Book description from Book Bub:
“Is the sure thing worth risking for the possibility of maybe?
Charla Winthrop, a savvy business woman seeking a permanent lifestyle change in small-town Ruby, learns that things aren’t always what they appear when she takes up residence in a house steeped in charm and a hint of mystery.
Rumor has it that Sam Packard the town carpenter is her go-to guy for home remodeling, but can Charla convince him to help her—with no strings attached, of course?
Alone far too long, Sam’s prayed that God would send him a wife and a mother for his daughters. However, the new Ruby resident is hardly what he imagined. A new place to call “home,” the possibility of what might be, and the answer to someone’s prayers unite this unlikely pair with the help of the town’s residents.
Nestled in the Ozarks’ hills and hollows is Ruby, Missouri, a quaint, cozy town where “neighbor” is merely another word for “friend.” Ruby will charm and delight as will her quirky, lovable characters who will steal your heart, but hand it right back—with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Savor your new friends’ sorrows and successes in the community where offbeat is perfect and mishaps and mayhem never tasted so good.”
My Review:
I was drawn into this book from the opening paragraph with the description of the Missouri region of the Ozarks. The Ozarks are home to me, and the author did an excellent job describing the natural beauty of this region of the country. She also completely understands the close relationships among the residents of a small Missouri town.
But even more than her description of the beautiful countryside, this book’s characters will steal your heart. Charla, Sam, Faith and Hope were meant to come together to form a family, and their story is a lovely one to read. Sam and Charla have each come through great heartache and are ready for a new start in life, but each have deal with a issues of trust to get there. Their road to romance is not always smooth, and they face the challenge of reconciling their differences of viewpoint to form a happy marriage.
There’s a very strong emphasis of faith of how God works in our lives through circumstances that we might not understand or recognize at the time. There’s a little bit of “heavenly intervention” throughout the book, and the way the whole story pulls together is very satisfying. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more about the residents of Ruby, Missouri.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.