Grandma Ruth Doesn't Go To Funerals by Sharon J. Mondragon

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals by Sharon Mondragon hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

I really enjoyed the first book that I read by Sharon J Mondragon, so I was excited to be invited to read her newest book, Grandma Ruth Doesn't Go To Funerals and share my review.

As I started to read the first chapter, I quickly learned why Grandma Ruth doesn't go to funerals, so of course, I wanted to keep reading to find out why that was important to the story. Grandma Ruth was the true matriarch of the family and a person with clout in town. She had a way of getting her way and through her grandaughter, seeking answers she couldn't find from home. Soon I found myself deep in the mystery, trying to figure out what Mrs. Harrington's late husband meant by what he had said to her just before passing.

The book was steeped with family and the type of traditions that I have always associated with the South. You couldn't help but love the quirks of each member of the story. I found myself rooting for them in the journeys, discovering the answers to the questions they were seeking and finding new connections. After meeting so many of the characters and the traditions and care they have for one another (and a bit of gossipy, nosiness even), I must say that Raeburne's Ferry, Georgia would be a good place to live. Every one might know your business but you know that they are looking out for you too. I simply loved the endeavor that Grandma Ruth and Mrs Harrington were working on as a way for Mrs Harrington to give back to the community with the money that she had inherited. It was the type of idea that simply warms the soul, finding a place for both the young and the old to give back to one another.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend you check it out.

About the Book

Title: Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals 

Author: Sharon Mondragon 

Publisher: Kregel Publications 

Release Date: February 11, 2025 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Something is brewing in Raeburne's Ferry, Georgia--and it's not sweet tea.

In a small town where gossip flows, bedridden Mary Ruth McCready reigns supreme, doling out wisdom and meddling in everyone's business with a fervor that would make a matchmaker blush. When her best friend has her world rocked by a scandalous revelation from her dying husband, Mary Ruth kicks into high gear, commandeering the help of her favorite granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth, in tracking down the truth. Finding clues in funeral condolence cards and decades-old gossip dredged up at the Blue Moon Beauty Emporium, the two stir up trouble faster than you can say "pecan pie." 

But just when things are starting to look up, a blast from the past waltzes in with an outrageous claim. But as Grandma Ruth always says when things get tough, "God is too big." With him, nothing is impossible--even bringing long-held secrets to light. Grandma Ruth and Sarah just might have to ruffle a whole mess of feathers to do it.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

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About the Author

Sharon J. Mondragón is a Southern girl at heart, having spent most of her adult life where tea is sweet and mac and cheese is a vegetable. Settled in Midlothian, Texas, she writes, facilitates the prayer shawl ministry at her church, and teaches at the local yarn shop. She's the author of the Purls and Prayers series, and her work has earned recognition from The Saturday Evening Post, ACFW, Foreword INDIES, and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Connect with Sharon by visiting sharonjmondragon.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on February 19, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Searching for Evidence by Carol J Post

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I received Searching for Evidence a week or so ago but was in the middle of another book. As soon as I finished that one, I couldn't wait to start reading this book. It's the first book in a new series from an author that I really enjoy reading. The book was easy to jump right into and with the action and mystery beginning right away, it really pulled me in and made me not want to put the book down. In fact, as I finished the book on Monday evening, while we drove to my son's ball game, my husband asked - didn't you just finish a book yesterday, to which I replied, yes but this one is really good and I just had to keep reading it.

This book offered both a great non-stop suspenseful plot and touching love story. The book read easily and the plot kept the story moving along quickly. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and a little about their backstories. Kassie and Kris, her twin sister, who don't seem as close as most twins, have recently lost their father in a drowning incident and are trying to keep his charter business moving while they prepare it for sale. Their third sister lives outside of the area and seems to only reach out when she needs or wants something. As they are all trying to deal with the loss of their father, strange things start to happen. There are break-ins, muggings, kidnappings and more, from some unknown individuals that seem to think their dad had something that belongs to them. Throw in a matchmaking grandma that lives next door to Kassie and her handsome grandson Jared that is a police officer and has a K-9 dog and you have quite a cast of characters. These characters are easy to attach to and this connection to the characters had me wanting to read one more chapter to see if they could solve the mystery and figure out what these people are after and whether Kassie will survive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. The fact that I read it in just over a day should attest to that. As I shared, the story was quick moving, action and anxiety packed and the characters were very likeable, making the story very engaging. If you enjoy suspense stories, you should definitely check out this book and the others by Carol J. Post.


About the Book:

With his K-9 partner’s help,

can he save an innocent life?

K-9 officer Jared Miles stumbles upon a crime scene on his day off and believes Kassie Ashbaugh is the victim of a random attack. However, as threats on her life continue, he realizes that Kassie is in grave danger. Her father's abandoned boat suggests foul play, and Jared suspects someone is after Kassie for something her missing father is hiding. Can Jared unravel the mystery before unknown enemies catch her?

About the Author:
From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol's resume reads like someone who doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She started as a child writing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles which actually made it into some religious and children's publications. Several years ago (more than she's willing to admit), she penned her first novel. In 2010, she decided to get serious about writing fiction for publication and joined Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband of thirty-two years, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano and holds the position of church treasurer. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping, almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of three fat and sassy cats and one highly spoiled dog.

You can learn more about the author on her blog.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

The Songs that Could Have Been by Amanda Wen #Giveaway

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Our weather here has been a bit of a rollercoaster as far as temperatures go, we get a few days in the 90s with high humidity, followed by a few days of mid 70s and low humidity, and then back to the 90s again. When we have had some cooler evenings, I thoroughly enjoy sitting outside and reading a book. There is something so nice about the fresh air, the light breeze and the warmth of the sun, while being engaged in a good story. Most recently, i have been reading The Songs that Could Have Been by Amanda Wen.

The Songs that Could Have Been by Amanda Wen is the second book in the Sedgwick County Chronicles. Interestingly, I read on the authors Facebook post about how she actually started to write this one before the first one was even picked up by a publisher. I don't know how often that happens but I can see the risk of writing a second book without your first one being committed to. You can read my post about her first book, Roots of Wood and Stone here.

This story intertwines the story of Lauren and her grandmother, Rosie, and Carter Douglas. Lauren and Rosie were introduced in the first story, being Garrett's sister and grandmother. This book is fine as a stand-alone, no need to have read the first book - but it is good and always fun to learn more about the characters and what is happening with them as time moves forward. As with her first book in this series, the story was told within two separate time lines: a current and contemporary story, told alongside a historical story. This interweaving of the two timelines is smoothly executed and really kept the story moving and the reader wanting to learn more. The story is told from the view point of the three main characters. The view point of Rosie, who has Alzheimer's, was really interesting and well-crafted, sharing the inner thoughts of a woman somewhat trapped in her own mind and locked out of her own memories. As we meet the three main characters in current time, we learn a little bit about the past connection of Carter and Lauren and we discover that Rosie is wondering where Ephraim is, stating that he should have been here by now. It is following this brief partial memory that the historical time line is started and we find ourselves in Rosie's senior year, 1955, learning through her story about Ephraim and their connection. The story continues switching time between the present and 1955, revealing more about the history and moving the current day events forward.

I really enjoyed the story and the way in which it was told. The characters were well developed within the interwoven timelines and the use of flashbacks for the modern storyline. Each of the characters has faced adversity in their life. In the modern time line, we learn about how Carter and Lauren struggle to overcome their challenges, through both current dialogue and memories. We see how they learn the need to lean on their faith in God to find the best path forward. For Rosie and Ephraim, their struggles are more against social norms than internal challenges. We learn what the author was referring to in the title, as the story comes to a hopeful close.

I definitely recommend that you take the time to meet Lauren, Carter, Rosie and Ephraim, whether you first met them in Roots of Wood and Stone or if you are meeting them all for the first time.

About the Book

Two couples in love. Two sets of impossible circumstances. One powerful God of grace.

After a devastating tailspin in her late teens, Lauren Anderson’s life is finally back on track. Then a chance meeting with Carter Douglas, her first love and the man who broke her heart, threatens to throw her well-balanced world out of control.

Now a TV meteorologist, Carter is determined to make amends with Lauren. After all, she still owns his heart. But his old demons are forcing him toward the same decision he faced in the past. Is he courageous enough to make a different choice this time around?

When Lauren’s elderly grandmother, Rosie, begins having nightmares about a man named Ephraim--a name her family has never heard before—a fascinating and forbidden past love comes to light. As Lauren and Carter work to uncover the untold stories of Rosie’s past in 1950s Wichita, they embark on a journey of forgiveness and second chances that will change their lives—and Rosie’s—forever. Along the way they’ll learn that God wastes nothing, his timing is perfect, and nothing is beyond his grace and redemption.

The Songs That Could Have Been is full of the same deftly handled, resonant writing that readers and critics alike enjoyed in Amanda Wen's first book in the series, Roots of Wood and Stone. Fans of Lisa Wingate and Rachel Hauck will add Amanda Wen to their must-read shelves.

Click here to read an excerpt.

About the Author

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple writing contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions contests. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist. Her debut novel was a 2021 Christy Award First Novel finalist.

Wen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She also frequently interviews authors for her blog and is a contributor to the God Is Love blog. She is the author of Roots of Wood and Stone and The Songs That Could Have Been.

In addition to her writing, Wen is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team. She serves as a choral accompanist as well. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Wen lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

To find Amanda Wen’s blog and short stories, visit www.amandawen.com. Readers can also follower her on Facebook (@AuthorAmandaWen), Twitter (@AuthorAmandaWen), and Instagram (@authoramandawen).

Giveaway!

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No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me. The giveaway is not specific to this blog and is not sponsored by this blog

Intermediate Thermodynamics by Susannah Nix

Recently, I had read Remedial Rocket Science, the first book in the Chemistry Lessons series by author, Susannah Nix. The series is described on her website as "…standalone romantic comedies feature smart, geeky STEM heroines who discover that romantic chemistry isn’t as predictable as the laws of science…". I had thoroughly enjoyed reading that book, so as I waited on a couple of ARCS to arrive, I was fortunate to be able to get Intermediate Thermodynamics, the second book in the series, by Susannah Nix through the library and just finished reading it.

In Intermediate Thermodynamics, our heroine is Esther, an Aerospace engineer. The other primary characters that we are introduced to are her best-friend Jinny, her co-worker Yemi and her neighbor, Jonathan. I was pretty excited part-way into the story to discover that Jonathan was the same Jonathan we first met in Remedial Rocket Science when he had a blind date with Melody. Esther also works for the same company as Melody and Jeremy, just at a different location. I was so glad to get a glimpse, even if it was minimal, into the story of the characters we met in Remedial Rocket Science.

Esther has never really paid much attention to Jonathon, finding him an annoyance most of the time when she encounters him. Esther wants to help her best friend Jinny keep from falling back into a bad relationship, so when Jonathan asks for a favor, she flips the tables and agrees to help him out as long as he will help her out. Through this deal, she winds up spending time with Jonathan and discovering that me might not be as annoying as she once thought. The challenge is now that she set them up, she can't possibly fall for Jonathan, it would be a violation of the best friend code. Her actions nearly jeopardizes her friendship with Jinny and her new found connection with Jonathan. Its her brother that finally helps her recognize what she is doing and how to try to salvage things before it is too late.

Intermediate Thermodynamics was enjoyable and the short chapters helped keep the story moving. The characters were well developed, very relatable and likeable. I liked that Esther was established in her community, unlike Melody who was struggling to find a fit; Esther had a best friend, a connection with her co-worker, and a knitting group that supported her. Esther is at the same time very comfortable in her own skin at work (perhaps too so, when her boss calls her 'aggressive') and with her friends but not so much when it comes to guys. In fact, at one point, she tells Jonathan that she thinks she was meant to be alone since she would rather spend time alone or with friends over any man she has ever dated. To this he responds, 'maybe the problem isn't you, it's the kind of men you date.' He offers up more perspective, concluding 'you should be looking for someone you actually enjoy spending time with. Ideally, you're looking for a best friend. That's the goal, isn't it? To marry your best friend'. I loved Jonathan's perspective and I could totally relate to the self-doubting reaction that Esther had, asking Jinny the next time she sees her if she has bad taste in men.

If you are looking for a contemporary, romantic comedy story, I would highly recommend checking out this book. Although a series, each book can be read on it's own. There are five other books in this series and in addition, the Nix has several other books that I plan to check out. Up next, I will be requesting a copy of the third book in the series: Advanced Physcial Chemistry. In that one, the heroine is a Chemical Engineer...my degree!...so, I really can't wait to read it.



What are you reading?

Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

With the cold days of winter holding us firmly in its grip, it has been so nice to head to bed a little early each night and snuggle up under my covers to read. The book that I most recently read was the new Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen. The format of this book was differnt than most I have read in the past, the author calls it "inspirational split-time women’s fiction". The story was told within two separate time lines: a current and contemporary story, told alongside a historical story.

Sloane is a historical museum curator. When Garrett comes by to drop off what Sloane perceiveds to be an ordinary satchel and other trinkets, she expects it is a bunch of things that she has no use for but soon discovers tucked into the satchel is a 19th century diary written by a young girl. It is this first found diary, and others that start to surface, that provide the storyline and narration about Annabelle, who lived in Sedgwick County, Kansas starting in the 1870s as a young girl and growing into a woman. It is the ongoing discovery of diaries and pictures that Garrett and his sister find at his grandma's house that begins to intertwine the stories of Sloane and Garrett. With each new discovery, he is excited to share the new find with her and finds himself pulled into the story, intrigued and wanting to help uncover more about Annabelle and how her story is connected to his grandma and her house.

One thing that I find interesting is that my newsfeed over the past week has had many posts and new stories about found pictures, diaries, documents, uncovered as people are remodeling their homes or found tucked away in an attic or basement. I've always been intrigued by the past and so I find those stories to be interesting on their own and certainly hope that those items find a family connection. However, coupling those stories with the book that I was reading, I found it strangely coincidental the timing of seeing those stories, given the pictures, the diaries and the history that they are discovering in the book as Garrett and his sister are cleaning out his grandma's house.

I enjoyed how the present day characters come to learn more about themselves through the discovery of the history of their community and family and the connections that they discovered and developed through this exploration. The interweaving of the two timelines is smoothly executed and really kept the story moving and the reader wanting to learn more. The story was filled with beautifully descriptive language delivering real-feeling details about the characters and the house that ties the stories together. I really enjoyed getting to know Sloane, Garrett, Annabelle and Jack, and appreciated the development of each of the love stories. Genearlly, the character development was good but there were many threads left unexplored that had me wanting to learn more about the characters, both past and present.

After I finished reading, I immediately went to look for what else the author had written and was surprised to discover that this story was Wen's debut novel. The cover references Sedgwick County Chronicles, so I am hopeful that there will be more stories to come in the series. And, as is always my hope when I discover friends in a book, I hope that when there are more books in the series that some of the same characters will be present, even as an adjacent character to the main story, just to remain connected and perhaps learn a little bit more about them too.

About the Book
This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . . and their hearts

Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn't expect much from the common artifact . . .until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now she's on the hunt to find out more.

Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother's historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer's, he can't afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who's fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.

A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love--and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.

This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God's plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.

About the Author
Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple writing contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions contests. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

Wen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She also frequently interviews authors for her blog and is a contributor to the God Is Love blog. Her debut novel, Roots of Wood and Stone, releases from Kregel Publications on February 2, 2021.

In addition to her writing, Wen is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team. She serves as a choral accompanist as well. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Wen lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

To find Amanda Wen’s blog and short stories, visit www.amandawen.com. Readers can also follower her on Facebook (@AuthorAmandaWen), Twitter (@AuthorAmandaWen), and Instagram (@authoramandawen).

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Remedial Rocket Science by Susannah Nix

Having gone to college for engineering and starting my career as an engineer, I found myself frequently in classes and on teams where the members were primarily male. In college, I joined SWE and was in an all engineering sorority. After school, it was important to me to have connections that could relate. Initially, most of these connections were co-workers in other STEM based careers. Then, a few years ago, I found and joined a mom's group on Facebook specifically for engineers. It is a great community and I enjoy the opportunity to ask questions of like-minded women, share 'nerdy' humor and help others by sharing my perspective on some of their questions. A few weeks ago, someone in that group posted about a book that they were going to check out called Remedial Rocket Science. I pulled up the description for it and thought, I want to check that out too. Our local library only had the e-book, so I had to request it through the library network. It took a while to arrive but as soon as I finished the last book, I started reading this one.

Remedial Rocket Science was the first book in the Chemistry Lessons series by author, Susannah Nix. The series is described on her website as "…standalone romantic comedies feature smart, geeky STEM heroines who discover that romantic chemistry isn’t as predictable as the laws of science…"

The book was awesome to read. Having come from a STEM background myself, I loved having a heroine who seemed to have similar priorities, interests and challenges to those that I had faced as a woman in STEM. We meet Melody at the end of her freshman year at MIT, when she meets a young man named Jeremy, who is visiting a friend in Boston for the weekend. They spend the evening connecting and exchange numbers before parting ways with the promise to reach out if he returns to Boston or she finds herself in LA. Fast forward three years and Melody is headed to California for a job interview and decides to reach out to Jeremy. They meet up for coffee while she is in town for her interview for an IT position as a local company and again when she moves out there. She learns that he has a girlfriend, amongst other things that keep her from being able to reconnect with him like she had back in Boston. This leaves Melody feeling a little bit alone in a new town, being in IT she works with a number of men, many of whom don't pay much attention or know who she is.

Melody meets Jeremy's girlfriend Lacey one night at dinner and Lacey later invites her to yoga. They become friends, spending time together at yoga and coffee after, run into each other at the company picnic and other events. Over time, their friendship did grow and there was one point where Melody reluctantly let Lacey set her up on a date with a guy ("what was it with people that were happily in a coupled wanting the rest of the world to be coupled too?"). When Melody first met him, she described him as cute..."one of her favorite flavors of cute". She found that they had some similar interests but generally didn't connect and after the date she reflected, "He wasn't so bad, really. She could see why Lacey had thought they'd hit if off." This whole experience rings so true.

I think one of my favorite quotes though is "Her feelings for [him] were like Schrodinger's Crush. As long as she didn't open the box, their relationship existed in a state of quantum superposition: both possible and impossible at the same time. She was too much of a wimp to find out whether the cat was alive or dead." What a great reapplication of a quantum theory!

Remedial Rocket Science was a very enjoyable book. It was a quick, easy read with the right length chapters to keep the story moving. The characters were well developed and so relatable.

If you are looking for a contemporary, romantic comedy story, I would highly recommend checking out this book. There are five more books in this series and she also has a number of other books. I think that I have found myself a new author. In fact, I already have requested the second book through the library network: Intermediate Thermodynamics.

What are you reading?

Young Vines by James Russell Lingerfelt

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me. 

This past week, I spent my evenings reading Young Vines by James Russell Lingerfelt. The book is the third one in the collection of books sharing about the lives of three college friends: Ryan, Oz and Finn. This third book features Ryan and is primarily set at his Grandmother's vineyard. You can read my reviews of The Mason Jar (featuring Finn) and Alabama Irish (featuring Oz) by clicking on each book's title. As with the other two books, each can be enjoyed on its own but if you have the chance, I would recommend reading all three.

Young Vines is a contemporary novel about life, love, loss and good friends. When Ryan learns that he has inherited his Grandma's vineyard, he reaches out to his friends to have them join him for a couple of days at the Vineyard - in part to have time together and in part to not face it alone. At its heart I think it was a love story and as with the other two books there is something so enticing about reading a love story from a guy's point of view, especially when written by a man. The vineyard is the perfect backdrop for Ryan to reflect on the memories of his time there with his Grandma and provides him a place to heal and prepare to move forward. Lingerfelt does a great job developing characters by using a mix of active story telling and reflection and his rich descriptions help bring the surroundings to life.

This book (really, the whole collection) would be a great addition to your library and makes a great summer read.

about the novel

Dr. Ryan Lockwood is known as a professor who deeply cares for his students. Having grown up as an orphan, he now serves as a literature professor at Pepperdine University, his old alma mater. Located in Malibu, California, Pepperdine holds some of his most treasured memories. It's where he dated and married his first love, and it's where he met his two best friends, Clayton "Finn" Fincannon (The Mason Jar) and Brian "Oz" Bailey (Alabama Irish).

Now, Ryan's on track to become the department Chair, a position he's dreamed of since graduate school. At just thirty-two years old, life couldn't be better. But when his wife passes away unexpectedly, and his grandmother follows soon after, Ryan falls into a deep depression.

His grandmother leaves him her vineyard in Tennessee, where Ryan spent his childhood summers. Since the estate hosts sell-out jazz concerts and the best wine in the southeast, Ryan plans to sell the estate to the highest bidder. But when he visits the vineyard, he meets Rachel Young, the twenty-five year old daughter of the vine dresser. Rachel is good-sensed, hard-working, and she's one of the prettiest women Ryan's ever encountered.

Ryan has sworn to never fall in love again, the vineyard is auctioned at three times it's value, and Pepperdine offers him his dream. Now, Ryan must make a decision: Return to his career and friends in California, or begin a new chapter in life with a young love in Tennessee.

A love story set among the beaches of Malibu, and the lakes and pastures of Tennessee, Young Vines teaches us that sometimes we must let go of old dreams to embrace new ones.

about the author

James Russell Lingerfelt is also the author of The Mason Jar and Alabama Irish.

Find James online: website, Facebook, Twitter

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.