Wildwood Creek

I finally finished reading Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate. I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed her writing style and characters. I found for this one, though, that it took me a while to get into the book, and it seemed to move slowly for me.

I liked the idea of the story and thought the author took an interesting approach to telling two stories in this book.

The first story is set in present day when Allie Kirkland has a summer job on the production crew for a new tv series. She thinks this is a great opportunity in chasing her dream of following in her father's footsteps. Both she and her best friend Kim will be part of the cast/crew and spend the summer on the set of a pioneer community.

The other story is that of Bonnie Rose who was one of the characters being portrayed in the TV series. She has lived a hard life and comes to Wildwood Creek as a school teacher with her little sister. Strange things happen in Wildwood which leads to all sorts of legends about the disappearances and other mysterious events.

Allie feels a connection to the people of Wildwood Creek and feels it is important to honor them by figuring out the mystery of who they were and what happened to them. She feels her role is more important than just a summer job.

I found this book to have some unexpected turns. I must admit I felt confused during some of the book and didn't really like how it ended.  I guess I had questions about some of the characters and never had those resolved in the book.

I received this book as part of the author's influencer program. Thank you.

Have a day of blessings!
 

The Prayer Box

I was happy to receive The Prayer Box  to review. I've enjoyed other books by Lisa Wingate and was glad to read this new one.
About the book:When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything.

My thoughts:
It's hard to put my thoughts about this book into words because it was such a great read. The job of cleaning out the home of the deceased woman became more than a job for Tandi. It opened a door for her to get to know Iola Poole through her letters. The way Iola Poole wrote spoke to Tandi's heart and gave her a yearning to learn more about this mysterious lady who was shunned by her community. Her writings helped Tandi heal from her past and see the ways she needed to not turn back to her old life that she'd left behind.  The author wove the characters together so beautifully.  The parent/child relationship as well as the sibling conflict helped Tandi grow and change through the book.  I liked watching Tandi's view of herself change as the book progressed.  This is a great book, and I highly recommend it to you.  I like the cover too. 

I like the idea of a prayer box and putting prayers in as an act of letting go and giving those things to God. 
This book was sent to me from the author/publisher for my honest review.

Have a day of blessings!

Firefly Island

I have read other books by Lisa Wingate (like Blue Moon Bay and Never Say Never) and was excited to receive her new book Firefly Island in the mail for my review.  I did not know much about the book but figured I would enjoy it since I've enjoyed other books by this author.

Firefly Island is the story of Mallory Hale and the drastic life changes she experiences when she falls in love with Daniel Everson.  The two marry quickly and end up in Texas in Moses Lake because of Daniel's new job.  Mallory  has so many changes to deal with as she is now married with a young step son and living in Texas, far away from her family and the life she is used to on Capitol Hill. 

She has feelings in the beginning that maybe it was all a mistake, and she doesn't understand her reasons for being in Moses Lake.  Everyone is suspicious of Daniel's grumpy boss, Jack West, and there are all sorts of rumors about him which add to Mallory's worries.  Mallory gradually develops friendships within Moses Lake and begins to feel more at home.  Then there is an accident on the ranch involving Jack.  Mallory is very suspicious and intends to find out why things are so fishy. 

As with any book I think you can learn from the characters and the situations they encounter.  I liked Mallory from the beginning and liked to see her grow and change through the pages of this book.  She learned that people have secrets and reasons for the way they are.  

There were parts of the book that were slow for me, but overall I enjoyed the story and characters.  I look forward to more from Lisa Wingate and Moses Lake

I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.

Have a day of blessings!