A Promise of Grace

Hard to believe that it is Thursday already!  I am glad Wednesday is over though.  It was a rough day for me.  My memory was absent yesterday.  I went to get some groceries and I forgot half of what I needed (I had a list, but I forgot to put some items on the list).  I was running behind all day.  In addition, I kept leaving doors open and had my cats escaping outside (I did get them all back).  Doozy, my dog who is supposed to be my cat herder, was too busy playing with the kittens (which the cats were taking full advantage of).  I was glad when it was time to set down and relax. 

A Promise of Grace by Lynette Sowell is the third book in the Seasons in Pinecraft series.  Silas Fry has decided to move his family to Pinecraft, Florida.  His wife has been dead less than a year and no one is happy living in Ohio (where Silas is originally from).  The family has spent the last ten years in Africa on mission work.  Silas believe Pinecraft will be a better fit for the family with the sun and beaches nearby (they all miss the water).   Silas is a pilot (of small aircraft) and is hoping to get work in nearby Sarasota.

Pinecraft is a known Amish and Mennonite area.  This is where Amish and Mennonite’s go for vacation, but there are many who live their year round.  Silas is looking forward to seeing Rochelle Keim who was his girlfriend when they were young (before he married his wife, Belinda).  Rochelle moved to Pinecraft twenty years ago (just about the time Silas married his wife).  Rochelle owns Keim Cleaning.  Rochelle has never married and her two nieces have been living with her for the last two years (Emma and Betsy). 

The Fry family are very happy in Pinecraft.  Lena is nineteen and starting college.  She is hoping to be a medical assistant (but she might change her mind).  Rochelle is also going back to college.  Rochelle wants to get the last few credits she needs to be a nurse.  Matthew is the youngest member of the Fry family.  He is helping his uncle in the Fry Bicycle Shop.  Matthew has an aptitude for putting things together and engines.  Matthew is thrilled to be back by the water again and never wants to leave.  Slowly Rochelle and Silas get to know each other again.  What happened to them twenty years ago?  They were in love, but circumstances and temperaments pulled them apart.  Can Rochelle and Silas have a second chance at love?  Love is certainly in the air as Rochelle’s nieces plan for their double wedding day!  Betsy is Amish and marrying Thaddeus Zook while Emma is Mennonite and marrying Steven Hostetler.  It has taken a lot of work pulling off this special wedding day (two ceremonies with one reception).  Will the weddings go off without a hitch?

I enjoyed reading A Promise of Grace.  It is an easy book to read and a lovely way to spend an afternoon.  However, you really need to have read the first two books in the series to understand everything that is happening in this book.  I give A Promise of Grace 4 out of 5 stars.  I wish the book could be read as a stand-alone also it hops around a little.  What I mean is it goes from one event to another with abrupt transitions.  One minute they are at the fish fry and the next we are seeing what happened when Rochelle was nineteen (it goes back to twenty years to see what happened between Rochelle and Silas).  That is just one example.  I liked the setting (I actually live about an hour and a half away from Pinecraft) and most of the characters in the book.   I do look forward to reading more books by Lynette Sowell.

I received a complimentary copy of A Promise of Grace from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  The review and opinions expressed are my own.

I am currently reading The Deathsniffer's Assistant by Kate McIntyre.   I will let you know how I like it.  Have a lovely afternoon and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader