📚🛍️🧸👩‍👧 "A Dream of Family" (2021) 👩‍👧 🧸🛍️📚 - Book Review

 

MY REVIEW 

 

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (June 29, 2021) 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335758666
ISBN-13: 978-1335758668
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

“To give a little girl a home… 

she must take a chance on forgiveness.

From the minute Molly Morgan saw sad-eyed little Grace, she longed to give her a happy home. But Molly’s struggling bookstore is endangering her adoption chances. Outgoing entrepreneur Derek McKinney has a puppy Grace adores—and a plan to save Molly’s business. But can he and Molly put their troubled past behind them in time to make a family for a lifetime?”

 

Thank you in advance to the author, Jill Weatherholt, for providing a complimentary copy of the book. A positive review was not required or requested, all words are my own.

 

After reading so many LOVE INSPIRED & LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE books, you’d think I was ALWAYS a fan of the line.

 

Actually … yes and no. In 2003, I ended up with about six (6) books from a line called LOVE INSPIRED from Steeple Hill (some of them were published in May).

 

Today, that line is STILL going, and it is distributed by Harlequin (though I don’t know exactly when it was switched over).

 

I “re-discovered” the line two (2) years ago (June 2019) and fell head over heels in love with it. And, after winning a LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE book from an author (December 2019) – I have found my two favorite lines from Harlequin.

 

Of course, a subscription to both would almost bankrupt me … well, close enough. So, I try to be a bit sensible when deciding which of the beautiful stories to read. The stories have to stand out and grab me. It’s really a toss-up when they all do.

 

Anyway …

 

Having a gift card from Amazon (which is how I usually buy books; more on this in the review), I purchased A Home for Her Daughter by the author, which still remains on the TBR list. But, when asked if I wanted to read this book? I couldn’t say no. So, this is my first introduction to her work.

 

And, I’m VERY glad I did read this. It was a fantastic introduction. This is a charming and beautiful story with very realistic attitudes and events.

 

Right off I will state there are mentions of foster-care abuse, drug-addiction (mentioned), and adoption. Those who’ve been through such, or all of them might have some issues with the story. This could be a bit triggering for those who have had adoptions go bad or were ultimately denied.

 

Adoption stories are ALWAYS the hardest for me to read. While it means a loving family can raise a child, that child has been abandoned or worse by the natural parent. It hurts to see children as orphans. At the same time this is inspiring, hopeful, and beautiful.

 

As far as being part of a series, while set in the fictional Whispering Slopes, this does act as a standalone read. The characters on the back cover of A Home for Her Daughter didn’t even seem to appear in this story. The reader won’t have to read previous books to know what is going on.  

 

The cover is simply adorable! The folks over at Love Inspired (as well as LIS) do a great job. Naturally, seeing the cover I was very intrigued.

 

The characters? Definitely a great mix – Derek was the surprise star, to me, of this whole story. Despite being the reason Molly was left at the altar, which has left her jaded towards Derek, he really makes up for his inadvertent mistake. It as almost as if he blames himself.

 

Molly was, at times, interesting and annoying. It did make sense as to why Grace seemed to gravitate more to Derek and his dog (Duke). Grace doesn’t appear in the book until around page 82, towards the end of chapter six (6). And, it is apparent, this child has been abandoned and hurt – bring on the tissues. I was wondering what her current situation was like as she was “visiting” Molly and not living with her.

 

Before Molly can adopt Grace, she needs to shore up her store’s sinking finances after a big-box store comes in and does some heavy damage with sales. I do have to admit that I related when it came to delinquent bills along with Molly’s voracious reading appetite. Hence why I do what I do.

 

Derek is her next-door neighbor and he opens what seems to be the PERFECT companion to her bookstore – a coffee shop. Are you all seeing what I’m seeing? I thought this would make a GREAT partnership.

 

Molly can’t make her rent. Her landlord is understanding, being a friend of her late mother. Still, he has some options to consider. But, he wants to give both her and Derek a chance to succeed as there is an investor with deep pockets lurking.

 

Molly isn’t too happy to see Derek, and truth be told – he wishes he’d called her sooner to explain everything. After what he told his friend and her ex-fiancé, Ryan, which led to him leaving Molly.

 

But, when Rusty (their landlord) tells Derek what is really going on, Derek wastes no time in attempting to help Molly. While Molly is reluctant, it isn’t just her business that she needs to save – she desperately wants to adopt Grace.

 

Grace’s background is eerily similar to Molly’s. Just as Molly’s adoptive mom saved her, it is now Molly’s time to save Grace. But, after she saves her store. After a breakdown, it is clear – Molly needs Derek and in a way, he needs her.

 

After analyzing the competition, Derek makes some suggestions and implements them to ensure Molly’s success. However, she still remains worried. This is despite her college “work for credit” employee telling her that her class studied Derek’s success, even getting him to speak at her school.

 

I loved how he took notes by pen and paper. I do that when reading.

 

While Molly is fighting her demons from foster care, Derek is fighting his own with his father’s secrets that ruined his family.

 

Grace and Molly are introduced, but the little girl takes more to Derek’s puppy than Molly. Tensions between Molly and Derek get a little worse when Grace connects with Derek before Molly. Molly sees it as another thing she’s lost to him. And, despite him wanting to talk it out – Molly doesn’t want to hear what he has to say.

 

As they work together, Molly’s hopes for her business and adoption are dwindling despite Derek’s good intentions and his own optimistic outlook. Molly has issues forgiving Derek who has issues forgiving his father.

 

But, eventually the two have to learn to let things go if they’re going to succeed. Watching them do it was at times sweet and frustrating. Weatherholt kept the momentum going until the end which I was a bit anxious about as the pages left were dwindling.

 

This was pretty unputdownable. I actually read half (½) the book during an uninterrupted 2-hour time period. So, it was very easy to read. The short chapters and engaging writing definitely helped the story move along.

 

The author highlighted and didn’t “candy-coat” the realities of running a business. Particularly a business that has BIG competition.

 

Weatherholt highlighted what most people (since about 2015) have come to learn – an online presence with a website and social media, is almost essential for a successful business, more so for smaller shops that get little to no exposure outside of pedestrian traffic. She also points out the problem with BIG chain stores, as such Amazon is considered the HUGEST one out there.

 

At times I’ve gotten my goods through them either because they had a better price or better shipping options. In addition, I’ve often gotten Amazon gift cards through promotions, contests, or rewards.

 

Worse for people like Molly are used bookstores which buy at 10-20% of the cover price and sell a new book at FULL price, while a heavily used book is 50% of list price. There are also libraries with awesome prices (50¢ paperbacks like this one; $1.00 bigger paperbacks; $2 hardcovers). I have to admit, with that competition, Molly was brave for just going into business for herself.

 

Derek on the other hand had a commodity that NEVER gets old (and let’s face it – it is more of a consumable) – a coffeehouse. Just look at Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and even The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.   

 

On the family aspect – just because a family looks normal, doesn’t mean it is. Molly who’d spent her life in foster care saw Derek’s family as perfect, which it wasn’t. I really wanted to see Molly and Derek talk their tension out a lot sooner so they could move on.

 

I loved the line on page 18 – “Getting her to accept his help would be about as easy as giving a cat a bath”.

 

I also love the idea of a Snickerdoodle Coffee. I’d definitely like that! And, I have to admit the resolution was definitely something I saw coming and seemed like it made a great business venture.  

 

This was definitely one of the more frustratingly realistic, tearfully hopeful, and beautifully uplifting Love Inspired books I’ve read. I love how many messages the author packed into this book without being overwhelming. Some of them were more implied than a direct statement.

 

Fans of the author, those who enjoy the Love Inspired books, as well as those who’ve read the previous books in this “series” are sure to love this book as well. I know I would love to read the author’s previous books.

 

As this is a Love Inspired book, it will have some lighter themes of faith and references to God.

 

 

 

RATING:

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Weekdays, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. On the weekend she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness. Raised in the suburbs of Washington D.C., she resides in North Carolina. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and a paralegal studies certification from Duke University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Jill loves connecting with readers at www.jillweatherholt.com. 

 

 

 

You can also find her on the following social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552257436478

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillweatherholt.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillWeatherholt

 

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