book review

For these two broken hearts, the first step toward love will be a huge leap of faith.

Jessica Mason isn’t looking for love when she meets Ridley Chesterfield. Instead she is still reeling from the tragic, unexpected loss of her husband and daughter—and awaiting the arrival of her unborn child. Harboring the secret of her husband’s betrayal, her pain is deeper than anyone knows.

Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out in Hope Springs, Idaho, avoiding a political scandal and the barrage of false media headlines that have tarnished his good name. The last thing Ridley wants is a relationship—but when fate leads Ridley to form a friendship with his reclusive and pregnant neighbor, he wonders if this small-town hideout might be more of a long-term destination. 

When Jessica begins to read her great-grandfather’s Bible, she finds a connection with a man she never knew. Somehow the verses he marked and the words he wrote in the margins open her heart to healing. And as Ridley and Jessica help each other forgive the people who have broken their hearts, they must decide if the past will define them or if they will choose to love again.

Who I Am with You weaves together a modern-day romance with Jessica’s great-grandfather’s story from the 1930s, reminding us that some truths can cross generations and that faith has the power to transform families forever.

Who I Am with You is the first book in Robin’s new “A Legacy of Faith” series.

I absolutely LOVED Who I Am With You!  Hatcher really tugs on the heartstrings with Jessica’s story.  It’s so easy to see why she’s bitter and heartbroken, and I love the it of mystery that she writes into the story.  Jessica’s story isn’t revealed all at once, and I enjoyed trying to put together pieces before Hatcher assembled them.

Ridley was a fun character.   While Jessica was deep and had a dark history, Ridley’s issues felt simpler to deal with, even though betrayal is always hard.  I liked the way that he helped his parents, worked on his issues, and was always willing to help his neighbor when she needed it.

The most fascinating piece of this story was the Bible – Jessica’s great-grandfather’s Bible.  She connects with him through notes he’s written in the Bible, but as the reader, you learn his full story through flashback-like episodes that Hatcher inserts into the action.

I was really close to my great-grandparents growing up.  They were both people of strong faith, though they weren’t the write-in-my-Bible type.  This story really makes me wonder what Grandma would have written beside her favorite verses. How might she have noted scriptures she studied when life was hard?  That would be fascinating to know.  I really enjoyed this facet of the story.

I love stories in which the main characters grow, and Jessica and Ridley’s faith sprouts new branches in this one.  Much healing needed to happen, and I loved seeing how Hatcher spurred this on.

Who I Am With You is a sweet story of hope and healing – perfect for a fireside read.  Give it a try!

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 75 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Robin is an ACFW Carol Award winner and an eight-time finalist and has won two RITA Awards and been a finalist eleven times. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. She is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

For more information, visit www.robinleehatcher.com, Facebook: robinleehatcher, Twitter: @robinleehatcher and Instagram @robinleehatcher.

Don’t take my word for it, though – enter to win your own copy of this wonderful story!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a free copy of this book from Read with Audra.  All opinions are my own.

Jessica Mason isn’t looking for love when she meets Ridley Chesterfield. Instead she is still reeling from the tragic, unexpected loss of her husband and daughter—and awaiting the arrival of her unborn child. Harboring the secret of her husband’s betrayal, her pain is deeper than anyone knows.

Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out in Hope Springs, Idaho, avoiding a political scandal and the barrage of false media headlines that have tarnished his good name. The last thing Ridley wants is a relationship—but when fate leads Ridley to form a friendship with his reclusive and pregnant neighbor, he wonders if this small-town hideout might be more of a long-term destination. 

When Jessica begins to read her great-grandfather’s Bible, she finds a connection with a man she never knew. Somehow the verses he marked and the words he wrote in the margins open her heart to healing. And as Ridley and Jessica help each other forgive the people who have wronged them, they must decide if the past will define them or if they will choose to love again. 

I absolutely LOVED Who I Am With You!  Hatcher really tugs on the heartstrings with Jessica’s story.  It’s so easy to see why she’s bitter and heartbroken, and I love the it of mystery that she writes into the story.  Jessica’s story isn’t revealed all at once, and I enjoyed trying to put together pieces before Hatcher assembled them.

Ridley was a fun character.   While Jessica was deep and had a dark history, Ridley’s issues felt simpler to deal with, even though betrayal is always hard.  I liked the way that he helped his parents, worked on his issues, and was always willing to help his neighbor when she needed it.

The most fascinating piece of this story was the Bible – Jessica’s great-grandfather’s Bible.  She connects with him through notes he’s written in the Bible, but as the reader, you learn his full story through flashback-like episodes that Hatcher inserts into the action.

I was really close to my great-grandparents growing up.  They were both people of strong faith, though they weren’t the write-in-my-Bible type.  This story really makes me wonder what Grandma would have written beside her favorite verses. How might she have noted scriptures she studied when life was hard?  That would be fascinating to know.  I really enjoyed this facet of the story.

I love stories in which the main characters grow, and Jessica and Ridley’s faith sprouts new branches in this one.  Much healing needed to happen, and I loved seeing how Hatcher spurred this on.

Who I Am With You is a sweet story of hope and healing – perfect for a fireside read.  Give it a try!

I received a free copy of this book from the author.  All opinions are my own.

Having returned to Chicago, young socialite Anna Nicholson can’t seem to focus on her upcoming marriage. The new information she’s learned about her birth mother continues to pull at her, and she hires Pinkerton detectives to help her find the truth. But as she meets people who once knew her mother and hears stories about the past, Anna soon discovers that some secrets are better left hidden.

At the same time, unflattering stories about Anna are leaked by someone who would love to see her disgraced and her engagement broken. And as Anna tries to share her faith with her society friends, she understands that her choice to seek God’s purpose for her life isn’t as simple as she had hoped.

When things are at their darkest, Anna knows she can turn to her grandmother, Geesje de Jonge, back in Holland, Michigan. Geesje’s been helping new Dutch immigrants, including a teen with a haunted past, adjust to America. She only hopes that her wisdom can help all these young people through the turmoil they face.

Lynn Austin creates characters you’ll fall in love with, and Anna from Waves of Mercy is no exception.  In fact, that’s how this sequel, Legacy of Mercy, came about – so many readers loved it and begged Austin directly for another book that she created this one!  I love that!

Anna really is a wonderful character.  She’s a product of her home and her time, but there’s a niggling in her spirit that there’s more, and she’s just brave enough to investigate that.  She’s curious and interested in the past, specifically her past, but she’s respectful to the people around her who might be hurt by that curiosity.  Best of all, she’s strong – stronger than first impressions lead you to believe.  She makes the hard choice to do what will help those she cares about, even when it’s not at all what she wants for herself.  I love reading about characters who live out sacrificial love!

Austin’s dual-time storyline is pretty awesome, too.  Anna continues to learn the story of her parents in snippets throughout this book, and Austin keeps you in suspense as you do so – dribbling out just enough information to keep you hooked, but never sharing enough to spoil the story.  

The subplots aren’t cake, either – they’re deep and meaty.  There are new immigrants in Holland, and Geesje’s new friends aren’t entirely what they seem.  With all three storylines, Austin weaves together the story’s events with spiritual lessons – and ever-present wisdom from Geesje.  I didn’t want to leave this family when I turned the last page and found myself pondering their new situations for several days after.  Austin writes with a realism that many authors avoid:  her characters do not find bright rainbows at the end of their stories, although they do find resolution and contentment.  Instead of the fluff, theirs is a more realistic situation that, while still containing joy, contains the twists and turns that real life does.  I admire Austin’s ability to write this way.

Legacy of Mercy is a must-read – and if you haven’t read the first book Waves of Mercy, then hurry and read that one first.  This is Austin at her best.

I received a free copy of this book from the author.  All opinions are my own.

Anthony and Marty Hirschler are part of an Old Order Mennonite community in Pine Hill, Indiana. The couple has grown apart since a doctor confirmed they would never have children. Marty longs to escape the tight-knit area where large families are valued, and the opportunity to do so arises when her childhood friend, Brooke Spalding, resurfaces with the wild idea of rebuilding a ghost town into a resort community. Brooke hires Anthony to help with the construction, drawing the Hirschlers away from Indiana and into her plan, and then finds herself diagnosed with cancer. Moral complications with Brooke’s vision for a casino as part of the resort and the discovery of a runaway teenager hiding on the property open up a world neither the Hirschlers nor Brooke had considered before. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and differences to help the ones among them hurting the most?

Sawyer writes a new kind of story with Ours for a Season!  This isn’t your typical conservative Christian book; instead, it will stretch your ideas of what Christians can do and how – and with whom – we should interact.

I love the way that Sawyer created main characters who were ultra-conservative Mennonites and then placed an important supporting character right behind them who was anything but.  I love the contrast between these characters, the relationship between them, and the growth that springs up from the conflicts in this story.

The conflict isn’t one you’ll find anywhere else, either – and aren’t you ready for a new plot line?  I love the way that Sawyer wrote marital discord and spiritual discontent into a Mennonite family and then faced them with a slew of worldly problems.  I love that – because problems aren’t only for Christians or not, but people everywhere of all belief systems face them, and we all want to be able to face them in better ways.  The characters in Ours for a Season definitely do that.

While the characters and conflict were unpredictable, I can’t say the same for the eventual resolution.  I did figure out what was going to happen partway through the story, but that didn’t make the ending any less sweet.  I enjoying seeing Marty, Brooke, and the others transform and grow throughout the book, and the plot twists were enjoyable.  After turning the last page, I regretted it; I found myself wanting more time with these characters.

If you like to read sweet stories of faith, or stories that will poke you a bit and challenge you to live your faith out well, or even stories that deal with real issues facing American society today, then pick up a copy of Ours for a Season.  You’ll be glad you did.

I received a free copy of Ours for a Season from WaterBrook and Multnomah.  All opinions are my own.