Mending Fences

GIVEAWAY

FISHER, SUZANNE WOODS
MENDING FENCES

Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.

Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him. He has been allowed to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, he must make a sincere apology to each person he's hurt. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused.

Simple, Luke things. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lastin effects his careless actions have caused isn't so simple. It's gut-wrenching.

And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm, and Luke's clumsy efforts to befriend her only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge.

My Review:

Any day I can travel 'home' to Stoney Ridge is a good reading day! Absolutely love that this new series -- The Deacon's Family -- is set in this much-loved fictional town with lots of carryover characters from previous series to catch up with. I'm still giddy over my Stoney Ridge bookcation!

While Mending Fences can be read as a standalone, I think you'll appreciate all the delicious nuances even more if you've familiar with some of these characters already. Like David and Amos and Fern...and especially Luke. He's earned his bad boy reputation and coming home after a stint in rehab isn't easy -- but it sure makes for an entertaining read. Funny and poignant and uplifting -- one of the best redemption stories I've ever read!

Luke's so raw and wounded and too quick to want to admit defeat. His struggles are real and I love how Bishop David Stoltzfus patiently walks along side him -- a constant strength even as he allows Luke to figure things out for himself. And a source of the kind of wisdom we all need in our lives. Like:

"At any given moment, your life is going to be determined by your view of you or God's view of you." (p 287)

I literally had to stop and think about that for a minute and when I got it -- whoa -- I had to think about it some more! A plain and simple truth that packs a punch and this book is full of them -- all cunningly woven into the very fiber of the story.

Fisher's ability to create characters I care about kept me emotionally engaged for the duration of the read. I ached, I laughed, I cringed and I cried bucket loads (because I know these characters intimately now and there are just some things that pierced my heart! Sniffle) I can't even put it into words. Just -- tissue box alert!

And the fun is just getting started because this is the first book in the series and the author has set us up for more comedy and drama when Stitches in Time releases in October.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Mending Fences, 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 Saturday April 13 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!