war scenes encountered were realistic and emotionally engaged me even as the relational interludes offered relief in the story's ebb and flow. Descriptions were colourful.
Pacing kept the story alternately moving and standing as the main characters experienced
wartime realities of siege and retreat.  I found the story filled with enlightening historical detail and rich in relational interactions.
The blossoming romance was drawn with many emotionally lovely touches.
Putman created an intelligent hero of worth and honour with intriguing past connections  to the monuments he was sent to protect.
Suspense regarding these efforts was superbly sustained
and concluding revelations dramatic enough to please even this reader. Definitely a pleasing entry for my first experience with the writing of Ms Putman. A welcome addition to libraries of WWII historical readers . I look forward to more reading opportunities from Cara Putman in the near future. *

About this author

Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney and a teacher at her church as well as lecturer at Purdue. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and romance to life.

An honours graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law,
Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy. 
Find Cara Putman HERE  for all online links  @ cara_putman twitter



* *Appreciation to B&H Books for providing an ecopy for reading and review. *

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Review: Grace's Pictures: An Ellis Island Novel -by Cindy Thomson

Grace's Pictures
an Ellis Island Novel by Cindy Thomson

* Grace's Pictures Book 1 of Cindy Thomson's Ellis Island Series
Published June 2013
Tyndale House Publishers
 * Author Cindy Thomson's intriguing thoughts that initiated the novel:   The legacies of those who came before us has always enthralled me.  I am interested in history and how the events impacted us.  In Grace's Pictures the introduction of the Brownie Camera changed photography forever.  Now everyone had access and could snap pictures at will. What if that got someone in trouble?

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Grace McCaffery hopes the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader.

A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness. - Tyndale House Publishers backcover

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Fascinating look into the life of Grace, a newly arrived Irish immigrant to America, at the turn of the century in 1900-1901. The effects of her father's emotional and psychological abuse have long lasting and far reaching effects. At nineteen she is still dealing with the emotional scars and valiantly battling the lies that rise to confront her every step into her future in this new land.

I longed for Grace to make the right choices. To stand up strong. To learn to trust. To believe God's truth about her, so well put in her mother's mantra, "I am smart. I am important. I am able." that sustains her, until the final revelation in her ma's song over her as a child. From Be Thou My Vision, " Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one".  The final recognition that her earthly father's constant criticism didn't determine her worth. Her heavenly Father's perspective is what mattered.

Leaving behind a life spent in the workhouse, longing for safety in her new country, Grace finds a haven at her home provided by the Benevolents.  But not outside that home. Greed of landlords taking advantage of immigrants' housing needs, corruption amongst the police force, predators on naive and needy newcomers. Grace's own belittling experiences during hiring and poor treatment by employers whilst working as a maid; finding her way in every new area of life - massive adjustments, relational misunderstandings, confrontations, and losses, yet Grace perseveres. 

And we're treated to the inside story of her courageous journey.

Her fascination with being photographed upon entry at Ellis Island leads to personal growth and joy once she pursues the hobby. A mailorder magazine ad offering the Kodak Brownie camera for $1 definitely brings it within her reach.  With the instruction book included along with 2 rolls of film, Grace is set. Yet this too proves unsafe when she photographs the wrong members of NY society. Stalked, pursued and harassed Grace faces dangerous consequences. 

No, definitely not the safe country she hoped for and believed she'd found.

One insightful moment in the book  grabbed me personally.  

Irish policeman, Owen's, revelation on 'waiting'.

Whilst taking comfort in Psalm 106, Owen read of the Hebrew ancestors who wouldn't wait for Adonai's counsel, coming into trouble as a result .  This settled his own responses to confusing life choices . 

It impacted me likewise in the reading.

A full story of Grace's experiences, suspense, and subplots.  

All bring the story to the loveliest romantically subtle closing. 

I re-read it several times just to repeat the enjoyment!

Great summer reading addition for those who like their historical stories with realistic details, authentic characters, and a side of romance... 

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*Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing an ebook copy to read and review without obligation.

*Reviewed for the TYndale Summer Reading Program  and  * Tyndale Rewards Program of Free books and audiobooks.  Receive your 1st 25 Rewards points FREE by joining HERE *

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Grave Consequences : Review - author Lisa T Bergren

The Powerful, Epic Romance Continues in the 2nd Book of the Grand Tour series  Grave Consequences by Lisa T Bergren *

Grave Consequences - Grand Tour series Book 2 Author - Lisa T Bergren Publisher - David C Cook March 1 2013   *                   For Cora Kensington, the journey of a lifetime takes unexpected twists. And her future—her very life—depends on the decisions she’ll make at each crossroad. As her European tour with her new found family takes her through Austria, France, and Italy, an unseen enemy trails close behind. Meanwhile, a forbidden love continues to claim her heart, putting everyone’s plans in danger. And as Cora stays one step ahead of it all, what might need the most protection is her own heart, torn between the dramatic pursuit of a dashing Frenchman and a man who has been quietly staking claim to her affections all along. Love has dangers all its own.
She must escape the bonds of the past and discover the faith to make the right choices, as each one has grave consequences. - David C Cook publisher
* I quickly discovered I needed to read 'Glamorous Illusions', before I had the background necessary for Book 2 in Ms Bergren's Grand Tour Series.  With the stage set, I began this 2nd leg of the journey...

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Hair-raising adventures dogged the Kensington and Morgan families from Paris to Austria to Italy. Red herrings and ruses thrown in to confuse any resolutions kept the tension building. 
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Our feisty protagonist, Cora, seems to have a flair for the dramatic, managing to get herself and not a few of the other entourage members into hot water. Repeatedly. She never seems to recognize the outcome of her decisions will affect more than herself.  Grave Consequences indeed... Whilst I appreciated many of her strengths of character, others, due to her immaturity, were borderline.  Scenes with her father were dynamite interactions calling for every available inner resource she possessed. Her growth of character ending this 2nd installment was valued.
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The romantic scenes offer a lovely tension, emotionally engaging this reader.  

Cora's confusion regarding her two pursuers is tangible.  I have the delightful advantage, as a reader, to make my own choice!

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Descriptive picturing of locations, people, settings, add to the appeal of the era. Historic information provided via tour presentations serves the reader well without being documentary. An added insight into these characters through their teaching methods and dialogue, and their choice of activities provided for these Grand Tourists. It certainly stirred up my own interest regarding their various ports of call. Live concerts in Vienna featuring the work of historic composers, balls [and ballgown shopping!], picnics in France's meadows overlooking waterscapes, champagne and strawberries at every turn... ahhh - not hard to picture the life Ms Bergren is presenting to her readers.
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The ending? Absolutely delicious. 
Fantastic story twist setting the stage of anticipation for book 3,  Glittering Promises, due this October 1st.  {Definitely looking like a HapPy Birthday gift to me !} *

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Enough summer reading time to complete books 1+2 in preparation. Enjoy!

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Lisa T. Bergren is the award-winning author of over thirty-five books, with more than 2 million copies sold. A former publishing executive, Lisa now divides her time between writing, editing, parenting three children with her husband, Tim, and dreaming of her next trip to Italy.  She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Click to Connect with Lisa T Bergren and her Writing ..
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*With appreciation to David C Cook for providing an ebook to read and review without obligation. *

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