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Redemption River #3
A Place to Belong
Faith and warm memories have helped widow Kitty Wainwright endure the loss of her husband. That's all she's ever needed...until she hires contractor Jace Carter to repair her motel. Kitty has no idea the silent, scarred Jace has admired her since they set eyes on each other. Although Kitty's wary of letting anyone into her heart, Jace can't ignore his feelings for her. But with old secrets threatening to ruin his future happiness, Jace has to put his past to rest before he can convince Kitty that she belongs by his side.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 15, 2011
44 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Linda Goodnight
223 books521 followersNY Times and USA Bestseller, Linda Goodnight writes novels of faith and family that point to hope through Christ. Her emotional stories have won the RITA , the Carol, the Reviewer’s Choice, and numerous other industry awards. Her two great passions are faith in Jesus and her large extended family. (And pie. she loves pie.)
Readers may connect with Linda through her website at www.lindagoodnight.com or on Facebook.
Readers may connect with Linda through her website at www.lindagoodnight.com or on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 6, 2024
Good characters and story.
July 10, 2011
One of my favorites by Linda! Wonderful touching romance that you won't be able to forget!
November 4, 2022
I absolutely love Linda Goodnight’s work. She writes the best stories with great characters and depth of heart. It just blesses me to read them.
April 4, 2020
A friend sent me this in a box of books and I feel bad rating it so low because of that, but the plot is one I've seen before and the author didn't make me care enough about the characters, so I felt like I was forcing myself to read the book.
The plot reminds me a bit of one on the TV show "Touched By An Angel" where Randy Travis played a former-con-man-gone-straight. In both cases, a man from the past shows up and instead of trusting that the people who know him now will support him if he tells the truth, chooses instead to try to hide his past by appeasing the man-who-knew-him-when. I believe in both cases, the man from the past is a con-man himself.
The romance is just as silly--Jace tells himself he's giving Kitty's repair jobs priority because her late husband was a hero. And it may have started out that way, but it's obvious to all that there's more going on than that--though as usual for this plot, it takes them chapters and chapters to work through it and figure it out and then get together.
The plot reminds me a bit of one on the TV show "Touched By An Angel" where Randy Travis played a former-con-man-gone-straight. In both cases, a man from the past shows up and instead of trusting that the people who know him now will support him if he tells the truth, chooses instead to try to hide his past by appeasing the man-who-knew-him-when. I believe in both cases, the man from the past is a con-man himself.
The romance is just as silly--Jace tells himself he's giving Kitty's repair jobs priority because her late husband was a hero. And it may have started out that way, but it's obvious to all that there's more going on than that--though as usual for this plot, it takes them chapters and chapters to work through it and figure it out and then get together.
June 5, 2025
What a great story!
Jace is a man hiding from his past of bad teenage choices and consequences while restoring historic buildings in the town of Redemption River. He’s also working to repair and restore Kitty’s 1950’s motel.
Kitty is a widow who is tied to keeping the memory of her husband Dave alive after he was killed in Afghanistan.
Their story was so well written by Linda Goodnight that I had trouble putting it down. And I LOVE the 2 colorful old men “dumpster divers”. You’ll have to read the book to meet them.
Jace is a man hiding from his past of bad teenage choices and consequences while restoring historic buildings in the town of Redemption River. He’s also working to repair and restore Kitty’s 1950’s motel.
Kitty is a widow who is tied to keeping the memory of her husband Dave alive after he was killed in Afghanistan.
Their story was so well written by Linda Goodnight that I had trouble putting it down. And I LOVE the 2 colorful old men “dumpster divers”. You’ll have to read the book to meet them.
April 10, 2020
This was a really good book. The hero Jace was one of the best I have come across in quite a while. After all the jerks i have read about lately it was good to have a hero from the first page till the last. In spite of his shaky surprise past he is easy to root for.
I definitely will read this book again and I will recommend it
I definitely will read this book again and I will recommend it
March 25, 2021
Second Chances
Jace had learned his lesson and was making a new life for himself in the small town of Redemption, Oklahoma, Kitty was a young widow who lost her husband to the war, ran the local motel, and vowed to honor his name always. God had plans for these two with some excitement involving the townspeople, a man out of Jace's past. Second chances can happen.
Jace had learned his lesson and was making a new life for himself in the small town of Redemption, Oklahoma, Kitty was a young widow who lost her husband to the war, ran the local motel, and vowed to honor his name always. God had plans for these two with some excitement involving the townspeople, a man out of Jace's past. Second chances can happen.
November 1, 2019
Enjoyable read!
September 8, 2020
I loved it :) Jace and Kitty are adorable :)
August 10, 2025
What an exciting book of love and redemption with surprises along the way!
August 8, 2016
©2011
18C/216P
Book Summary—Jace Carter has a past he’s been trying to forget for 14 years. For half of those years, Kitty Wainright’s been a widow trying not to live so as not to disrespect her husband’s memory. Unfortunately for both, the best laid plans don’t generally work out as you want them to, but, fortunately for them, God always uses what the enemy meant for our harm, for our good and His glory. And that’s what happens when Jace’s past catches up to him and not only exposes him and the secrets he’s been harboring but also puts Kitty and the rest of Redemption right in harm’s way.
My Review (spoiler alert!)—To be candid, I wasn’t really looking forward to this story because, frankly, Kitty didn’t really interest me in the previous books. However, this turned out to be a very sweet love story. Jace apparently has a prison record and nasty scars all over his back and shoulders form being knifed on the inside. He also has a “friend” who turns up after 14 years, after seeing him on TV. Though friend, Danny Babcock, is a slick “real-estate investor” who reminds me a great deal of how Donald Trump portrays himself to be. As I said, slick, slimy, and wholly untrustworthy. Which he is—Danny Babcock, that is. Yet, as with snake-oil salesmen, he manages to charm Redemption right out of their money in a Ponzi scheme. Thankfully, Jace catches on, thanks to Ned Veech, a 17-year-old high-school student whom Jace takes under his wing.
As I said, it’s a good story, with all the characters in Redemption making a reappearance, including my favorites: Popbottle, GI Jack, and Sloan (hubba) Hawkins. (A story can never have too many tall-dark-and-handsome types within, right?)
I did think Cheyenne and Annie were too pushy, trying to get Kitty to take notice of Jace. When she was ready, when her HEART was ready, it would happen. They kept pestering her to move faster, but God should’ve been the one to tell her the right time by having her awaken to things in His timing—not theirs.
Grade: A
18C/216P
Book Summary—Jace Carter has a past he’s been trying to forget for 14 years. For half of those years, Kitty Wainright’s been a widow trying not to live so as not to disrespect her husband’s memory. Unfortunately for both, the best laid plans don’t generally work out as you want them to, but, fortunately for them, God always uses what the enemy meant for our harm, for our good and His glory. And that’s what happens when Jace’s past catches up to him and not only exposes him and the secrets he’s been harboring but also puts Kitty and the rest of Redemption right in harm’s way.
My Review (spoiler alert!)—To be candid, I wasn’t really looking forward to this story because, frankly, Kitty didn’t really interest me in the previous books. However, this turned out to be a very sweet love story. Jace apparently has a prison record and nasty scars all over his back and shoulders form being knifed on the inside. He also has a “friend” who turns up after 14 years, after seeing him on TV. Though friend, Danny Babcock, is a slick “real-estate investor” who reminds me a great deal of how Donald Trump portrays himself to be. As I said, slick, slimy, and wholly untrustworthy. Which he is—Danny Babcock, that is. Yet, as with snake-oil salesmen, he manages to charm Redemption right out of their money in a Ponzi scheme. Thankfully, Jace catches on, thanks to Ned Veech, a 17-year-old high-school student whom Jace takes under his wing.
As I said, it’s a good story, with all the characters in Redemption making a reappearance, including my favorites: Popbottle, GI Jack, and Sloan (hubba) Hawkins. (A story can never have too many tall-dark-and-handsome types within, right?)
I did think Cheyenne and Annie were too pushy, trying to get Kitty to take notice of Jace. When she was ready, when her HEART was ready, it would happen. They kept pestering her to move faster, but God should’ve been the one to tell her the right time by having her awaken to things in His timing—not theirs.
Grade: A
May 16, 2016
Return to the small town of Redemption, Oklahoma to reconnect with the people you've come to know. Young widow Kitty Wainwright, owner of the small local motel, has memorialized her military hero husband since his death. Jace Carter has been helping with repairs to her motel. He is in love with her, but because of some mistakes of the past, he feels unworthy of Kitty's affections. When someone from Jace's past shows up in Redemption, Jace fears his secrets will be revealed. He worries the good folks of Redemption will no longer trust him. Jace has turned his life over to God, and is not the troubled young man he once was. Can Jace and Kitty let go of their pasts and allow their love to bloom?
An uplifting story of second chances.
Really 3.5 stars.
An uplifting story of second chances.
Really 3.5 stars.
June 4, 2012
This is the 3rd book in the Redemption series. I enjoyed that even though Kitty was sweet and gentle she was strong. She saw people as they were and didn't allow others to sway her opinion. She stands up for what she believes and even in the face of critcism from those close to her. Jace frustrated me at times with his unwillingness to let Kitty know how he felt. His past is revealed and we get to understand his reluctance, but he literally waits YEARS. I thoroughly enjoyed the other eccentric citizens that make up town as well as getting a peak at past characters. Great christian read.
June 2, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and hoping to read more from this series..
Kitty and Jace are from different worlds, and both are stuck in the past for very different reasons. Their friendship suddenly starts to become something more and both of them have to learn to let go of their pasts in order to move forward with each other..
Great story!
Kitty and Jace are from different worlds, and both are stuck in the past for very different reasons. Their friendship suddenly starts to become something more and both of them have to learn to let go of their pasts in order to move forward with each other..
Great story!
December 24, 2012
Redemption is the theme of this book and while it's not my favorite (the parents of the deceased solider Kitty married are beyond strange in terms of their behavior), it's a good meditation on forgiving oneself and not dwelling on the past.
March 24, 2012
Got to be honest....this book was just not my cup of tea. Thats the only reason I gave it a three out of five. The story line was pretty good though.
December 20, 2015
Jace has a past filled with prison and bad things, but has been redeemed and living in Redemption now a while now. Kitty's husband died a war hero, can she let go an love again?
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews