Blog Tour: Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney

Author: Deborah Raney
Publisher: Abington Press
Date of publication: August 2014

Audrey Whitman’s dreams are coming true. Now that their five kids are grown, she and her husband, Grant, are turning their beloved family home into a cozy bed and breakfast just a mile outside of Langhorne, Missouri.

Opening weekend makes Audrey anxious, with family and friends coming from all over to help celebrate the occasion. But when Audrey’s daughter, Landyn, arrives, the U-Haul she’s pulling makes it clear she’s not just here for a few days. Audrey immediately has questions. What happened in New York that sent Landyn running home? Where was Landyn’s husband, Chase? And what else was her daughter not telling her? One thing was for sure, the Chicory Inn was off to a rocky start. Can Audrey still realize her dream and at the same time provide the comfort of home her daughter so desperately needs?

I have mixed feelings about Home to Chicory Lane.  I did find it to be well a written and heart-warming story about a family trying to navigate changing dynamics in their family.  Audrey and Grant finally have all of their kids out of the house and now their dreams of a bed and breakfast are finally a reality.  The problem is that their youngest has come home to possibly stay.

I liked Audrey and Grant.  I felt for their struggle in trying to make a business work and all of the stress that goes along with it.  And at the same time, they are trying to find a balance in when to give their children the room to spread their wings and when to step in and help.  I think this is something all parents of adult children go through.  I tthought they did a pretty good job and were able to find that balance.  So, that part of the story I enjoyed.

What frustrated me was Landyn and Chase. I found both of them incredibly immature and selfish.  The lack of communication between the two was annoying.  Everyone knows you don't quit a job with GOOD money until you have a new job to replace it. Landyn's excuse of not wanting to commute just made me roll my eyes.  Tons of people commute an hour or more every day for work.  It's what to you do!.  I felt like their solution in the end was a little too easy for them and I'm not sure they really would have learned a lesson.

So, I do recommend the book.  It looks to be a good series and I look forward to reading the next one.

About the author:

Deborah Raney’s books have won numerous awards, including the RITA, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and the Carol Award, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. She and her husband, Ken, recently traded small-town life in Kansas—the setting of many of Deborah’s novels—for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita, where they enjoy gardening, antiquing, movies, and traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away. Visit Deborah on the web at DeborahRaney.com.

A Year of Weddings Novella 1 & 2 by Denise Hunter & Deborah Raney

Over the next 12 months, Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) is releasing a new novella each month as part of their "Year of Weddings" series.  You can read more about the titles on the Zondervan website.  Today, I have the first two for you.

A December Bride 
Author: Denise Hunter
Date of publication: November 2013

What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?

A December Bride features characters from Barefoot Summer.   Layla and Seth have known each other for a long time.  He used to be the best friend of Laya's ex-fiancee.  In order to spare herself the humiliation of going to his wedding (to her cousin) alone, Layla agrees to go with Seth.

I thought this was a sweet romance.  Layla and Seth were perfect for each other.  What starts out as an innocent lie grows into something that neither of them can deny. I loved all of the little things that Seth did for Layla.  I absolutely loved their HEA.  It was also nice to visit with some of the characters from Barefoot Summer.  A great start to the novella series!

A January Bride
Author: Deborah Raney
Date of publication: December 2013


Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. 

The second in the series, A January Bride features two characters who fall in love before they ever really meet.  I enjoyed this one.  I liked the idea of the characters getting to now each other through notes and letters. The most amusing part was that each of them thought the other one was old.

 Arthur has been mourning his wife's death for a few years.  Madeleine has been unlucky in love.  They were perfect for each other.  Maddie was just what Art needed to help he move on with his life and reopen his heart. My only wish was that story would have been a little longer.  I felt like the proposal came a little too quickly.  I would have liked to see them spend more actual time together.  Despite that, it's a cute addition to the series and worth reading!

Blog Tour: Review - Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney

Author: Deborah Raney
Publisher: Howard Books
Date of publication: May 2013

When Mitchell Brannon’s beloved wife of twenty years kisses him goodbye one morning, he has little idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised Jill’s car isn’t in the garage. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. “Hey, babe, I’m just now checking out of the hotel, but I’ll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you.” Hours later, Jill still hasn’t returned, and Mitch’s irritation turns to dread.

When the police come up empty, Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill’s best friend, Shelley, to help search. As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, Mitch and Shelley’s friendship grows ever closer––and decidedly more complicated. Every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth.

Face of the Earth is a beautifully written and heart-wrenching story that deals with a very scary subject.  Isn't every person's nightmare one where a loved one never comes home?    When Michell's wife fails to return home from a teacher conference, he does everything in his power to find her. I really felt for Mitchell.  I can only imagine the panic and frantic feeling of not knowing what happened. Along the way, he finds out some secrets about Jill that make him start to question his relationship with her.  His heartache and guilt over imagining the worst about her came across so well.  Through his faith and prayer, he is able to find some consolation. The story takes place over a year. While they are waiting for Jill to come home, the routine of life still goes on.  Holidays come and go.  Work and school are still there.

The book also deals with the question of how far do you take your vows that you make to your spouse?  How long are you supposed to wait before you move on? One year? Ten? Can your faith be enough to sustain you until you get the answers that you need so desperately?  Both Mitchell and Shelley struggle with this as they grow closer through their grief over the loss of Jill. I thought the situation was handled very well and realistically. I commended both Mitchel and Shelley for recognizing their weakness toward each other and doing things to make sure they remained just friends. 

After reading the book, I'm not sure that I am any closer to an answer .  I honestly don't know what I would do in this situation. I think it is only something that each person can answer for themselves.  It is definitely a book that makes you do some deep soul searching.   Do they ever find Jill?  I don't want to give that away. I'll just say that I loved the ending.  I felt like I got closure and was happy with the conclusion of my journey with Mitchell and his family. 

About the author:


DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Forever After, second in her new Hanover Falls Novels series just released from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They are new empty nesters with four children and a growing quiver of grandchildren, all of whom live much too far away.

Website: http://www.deborahraney.com 
Twitter: authordebraney