Fashion is a fickle industry, a
frightening fact for twenty-four-year-old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and
she's learned a sacred truth -- appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her
broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life
Ivy knows -- so when it starts to unravel, she'll do anything to hold on. Even
if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to
be the new face of her stepmother's bridal wear line -- an irony too rich for
words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.
MY REVIEW: Exceptional storyteller Katie Ganshert offers a
memorably poignant tale of loss and redemption in "A Broken Kind of Beautiful".
Blessed with the kind of beauty that becomes an entity unto itself, Ivy Clark
has had a successful decade as a top model in the fashion industry. Now, as Ivy
nears her twenty-fifth birthday, newer and younger faces are taking their place
in the modeling world, and Ivy must consider the realities of her future. Born
out-of-wedlock to a mother with addiction issues and a wealthy, indifferent
father, Ivy had inwardly struggled with her identity all of her life. Her
father's brother managed her career and controlled her day-to-day existence. Her
father's wife, Marilyn, who couldn't have children of her own, has a special
spot in her heart for Ivy. When Ivy's father passes away just as she loses her
long-time contract with a major cosmetics company, Ivy's life will change in
ways she could never have imagined. Marilyn wants Ivy to be the model for her
new line of bridal wear, and this will bring Ivy back to Greenbrier, South
Carolina, into the company of Marilyn's nephew, Davis Knight. A former fashion
photographer, Davis has been living a quiet, spiritually-rich life as the
maintenance man for a local church. Something about Ivy disquiets
Davis--something more than her beauty, more than the eye can see. Agreeing to
photograph Marilyn's bridal wear line means close contact with Ivy, and Davis
wonders how much her presence will affect his own life. Events will occur which
will forever change Ivy and those around her, and the very thing upon which she
has depended for so long may be lost. Faced with personal challenges she never
expected, Ivy must reach out for the faith and spiritual love that has always
been waiting for her--it's hers for the asking. Can she accept herself as God
accepts her and cares for her? Can she allow herself to love Davis and be loved
by him in return? "A Broken Kind of Beautiful" will mend, and true beauty will
be found through loss, redemption, and ultimate abiding
faith.
Review Copy Gratis WaterBrook Press
Does a second chance at life
and love always involve surrender?
A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa, she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.
So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight.
As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.
With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances.
MY REVIEW: I was
completely captivated by author Katie Ganshert's debut novel, "Wildflowers from
Winter", and I looked forward to reading more works by this talented writer. Now
that I have read the sequel, "Wishing on Willows", I am a Katie Ganshert fan for
life. The writing is virtually seamless, the story line flows, and the
characters are defined with an immediacy of emotion and physicality. The plot
revolves around a development company that wishes to build upscale housing in
the little town of Peaks, Iowa to provide homes for the employees of a large
company which will be locating in the area. The mayor and quite a few other
residents of Peaks are all in favor of the changes that will be made to the
town, even if it means the closing of some local businesses to make way for the
construction. The Willow Tree Cafe and the One Life Ministry are the two
holdouts in the way of "progress", and the pressure is on for them to give in to
the majority rule. However, there is more than brick and mortar involved in
these two establishments--there is also heart and soul, and hopes and dreams.
The Willow Tree Cafe is owned and operated by Robin Price, a young widow with a
small son. The cafe was the dream of Robin and her late husband, Micah, who died
without knowing that Robin was to bear his child. With the help of Micah's
brother, Evan, and other family and friends, Robin made her husband's dream come
true. Even though her heart was breaking, and pain and heartache were constant
companions, she forged ahead, taking comfort in her sweet baby boy, Caleb. When
developer Ian McKay offers to buy her cafe, Robin refuses. How could she let go
of such a large piece of her heart? Ian is intrigued and attracted by Robin, but
he is the son and heir of the development company's owner, and he is feeling the
weight of his father's edict to make the construction deal a reality. His own
family business is depending on the high-dollar contract, and his mother's
cancer has returned, making emotions run even higher. Robin had clung to the
memories of her life with Micah, and she is torn between the past she knows and
the future of which she is unsure. Would she be untrue to Micah if she dared to
love again? As tensions build, and life-changing events occur, will faith be
strong enough to guide and comfort Robin and Ian? Is there a way to resolve the
situation for the good of all and save the cafe and the ministry--both places of
refuge for many community members who seek spiritual healing. In the midst of
all the politics and personal problems, have two hearts found an unexpected
love? First read "Wildflowers from Winter", and then follow up with "Wishing on
Willows". Your emotions will be touched, your faith will be reaffirmed, and your
spirit will soar.
Review Copy Gratis WaterBrook Press
Like the winter, grief has a
season. Life returns with the
spring.
A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.
Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.
Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.
For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?
MY REVIEW: Author Katie Ganshert's debut work, "Wildflowers from
Winter", is beautifully written and perfectly paced. There are no false notes in
this involving story which flows like a bubbling stream toward a waiting lake. I
loved the characters, and I understood their conflicts and appreciated their
struggles to make sense of what was happening around them. Each character in
turn had a crisis of faith, and there were no simple answers. Their pain as they
suffered their spiritual struggles was poignantly etched. All of us will face
unexpected challenges and unwanted losses. There is no way to live a human life
and not know these things. Often, bad things that happen to us work in tandem
like a line of dominoes--as one moves forward, it sets the others in motion to
follow. Bethany Quinn worked hard to leave behind her rural trailer-park young
life to become a successful Chicago architect. As a child she had loved spending
time with her grandfather at his farm. When Bethany's father died, her mother
moved Bethany and her brother away to a quite different life, shadowed by her
mother's complex personality and involvement with a local minister. Bethany
loathes Pastor Fenton, and her mother's devotion to the man widens the chasm
between mother and daughter. Years later, as Bethany seems to have all she has
worked to achieve within her grasp, her beloved grandfather becomes ill, and
Bethany also learns that the best friend of her youth, Robin, has suffered a
tragedy. Bethany goes home, to the little community of Peaks, Iowa. She wants to
make sure that her grandfather will be all right, and she tries to think of a
way to comfort Robin, whose husband is in a coma after a tragic accident.
Immediately upon her arrival at the farm, she has a tense confrontation with
Evan Price, who manages the farm for Bethany's Grandpa Dan. Later, Bethany
learns that Robin is married to Evan's brother, Micah, who will never recover
from his injuries. Micah is considered to be clinically dead, and
heart-shattering decisions must be made about the future. Unable to bear the
weight of the grief around her, Bethany assures herself that Grandpa Dan is
okay, and she quickly returns to Chicago. A phone call from Evan soon shatters
her illusions, as her grandfather's death brings her home once again. At the
same time she loses Grandpa Dan, her career comes to an end through company
downsizing, and her relationship with her ambitious lawyer boyfriend becomes
doubtful. To her shock, she inherits her grandfather's farm land, but Evan
inherits the farmhouse, equipment, and livestock. The split inheritance forces
her to face her attraction to Evan, and she must decide whether to sell the land
or stay in Peaks. Her friend Robin is pregnant, widowed, and much in need of
Bethany's support. Truly at a crucial turning point in her life, Bethany is
pulled from many directions, and the strong spiritual faith shown by Evan and
Robin seems outside her ability to accept. As Bethany faces secrets from her
past and searches for resolution for her future, her heart begins to heal, and
she finds new strength and purpose. What will her future hold? What are the
right decisions for everyone? Will Bethany learn to let go and reach out for
happiness with Evan and find inner peace? How will Robin overcome her grief and
thrive along with the new life she is bringing into the world? Katie Ganshert
has written a love story that is about more than romance. It is about learning
to love and forgive one's self, and understanding that letting go of sorrow and
despair, and accepting faith, can be liberating and reviving. I very much look
forward to the upcoming sequel, "Wishing on Willows".
Review Copy Gratis WaterBrook Press
Katie Ganshert graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a
degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years
before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest,
where she lives with her husband, their young son, and their goofy black lab,
Bubba. When she's not busy writing or playing or reading or snuggling, she is
obsessing over the paperwork and the waiting that comes with adoption. She is
the author of Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows. Visit her website
at www.katieganshert.com .
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