This
is the third in the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series. See my
review of Seaside Harmony here and Sunflower Summer
here. You would really need
to read those books to appreciate this
volume. For example, the historical mystery solved in this book is
set up in the earlier two.
In the fist book we met the Marris sisters who bought the run down Misty Harbor Inn on Nantucket. That book focused on Caroline. In the second volume the sisters almost have the Inn ready for the summer business but do allow a honeymooning couple to stay. Gracie was the focus of that book.
In this book, the story focuses on Sam. She retired early from teaching elementary school and has found her joy in baking for guests at the Inn. Her baking becomes a serious issue, however, when she decides to enter her blackberry cobbler in a baking contest. The competition is stiff and when Sam has an opportunity to foil the chances of the repeated champion, the temptation is too much.
The Inn has a quirky guest, a romance writer who thinks a little too highly of herself. There is also an older woman who visits, one who adds a little more knowledge to the history of the Inn. Through her the Marris sisters find out that their mother lived at the Inn when young. Yet she claimed she had never stayed their until her honeymoon. The sisters can't believe their mother lied – until they find out why. Another secret room is discovered in the Inn as the mystery of what happened to Hannah is finally solved.
This is a low key, gentle novel. There is no exciting action nor suspense. The story befits the fifty plus year old Marris sisters and the elderly people they talk to in solving the mystery of the Inn. It was interesting to see how the historical research progressed and the serendipitous nature of it. I was also reminded of the lesson Sam learned, that something so much fun can lose its joy when there is competition involved.
Finishing the novel, I was happy for the sisters. Some of them had struggled with buying an Inn so late in life and what that would mean to the rest of their families. But the end is very satisfying and you rest assured they will continue to help their guests be better and happier when they leave the Inn than when they came.
I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can find more reviews here.
Evangeline Kelley is the pen name for the writing team of Patti Berg, Pam Andrews & Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang. Each of them has published novels individually, but this is their first series together. Patti and her husband live in southwestern Idaho and you can find out more about her at http://pattiberg.com/ Pam & Barbara are a mother-daughter writing team, having written nearly thirty books together. Pam taught at the university level for fifteen years. She and her college professor husband have two sons. Follow her blog at http://pamshanson.blogspot.com. Barbara had already written twenty-one novels before she began writing with her daughter. She is the mother of four and grandmother of eight. She lives with Pam and her family in Nebraska. Camy graduated from Stanford University and worked as a biologist researcher for nine years before turning to writing full time. She and her engineer husband live in San Jose, California. Find out more at http://camytang.com/.
Guideposts, 280 pages. Please visit your local Christian bookstore to purchase this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
In the fist book we met the Marris sisters who bought the run down Misty Harbor Inn on Nantucket. That book focused on Caroline. In the second volume the sisters almost have the Inn ready for the summer business but do allow a honeymooning couple to stay. Gracie was the focus of that book.
In this book, the story focuses on Sam. She retired early from teaching elementary school and has found her joy in baking for guests at the Inn. Her baking becomes a serious issue, however, when she decides to enter her blackberry cobbler in a baking contest. The competition is stiff and when Sam has an opportunity to foil the chances of the repeated champion, the temptation is too much.
The Inn has a quirky guest, a romance writer who thinks a little too highly of herself. There is also an older woman who visits, one who adds a little more knowledge to the history of the Inn. Through her the Marris sisters find out that their mother lived at the Inn when young. Yet she claimed she had never stayed their until her honeymoon. The sisters can't believe their mother lied – until they find out why. Another secret room is discovered in the Inn as the mystery of what happened to Hannah is finally solved.
This is a low key, gentle novel. There is no exciting action nor suspense. The story befits the fifty plus year old Marris sisters and the elderly people they talk to in solving the mystery of the Inn. It was interesting to see how the historical research progressed and the serendipitous nature of it. I was also reminded of the lesson Sam learned, that something so much fun can lose its joy when there is competition involved.
Finishing the novel, I was happy for the sisters. Some of them had struggled with buying an Inn so late in life and what that would mean to the rest of their families. But the end is very satisfying and you rest assured they will continue to help their guests be better and happier when they leave the Inn than when they came.
I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can find more reviews here.
Evangeline Kelley is the pen name for the writing team of Patti Berg, Pam Andrews & Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang. Each of them has published novels individually, but this is their first series together. Patti and her husband live in southwestern Idaho and you can find out more about her at http://pattiberg.com/ Pam & Barbara are a mother-daughter writing team, having written nearly thirty books together. Pam taught at the university level for fifteen years. She and her college professor husband have two sons. Follow her blog at http://pamshanson.blogspot.com. Barbara had already written twenty-one novels before she began writing with her daughter. She is the mother of four and grandmother of eight. She lives with Pam and her family in Nebraska. Camy graduated from Stanford University and worked as a biologist researcher for nine years before turning to writing full time. She and her engineer husband live in San Jose, California. Find out more at http://camytang.com/.
Guideposts, 280 pages. Please visit your local Christian bookstore to purchase this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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