2 Bloggers 1 Series - Sweet Laurel Falls (Hope's Crossing #3)

 

I must have known I would need something light this month because I suggested to Stormi that we continue our series read of the Hope's Crossing series, or maybe it was her suggestion.  Either way, it was the right one and I devoured this third book in the series.  Read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Storm Reads to see hers.  

 

TITLE: Sweet Laurel Falls (Hope's Crossing #3)

AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne

PUBLISHER: Harlequin HQN

PUBLISHING DATE: September 25, 2012

PAGES: 379   

SOURCE: Library 

FROM GOODREADS:  Spring should bring renewal, but Maura McKnight-Parker cannot escape the past. Still reeling from the loss of one daughter, the former free spirit is thrown for a loop by the return of her older daughter, Sage, and the reappearance of her first love, Sage's father. 

Jackson Lange never knew his daughter--never even knew that he'd left the love of his life pregnant when he fled their small town--but he has never forgotten Maura. 

Now they are all back, but Sage has her own secret, one that will test the fragile bonds of a reunited family. 

Thrown together by circumstances and dedicated to those they love, Maura and Jackson must learn to move forward and let go of the mistakes of their past for the bright future that awaits them and their friends in Hope's Crossing.

MY THOUGHTS: It sure doesn't take long for the drama to start with this book.  Preparing for the Christmas holidays at her bookstore, Maura is expecting her daughter to return home from college for a break.  What she didn't expect is that her daughter's father, who Sage had no idea about the identity of, would be with her.

Maura now has to deal not only with the first Christmas without her youngest daughter, but with a whole lot of stress, questions and unresolved feelings that range from anger to resentment to mistrust.

Add in some side happenings in the town of Hope's Crossing, including Jackson dealing with his own estrangement from his father Harry, and a new puppy and the author created an intriguing read that once again had me hoping for a wonderful outcome.

This book was a wonderful installment.  While it starts around the  Christmas holiday, it wasn't overly focused on it and actually spanned a good many months.  I loved how Maura and Jackson worked through the problems that led to their breakup as high school sweethearts, and how they both navigated the issues with Sage and her feelings about being kept in the dark.  And one of my favorite characters turned out to be Harry, Jackson's grumpy and often-mean father.  It was nice to see Harry's character development and the small sliver of his heart which led him to open up to Sage. 

This is a wonderful series I would recommend to fans of Virgin River and I can't wait for the next one.

MY RATING: 5 PAWS