Happy New Years! The first day of a new year! May this be a joyful year for all of us! It is also time to start a new Goodreads Reading Challenge. Goodreads is a place where you can keep track of the books you are reading or have read. You check out reviews of books and enter giveaways. At the beginning of the year, you decide how many books you wish to read. It will then keep track of them for you. I read 506 books in 2015. I had set my goal for 300 (originally), and I was shocked that I surpassed it. I have set my goal at 350 books for 2016 (I can always add to it if I wish).
When Love Returns by Kim Vogel Sawyer is the third book in the Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy. Cynthia Allgood had a baby when she was a
teenager. The day after she gave birth
she left the baby behind the Indianapolis Home for Unwed Mothers. Twenty years later her husband is giving her
the opportunity to find her daughter. He
has put down a retainer on Owen Mallory, a private investigator. Will finding her daughter be a good thing for
Cynthia?
Alexa Zimmerman is enjoying life
in Arborville, Kansas with her mother (Suzanne), grandmother, and her other
relations (she did not about her extended family until recently). But Alexa would like to know about her biological
parents. Alexa decides to take a break
during the slow season for the Grace Notes Bed and Breakfast (she started it on
her grandmother’s farm). Alexa goes back
to Indiana with Tom and Linda Denning (friends of Suzanne and Alexa’s who came
to visit for Christmas). Will Alexa be
able to find the answers she is seeking?
Suzanne is staying in Arborville.
She has decided not to go back to
Indiana to her old life. She is happy to
be back with her family. It is hard,
though, being near the daughter she gave away especially with Anna Grace’s
wedding approaching. Suzanne was forced
(by her mother) to give up Anna Grace twenty years ago. Will Anna Grace ever want to know the truth
about her birth parents? Suzanne
spending more time with Paul Aldrich (her teenage love and the father of Anna
Grace). Can they have a
relationship? Suzanne will have to join
the Old Order Mennonite faith in order to be with Paul. Is she willing to join the faith and is this
what God wants for her? Will there be a
happily ever after for Suzanne and Paul?
When Love Returns is not a
stand-alone novel. You need to read the
first two books in The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy or you will not understand
everything going on in the book. When Love Returns is well written and you will not want to put it down (I just loved
it). I believe this was my favorite book
out of all three of them. One thing I
did not understand, though, is why Alexa was told that Suzanne was not her real
mother (this is not a spoiler). Suzanne
had a birth certificate for her daughter that lists her as mother. Why did Suzanne tell Alexa that she was not
her daughter? I thought this was
confusing. Another odd note is the
information the private investigator obtains at the Indianapolis Home for Unwed
Mothers. I do not believe he would be
able to get this type of information (name of a former resident) by just
talking with the director. Overall, When Love Returns is a page turner. It is a fitting end to the trilogy. I love how the author wrapped up all the
story lines. I give When Love Returns 5
out of 5 stars.
The other two books in The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy are When Mercy Rains and When Grace Sings. I received a complimentary copy
of When Love Returns from Blogging for Books (and the publisher) in exchange
for an honest review.
I am currently reading Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (it is not off to a good start). If you like my reviews, please consider following my blog or subscribing via email (at right). Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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