Gone South

Michigan girl, Tish McCombs, may be ready to begin again after an accident that left her heart and dreams crushed.  When she find that her great-great-grandparent's home is on the market in the deep South of Alabama, she ventures down to take a look, memories of visiting there with her father when he was living still fresh in her mind.  She only wanted to see the house.  Reconnect with her roots. What she didn't expect was to fall in love with it.  Usually predictable, Tish decides to buy the house and leave her past in Michigan behind. What catches Tish totally off guards is that McCombs aren't welcome in this little town.  Not only are they not welcome but there are grudges and hard feelings toward her ancestors that have lasted since the Civil War!

Mel is hitchhiking, trying to figure out where to land since the rift between she and her family over her taking something she thinks is rightfully hers.  When Mel is forced to leave behind all the money she has saved, she has no choice to return home but her family turns her away.

Two outcasts.  Mel is homeless and
Tish has plenty of space and is virtually friendless but can she trust Mel?  George Zorbas (whose mother one lived in the home Tish has just purchased) is the only one who seems willing to give the two a chance and both of them need healing and a new start.   

Meg Moseley has done a fabulous job of capturing small town Southern life.  Even down to the lack of trust to "outsiders" is accurate and believable.  If you enjoy a tale with a bit of mystery, surprise turns, small-town life, and a touch of romance, Gone South is definitely worth your time.  If you're like me, the cover is enough to make you pick it up and begin to read.  This is my first read by author Meg Moseley, but I hope it won't be the last.  Perhaps a sequel to Gone South?  There were enough unanswered questions at the end of the book to consider that a possibility.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.

 

New Amish romance/mystery

Rhoda Byler has left her home behind to join the King brothers, particularly Jacob and Samuel,  in helping make their apple orchard a successful combined business and then, after tragedy strikes the orchard, several of them have purchased an abandoned orchard in Maine to restore. Perhaps the move to Maine and a new Amish settlement will help Rhoda make a clean start,  leaving behind her past and moving beyond the guilt she feels over her sister's murder.  But things don't happen exactly as planned.  Rhoda still has the visions she has almost been banned from the Amish community for and hers and Jacob's relationship is threatened by his past. Samuel, on the other hand, has realized he too is beginning to have feelings for Rhoda but continues to maintain a distance out of honor for his brother.  It seems everyone has a secret or hidden past that continues to get in the way.



First of all, let me say that I have never read anything by Cindy Woodsmall  that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed but do you ever feel like you've walked in on the middle of a conversation?  I try to make it my reading "policy" never to read a series unless in order and usually until not all are published as I get impatient waiting for the next book to be released.  I probably should have adhered to my "policy".  Ms. Woodsmall, thankfully, did begin Winnowing Season with a brief summary of book 1, A  Season for Tending but I still felt like I was missing a lot of character development and plot that would have allowed me to grab onto The Winnowing Season a bit quicker than I did. However, as always, Ms. Woodsmall has again written another fabulous Amish story that deviates quite a bit from what I have come to expect from the plethora of Amish novels being written today.  So, pick it up and hurry.  Book 3, For Every Season will be on bookstore shelves this September and these first two will leave you hanging and ready for more!  In a nutshell, you can't go wrong with any of Ms. Woodsmall's books.   To find out more on the author and read first chapters from her novels, check out http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=72213.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.