Review ~ Now and Then and Always (Maple Valley #1) by Melissa Tagg

Kindle Edition, 422 pages

Published May 28th 2019 by Larkspur Press

“It was just a house. Just a weathered old house in a hidden grove, shuttered and still...” 

Last year, after traumatic circumstances forced her from her job as a nanny, Mara Bristol finally found a place to belong—the winsome Everwood Bed & Breakfast at the edge of Maple Valley, Iowa. For months, she’s helped its owner, Lenora, maintain the ramshackle property despite their shortage of guests. But when Lenora fails to return from a month-long trip and the bank threatens foreclosure, Mara worries she’s once again alone . . . abandoned . . . about to lose the only true home she’s ever known. 

Detective Marshall Hawkins is no closer to whole today than he was two years ago . . . the day his daughter died. Between his divorce, debilitating migraines, and a dependence on medication, his life is falling apart. And when a reckless decision on the job propels him into administrative leave, he has no other plan but to get in his truck and drive. A one-night stay at the Everwood was supposed to be just that. But there’s something about the old house—or maybe its intriguing caretaker—that pulls him in. 

Together, Mara and Marshall set out to save the Everwood. But its secrets run deeper than they could’ve imagined. As they renovate the house and search for its missing owner, they’ll each confront the pain that brought them to the Everwood in the first place . . . and just maybe discover a faith and love to help them carry on. 

Purchase:

Amazon

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All links are for Ebook.

My Review

4.5 STARS!!!

"I'm ready to let God put me back together. I know now there's life beyond the brokenness."

Now and Then and Always—characters, setting, plot, mystery all combine to create one of the most delightful books I’ve read this year! I was captivated and read it in a day. That’s saying something for me, or rather the author. J It’s an emotional story that brought laughter and tears more than once and had me smiling a lot. And yet the pain Marshall is experiencing since the death of his precious daughter, Laney, is too familiar. I can’t spend too much time thinking about that other than to say that Melissa Tagg has written it as if she has experienced it but I sure hope not. I hope it is pure skill and a blessed gift from God that she can write about such devastating loss. Everything described that Marshall feels and thinks, I have been there or I’m still there in my own grief journey. But I have hope that I, too, am not so broken that God can’t heal me.

Mara has found purpose and friendship in Maple Valley. Lenora, elderly owner of Everwood, helps her discover what can be and not just what was. Their friendship is bound in need and love and an answer to prayers not even realized. I loved hearing Lenora’s thoughts. At first I thought they were written as diary entries but then realized that wasn’t the case. I was anxious to find out what was happening to her. There is a mystery surrounding Lenora and her parents who disappeared many years ago. It’s woven expertly through the story.

None of the main characters are related but they’ve formed their own family with one another. I look forward to finding out more about Jen and Lucas and Sam. Maple Valley is a storyworld like no other and one that any reader would want to live in. I highly recommend this book to fans of good clean contemporary romance with strong yet subtle faith elements interlaced throughout.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review ~ Jane by the Book by Pepper Basham

Four years ago, Jane Warwick escaped the shame and heartbreak of being jilted at the altar by becoming a housekeeper at the secluded Inn at Simeon Ridge. Predictable and quiet, the inn helps Jane find a place to heal and celebrates her strengths, where she is promoted to head housekeeper. But an unexpected visit to Bath, England, upsets Jane's plans and sends her out of her comfort zone, directly into the harrowing path of historical detective author, Titus Stewart.

The only plans Titus sticks to are family holidays and the ones that send him careening into his story worlds, but when an uptight and nervous innkeeper stumbles into his life - and his latest novel - nonfiction begins to take on a much more interesting gleam.

As the unlikely pair delve into the mystery behind a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old letter, will they both uncover a romance that stands the test of time?

 About Pepper

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes novels inspired by her love for history and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her Penned in Time series has garnered recognition in the Inspys, Grace Awards, and the ACFW Carol Awards. Her contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, received 4-stars from Romantic Times, and her most recent historical release, The Thorn Healer, received a Top Pick from RT with 4 ½ stars. Her newest contemporary romance, Just the Way You Are, releases in April 2017 and also received a Top Pick from RT! You can get to know Pepper on her website, Facebook,  Instagram or over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley. 

Jane by the Book is part of a collection of eight novellas right now available for pre-order and it's ONLY .99!!! That's right. 99cents, Y'all, so hop on over and pre-order your copy today before the price goes up, up, up!

Purchase link:
*Amazon 

*I am not affiliated in any way with Amazon and make NO money if you use the link to purchase the book. 

My (Short) Review

Lighthearted, witty, and charming, Jane by the Book is Basham’s latest rom-com that had me smiling and chuckling during my reading experience. I finished Jane and Titus's story with a deep sigh of satisfaction and perhaps...an audible awwww! 😊

I received an electronic copy of the book from the author. I was not required to write a review. 
All opinions are my own.

~Happy Reading~

Sweet Cheeks

Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

32 years. 

It's hard to believe I'm the mother of a child who would have been 32 years old today. It seems like only yesterday that the weak sound of Amy's cry was heard when her tiny and trembling body was ushered into this world by cesarean section, and her vernix covered cheek was caressed softly against my wet one.

Once again my cheeks are glistening with tears as I sit here and remember the day her life began and how she felt--the first touch of her face on mine, the sweetness of a moment like no other.

I cherish the time the Lord allowed me to feel Amy's face against mine. I'm even thankful for the moments our tears mingled together during hard times and good times--trials and triumphs--for without one we would never know the other.

While I will always grieve the physical withdrawal of Amy, I hold her in my heart and imagine the whisper soft touch of her cheek against mine when a gentle breeze brushes across my face.

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is supposed to be a happy occasion but for many it is not. It brings reminders of a mom or a child who isn’t with us anymore. It is easy to get lost in our own grief because it is such an all encompassing emotion. When you’re in the midst of those early days and weeks, perhaps even months and years,  you’re apt to walk through life with blinders on, singularly focused on taking one step at a time, not glancing left or right or up for fear you might fall.

Thankfully, there comes a day when you not only look up but out, toward others, toward life. Your eyes are opened to the beauty that still lives on in God’s creation. Perhaps you notice a single flower, a beautiful sunset, or hear a child’s laughter. Maybe these things bring to mind your loved one that has passed away, and you realize you no longer feel the heavy weight of grief. The kind that robs you of breath.

That’s where I am today. I can breathe again without feeling like I am suffocating. It doesn't mean I’m not deeply saddened. I am. I don’t have my mom or oldest daughter with me anymore, but what I do have is hope for the future. I see it every day in the eyes of my children and grandchildren. I feel it when their arms wrap me in a loving embrace. I hear it in their voices as they mingle together in laughter.

If you’ve experienced the loss of your mom or child, I pray that you are on the road to healing; to hearing and seeing all the Lord has for you. It’s a difficult journey to be sure. Know that we are in this together. I pray that you know how much you are appreciated and loved today, 

dear Mom's.

Have a blessed day in the Lord!

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Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of a good report – if there is any virtue and if there is any praise- think on these things. ~Philippians 4:8

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