Nothing helps the housework loathing part of myself get things done like listening to a good audiobook...in my hunt for a book to take me away, I found "The Inn at Rose Harbor" by Debbie Macomber. I downloaded this from my public library via the Overdrive App on my Kindle.
The Inn at Rose Harbor - A Novel
Author: Debbie Macomber
Reader: Lorelei King
Random House Audio
About the book (from Goodreads):
From #1 New York Times
bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes a heartwarming new series
based in the Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove, where a charming cast
of characters finds love, forgiveness, and renewal behind the doors of
the cozy Rose Harbor Inn.
Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar
Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death
of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly
christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn
holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine.
Her first
guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing
stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little
hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost
acquaintance from Joshua’s high school days proves to him that
forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it’s
least expected.
The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has
returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the
first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the
picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while
Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only
move on if she truly allows herself to let go.
A touching novel of life’s grand possibilities and the heart’s ability to heal, The Inn at Rose Harbor is a welcome introduction to an unforgettable set of friends.
From the Hardcover edition.
My Review: Can a story truly inspire a feeling of coziness and warmth? Yes. Within moments of beginning "The Inn at Rose Harbor," I felt as if I was walking into my very own dream. I don't know if it is true for many, but I have often fantasized about living and running a small B&B in a coastal town. "The Inn at Rose Harbor" vividly opened that dream back up in its pages, and I delighted in the escape from my own reality into a place where I lived that dream along with the character Jo Marie Rose.
Jo Marie Rose is a new widow who is finding healing in embarking on her own dream and also being a part, a gentle part, of healing for her two guests at Rose Harbor Inn, and perhaps some of the town's people as well. There is a gentleness and sincerity captured in her that is so completely real, I had no trouble picturing Jo Marie and believing everything that she feels and does. This is something I like about all the characters. They are flawed indeed, but there is hope there, and not one change happens that does not make sense to the character or the story.
I look forward to seeing how lives and hearts will be changed with the other visitors to Rose Harbor Inn. I also am excited to see Jo Marie's plans for this Inn come to fruition, and also seeing how this place will continue to provide strength and healing to Jo Marie as well. This is a series that I look forward to returning to again and again. It is nice walking away from a story simply feeling refreshed and hopeful.
I do want to share that I have not read any of the Cedar Cove books, so this was my first
experience walking through the town, enjoying the sites and the smells
of the streets, the eateries, and the characters that populate this town
that has a magical quality. I am delighted that this is my first foray
into Cedar Cove, because that means there are lots of treasures to find
in novels also based in this town.
Production Review: As I listened to the audiobook, I would also like to comment on production. It was very well done. A good reader is so important to an audiobook. Vital really. I have stopped listening to more than one audiobook (from favorite authors) because the reader was distracting or simply had a grating voice) Lorelei King perfectly voiced Jo Marie and captured the emotion of the story. She is a skillful reader, and I hope that I will find her involved with other books that I listen to.
I received this audiobook on loan through the Overdrive app and my public library.
With Christmas on the way, I am all about Christmas stories. I had read "The Sound of Sleigh Bells: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country" by Cindy Woodsmall several years ago and absolutely adored it. I loved it so much, I shared it with everyone who was interested.
Because of the love of that book, I had to pick up "The Christmas Singing: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country" also by Cindy Woodsmall when I saw it available via my library and the Overdrive app. Because I have a lot of housework to do, I chose to listen to the book rather than read it. Because I listened rather than read, I have a second part of this review that is simply based on production.
The Christmas Singing: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country by Cindy Woodsmall
About the book (from Goodreads):
After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes?
Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve.
Three
years later, will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her
Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?
Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration.
Experience
the holidays with the Plain folk and discover the power of second
chances in this touching story from the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Bridge of Peace.
Gideon
Beiler has loved Mattie Eash since they were children. But when faced
with unexpected circumstances, he makes up an excuse to end their
engagement. He doesn’t want to lie to her, but he believes that telling
Mattie the truth will be more hurtful.
Brokenhearted, Mattie
moves from Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania to Ohio, where she pursues her
longtime dream of becoming a cake decorator. She finds a new beau—a man
offering the secure relationship Gideon has denied her.
When
Mattie is forced to return to Apple Ridge, she and Gideon must confront
the suffering created by his dishonesty – and address the powerful
emotions that continue to bind the two childhood friends.
My Review (Separated into Story and Production as I really feel that reading and listening can be quite different):
The Story: There are few reads that delight me more than a look into the lives of the Amish. I have embraced this genre, and I have continually been transported by each book I have read. The Christmas Singing has many of the elements that I enjoy from Cindy Woodsmall. The view into Amish life is painted so clearly I feel like I can see each detail. I was delighted with the descriptions as usual and wished I could drop into Mattie Cakes myself. I wish the shop and the village that Mattie lived in was explored more deeply before she went back to Ridge. I really enjoyed the descriptions and friends there. I hope to see more in a future work. I was also pleased to get the
opportunity to catch up with other characters from Cindy's previous book in this series. It was like revisiting old friends.
The tone of the story itself was a bit somber which I would as with it dealt with some negative events. It would have worked better for me if it actually had not been a Christmas novella. I don't expect everything to be happy, but in a Christmas themed story, I expect it more than I would with other themes. Still the story itself was well written and I hope that my distraction with the tone doesn't lead you to think it was not.
As for the characters, I would love to see what happens
to Saul. He seems to have some deep levels there, and I hope the
author will continue to explore them. Mattie herself kind of bugged me. She
was hot and cold when it came to Gideon. I couldn't even grasp the momentary joviality that would be followed by resentment. I understood the reasoning, but to be honest, if I
had been involved with someone who I truly believed betrayed me, I
probably wouldn't be anything more than lukewarm around him. Polite out
of necessity. Mattie's reactions often seemed very self centered and
off kilter. Gideon and all he had been through simply broke my heart.
All in all, I enjoyed the story and the look back at old friends. The ending for the main characters was satisfying, and I hope that it opens doors for others that I am also falling in like with. It was the perfect little getaway into Amish Country and I hope to go there again soon.
Oh! As a bonus, there are some great recipes at the end of the book. They are also listed in the audio version.
Production Review: I "read" The Christmas Singing in audio format. The reader has a very nice pleasant and soothing tone to her voice, but she was very soft spoken. Because of this I had to pump my volume all the way up on both my kindle and my computer (I listened though both). I do not know how one addresses that, but there has to be a way to bring her volume up more without hitting the top spot on my computer (I have not had to do that with other audiobooks).
There was one thing that just did not work for me, and that was the constant repeating of Mattie's nickname "Mattie Lane" from Gideon
literally drove me batty. Now mind you, this could be because I was
listening rather than reading, and I actually do believe that is the
case. I have the feeling if I read it, the nickname would not have bugged me.
