At Home in Wishing Bridge

GIVEAWAY

HERNE, RUTH LOGAN
AT HOME IN WISHING BRIDGE

The right place can mend your heart.
Ruth Logan Herne, the bestselling author of Welcome to Wishing Bridge, invites readers back to the small town where big dreams come true.

After the streets of South Philly, Thea Anastas never thought she'd wind up working in rural New York. But a call from a friend in need convinced the nurse practitioner to make the trip. Now her temporary position is making a difference, to fill a gaping hole in the sweet, small town. After all, the current medical practice is being dissolved in three months, and bigger opportunities are luring her away...

Her partner, Dr. Ethan Brandenburg, has his own struggles: caring for his orphaned niece and nephew and holding firm to his decision to leave Wishing Bridge for a prestigious job in Chicago. Though Thea's no-nonsense advice in the office has been good for business, her compassion in Ethan's personal life has been good for his heart. But how can he offer a commitment to a woman when they're both about to say goodbye?

Wishing Bridge may be surrounded by forests and farms, but Thea is starting to realize that friendships and family form its heart -- and that what she wants in life and love may be right in front of her eyes.

My Review:

Woohoo! We're back in Wishing Bridge for some more Ruthy magic -- the kind that sparks and sizzles with the perfect blend of whimsy and common sense! And lots of faith. And community. And deep friendship. Cute (and not so cute) kids. Herne has a knack for bringing real life drama to light -- where hope rises from the ashes of despair by the time we reach the end.

It's never cookie cutter though, and she doesn't dodge the tough issues like neglect and abuse, grief and anger, but she does cushion the dark parts of a story with grace and mercy. So sometimes a sensitive reader might become teary from either sadness or joy and will often feel the spiritual thrill of conviction over a simple gospel truth -- like "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34) Because love in all its many forms is at the heart of this story. As imperfect and messy as we humans manage to make it. My heart felt a little bit bludgeoned by the time I finished. (Heartfelt achy sigh.)

The premise of the series -- three young women who bonded in foster care encourage and support one another as they each strive to leave past hurts behind in the hopes of making a new future. And Wishing Bridge is the perfect small town to let them shine. Welcome to Wishing Bridge was Kelsey's story, and I think it's well worth reading that book first. All the better to become acquainted with Thea, Jazz and Kelsey and the salt-of-the-earth townsfolk who show them what that John 13 scripture really means. And the family and friendship dynamics will make more sense right from the start as well.

This is mostly Thea's story -- a nurse practitioner with a heart for service and an unwavering faith in God. And Dr. Ethan Brandenburg who might just drive her a little bit crazy and tease her with the kind of 'what ifs' she hasn't dared to dream about. Sweet, tender love story with lots of angst thrown in the midst. And lots of surprises. I do love a romance that keeps me on my toes and this one sure did!

The author also gives us a glimpse into Jazz's heart and mind as she sets up the next book in the Wishing Bridge series which can't come out soon enough for me! I've been fascinated by Jazz from the very beginning and I'm anxious for her to be just as settled as Kelsey and Thea now are! Have no idea when her book will come out so if anyone knows, please give a shout out in the comments. You intrepid readers always seem to be ahead of me with insider scoops.

My thanks to the author for gifting me with a copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of At Home in Wishing Bridge, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 14 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!