SMITTEN

Smitten is a delightful collection of four novellas written by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter.

            The town of Smitten, Vermont, seems doomed when the main employer, a lumber mill, announces it is closing. Smitten tells the story of four friends who won’t let the town die without a fight. They launch a scheme to turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination. Each of the friends agrees to tackle an aspect of the town’s rebirth, with heartwarming results.

            I loved the novella format as a way of telling this story. Each of the authors puts her own spin on her protagonist, giving variety to the characters’ actions. The four novellas dovetail with ongoing sub-plots. One I particularly enjoyed was a character named Natalie’s continuing struggle to produce edible gluten-free treats at Mountain Perks, a coffee shop she owns in Smitten.

            If you’re looking for a fun read over these winter evenings, you’ll love Smitten.

            Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing me with an advance reader copy.

ANOTHER DAWN, by Kathryn Cushman

Grace Graham has spent years running from tough situations--until the day her sister calls with a plea for help with their widowed father. Given no choice, Grace and her four-year-old son leave their California home for Shoal Creek. Tennessee.

Grace plans to do the minimum asked of her, then leave as quickly as possible. But she didn't anticipate the events that would conspire to hold her in Tennessee. Decisions she made in years past put the life of her son and other children in danger, and she's forced to face the consequences of her choices.

Another Dawn explores contemporary issues in a way that is sure to cause readers to wonder if there are choices in their own lives that have had unintended consequences.

Cushman explores a serious issue with compassion and understanding. Be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby when you read this book.

VANISH, by Tom Pawlik

I have to search for words to describe Vanish. It is such a gripping story that it defies description, at least by me.

Vanish begins as an almost other-worldly experience. Lawyer Conner Hayden senses he's being watched while working in his Chicago office on a Friday afternoon. That night, a powerful storm rocks the city, and when he awakens the next day Chicago is deserted.

Vanish concerns Hayden's efforts to find his daughter and make sense of what has happened. The story rolls forward as rapidly as the gray mists containing whispering silhouettes that follow him everywhere. To say more would take away from the many surprises that spring forth from each chapter. I was totally unprepared for the way Pawlik concluded the story. To call it thought-provoking is an understatement.

In 2008, Pawlik won Operation First Novel from the Christian Writers Guild, as well as a Christy award for Vanish. The awards were well-deserved. I can’t recommend Vanish highly enough.

MEANDER SCAR, by Lisa J. Lickel

Lickel's third novel, Meander Scar, weaves a tale of surprises and heart-wrenching emotional dilemmas. The term, "Meander Scar" refers to scars on the landscape left after high water causes a river to temporarily change course. When the overflow evaporates, a scar is left in the place where the river once ran.

Meander Scar uses this as a metaphor for protagonist, Ann Ballard's, life. Ann is a forty-something woman who lives alone when Mark Roth, who lived next door as a boy, shows up on her doorstep. At first she believes he’s there to visit his old neighborhood and contact his boyhood friends. But there’s a deeper reason for Mark’s appearance. As the story progresses, Mark’s history makes it clear why he’s come seeking Ann.

Although Ann is attracted to his dark good looks, she reminds herself that Mark is eleven years younger than she is. As he overcomes her initial doubts about his motives, more serious complications come to light from Ann’s own background. Some of the most profound questions raised in this book arise from Ann’s reactions to discoveries about her past.

Lickel has written a convincing novel about love in all its forms. If you want to be intrigued by an unusual plot, Meander Scar is for you.

Family Baggage, by Monica McInerney

I haven't posted a review since late November. "Family Baggage" in my personal life has kept me busy! Even though I wasn't posting blogs, I didn't stop reading, so I have a backlog of reviews to catch up on. For starters, I want to share my enjoyment of Family Baggage, by Australian author, Monica McInerney.

Harriet Turner, the protagonist in Family Baggage, carries this novel in a thoroughly captivating manner. McInerney has created a woman to whom many of us can relate.

The story opens with Harriet recovering from a breakdown following the deaths of her parents. Turner Travel, the family business, was started by Harriet’s parents, and is now carried on by Harriet and her siblings. She’s been given an assignment to take a tour group of senior citizens from Australia (her home) to the Cornish countryside. Her adopted sister, Lara, is scheduled to meet the group in England and guide their eccentric charges on the path a television series crime-solver of the previous decade followed. (Think “Murder She Wrote”.)

However, Lara fails to show up at the airport as planned. Harriet finds herself alone with a busload of characters who have all but memorized every episode of the old television show. If this weren’t enough, she discovers that Lara has disappeared. Uncovering her sister’s whereabouts leads to confronting long-held family secrets and resolving old family baggage.

McInerney is an Australian author whose novels remind me of Maeve Binchey’s. I love Binchey’s stories and love McInerney’s in the same way—appealing characters, a touch of humor, and plots that keep me turning pages.

Family Baggage is a terrific story. It's fiction for the general market, but contains little objectionable material.