Close to Home

GIVEAWAY

RANEY, DEBORAH
CLOSE TO HOME

Widowed Bree Whitman wants to be married again, but will it break the hearts of her late husband's family?

Bree Cordel Whitman became part of the Whitman family the moment she said "I do" to her husband, Timothy. Tragically, five years ago, Timothy was killed in Afghanistan, and Bree's in-laws Grant and Audrey were her biggest support throughout the tragedy -- and still are.

When her co-worker Aaron Jakes begins pursuing her, Bree feels the rekindling of feeling she hasn't felt for so long. But she fights guilt, knowing that accepting a new man's love would naturally cut her ties to the beloved Whitman family. After all, what type of man would tolerate her having such a close relationship with her late husband's family?

When another man shows his interest, Bree feels even more troubled. There are two good men wanting to woo her heart -- but neither of them are Tim. Bree knows she can't hang on to the past forever, but how can she keep the Whitman family and move toward finding love again?

My Review:

I adore the Whitman family and am thrilled with this latest installment of A Chicory Inn Novel series. This is the fourth book and there's still one more to come (yay!) No worries if you haven't read any of the other books -- Close to Home reads perfectly fine as a standalone but I enjoyed the extra insider knowledge I have about the characters from having read the first three.

This is one crazy large, multi-generational and opinionated family. Audrey and Grant are running a bed and breakfast out of their family home now that the kids have all moved out. But that doesn't mean they've stopped keeping tabs on everyone from the youngest grandchild to Grant's 85 year-old mother. I love this couple -- the ease of their relationship and the way they face life's challenges with grace and humour (for the most part.) And we get a few scenes from their perspective in Bree's story which is an extra bonus as far as I'm concerned.

Raney has captured the turmoil that comes from moving on after a spouse's death. Honestly, my stomach was in knots more times than Bree's was as I followed her nail-biting foray into the dating world. After five years of widowhood, twenty-eight year old Bree suddenly finds herself entertaining the idea of falling in love. It's complicated and angsty and there are plenty of twists and turns as she finds herself attracted to two very different men.

And while Bree is grappling over how a new romance might affect her position as an 'adopted' daughter in the Whitman family, they all must come to terms with Grandma Cece's encroaching dementia. Raney captures the stresses and joys of this faith-filled family to sweet perfection.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Close to Home please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 4 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!