Ti | Book Chatter

Promises to Keep
By Nan Rossiter
Harper Paperbacks, 9780062917751, April 27, 2021, 320pp.

The Short of It:

We all need good stories right now and Promises to Keep will touch your heart and leave you smiling.

The Rest of It:

I am no stranger to Rossiter’s work. I think I have read, reviewed and enjoyed everything she’s written. Her new book, Promises to Keep, which comes out 04/27/2021, is actually a follow-up to Promises of the Heart. Although it’s a follow-up, I think each book can be read on its own but why not begin with Promises of the Heart? You’ll enjoy the characters enough to want to spend as much time with them as possible.

In this story, Maeve Lindstrom is working at Willow Pond Senior Care. A senior home, but not the type you and I think of when we think of assisted living. These folks are independent and feisty and keep Maeve on her toes! Maeve has a soft spot in her heart for her senior friends and can’t help thinking of them even when not at work. She also has a sweet spot for her niece, Harper and is lucky to be living so close to her sister Macey and her husband Ben. Family is the most important thing to her.

Gage Tennyson comes from a large family of boys. His work with Maeve’s brother-in-law Ben, is what brought Gage and Maeve together but as Maeve and Gage begin to think about a future together, they both realize that things from their past may affect where their relationship is headed. As much as Maeve wants to be a part of Gage’s life, she must come clean about something from her past and one day she can no longer ignore what needs to be said.

There are a few things you can count on when picking up a book by Nan Rossiter. There is always a dog or two, especially rambunctious Labradors. Dog lovers everywhere will find themselves completely taken by these lovable pups and yes, sometimes there’s even a cat or chickens! The other thing you can count on is the importance of family. As wonderful as these characters are, they struggle and often have to work through difficulty as the family comes together to help them through. Did I mention food? Nearly all of Rossiter’s books include food or drink in some way. There is comfort to be found in a home cooked meal and all the mentions of pies, cookies and platters of food bringing people together will give you a warm feeling. I love when an author finds a way to wrap you in comfort and who doesn’t need comfort right now?

Promises to Keep is comfort reading for sure but it’s a story with an important message too. This particular story deals with regret, missed opportunities, forgiveness, acceptance and inclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for her next book.

Promises to Keep comes out 4/27 so pre-order now or…

Nan Rossiter has offered a copy for me to giveaway! If you’d like a chance to win a copy, check out the details below.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Promises to Keep and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the author. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on April 27, 2021 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the author.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Sunday Matters

This is very early in the year for us to be experiencing these warm temps. It feels like summer! My brain has a little catching up to do. I am not yet thinking about summer reading lists although I know a few of you have already started to think about your lists. This warm weather does have me thinking about BBQ’d food and fresh fruit though!

Right Now:

We have our normal church activities today. We take two separate cars to church because right after the service, I head to youth group so I won’t be home until after 1pm. Makes for a late Sunday walk with the pup but she usually understands as long as it’s not too hot! If so, we will have to wait until it cools off. She doesn’t mind a pre-dinner walk either.

This Week:

No big plans or appointments this week. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is virtual this year and I have two fiction panels I hope to catch at the end of this week. One is with Shuggie Bain author Douglas Stuart and the other will feature many fiction authors. They both conflict with other things I have going on but I am hoping to pop in for some of each.

Reading:

This past week I reviewed We Begin At The End (loved) and Vera (was ok).

I just finished Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret. Any time I need a book to grab my attention I reach for Moriarty but I think I have read nearly everything she has written now. She has been my go-to author during this pandemic. Excuse me Ms. Moriarty, can we get a new book please?

That leaves me pondering what to read next. I have a review copy I need to get to but it comes out in May so I will probably hold off. Maybe Shuggie Bain even though I know it will be a heavy read. Or, possibly Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood. Have you read it? I bought a beautiful copy of it a couple months ago.

Watching:

We are trying to find a new British show to watch. Preferably a crime drama. We have viewed many clips but haven’t settled on anything yet.

Last week we watched the new Kong vs Godzilla movie on HBO Max. It was not great. No story, but the fight scenes were good. I just remember growing up with the old B&W Godzilla movies and the newer movies miss the mark, in my opinion. A lot of the movie theaters that just re-opened are showing it though so I suspect it will do well.

Grateful for:

Warm weather fruit. I am not much of a fruit eater until the warmer weather hits. Grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream cannot be beat.
All of the vegetarian and gluten-free options that restaurants offer now. Makes eating out so much easier for me.

Are you doing anything fun today?

Chatting with friends about books and life…