"When Mercy Rains" by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About the Book

She left, heavily weighted with secrets.
But God reveals all things, in His timing.
And He redeems them.

Suzanne Zimmerman was only seventeen and pregnant when her shamed mother quietly sent her away from their Old Order Mennonite community in Kansas. With her old home, family, and first love firmly behind her, Suzanne moved to Indiana, became a nurse, and raised a daughter, Alexa, on her own.

Now, nearly twenty years later, an unexpected letter arrives from Kansas. Her brother asks her to bring her nursing abilities home and care for their ailing mother. His request requires that Suzanne face a family that may not have forgiven her and a strict faith community. It also means seeing Paul Aldrich, her first love.   

Paul, widowed with an eight-year-old son, is relieved to see Suzanne again, giving him the chance to beg her forgiveness for his past indiscretion. But when he meets Alexa, his guilt flickers in the glare of Suzanne’s prolonged secret—one that changes everything.

Suzanne had let go of any expectation for forgiveness long ago. Does she dare hope in mercy–and how will her uncovered past affect the people she loves the most?

Visit Kim Vogel Sawyer"s website

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This book was released in October 2014

I received this book from "Blogging for Books" in exchange for an honest review

My Review

“When Mercy Rains” by Kim Vogel Sawyer is not a romantic book but it is full of love, healing and so much more. This is a book that I had to make time to read, as I am the type of person who prefers to read books basically in one sitting and life has taken several twist and turns lately, but man oh man after finishing this book, I SHOULD HAVE made the time for this book much sooner. This is a book that I would strongly suggest to everyone to make the time to read this book.

This book has so much more to it then what is stated on the back of the book to be honest. There is so much pain, anger and even more secrets, that fill this book that I am glad that it was read in one sitting for there is no way I would have been able to put it down, and if I had to put it down I wouldn't have been a happy camper. I even kicked my fur babies out of my room so that I could read it without any distractions. And when the reader thinks they have everything worked out and know how it is going to end, well there is a twist that personally I never saw coming.

As the back of the book states there is a reason why Suzanne left her Mennonite community, and though it might make a few people uncomfortable with out of wedlock pregnancies, I loved how it was approached for the consequences were there for more than just Suzanne. I kind of like the fact that Suzanne and Paul made a mistake, but they dealt with it, in their own way, which made sense for each of them with what they had to work with. Things for Suzanne were not easy and that almost seemed to be made a point that things were not made easy for her, but she worked hard to get where she is now. I found that really made her to be a woman who truly worked hard, and someone anyone could/should be proud to call her a heroine.

There are four different point of views in this story and frankly with how Ms. Sawyer made it so easy to tell whose point of view was whose, I might have a hard time going back to what I am use too. The point of views are clear and defined that is for sure which made it so easy to follow along with what was going on. I have to say that I loved seeing all the different point of views for each one of the characters has something so very important to add to the story and the over all message of the story.

There are several messages that I took away from this book. Truth being one of the them for if the truth had been out there from the start then things could have been so different, and not only that if the truth had been there from the start people might not have been hurt like they were. It is never too late to change is another message that I took away from this book, for changes happened though it wasn't easy but determination won out anyway. Love was so huge in this story as well, and I am not speaking of the romantic love, but the love of family being so important and worth keeping at it.

I was a little disappointed that this was not quite what I expected for I expected a little happier of an ending, but then again I love this book and the ending was just perfect, just not quite what I expected. That is part of the twists that took place in this book. Now there is a preview in the back of the book so I wonder if maybe something is going to happen in the next book that I had hoped for with this book, but then again I guess not all hero's and heroine's are meant for each other, so I will be okay with whatever happens.

I strongly encourage people to read this book that is for sure.

"Season of Forgiveness" by Templa Melnick

About this Book

  

Emma is a little woman with a big heart, who can to ride, shoot, love, and pray!

Emma Johnson juggles family, friends, and pioneer chores, all the while dealing with threats to her own life, those she loves, and the safety of the ranch on the western slope of Colorado's Rocky Mountains in the early 1900s. The challenges of living in the shadow of gold fever bring opportunities to use the skills learned from her Indian stepmother while praying as if everything depends on the Lord. Families, schools, and churches are moving into Riverbend, where gold assessors, saloons, and brothels have prevailed. Conflicts arise between miners, ranchers, bankers, railroad tycoons, Indians, and lawmen. Emma finds herself involved in the rescue and restoration of three abandoned or abused women. As hope, beauty, and new life blossom, the four women help uncover an evil plot and learn the meaning of forgiveness.

This Historical/Western/Romance novel shows us what women encountered in the West, especially in gold-rush boom towns. And it demonstrates the difference that faith, prayer, resourcefulness, and self-sacrifice can make in any hard situation.

Season of Forgiveness offers a colorful cast of characters, pacing that lets you experience family life on a Western ranch and the flavor of life in those days, peppered with suspense, danger, and a little mystery. The drama and pathos in the stories of the three women ~ Sally, Daisy, and Dee ~ are eloquent and will touch your heart. Each of them begins to come into her own and each develops love interests by the end of this book that will form the bases of the plots in books 2 and 3 of the series. By the time you read to the end of Season of Forgiveness, these characters will be real to you and you will want to read about the next seasons of their lives.

Get to know Emma Johnson, her cowboy husband, their seven rambunctious sons (the oldest ones becoming men), and Emma's young, rescued-women friends in Season of Forgiveness, first novel of the new series, Seasons in Riverbend.

 

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This book was released in July 2014

I received this book from Cladach Publishers in exchange for being part of their book tour

and an honest review

About the Author

Templa Melnick lives in Grand Junction, Colorado. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Chris. They have raised three sons and a menagerie of animals. Templa loves history, out of the way museums, and dusty attics filled with forgotten treasures. She's always ready to listen as old timers talk about how things were back in their day. Raised in the mountains of Colorado and influenced by colorful family memories, these elements naturally weave their way into her stories, creating rich, realistic details. Templa also draws from her varied experience as a business owner, a sales and marketing executive, and most recently, serving in Wake Up Ministries. Find her online ~ and enjoy her blog, "Templa's Trivia" ~ at TemplaMelnick.com. 

 

 My Review

"The Season of Forgiveness" by Templa Melnick is the first book in her 'Seasons In Riverbend' and what a story.  This is a romance in a way but not your typical boy meets girl romance but the romance our heavenly Father has with us when He is showing his love for us through other people.  There is a bit of boy/girl romance but that is not the primary story in this book but a nice little bonus.

It seemed at first the story was moving a little slow but then I realized that actually it was a wonderful start for it showed what brought everyone together when they did.  Life was not easy for our young ladies who each had their own problems.  Then of course there is what is going on with the events that are happening, which only helps to show God's love even more.

I really enjoyed the forgiveness aspect to the story as well and how each person got to that point.   It is not always so easy to forgive especially when we have been hurt over and over, and it is not always something that happens overnight.  I think this story shows those different aspects and really help make this story into the beautiful story that it is.

I also loved how frankly Emma refused to turn her back on anyone regardless what they did.  Her heart is so warm and tender that it is like she doesn't know a stranger.  Yet that tenderness doesn't quite extend to everyone when her family is in danger, but yet then she is able to do something pretty amazing at the same time.  This is a heroine that stands for so much and in a way I hope I am able to be a little like her in what she does.

I really hope all who read this book enjoys it as much as I have.