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Rose Bud, Arkansas #1
White Roses
Pastor Grayson Sterling loves his wife. But Sara was killed two years ago. Grayson knows that the continuing depth of his grief is not healthy. Desperate, he convinces his church to hire Mark Welch as associate pastor to relieve some of his load. When Adrea Welch arrives at church with her brother, Grayson cannot deny his attraction to her.
For years, florist Adrea Welch has been arranging white roses for Sara Sterling. Now those flowers are carried to the cemetery by a grieving husband. How can Adrea be so attracted to a man still devoted to his dead wife?
For years, florist Adrea Welch has been arranging white roses for Sara Sterling. Now those flowers are carried to the cemetery by a grieving husband. How can Adrea be so attracted to a man still devoted to his dead wife?
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 28, 2010
44 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Taylor Vannatter
32 books120 followersShannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/award winning author. She lives in rural central Arkansas in a town with a population of around 100, if you count a few cows. Shannon writes inspirational contemporary romance and it took her nine years to get published in the traditional market.
Shannon hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as her characters struggle with real-life issues. Their journeys, from ordinary lives to extraordinary romance through Christ-centered relationships, demonstrate that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and doing craft projects. Ask questions or discuss my books: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Facebook: http://facebook.com/shannontaylorvann...
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stvannatter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stvauthor
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 4, 2019
Sweet Christian contemporary romance; set in a town called Romance. There's a bit of darkness that adds some angst to an otherwise inspirational story.
July 31, 2011
I really enjoyed this book.
Its a love story of a lady who knows ( and admires ) a Gentleman in her community. He has lost his wife, and he buys flowers for her grave from a local flower store.
There friendship grows..its a book about loving and devotion.
Its a love story of a lady who knows ( and admires ) a Gentleman in her community. He has lost his wife, and he buys flowers for her grave from a local flower store.
There friendship grows..its a book about loving and devotion.
June 14, 2023
Read it in less than a day - Beautiful story! I loved that Grayson wasn't a "perfect" Prince Charming, and that Adrea was so compassionate. A wonderful Christian romance!
January 16, 2026
3.5 stars ⭐️
April 16, 2011
Shannon Taylor Vannatter’s contemporary romance, White Doves, is a beautiful story of love, hope and forgiveness. Laken must learn to forgive her mother and Hayden must learn to forgive himself. The story is set in a small, Arkansas community of horse-rides, picnics and community church functions. Everyone knows everyone it seems, which wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for the painful memories swirled within the familiarity. What irritates Laken most is the hypocrisy displayed by her own parents. Her mother might attend church every Sunday, but that’s only so she has plenty of drama to feed to her gossip hungry friends, and her father is nothing more than a drunk. When Laken gets a temporary job near her childhood home, she determines to avoid her mother at all cost. Not an easy task when you work in the local post office, and as misfortune would have it, she comes face to face with her mother almost immediately.
And yet Romance isn’t all bad. Handsome Hayden Winters, a fellow post-office employee is intriguing…minus his “born-again-believer” status. Laken is frustrated by his religion, yet captivated by his GQ good looks and southern charm. Maybe she can deal with a dash of religion, so long as Haydon doesn’t try to shove it down her throat.
This novel was extremely well written. There were very few dialogue tags to pull you from the story, very little, if any, telling, and no obvious back-story lags. All pertinent information was seamlessly woven into the conversation and action and emotions were authentically displayed. She also did a great job of showing the angst Laken felt as God began to pull on her heart. Hayden’s personal transformation throughout the story was just as dynamic as that of the heroines and Shannon did a great job of adding depth to a shorter work. I look forward to reading more of Shannon’s work in the future.
And yet Romance isn’t all bad. Handsome Hayden Winters, a fellow post-office employee is intriguing…minus his “born-again-believer” status. Laken is frustrated by his religion, yet captivated by his GQ good looks and southern charm. Maybe she can deal with a dash of religion, so long as Haydon doesn’t try to shove it down her throat.
This novel was extremely well written. There were very few dialogue tags to pull you from the story, very little, if any, telling, and no obvious back-story lags. All pertinent information was seamlessly woven into the conversation and action and emotions were authentically displayed. She also did a great job of showing the angst Laken felt as God began to pull on her heart. Hayden’s personal transformation throughout the story was just as dynamic as that of the heroines and Shannon did a great job of adding depth to a shorter work. I look forward to reading more of Shannon’s work in the future.
April 23, 2011
Title: WHITE ROSES
Author: Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60260-755-2
Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary romance
Pastor Grayson Sterling loves his wife. Unfortunately, Sara died two years ago, but Grayson still keeps his standing order for white roses, and he delivers them to the cemetery. He’s still grieving his wife’s death, to the point where he’s neglecting his son and his church duties, and the church wants him to get an associate pastor to help carry the load.
Adrea Welch is the florist who fills Grayson’s order, but she always works in the back of the shop so she doesn’t have to deal with the customers. Like Grayson, she also has a broken heart, but because her fiancé was caught in the arms of another woman. Now Wade wants her back. Adrea is torn. Stay alone or return to the man who hurt her.
Grayson’s and Adrea’s heart’s recognized another broken heart and they naturally are gravitating toward each other. Grayson can’t deny his attraction to Adrea, but can these two people move past their loses to find a lasting love?
WHITE ROSES is the first book I’ve read by Shannon Taylor Vannatter. It was rather a heartbreaking novel, as it was so sad to read about Pastor Sterling’s deliveries to the cemetery. It made me cry. It also made me care about him. Adrea is also hurting, and I grew to care for her as well. The book was tinged with sadness, but the characters were well-done and I had to keep reading.
This is a short contemporary that is an easy read, I read this in a few hours during a power outage. It is also in a small, easy to carry size so you can slip it in your purse. If you are looking for a contemporary romance, then WHITE ROSES would be a good choice. Available at www.amazon.com, www.heartsongpresents.com, and www.cbd.com. $4.95. 174 pages.
Author: Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60260-755-2
Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary romance
Pastor Grayson Sterling loves his wife. Unfortunately, Sara died two years ago, but Grayson still keeps his standing order for white roses, and he delivers them to the cemetery. He’s still grieving his wife’s death, to the point where he’s neglecting his son and his church duties, and the church wants him to get an associate pastor to help carry the load.
Adrea Welch is the florist who fills Grayson’s order, but she always works in the back of the shop so she doesn’t have to deal with the customers. Like Grayson, she also has a broken heart, but because her fiancé was caught in the arms of another woman. Now Wade wants her back. Adrea is torn. Stay alone or return to the man who hurt her.
Grayson’s and Adrea’s heart’s recognized another broken heart and they naturally are gravitating toward each other. Grayson can’t deny his attraction to Adrea, but can these two people move past their loses to find a lasting love?
WHITE ROSES is the first book I’ve read by Shannon Taylor Vannatter. It was rather a heartbreaking novel, as it was so sad to read about Pastor Sterling’s deliveries to the cemetery. It made me cry. It also made me care about him. Adrea is also hurting, and I grew to care for her as well. The book was tinged with sadness, but the characters were well-done and I had to keep reading.
This is a short contemporary that is an easy read, I read this in a few hours during a power outage. It is also in a small, easy to carry size so you can slip it in your purse. If you are looking for a contemporary romance, then WHITE ROSES would be a good choice. Available at www.amazon.com, www.heartsongpresents.com, and www.cbd.com. $4.95. 174 pages.
April 21, 2014
A very sweet story about second chances at love. Grayson Sterling's wife was killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver. Grayson and their son were also in the accident. For 4 years Grayson had sent his wife white roses. After the accident he continued with his tradition only now he takes the flowers to the cemetery.
For six years, Adrea has been making White Rose arrangements for Sara Sterling. And as she creates her masterpieces she can't help but cry for the life cut short. Then she meets Grayson and things suddenly start getting complicated. Her ex fiancé shows up. Her brother gets a job working with Grayson. Suddenly she's running in to him everywhere she goes. Chapter by chapter new discoveries are made and secrets come to light. This is a very emotional but enjoyable story.
For six years, Adrea has been making White Rose arrangements for Sara Sterling. And as she creates her masterpieces she can't help but cry for the life cut short. Then she meets Grayson and things suddenly start getting complicated. Her ex fiancé shows up. Her brother gets a job working with Grayson. Suddenly she's running in to him everywhere she goes. Chapter by chapter new discoveries are made and secrets come to light. This is a very emotional but enjoyable story.
November 12, 2011
This is yet another book I bought in the city. This is a book I couldn't put down and wanted to keep reading. I love the story. Grayson is still grieving his wife's death and Sara has her own issues she is dealing with. I love how their paths seem cross in different ways. Seeing the story unfold with both having to deal with different issues. One dealing with grief and one with guilt. Throw into the mix a little boy and a couple of pets lead to some interesting situations. This is a touching story.
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July 2, 2012For two years, florist Adrea has been making arrangements for pastor Sterling to place on his wife's grave. Finally she meets the man and feels immediately attracted, but is he ready to move on?
Author Shannon Taylor Vannatter does an excellent job creating the community around Palisades Church. The connections and history between her characters made me feel as if I'd stepped into a story in progress, just like the real community.
Author Shannon Taylor Vannatter does an excellent job creating the community around Palisades Church. The connections and history between her characters made me feel as if I'd stepped into a story in progress, just like the real community.
August 4, 2012
A very quick read. A widower and a single woman try to find each
other after major losses in their lives. A christiam theme. A
good book to read in about a day. Great story
other after major losses in their lives. A christiam theme. A
good book to read in about a day. Great story
April 2, 2016
This was a cute story. I liked how the characters, for the most part, were very believable and relatable. Perfect if you're looking for something that doesn't take a long time to read.
January 27, 2016
An OK read, parts don't read quite true to the time table...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews