The Florence Legacy by Lauraine Snelling | Contemporary Fiction Review

The Florence Legacy

Lauraine Snelling

Contemporary Fiction

As the last will of a close friend is read, three women discover that they have inherited a legacy from her: the funds to take a dream trip to Florence, Italy, in her memory. With plenty of hilarious travel mishaps along the way, this book is a story of deep friendship, of making room in our lives to celebrate and remember, of grief, of the realization that friendship keeps the memory alive, and the sweet discovery of unexpected romance.

My Thoughts

A trip to Italy to see the David has been on the top of Breeanna's bucket list. It seemed to always get pushed back but through the generous gift of a friend it finally looked like it would happen. But will the needs of her grown children be once again put first?

I enjoy reading stories from Lauraine Snelling because they feel real. Maybe not your story but certainly someone you know. The characters and situations aren't always rosy nor are they completely tragic. They are just real. Ever have a plugged toilet after regular service hours? It's in this story. How about someone new that you're possibly interested in being the one to help with the plugged toilet situation. Yep! That's included too.

By the way that's all happening back home while Breeanna is trying to enjoy her trip of a lifetime. And what a trip it was. I would have liked to be on the journey with her. Lots of caprese salad and gelato for dessert. That's my kind of  food. Add in all the amazing sights and it truly was the trip of a lifetime.

But of course a mom never stops being a mom. Weighing heavy on Breeanna is all the drama from home. Would this trip help her set some healthy boundaries for her own life? The journey through that is a struggle, but it's a struggle worth having. 

If you're looking for a relatable story give this one a try. (Or any of Lauraine Snelling's books for that matter!) As I turned the last page I was left wanting to take such an epic adventure as well as being thankful that God chose to bless us with messy but oh so lovely relationships. 

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Disclosure

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

 

Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling | Contemporary Fiction Review

The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling | Contemporary Fiction Review

The Second Half

Lauraine Snelling

Contemporary Fiction

Mona and Kenneth Sorenson are approaching the best years of their lives. Ken is days away from retiring after a successful career as the dean of students at Stone University, and Mona's biggest concern is keeping him from finding out about his surprise party. While she is building a business of her own, they're looking forward to traveling, occasional fishing trips with the grandchildren, and limitless hours in the garden. It's what they deserve after years of careful planning.

But life changes in an instant when they get the call from their son, a special forces officer in the Army, who is being deployed immediately to an unknown destination. Since his wife walked out on him and their two young children, his only option is to ask his parents to assume guardianship. Stepping back into a role they thought was behind them, Mona and Ken will need to find a way to embrace a second half that they never anticipated.

My Thoughts

As an empty-nester this novel resonated deeply with me. As much as we hate to admit it time moves along and with it our plans for the future. So much of our early married years seem to revolve around the kids, but as they begin to leave home our plans inevitably turn towards our future as a couple. That's where Mona and Kenneth Sorenson find themselves when we meet up with them.

Kenneth is on the verge of retirement and in his mind it is the perfect time to begin traveling and seeing all those places they've dreamed about. Mona on the other hand is eager to expand her business and travel with her husband in between clients. Of course even the best laid plans change in the face of Providence. In this case it came in the form of a phone call from their son. 

Before they know it Mona and Ken find themselves in the midst of raising children again. My favorite thing about this novel is that it explored all the elements of the situation. Ken and Mona dearly loved their grandkids but they were also disappointed that their plans needed to be laid aside. The story showed the joys of being a grandparent but also the deep sorrows of young children feeling abandoned. It is a very moving storyline and in my opinion one of Lauraine Snelling's best.

I of course think this book will appeal to empty-nesters but it will also resonate with anyone that has had to lay aside their hopes and dreams to do what is right. We've all had moments of disappointment but those of us with faith have also seen how God can use those times to grow and bless us. 

I would encourage anyone with a book club to consider this book as a selection. The subject matter is deep and complicated and will most definitely provoke good discussions. As a bonus there are questions in the back of the book that could get you started.

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Photo courtesy of Ginger Murray Photography

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www.BlessingND.com

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To Everything A Season by Lauraine Snelling ~ Seasons of Grace Sweepstakes

To Everything a Season

Song of Blessing, Book 1

Lauraine Snelling

Historical Fiction

Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling 

Returns Again to Her Popular 

Red River Valley Setting

TRYGVE KNUTSON is devoted to his family and his community. With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing. Though he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.

Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always considered set in stone.

When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it mean losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?

To celebrate the release of this heart-warming novel, Bethany House and author Lauraine Snelling are pleased to present the SEASONS OF GRACE Sweepstakes. This sweepstakes features three special prizes, each closely connected to the book: One prize to sweep you back into history, one prize to enable you to give to someone else, and one prize to help you celebrate a little of the story's romance, in your own home.

This giveaway starts October 14, 2014 and ends November 3, 2014 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Entry is open to US residents only, age 18 and over. Winners will be selected Tuesday November 4, 2014, and announced at laurainesnelling.com.




RED RIVER RAILWAY ADVENTURE

In To Everything A Season, new visitors, old friends, and important supplies are transported to town on these rails, and the arrival platform is a place of warm greetings and new beginnings.

Our Grand Prize winner will have the chance to experience some of the same warmth and excitement with an authentic taste of the golden age of railroad travel:

A $200 value Scenic Steam Train Ride for Two (Location and dates available nationwide and will be specific to the winner's state).



DINNER DELIVERY FROM INGEBORG

In the story, the inventive Ingeborg Bjorklund is well-known for her cooking, bread baking, and cheese making, and now she's pondering another new idea to help her hometown: a delivery service!

Like the hard-working people in Blessing, many of our friends and family members carry heavy workloads and health burdens, and could use a helping hand and a comforting meal.

While we may not be able to deliver Ingeborg's cooking, our Second Prize winner will win the next best thing, to be used for themselves, or as a gift to brighten the day of a friend facing chemo, a military spouse, a lonely senior citizen, or other worthy recipient:

$175 meal delivery gift card for MagicKitchen.com - Provide a full Thanksgiving meal for 6, or an extended selection of meals for 1 or 2. Gluten free, low sodium, and dialysis-friendly meals available.



STEAL AWAY DATE NIGHT PACK

The peaceful farming community of Blessing faces an unexpected threat when robbers target banks and businesses in towns nearby. As the town comes together to find a solution to the thieving problem, Ingeborg notices another kind of stealing going on: the new nurse in town, Miriam Hastings, has completely stolen the heart of her nephew, Trygve.

Soon Trygve and the dark-haired nurse with the sad eyes are regulars at the Blessing Soda Shop, sharing thoughts and dreams over Rebecca Valders' famous fizzy concoctions.

Our Third Prize winner can share their own thoughts and dreams, and enjoy a taste of Blessing's Soda Shop at home, with the Steal Away Date Night Pack.This $100 value package includes: The UnGame Couples Edition, the Soda Stream Fountain Jet Home Soda Starter Kit, and the Homemade Soda Recipe Book.

How to Enter

Go here to Lauraine Snelling's website and complete the entry box, anytime between October 14 and November 3.

Connect With The Author

Photo courtesy of Ginger Murray Photography

www.LauraineSnelling.com

www.BlessingND.com

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GIVE: JOY Sweepstakes To Celebrate The Release of Heaven Sent Rain by Lauraine Snelling

To celebrate the release of  Heaven Sent Rain, FaithWords and author Lauraine Snelling are pleased to present the GIVE:JOY Sweepstakes. This sweepstakes features three spectacular prizes, each closely connected to the story, but each prize also comes with a twist: you “Enter to Give”, rather than “Enter to Win”!

This is your chance to do something beautiful and make a difference for a friend, family member, shelter, church, or charity.

Heaven Sent Rain

Lauraine Snelling

Contemporary Fiction

About the book:

Dinah Taylor has an orderly life, and that is just how she likes it. A perfectly furnished luxury apartment, a satisfying career as a scientist and CEO of her own company, and an uncomplicated personal life. But all of that changes when she meets seven-year-old Jonah.

The boy shows up one day, a scruffy dog by his side, in front of her office building. Dinah knows nothing about kids and even less about animals, but after she buys him breakfast, he shows up the next day...and the next. She tries to learn more about him, to help him, but he's remarkably skilled at evading her questions.

And then, late one night, he calls her in a panic--his dog has been badly injured. Dinah rushes them to a local animal clinic, where she meets Garret, a veterinarian with a thriving practice and a passion for drawing.

Though Jonah takes to Garret right away, for some reason neither understands, Dinah and Garret just don't mesh. But for Jonah's sake, their lives continue to collide, and slowly the relationship between these three strangers begins to change.

The Giveaway:

This giveaway starts July 1, 2014 and ends July 21, 2014 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Entry is open to US residents only, age 18 and over. Winners will be selected Tuesday July 22, 2014, and announced at laurainesnelling.com.

HELP & HOPE SUPPORT GIFT

In Heaven Sent Rain, Dinah meets an extraordinary little boy named Jonah, and his dog, Mutt. Jonah faces a life of struggle, hunger, and poverty, but his courage in these challenges inspires Dinah to step outside her well-ordered world and do something wonderful for him. Through her choice, Dinah discovers joy is found not in getting more for herself, but in giving to make someone else’s life better. Our Grand Prize winner will have the same opportunity for joy, with their choice of :

• A $250 VISA gift card for a friend in need, or
• A $250 donation to the faith-based charity, church, or shelter of their choice

BLESSINGS & BLOOMS SURPRISE BOUQUETS

A mysterious thing happens to Dinah several times in the story: flowers! Beautiful encouragement bouquets—with no sender's name—appear on her office desk during difficult times when she feels she can’t go on. In honor of Dinah's secret flower sender (you'll have to read the story to find out his or her identity) we're offering our Second Prize winner the chance to become a secret flower sender themselves, and brighten the day of a sick friend, a new mom, a military spouse, a weary co-worker, or some other deserving person in their life, with:

• A 3-month gift subscription to ProFlowers Bouquet of the Month Club

VALIANT VET ENCOURAGEMENT GIFT

Like Jonah's dog, Mutt, the animals in our lives are priceless sources of help, comfort, and unconditional love. No one understands this better than our story's hero, veterinarian Garret Miller. Throughout the book, “Dr. G” works tirelessly to save and heal people's furry friends, including Mutt, and an injured service dog named Valiant.

And Like Dr. G, many real-life veterinarians and animal shelter workers make all the difference in the lives of our animals, often giving services beyond what's billed. Our Third Prize winner will have a chance to do something extra special for their favorite vet or animal shelter, with:

• A $100 veterinary/shelter donation to be used toward treatment of an animal whose owner cannot afford to pay for veterinary care, or
• A $100 Starbucks card sent to the veterinary/shelter staff as a special encouragement gift

Treasures of Norway Sweepstakes ~ An Untamed Heart by Lauraine Snelling

An Untamed Heart

Lauraine Snelling

Historical Fiction

In An Untamed Heart, the latest novel by bestselling author Lauraine Snelling, twenty-year-old Ingeborg Strand is certain she is destined to be an old maid.

When tragedy strikes, and the future looks bleaker than ever, Ingeborg considers leaving Norway to start afresh in America. But how will she accomplish that with little money and no one to accompany her?

Then she meets Roald Bjorklund, a widower who plans to go to America with his young son. He’s a good man, a hard-working man–and his son desperately needs a mother. But is he the answer to her prayers? Could love grow between two people whose hearts are filled with grief?  And can Ingeborg leave her treasured Norway for such an uncertain future?

To celebrate the novel, author Lauraine Snelling and Bethany House Publishers are pleased to present the TREASURES OF NORWAY Sweepstakes, and your chance to win one of three spectacular prizes, all closely connected to the story.

This giveaway starts October 5, 2013 and ends October 24, 2013 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Entry is open to US residents only, age 18 and over. Winners will be selected Friday, October 25, 2013, and announced at laurainesnelling.com.

To enter the sweepstakes just click on the above image! 

Take a look at the fabulous prizes that you can win.

GRAND PRIZE:

HAPPY HOUSECLEANER PRIZE PACK
In An Untamed Heart, young Ingeborg Strand is tasked with cleaning her Onkel Frode's house, an ominous task indeed! But Ingeborg never backs down from tough tasks, and the result is a house so clean, any woman in Norway would be proud to call it home.

We might not have the luxury of a housecleaning visit from Ingeborg, but our Grand Prize winner will win the next best thing: a $200 housecleaning gift card to Maids.com, plus a handmade Tokheim Fjordhorse Mug and a bag ofIngebretsen's Viking Coffee so you can brew a cuppa, sit back, and relax while your house is transformed.


SECOND PRIZE:

GUNLAUG'S GOURMET PRIZE PACK
Ingeborg and her cousin Gunlaug are some of the best cooks in the in the mountain village of Valdres, Norway. Cookies, cheeses, flatbreads, jams...their cooking and baking is a culinary-lover's dream!

Our Second Prize winner will have Gunlaug's and Ingeborg's favorite Norwegian foods delivered right to their door with this $120 Norwegian gourmet prize pack. This package includes fresh Norwegian lefse, cheeses, flatbread, Nordic butter, jelly, Romme Grot cream porridge, Gjende shortbread, Uff Da chips, Fattigman cookies, and Norwegian chocolate.


THIRD PRIZE:

CHRISTMAS IN NORWAY PRIZE PACK
Ingeborg and the Strand family prepare for Christmas with music and handmade decorations, while secretly weaving and carving special gifts to give each other in celebration of Gott Jul.

Our Third Prize winner will have the chance to bring Gott Jul to their home this holiday season, with this $100 Christmas In Norway prize pack. This prize includes a Norwegian Christmas CD, a set of 2 Norwegian wood spool candle holders, and a woven, 14" wide x 43" long, Åttebladrose Christmas table runner, perfect for dressing your dining table in the warm colors of Norway.

Read the first two chapters!

Connect with the author:

Photo Credit:
Ginger Murray Photography

www.LauraineSnelling.com

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Twitter ~ @laurainesnellin

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