🐎🐂🏡 “What Remains True” (2022) 🏡🐂🐎 – Book Review
MY REVIEW
Paperback: 336 Pages
Publisher: WaterBrook (May 3, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 059319361X
ISBN-13: 978-0593193617
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“Working at a little shop on Main Street in a small town is exactly the break that executive Merry Anna Foster needs following her divorce. She’s made a bet with her ex-husband that she can live on the amount of money she’s giving him in alimony. If she can do it, then Kevin will have to stop complaining and leave her alone. But after three months of this new life, will she even want to leave Antler Creek?
Adam Locklear, bull rider and owner of the local feedstore, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s also a bit distracted by the pretty new neighbor living in his old bunkhouse. But Adam has no time for matters of the heart. He’s got his future all mapped out, and that future doesn’t involve a woman just yet. It doesn’t involve parenting a little girl either. However, Carly Fowler still suddenly leaves five-year-old Zan—the daughter Adam didn’t know he had—in his care.
Is it possible that the future holds a life even better than what Merry Anna and Adam had each dreamed of? One that includes both tenderness and even love—not just for each other but for Zan too.”
Thank you in advance to the author, Nancy Naigle, for providing an advanced review copy through her launch team. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own. (The picture of the book is the BRAND-NEW paperback release that arrived on release day - 5/3):
This is not the first novel I’ve read by the author. In fact, the book connected to this is the first novel I read, Christmas Angels. That was in 2019. I have since read Christmas Joy (one of the many standalone Christmas reads), and The Shell Collector (a standalone read as well).
In What Remains True, Naigle takes readers back to the small town of Antler Creek, North Carolina. And, this cover is a stunner! It brings out the vivid landscape and has a story initself.
While both Christmas Angles and What Remains True are standalone reads, I do recommend reading Christmas Angels before this one. There are some plot points from that references, shared places, and returning characters from that book as well. Some characters play prominent roles in this one too.
Krissy from Hardy House, Matt and Liz from Angel’s Rest (the inn that Liz bought in Christmas Angels), and Maizey from the diner all return in this book.
New characters: Merry Anna, Adam, Zan, Tara, Zan, and Kevin.
This has a sweet premise – Merry Anna is in Antler Creek to not only find herself, but also to prove to her ex-husband about their living expenses. In addition, there is the unexpected romance. While this is “sweet”, there are themes of infidelity, mental health issues, palimony (women paying men alimony), stalking. There is also Adam’s “promiscuity” that might be questionable to some readers of Christian fiction. These elements might go against some people’s beliefs. However, they are realistic in people’s lives.
That said …
Naigle has an uncanny ability to fuse real life issues and a heartwarming story together while still showing examples of God’s place, grace, and forgiveness for us. This story is NO exception. It does have a LOT going on in it despite only having Merry Anna and Adam’s POVs:
🐎 Merry Anna and her ex-husband Kevin
🐎 Adam and Merry Anna’s “romance”
🐎 Adam and his rodeo pursuit
🐎 Adam becoming a “dad” to Zan
Merry Anna is working at Hardy House Fine Linens and Gifts, though she doesn’t have to. She’s in Antler Creek for a reason. She stopped for gas and decided to stay. This she relates to a customer we can all likely relate to – the poor lady who goes in for one item and leaves with a ton. How many of us have done that?
From there, Merry Anna helps Krissy prepare for Spring Fling at Angels Rest, another stop on the Barn Quilt Tour. And, like Merry Anna, I’d NEVER heard of them or seen one.
Merry Anna is also working to prove to Kevin she can live on the amount she is giving him in their divorce. To be honest, I did “SLIGHTLY” agree with him – it was less than $1300. Where I live, my “base” rent (before common use utilities) is $1700. It truly depends on where you live as to whether you can “survive” on a certain amount. To be honest, where I live, you have to make about $4000-$5000 per month – sometimes just to qualify for an apartment, even buying a house. Though, if Kevin had a skill – getting a job to supplement what Merry Anna gave him was definitely in order, especially given the fact of his infidelity.
Getting back to Antler Creek …
While Adam owns the feed and seed store, he also chases his future in the rodeo. And, believe it or not, a lot of cowboys are businessmen. It, like NASCAR, isn’t just a sport – it is a lifestyle.
Adam is looking forward to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas (it’s a big event here). But, an older customer by the name of Jones warns him about ending up old and alone like he did. I really wanted Jones to appear more to see how things went. (Perhaps him and Tara in a book …).
There’s a sweet instant attraction between Merry Anna and Adam when they meet. He even offers to teach her to cook, starting with a strawberry pie. He even takes her horseback riding.
Merry Anna’s ex-husband Kevin is pestering her about wanting more money, even she finds it a bit difficult to not get certain things. They extend the bet into summer, but her parents want her home. Merry Anna feels at home, especially with her new “neighbor” – Tara, a feisty older gal that words cannot describe.
Everything proceeds well – that is until Carly shows up at Adam’s door with little Zan – his daughter. He’s in disbelief, but it is finally proven. Carly doesn’t want money – she leaves Zan with him. She’s “messed up” mentally and needs time to “get well” according to her parents.
That adds a complication for Adam and his rodeo plans – thus he asks Merry Anna for help. At first she’s agreeable – but then … things turn.
As the rodeo Doc tells him – other guys don’t have the options Adam does. Adam seriously weighs his options.
Merry Anna has to confront her ex-husband baggage in more than one way in order to move forward, and even a disaster comes calling.
And, like usual, Naigle tells a story that has a lot of heart, soul, and evokes multiple emotions at every turn. This was no different.
I truly enjoyed this book. Though in all honesty … I had the ARC for a while before reading it. I had a lot going on so I wasn’t able to read it when I got it. But, when I did – it was really hard to stop reading. Naigle has a way of pacing a story that flows without too many stops. It didn’t “slog” along at any point, at times I was even wondering how I managed to get as far as I did. She definitely kept me turning the pages, and kept the story going right up until the very last page.
I absolutely LOVED the small town feel of this book, and the connection it had to Christmas Angels. There was a slight moment in the beginning of this one where I had to go back to that book for reference. It had to do with Angels Rest and a barn quilt.
Krissy was by far my favorite character despite her “support” character appearance. I didn’t know quite what to make of Tara, but she was very entertaining, honest, and refreshing.
In the beginning I deeply liked Merry Anna, but after Zan came into the picture and Adam needed help with the little girl, Merry Anna changed. It was as if she wanted to believe the worst in Adam. Perhaps that was part of the story – Merry Anna’s progression/regression/progression and the ex-husband baggage. But, there were times her “he’s using me” attitude towards Adam was a bit offensive. Also, she had a tendency to jump to FAR too many conclusions.
Yes, what Adam did being a “professional rodeo cowboy” was dangerous, but there were times I don’t think he could just stop and quit. Some with sponsors do have obligations they need to fulfill (unless they are medically unable to), and his commitment to Zan was precious.
I did love what Merry Anna said about the relationship with her ex-husband (Kevin) – “that ship has sailed and is at the bottom of the sea. Shipwrecked” – it was an amusing take on a past relationship beyond salvaging.
Naigle also included the mutton bustin’ portion of rodeo in the story as a way for Adam to see how others around him felt about his choices. Those who don’t know about the event, the author pens a realistic portrayal of it. It is, depending on one’s point of view, harmless but fun. As of note the practice was banned in New York in 2012, and in Alameda County, California in 2019 due to cruelty concerns. The “sideshow” usually coincides with the main rodeo portion and is more of a pre-show family event.
There were a few loose ends, so I definitely can’t wait to return to Antler Creek. I’m hoping Naigle can take the readers back there sometime soon. I’m eagerly waiting to see what the future holds for Merry Anna and Adam, as well as little Zan. I also want to see how Carly progresses. In addition, there was Adam’s main reason for continuing to rodeo (at least until the end of that year), as well as Merry Anna’s job in D.C.
Fans of the author and genre will more than likely LOVE this newest release. I still have three (3) books of hers on my TBR stack: The Secret Ingredient, The Christmas Shop (aka: Dear Santa), and Hope at Christmas. Nancy Naigle is for sure one of my “must-read” authors, and I can’t wait to see what she brings out next.
The publisher, WaterBrook (together with Multnomah), is a primarily Christian publisher. As a result, there will be strong themes and expressions of faith. These are integral to the story.
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)
“Connected” Book:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nancy Naigle is a USA Today bestselling author whose many contemporary romance novels include The Shell Collector and the Adams Grove, Boot Creek, and Christmas in Evergreen series. Several of her novels have been adapted to the television screen, airing on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, including the popular Christmas Joy and The Secret Ingredient. Nancy makes her home in Virginia.
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