Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty—a handsome widower with three young sons of his own—Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship—and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?
Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.
Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?
The Orange Blossom Inn has never been so beautiful – and the old-fashioned romance so appealing. There’s more than one romance in this story, too, which only makes it better. Emma and Jay have big, adult issues to work through, while Tricia and Ben are caught up in the bloom of young love. The contrasts are appealing.
Emma’s ties to her old life are strong, and her family doesn’t want anything to change. She’s ready to move on, however, and I love the way that she honestly and kindly speaks with those concerned. She’s much more patient than I could be, and her emotional struggle add both spice and sweetness to the plot.
Frankie is pure fun. A beagle with a penchant for pizza, he adds his own brand of humor to the story at all the right moments – and sometimes the wrong ones. I love the way that Gray takes a serious emotional story and keeps it so approachable with episodes like Frankie’s escapades.
A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn is fun, and like the other books in the series, the characters are close and realistic. I can’t wait for the next installment in the series!
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Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
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I received a free copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
