Author: Carrie Lighte
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 224
Date of Publication: August 24, 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
She’s struggling to forgive…
But it’s the only way to heal her heart.
When Susannah Peachy returns to her grandfather’s potato farm to help out after her grandmother’s injured, she’s not ready to face her ex-beau. But with Peter Lambright pitching in to harvest her grandfather’s crop, she can’t avoid him. For his family’s sake, Peter can’t tell Susannah why he had to leave her. But sharing his secret could make all the difference for their future…
Add An Unexpected Amish Harvest to your Goodreads!
Buy An Unexpected Amish Harvest by Carrie Lighte
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335567185_an-unexpected-amish-harvest.html
MY THOUGHTS:
Susannah Peachy has a good heart, but she still struggles. Having had struggled with weight her whole life, she has now lost the weight and her self-esteem has grown. However, with Peter Lambright breaking their courtship, Susannah was sure it had to do with her weight. When she goes to help her grandparents after her grandmother suffered a broken bone, Susannah is forced to see Peter again. Peter is working for her grandfather on his potato farm.
Susannah has trouble being around Peter. Yes, she has slimmed down and has adjusted her menus to include healthier options, and she walks as much as possible to stay in shape, but her heart has been damaged and she does not have the ability to forgive, although her faith is strong.
Peter has his reasons for breaking the courtship, and he is honoring a promise to not tell Susannah why he did. However, he still cares for her and she for him. But, she is determined to keep her distance.
In this sweet story, we see how weight can affect one's self-esteem. Also, forgiveness lines the pages of this story. Lastly, honoring a promise can break one's heart. What a lovely story that brings it all together to find a way to love. The heart shines through it all.
Many thanks to Harlequin Love Inspired and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Many thanks to Harlequin Love Inspired and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Excerpt of An Unexpected Amish Harvest by Carrie Lighte (Aug 24)
Love Inspired
When Susannah stayed in New Hope last summer, she had quickly formed a close friendship with Dorcas Troyer. The two young, single women had enjoyed each other’s company again when Susannah returned to New Hope for a week at Christmastime, and they’d written to each other frequently throughout the last year.
In fact, Dorcas was the only person that Susannah had confided in when Peter asked to be her suitor the previous summer…and the only person Susannah had told about their breakup last January. She still remembered teardrops splashing onto the stationery as she wrote,
Peter wouldn’t give me any reason for ending our courtship, other than to say he doesn’t think we’re compatible, after all. But I know it’s because I’ve gained so much weight since last summer.
Her friend had written back,
I’ve known Peter for years and I can’t believe your weight is such an issue for him. Are you sure that’s why he broke up with you? Could it be that he just finds it too difficult to carry on a long-distance courtship?
Susannah highly doubted that. After she’d left New Hope the first time, Peter’s biweekly letters had been filled with proclamations of his affection for her. The couple had called each other at their respective phone shanties at three o’clock every other Sunday. Even after two hours of talking, they’d never run out of things to share and laugh about. And although they had only been able to sneak off for an hour with each other when Susannah came to New Hope last Christmas, they’d agreed their time alone together was the best part of the holiday.
That’s why it was so confusing that four days after she got home, Peter called and said he had decided to end their courtship. The change in his attitude was so abrupt it made Susannah feel as if he was an utter stranger. As if someone else had been pretending to be him on the phone and in his letters. Had been pretending to fall in love with her the way she’d been falling in love with him.
“Why?” she had cried, as bewildered as she was devastated. “I don’t understand.”
“We’re just not a gut match.”
“But why aren’t we a gut match? What has changed all of a sudden?”
“I’m sorry to hurt your feelings like this, Susannah, but I don’t want to discuss it further. Please accept my decision.”
Afterward, she went over it and over it in her mind, trying to figure out what could have possibly changed to make Peter end their relationship. The only thing she could come up with was that once he’d seen her again, he was no longer drawn to her because of how much heavier she’d gotten. Maybe that was why he’d held his tongue about his reason; he hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings by telling her the truth. But whether he said it aloud or not, she’d been crushed to discover that Peter valued how she looked more than who she was. That he was rejecting her because of her weight gain.
Likewise, in the following months she was disappointed when certain other men accepted her because of her appearance. During the past spring and summer, she’d had no fewer than four bachelors in Dover ask to court her. Susannah would have felt honored, if it hadn’t been for the fact that they’d all known her for at least ten years and they’d never expressed an interest in her until she was slender.
Connect with the Author
Website: https://www.carrielighte.com/books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarrieLighte
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Author: Cari Lynn Webb
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 384
Date of Publication: August 24, 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
New set of problems
Suddenly single—and pregnant—Abby James hopes Three Springs, Texas, will give her the fresh start she craves. But five minutes in and she’s already clashed with a former Navy SEAL on horseback. Wes Tanner might be devastatingly handsome, but Abby has no time for romance. Especially with a man intent on leaving town. Abby wants to plant some roots…and falling for the tempting Texan could upend all her plans!
Add The Texas SEAL’s Surprise to your Goodreads!
The Texas SEAL’s Surprise by Cari Lynn Webb
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335426406_the-texas-seals-surprise.html
MY THOUGHTS:
Abby had an unpleasant breakup. Her boyfriend broke her heart. What is more is that she is pregnant. And alone. She plans on start over in Three Springs, Texas. She is in a minor accident and runs into former Navy SEAL Wes Tanner. Wow he catches her eye! But no, she is not going to have her head turned.
Wes is drawn to Abby. There is just something about her. However, he is only planning on staying in town for a short while. For now he has plans on helping as many as possible, including Abby. He doesn't know why he feels so drawn to her but he knows that he cannot form any attachment.
What a sweet story with wonderful characters. I loved the town they were in as well as other secondary characters in the story. I am definitely looking forward to continuing this series.
Many thanks to and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Excerpt of The Texas SEAL’s Surprise by Cari Lynn Webb (Aug 24)
Harlequin Heartwarming
Abby James shoved her car into Park and waited for the dust cloud surrounding her to settle.
Her jamming on the brakes of her compact two-door convertible had caused a mini tornado on the dirt road outside Three Springs, Texas. And all because of a flat tire.
But it was the cowboy sitting on a massive chestnut-colored horse in the middle of the road only a puddle jump away that captured Abby’s full attention.
He shifted in the saddle and pointed at her front wheel. “If you’d been driving the right way down this one-way road, you might have missed that pothole back there.”
If Abby had been going the right way, she’d already be in Three Springs, inside her cousin’s apartment with her face pressed against the air-conditioning vent. The AC in her car had given out several hundred miles ago, forcing her to lower her convertible top. And man, it was hot. “I wouldn’t have swerved into the pothole if you and your mammoth Clydesdale hadn’t been barreling down the road right at me.”
“Dan is a Belgian draft horse.” The cowboy rubbed the horse’s thick neck as if Abby had insulted him. “And Dan barely canters on his fastest day.”
Whatever the pair had been doing they’d made quite the image. Powerful horse and real-life cowboy set against the backdrop of a brilliant clear-blue sky and wide-open plains. It was the perfect setting for a classic Western movie. Captivated, Abby had locked her gaze on the pair and not on where she had been going. She was lucky she hadn’t driven off the road altogether. She blew a stray piece of hair out of her eye. “You really named your horse Dan?”
“He’s an old soul.” The cowboy’s fingers tangled in Dan’s light blond mane. “He’s understanding, patient and loyal. That’s a Dan in my book.”
In Abby’s book the horse was a giant and deserved a grander name than Dan. His sheer height and muscles daunting. But his demeanor was rather calm, from his dark eyes to his stillness. Yet when Abby glanced at Dan’s owner, calm wasn’t her first reaction. Something about the cowboy made her pulse kick up and her nerves fire. Most likely lingering adrenaline from her collision with the pothole. “If you could point me in the direction of a real road to Three Springs, I’ll let you and Dan get on with your day.”
The cowboy nudged his hat up his forehead and frowned. “A real road isn’t going to help you.”
Neither, it seemed, was her cowboy. Wasn’t there a cowboy rule book? Always help damsels in distress.
“You barely have any tire left on your wheel,” he continued. “Dirt or pavement, you aren’t going to make it far.”
His voice was dry and gravelly like the dust she kept inhaling. Only, unlike the dust, she breathed in the deep timbre. Wanted him to keep talking. Abby unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over her car door to peer at her flat tire and disrupt her sudden fixation with her cowboy. “I just need it to go a few more miles.” She’d already driven over thirteen hundred miles from Santa Cruz in just two days. She was so close to starting her future. “I don’t have a spare.”
Connect with the Author
Website: https://carilynnwebb.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carilynnwebb
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carilynnwebb
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Author: Melinda Curtis
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 368
Date of Publication: September 28, 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Could saving the ranch…
Mean a future together?
Cowgirl Cassie Diaz has a secret—a bull riding accident may have stolen her dream of motherhood. She needs to recover, but how can she rest with her family’s ranch in peril? Recent Second Chance, Idaho, arrival Bentley Monroe offers help, and his quiet strength makes her feel safe. Loving him could heal her wounds, but would she have a future with this family man?
Buy A Cowgirls Secret by Melinda Curtis
MY THOUGHTS:
Cassie Diaz is struggling to recover from a bull riding accident and it has changed her life. She has desires and goals and now she is worried that she might not meet them. In fact, she has chosen to keep a secret from those dear to her. One of those that has found a way into her heart is Bentley Monroe. He brings her a sense of calm and Cassie finds him difficult to resist.
I have not read the previous eight books in this series, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I love clean romances and the opportunity to read this story of a woman with hopes and dreams and the perfect man and also very good friends that brought hope and love to her in order to change her life for the good.
Many thanks to Harlequin Heartwarming and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Many thanks to Harlequin Heartwarming and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Excerpt of A Cowgirl’s Secret by Melinda Curtis (Sep 28)
Harlequin Heartwarming
“I told you so, Cassie.” Cassie’s brother, Rhett, shook his head.
Cassie dropped her saddle back on the stand, having only lifted it a few inches. She leaned on the horn and cantle, trying to ease the pain that stretched from the top of her hip to her inner thigh. “Don’t start.”
Don’t tell her she shouldn’t have tried bull riding.
Don’t tell her she should have stuck to horse training.
Don’t tell her horse training wasn’t going to pay the bills.
There came a point in every young woman’s life where she had to accept that some dreams were never coming true—hers being making a decent living training horses. At this point, unless she won the lottery, she needed to set aside girlish dreams and get “a real job,” whatever that was.
Cassie wasn’t ready. And honestly, she might never be. Rhett chuckled. “You winning that purse was a long shot, kind of like Grandpa winning the lottery with that ticket he buys every week.”
Exactly.
“And here we go,” Cassie muttered, glancing at Baby, the quarter horse she’d been trying to saddle when a spasm from her bull-beaten hip sidelined her. “Rhett is on a roll.”
“Indeed, I am.” Rhett tipped up his black cowboy hat and grinned. “I’m surprised you can walk after that bull stomped on your hip.”
The emergency room doctor had been surprised, too. Not that she’d beaten all odds. The orthopedic specialist had given some grim news. News Cassie hadn’t shared with her family, because…
“You never should have gotten on that bull, sis.”
Because of that. Cassie gritted her teeth and stared at the barn rafters at the Bar D. She hadn’t told her family she was considering giving up the ranching life, partly because it was terrifying, and partly because no one in her family had ever given up ranching life—not in five generations.
She continued to stare at the rafters, settling her cowboy hat more firmly on her head. There were cobwebs up there that needed tending to, if one was bothered by such things, which she was, unlike Rhett, who tended to go through life as happy with a tidy environment as a messy one. He preferred to spend his time on extreme experiences, like zip-lining and bungee-jumping off bridges.
Cassie’s gaze drifted back down to the photo gallery on the wall behind her brother.
During a streak of good luck and flush bank accounts, her father had insulated the Bar D’s barn, which came in handy five or six months out of the year when Second Chance, Idaho, was snowed in. But because the insulation had to be held in with something, he’d installed cheap wood paneling. And because the paneling was so very bare in the breezeway, he’d hung pictures of Rhett and Cassie competing in rodeos when they were kids—Rhett in calf and trick roping, Cassie in barrel racing and trick riding.
Back when I thought that’s what I’d do with the rest of my life: cowgirling.
Like horse training or trick riding offered a health plan and retirement benefits. How naive she’d been.
Those pictures had been taken before Cassie’s parents decided to take a job managing someone else’s ranch in Wyoming and handed back the reins of the Bar D to Grandpa Diaz. Before Cassie began keeping the Bar D’s books and worrying about making ends meet.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Connect with the Author
Website: https://www.melindacurtis.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelCurtisAuthor
Instagram: http://instagram.com/melcurtisauthor
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Author: Lee Tobin McClain
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 224
Date of Publication: September 28, 2021
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Two little girls need a family…in this novel by New York Times bestselling author Lee Tobin McClain
They are his nieces…
But she can never tell him.
As the new guardian to her twin nieces, Hannah Antonicelli is determined to keep her promise to her late sister—that she’ll never reveal the identity of their father. But when the girls’ uncle, Luke Hutchenson, moves in next door and takes a job where Hannah works, the truth threatens their growing connection. How can she keep the secret when she can’t even guard her own heart?
Buy Finding a Christmas Home by Lee Tobin McClain
MY THOUGHTS:
Luke Hutchenson's focus is mainly on his father as he is having some issues. But when he meets his new neighbors, especially Hannah Antonicelli, who is the guardian of his nieces, he is about to learn something that will change his life. Hannah has a secret about the beautiful girls and that secret is sure to change a lot of lives.
Hannah is very sad that her sister has passed away but she now has custody of her two nieces. Before her sister died, she made Hannah to keep a promise about a certain secret. Will keeping this secret from Luke go towards destroying growing feelings between both of them?
What a lovely story of faith and forgiveness, especially when secrets were held with very good intentions. Finding A Christmas Home is the third book in the Rescue Haven series and I look forward to seeing if there are any further books in the secries.
Many thanks to Harlequin Love Inspired and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Excerpt of Finding a Christmas Home by Lee Tobin McClain (Sep 28)
Love Inspired
Hannah Antonicelli walked out of the Rescue Haven Learn-and-Play and flopped down on the bench that ran along the wall of the red barn.
“Cold for sitting outside, isn’t it?” Her friend Gabby wrapped her heavy parka more tightly around herself before sitting beside Hannah. Despite the fact that she and her husband oversaw all Rescue Haven’s programs—the dog rescue, the after-school program for at-risk boys and the childcare center—Gabby always had time to stop and chat.
And Gabby was right: November in rural Ohio wasn’t sit-outside weather. Wind whisked across the neighboring cornfields, rustling the dry, light brown stalks, carrying with it the faint, clean smell of oncoming snow. “I just need a minute before I start with the dogs,” Hannah said.
“Take a minute! Take an hour, or the whole morning off, if you need. It’s a great thing you’re doing, providing a home for Marnie’s girls.”
“The Learn-and-Play is the only possible way I’ll manage, so thank you for accepting the twins on short notice.” And she didn’t want to take advantage of Gabby’s generosity by skimping on her part-time job as the Rescue Haven dog trainer. What with everything that had happened, she’d already taken too much time off. Not to mention the fact that Gabby was pregnant and didn’t need extra stress. “Let me know if they need anything or get upset.”
Caring for her sister’s eighteen-month-old twin girls had been the right thing to do when Marnie had died of complications after a drug overdose two weeks ago. The desperate phone call from her estranged older sister had shaken Hannah’s world at its foundation. She and Mom had rushed to Marnie’s side and instantly agreed to care for the twins they barely knew.
Which meant that, for now, Hannah was back in her childhood home. Mom’s house had plenty of space, a big yard with a tire swing and was close to Rescue Haven.
Anyway, until they got the twins’ lives in order and their schedules figured out, it was going to take two of them to manage things. Being in the same house was just easier.
Mom was busy trying to keep her struggling bakery afloat during hard times. She was also grief-stricken and guilt-ridden over Marnie’s death—not in any shape to be a primary caregiver. Whereas Hannah… Hannah was more angry at her sister than anything else. Marnie had neglected her babies. She’d caused terrible pain to their mother. And she’d entrusted Hannah with a secret that wasn’t going to be easy to keep.
The blond, curly-haired twins had instantly become Hannah’s priority in life. She had to raise them right, and she would. She yawned. The twins hadn’t slept well last night—again—and she was just so tired…
She might have actually dozed off for a few seconds, and when she opened her eyes, she felt like she was dreaming. “Who’s that?” she asked Gabby as she stared at the movie-star-handsome, rugged man striding toward them.
“You don’t recognize him? That’s Luke Hutchenson.”
Hannah’s stomach lurched. “When did he come back to town?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Connect with the Author
Website: https://www.leetobinmcclain.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeeTobinMcClain
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Author: C.J. Carroll
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 288
Date of Publication: October 24, 2021
My Rating: 3 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Some inheritances have strings attached.
This one requires him to get married…
In her last matchmaking attempt, Zed Evans’s late aunt stipulated he must find a wife—or lose his childhood home. Fortunately, the resolute bachelor needs to be married for only three months. Now he just has to convince Tasha Jenkins to be his holiday wife in exchange for funds to get her dream business started. It’s the perfect plan…until love makes an unexpected appearance.
Add Claiming His Christmas Inheritance to your Goodreads!
Buy Claiming His Christmas Inheritance by C.J. Carroll
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335758903_claiming-his-christmas-inheritance.html
MY THOUGHTS:
Zed Evans must find a wife, albeit temporarily. He has to follow his aunt's stipulation in her will to find a wife. If Tasha Jenkins will be his holiday wife, he will get the mega funds will be given to him. Will Zed and Tasha be able to work with this arrangement without letting love get in the way?
I mostly enjoyed this inspirational diverse romance between Zed and Tasha. My only issue was the occasional casual language used. Although I am a POC I guess I am used to more proper speech in stories. Nonetheless, the story was quite enjoyable and I did very much love watching Zed and Tasha reach into their hearts in order to realize that love was in the cards.
Many thanks to Harlequin Love Inspired and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Excerpt of Claiming His Christmas Inheritance by C.J. Carroll (Oct 26)
Love InspiredTasha Jenkins’s heart fluttered wildly, like the tiny wings of a baby bird. She squeezed her eyelids shut. “You can do it, girl. You got this.”It’s my first Christmas alone in the world.Her eyes flickered open, and she stared at the familiar purple Victorian in front of her. A salmon-stained sky, dotted with wispy, cotton-ball clouds, provided a splendid backdrop to the spectacular structure.Every Christmas since Tasha was eight, she and her single mother had visited the historic Avenue Parkway neighborhood of Vista Peak, Colorado. They loved to admire the turn-of-the-twentieth-century homes’ holiday decorations.Although it wasn’t the fanciest or most ornately decorated house in the neighborhood, the purple Victorian was their favorite. Its charming amenities, unusual color and the sense of home and family it evoked for them contributed to the special feeling they both had about the place.But this time there was an empty spot beside her where her mom used to stand, clasping her hand. Tasha admired the house’s wraparound porch, decorative turret and scalloped shingles. Her gaze roamed lovingly over the carved columns, spindles, ornate molding and lavender trim. Three massive evergreens, lightly dusted with snow, surrounded the house like stoic sentinels.A large white wreath hung on the front door. Multicolored ornaments filled several oversize vintage lanterns on the porch. Giant red-and-green peppermints on sticks, a nativity scene and a miniature Christmas village were displayed in the yard.She bit her lip and peered heavenward. Lord, I miss my mom. She was my North Star. Sorrow at the unfairness of her mother’s untimely death, after a hard life, threatened to consume her. Can You hear me, Lord? Do You really care? Grief shredded her heart. A vehicle door abruptly slammed behind her, and Tasha turned to discover a tall, brown-skinned man exiting a silver Ford F-150 truck.She quickly wiped away rogue tears.“Miss, are you okay?” The inherent kindness gleaming from his eyes nearly did her in.“Yeah. I will be,” she said.Narrowly built, but muscular and defined, the man appeared well over six feet tall. While his crisp white shirt, a forest green-and-red plaid sweater-vest, gold bow tie, black pants and vintage wingtip shoes he wore harkened to another era, the stranger appeared to be around her age—in his mid to late thirties.“Quite a beauty,” he said.Shocked at his full-frontal approach, Tasha blushed at the compliment. She was grateful her cinnamon-brown skin hid physical signs of embarrassment—especially when she realized he was looking past her.Oh my, he meant the house, not me. Tasha quickly recovered. “That it is,” she replied as if she understood his intent all along.He scrutinized her. Understanding lit his features, and he grinned. “You thought I was complimenting you.”She winced. She’d never mastered keeping a neutral face. “Guilty as charged.”A deep-throated, hardy chuckle escaped his lips. Irises the color of sunlight shimmering through honey observed her. “Wait one moment while I uninsert my foot from my mouth.”She raised her hand in protest. “No worries.”“You know, the compliment most definitely works both ways.” His eyes grazed her face like a gentle breeze caressing a flower.Tasha willed her heart to continue to beat normally. Oh, the brotha’s got game. Slow your roll, playa-playa. Your charm won’t work on me. Even if you are as fine as Mr. Michael B. Jordan, Mr. Bradley Cooper and Mr. Idris Elba combined. With a cherry on top.Nevertheless, she had to acknowledge his kudos was nice. “Thank you,” she replied.
An admittedly hopeless romantic, C.J. Carroll first started telling love stories as a child, with her 60-plus Barbie/Ken doll collection. Her goal is to write stories that are faith-filled,funny, flirty and fresh. She hopes that her stories entertain and uplift, and that her readers feel the loving touch of God's hand.
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Author: Ruth Logan Herne
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 368
Date of Publication: October 26, 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
A second chance to follow her heart…
in this novel by USA TODAY bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne
She never thought she’d see him again…
Or tell him they have a son.
Ten years ago, Devlyn McCabe refused to let her secret—their child—be the reason Ryland Bauer stayed. Now Rye’s back to make an offer on her property, and she can’t keep hiding the truth. Rye will do anything to be part of his son’s life. But he’ll have to reveal the real reason he left if he wants them to become a family…
Buy The Path Not Taken by Ruth Logan Herne
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335758880_the-path-not-taken.html
MY THOUGHTS:
How is Devlyn McCabe going to admit to Ryland Bauer that they have a nine-year-old son? Why did she never tell him? They have been struggling and here comes Rye in the position to buy her property. Rye looks at Dev and her son and it doesn't take him long to put two and two together.
In this second chance romance, we also have a secret that doesn't stay that way for long when Rye comes into town. Things come to light in this sensitive story about two people who have strong feelings for one another and how they come to terms with their pasts and how they can find a way to be together.
There were other characters in this lovely story and I enjoyed them as well. Ruth Logan Herne has written a wonderful story about how faith and forgiveness can change lives for good.
Many thanks to Harlequin Love Inspired and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Excerpt of The Path Not Taken by Ruth Logan Herne (Oct 26)
Love Inspired
He was on his way to a meeting he couldn’t avoid because nestled in the middle of Smoky Mountain Development Corporation’s “over 55” neighborhood concept was a thirteen-acre property owned by Devlyn McCabe. His first love. Maybe his only true love. No one before or since had touched his soul like Devlyn, but that was a long time ago.
He swallowed a sigh, determined to think of something else. Anything else. The land. The project. But there was no separating the project from Devlyn or her land. Her acreage crested the rise of the ridge, giving Kendrick Ridge its vantage point and its name. Her land abutted his and linked his to two other neighbors. Phase One of the project would only go ahead with that middle parcel: Devlyn’s land.
That meant seeing her tomorrow. Rye never took the easy way first. The other property owners were already interested in selling. He knew that.
Dev would be different because his deal came packed with a whole lot of painful history.
He took the turn onto Route 321 and headed for B&B Cabins. A small town like Kendrick Creek didn’t offer hotel and motel lodging, but a smattering of cabin rentals had sprung up over the years. As long as it had a decent bed and Wi-Fi, he was good to go.
He wanted to settle in and plan how he was going to approach Devlyn the next day. One way or another this project would move forward. Hopefully with Devlyn’s land, but if he had to go to Plan B, he would. It wouldn’t be as pretty. Devlyn’s ridge allowed a magnificent view of the mountains east of the valley, and the lower land that bordered the northern edge of Rye’s farmland was thickly forested. The wooded land changed the dynamics of the homesites. Either way, he’d be here for several weeks to put a plan in motion.
He turned into the broad driveway for B&B Cabins and parked outside the manager’s small house, while a cat happily crunched on some kind of treat nearby.
His key was taped to the door in an envelope. “Had an errand. Make yourself at home. Cabin five. We’ll finish stuff up tomorrow. B. Taylor.”
God bless the small-town mentality that trusted he wouldn’t take advantage of the older lady who’d taken his reservation the day before.
He took the key, got back in his car and drove up the curving drive to cabin five. The yard was well lit with dusk-to-dawn lights. The cabin was typical: rustic and simple. A door was centered between two identical windows. Colorful pansies broke up the wood-on-wood of the small porch, wood railings and wooden steps, while different-colored tulips bobbed their heads in narrow rectangular plots in front of the porch.
He opened the cabin door before hauling things in from the trunk of his car. The souped-up sports car had been his reward for his first major financial success years ago. He had just taken it out of storage this week, another sign of the changing seasons.
He grabbed sheets and blankets and carried them inside to the small bedroom. He could honestly say he’d never stayed in a place where he had to provide his own linens before. Clearly there was a first time for everything.
He went back for his laptop case and suitcases as a small car rolled up the driveway. It drove by him and pulled into one of the two parking spots in front of the cabin next door.
He carried a suitcase in, set it down and headed back outside.
He glanced to the right.
And his heart stopped.
Devlyn.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Connect with the Author
Website: http://ruthloganherne.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuthLoganHerne/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruthloganherne
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