Hope Springs

by Kim Cash Tate

God’s plans for three women—and the small town of Hope Springs—may be bigger than anyone could have imagined. Janelle Evans hasn’t gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn’t long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened. Becca Anderson is finally on the trajectory she’s longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she’s been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women’s conference. But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father’s church in Hope Springs. Will small-town living affect her big ministry dreams? Stephanie London is married to a doctor in St. Louis and living an ideal life. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels compelled to do the same. It’s a decision that will forever change her. As these women come together, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches that have long been divided along racial lines. God’s plan for them in Hope Springs—and for Hope Springs itself—is bigger than they ever imagined. “Kim Cash Tate draws us into a world where the dreams, desires, missteps, and matters of the heart we discover mirror our own. She is a master at crafting characters who make you forget you’re reading fiction. By the end of Hope Springs , you’ll feel as if you’re cheering on members of your extended family.” —Stacy Hawkins Adams, bestselling author of Coming Home and The Someday List

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Christmas, Romance, Christian Romance, Adult

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2012

About the author

Kim Cash Tate is the author of several books and a former practicing attorney. She has a deep love for the word of God, and loves to ignite a passion in others to not only know the Lord, but to walk intimately with Him. Kim lives in St. Louis with her husband of twenty-three years and their two children.

Reviews

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I'm already a fan of Kim and her work. This story, set in a small town, was a sweet break from my hectic city life. I don't have any (natural) sisters or female cousins my age, so it's always fun for me to get a peek into life with sisters/cousins and see their close knit connection. The message of love and unity beyond color lines is so timely. Way to go Kim!

[Belindachaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having really enjoyed Kim Cash Tate's two other books Faithful and Cherished, I grabbed at the chance to review her latest book Hope Springs. Knowing that I would not be able to put it down once I picked it up to read, I was very careful to choose a rainy day-off to start reading it. And I am glad that I did... I was right, I couldn't put it down!

Again using some of the characters from her previous books, but introducing us to an array of new and well-drawn characters, the author takes us this time to the little town of Hope Springs in North Carolina and looks at the Sanders and Dillon families, and the way their lives are more intertwined than anyone ever knew.

A story filled with twists, turns, interesting details, plus lots of live-giving lessons, I came away from this book having a deeper understanding of my relationship with God. I love reading books where I not only enjoy the story, but learn something more about how to be a better person, and stronger in my relationship with the Lord.

I would highly recommend this book to any lover of good wholesome fiction with a message that lingers long after you have finished the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely Christian novel of small-town life, Kim Cash Tate’s Hope Springs brings the reader into the Southern town of Hope Springs together with other family members gathering to mourn the passing of a much-loved pastor. For a while I didn’t even realize half the characters were white and the other half black. For a while I didn’t know color would even an issue. And that’s as it should be. But history has created problems for these people despite their best intentions, and broken hearts lie behind many smiles as wounded relationships find a place to mend.

Pleasingly up to date with natural dialog, young characters glued to their cellphones, facebook and twitter while older ones ponder more changes to come, this novel combines the feel-good aspects of a romance with the depth of family drama and the tragedy of deeper hurts unseen. There’s a convincing Christian faith throughout the tale that’s clearly more than skin-deep, but these genuine characters are no cardboard cut-out believers or non-believing friends. The good have sinned and the less than good have hope, even as the final surprise is revealed, even as the heart longs for perfection in this imperfect world.

As a Christian, I really enjoyed the lessons in this tale, the reminders to see the logs in our own eyes, the hope to see the specks so gently removed. When a character decided not to go home I actually felt pleased that I’d see more of her, as if all these people were real and I just a guest invited to their home.

Hope Springs is a pleasing novel of hope in a very real world. Sickness, broken relationships, past mistakes, future longings and dreams all come together and, as the front cover nicely reminds the reader, “the biggest challenge may be learning to let go.” Don’t let go of this book until it’s finished. It’s a blessing of a novel.

Disclosure: I received this book through the Amazon Vine program and I promised to review it.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK!

There is one thing to say about Kim Cash, and that is, she just has it going on when it comes to writing books! “Hope Springs” is another outstanding book that shows us family, faith, cooking up old friendships, forgiveness and healing, and yes, and a boost of romance added to give readers a story that will keep those pages turning. Janelle, Becca and Stephanie’s time spent in Hope Springs changed their life forever. I thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in the lives of these ladies throughout this story. Kim Cash will have you laughing, then crying, along with worshiping the Lord as you follow get to know these three characters. I appreciate the way Kim weaves the lives of her characters together with God and living their lives for Him. That’s what Christian fiction is all about. Following characters that live for God. Oh they may not start out that way, like many of us, but through there difficulties and trials, they end up giving it all to the Lord. And Thank You Kim for giving us a book such as this.



I received this book free from Booksneeze.com blogging for books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandma Geri’s home in the small southern town of Hope Springs has been the heart of the Sanders Family for as long as everyone can remember. The annual family reunions draw scores of family members to the town each summer, and Grandma Geri’s failing health has led to a makeshift reunion of sorts this Christmas. [Side note: the book does begin at Christmas time, but is not at all a Christmas book, so don’t be discouraged from picking it up outside of the holiday season.] Among those returning home are Janelle Evans, who hasn’t seen her family since becoming a widow two years earlier; Stephanie London, who sees the trip as an opportunity to heed God’s call to move beyond her own selfish desires as she starts to serve others; and Libby Sanders, whose promiscuous lifestyle has made her an outlier within her devout Christian family.

Meanwhile, Becca Anderson—the daughter-in-law of Grandma Geri’s recently deceased next-door neighbor—is finally experiencing growth in her ministry thanks to a recent invitation to speak at a large Christian women’s conference. But when her husband feels called to pastor his late father’s church, Becca worries she will have to put her ministry ambitions on hold. Soon Becca’s world is entwined with that of the Sanders family in ways none of these women or their families had expected.

I have no idea how I stumbled across this book—a 2012 release from an author I knew nothing about—but it ended up being a sleeper hit for me! I was immediately drawn to this town and these big, complicated families made up very (realistically) messy people who are solid in their faith and their pursuit of God’s call on their lives. There is drama, romance, and even scandal within these stories, and not very storyline is tied up with a bow, but I enjoyed watching the characters work through their challenges within the context of their families and community and in ways that align (or don’t) with their faith.

I don’t read a lot of Christian fiction, and this one is VERY Christian with full Bible studies and prayers written into the stories. This may be a turnoff for many readers, but were a selling point for me: I LOVED seeing characters whose faith played into their conversations and decisions, who wrestled with God but ultimately trusted Him, and who were by no means “perfect Christians” but who (in most instances) recognized their sin struggles and sought repentance and reconciliation. The characters’ faith lives, as well as their interpersonal interactions and challenges, felt true to my own experience as a follower of Christ and I liked seeing this represented well here.

One aspect of the book that I loved, but that made it a challenging read, was the sheer number of characters. There are SO MANY names and families and backstories and I struggled to keep them straight. (I finally drew up a family tree for myself, only to discover later that there was one at the start of the book, which I hadn’t originally noticed in my Kindle edition). This was sometimes frustrating and I felt like I was missing a lot (perhaps I would have been less lost if I had read the other books in this series? But this is billed as a standalone and I didn’t realize until later that there are other books set within this world). That said, this huge number of characters added a sense of realism to the book, to the point where I found myself thinking about these characters when not reading, and wondering how they were doing (totally forgetting that their story was fictional).

As I mentioned at the top, this was written in 2012 and parts feel pretty dated (especially the texting and social media components and references to a church being “high tech” for recording messages on CD). Racial disunity is also a core theme (the Evans family is black, and there is a big divide between their church and that of the Andersons, who are white); I’m curious how the author would address these issues a decade later, when racial discord is even more of a hot button issue.

This is a book with great appeal for a very niche audience, and though I wouldn’t have assumed I would be within that audience, I am! I hadn’t realized how much I wanted to read a complicated Christian novel that felt genuine—neither saccharine and sanitized, nor progressive and edgy. I look forward to reading more within this series in the future!

My Rating: 4.25 Stars // Book Format: Kindle

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this third book in the series, though not as much as the first two books. My favorite novel of the author's is still the first story, Faithful, though I should say I did get a bit choked up a few times reading Hope Springs, so the author did a good job helping me to identify with several situations. There were some couples that I preferred reading about more than others. My only issue is that some of the story seemed to drag for me, while other parts were very interesting. I think the parts that dragged had to do with the fact that there were so many characters that I didn't care about some of them all that much. While there was conflict in this novel, some of it seemed almost too perfect in it's resolution. While on the one hand I do like the healing themes in this author's books, on the other hand, it doesn't feel as real to me when everything ends up tidy by the last page. Granted, some people had endings that were less than ideal (don't want to post a spoiler here) but they were inevitable conclusions, and in fact, that part of the book seemed to zip right on by...almost too fast for me.

Though I point out some things that didn't work for me, overall I liked this book. It was more spiritually focused in tone and dialog (and some readers might even see it as preachy) than her other two books. There were some good themes in this story such as the one questioning who you are doing ministry for...yourself, or others? What's your real motivation? I liked the conflict with Janelle and Kory. That part of the story worked for me. I loved it. I was not as fond of Becca. Her husband seemed like a good guy, though. I also loved the character Libby who had a history with Travis. I guess I like reading more about the broken-hearted women who see themselves as damaged in some way. Even Janelle felt guilty about having feelings for anyone after her husband died.

While grandma Geri was core to the story, I never grew that attached to her. I did like the underlying secret of Keisha's existance coming out toward the end, and also the theme about bringing the two churches together to blend them more and make them less segregated. So I did enjoy this book, but found myself skimming in some places because the conflict wasn't sufficient hold my attention. I don't like when I find myself skimming, and that's why I didn't rate it as high as her other novels. Overall she is a good author, though. Like I said earlier, I loved the first two books in this series.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book without realizing it was a kinda-sorta sequel to two other books I'd previously enjoyed, "Faithful" and "Cherish". While "Hope Springs" has only been marketed as a stand alone title, I thought there were enough characters spilling over that it would have been more helpful to bill it as part of that series.

And there are certainly enough characters to go around! Every now and then I'll read a trilogy and think, "You know, with tighter editing this could have been a really good single novel rather than a story spread rather boringly over three books." I had the exact opposite reaction to "Hope Springs". With a little more writing and character development, this could have easily been a trilogy! There's Stephanie and her spiritual service boot camp. There's Janelle and her kids; Grandma Geri; Kory and his daughter. There's Libby, Travis, Todd, Becca. There's Sara Ann and the diner. There's New Jerusalem and Calvary. There is family history to be explored; secrets to reveal; whole communities to consider.

Yes, indeed. There were so many characters that even half-way through the book I was still trying to keep everyone straight. Another issue was that the color of skin was part of the story, but I didn't realize that until quite a ways into the novel. I had forgotten whose skin was black and whose was white because it didn't make one bit of difference to me as a reader. Obviously it was important in the context of the story, though. I realize this is a storyline that quite a few people can relate to, but it didn't resonate within me.

At the same time, the further I got into the story, the more I enjoyed it. There a lot of really good themes that come out. By the time I turned the last page, I was mentally begging the author to write a follow-up book because these stories are not yet finished. There's more to explore with all these people... which is maybe why they should have gotten their own books!

So I came out in the middle with this one. It took me a long time to get into it, and I felt it was muddled, but the last third of the book was great. I would recommend you check out Kim Cash Tate's other novels before reading this one. If you enjoyed those, as I did, you'll probably like this one, too. I will be watching to see what she comes out with next!

This review originally appeared at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Springs is a small town in North Carolina...held together by two churches...one white Calvery and the other black New Jerusalem.
The story starts when Jim Anderson pastor of Calvery passes away. He lives next door to Geri Sanders and their families have lived by each other most all of their lives. Both families come back to town for his services.
This book becomes a compelling read, and we are soon immersed in the lives of these families.
While in town it is found out that Grandma Geri is dying of lung cancer. This fact changes a lot of lives, and the family begins to focus mainly on her well being.
The center of the story are the lives of Granddaughters Janelle, Stephanie, Libby, and Becca Anderson...her husband is called to take over his Dad's Church.
Throughout this book I found God leading, yes there are hard times, and a lot of tears shed. Don't miss this page turning read!

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Group and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Soledad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tate weaves a story involving two families living in Hope Springs. She focuses on a few stories, weaving the rest of the family into it. Tate focuses on racial reconciliation among two churches in town, and it briefly gets heated in the story involving the family. The section where the conversation gets heated was the section that felt most real, I wanted more of that.
The rest of the story was appealing, but was also predictable. I wanted to be surprised by what the characters didn't know, not feel like the story was being set up to get me to a specific point or lesson.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very up lifting. Reminded me to keep things simple with Christ because He knows it all anyway. Exactly what I needed to read at this moment in my life when things have been so confusing.

[David B Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kim is a pleasant discovery for me, and “Hope Springs” is an engaging, bright story with a good ensemble cast. She has woven together an unfolding family saga surrounding the impending death of Grandma, and how family members cope with that anxiety and also their own life struggles.
Many books in the Christian fiction genre are noticeably minimalist in terms of the God element; this writer determinedly takes the opposite tack! This story is robustly Christian, with the goal of honoring and obeying Christ infusing every chapter. If you appreciate a narrative where Scripture and the Lord’s relentless will are central themes, you will appreciate Kim’s talent for writing.
Also well done is her own grappling with racial issues. This is an eclectic white/black group of young adults, and with so many characters and two active church groups in the mix, it’s not always easy (or necessary) to “visualize” just who is who. (That’s my own fault, not this talented writer’s; I’m notoriously inattentive as I read a good novel in fits and starts.) But her tone and style are professional throughout the drama. Early on, I was feeling like the various couples were simply “there” and going out to lunch a lot without much else happening. But the second half of the book picks up the pace considerably and the ending makes it a most satisfying journey.

[Teresa Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

When I first started reading this book, I had trouble keeping all the characters straight. As I continued reading, I was pulled into each of their journeys, engaged by the author's ability to flesh out characters in such a real way. I read quite a bit and this is a new author for me, that I will definitely come back to. There were so many truths to ponder, I'm still mulling over all that was there. The book was spiritually thought provoking and encouraging without being preachy or contrived. The stories of each of the characters were woven together in a seamless way, adding up to a sweet story that I didn't want to put down. I can't wait to read more about the paths each of the characters find themselves on.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book itself was excellent, as is the case with every Kim Cash Tate book I've read. She is an anointed writer with a gift for using family dynamics to show the grace of God.

As for the narrator of the audio book... I'm not as much of a fan. It sounded like somebody was reading the book to me, rather than dramatizing the book. There was hardly any difference in the voice of one character as against another. The difference in voice, inflection, accent, etc. is what really "makes" audio book narration, from my perspective. I will probably avoid this audio book narrator in the future. I will continue to seek out Kim Cash Tate books, however.

[Deanna Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good

The theme of the story was good, but too long and dragged out. I confess I skipped quite a bit. The most frustrating part was it was about two churches New Jerusalem and Calvary. Apparently one for Black and one for white. So I assume from that, that Travis was white. But the story is around a bunch of friends, and, a big family, but they didn’t all go to the same church and I gave up trying to work out who was black and who was white, so I could understand the story better. It was confusing

[Lauri Gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I picked up randomly at a second hand book store. So glad I grabbed it!
A multi-generational story of love, loss, sacrifice and listening to the call of God to direct your life. That is just for starters. A family reunites for Christmas and a funeral only to receive heartbreaking news. Secrets are revealed. A town comes together to bridge a racial divide. This book has so much to offer. I laughed, I cried. I highly recommend it.

[Tracy Medley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Life My Life

This summer I started looking for some spiritual but not in a study guide sort of way. This is the 6th Kim Cash Tate book I’ve read and all of them have touched my heart, encouraged my prayer life and have always left me wanting to read the next one.
It’s like I’ve joined a family to laugh and cry with. I’m thankful for this book!

[Nancy DeValve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandma Geri is the glue of this large extended family. When she is diagnosed with a terminal illness, two of her granddaughters stay to care for her. As the story unfolds, we find that the entire family has some "skeletons in the closet", including Grandma Geri.
I enjoyed this book. It's not only a quick read which one needs once in awhile, but it also gave me plenty to think about.

[Teresa Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Springs

Kim did it again. The story is so captivating. The characters are real and the problems are real and you just lose yourself in the story. It is hard when the matriarchs are going through hard trials. Families are so important and churches and communities. It was well written. A must read!!!

[Taja Hereford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tears! The TEARS! THE TEARS! What a good book. The exploration of the family dynamics, a small town, and the lies that are uncovered. This story was powerful and moved at a great pace. I really enjoyed connecting with these character. So far, this is my favorite book in the series. (2 more to go)!

[DeBorrah Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Springs

What a beautiful, tender book. Kim Cash Tate has such an amazing ministry using God's Word. Hope Springs is an allegorical story, woven for the reader to reflect within and without. In today's society, we experience the same mores of those residents in Hope Springs. Looking forward to the sequel. Abundant Blessings. 🙏🏾

[Edna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flow chart of book characters at the front of the book was helpful for keeping characters straight. A gripping story that portrays real life type of situations- life can be messy, even in families of faith.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just felt like home to me. The family reunions because grandma kept the family together, seeing cousins you haven’t seen in a while, finding out family secrets, and growing spiritually . Loved this book!

[Gloria Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Springs

I was going to give this book 4 stars until I got half way through it. The story line was great, Black vs White, old vs new, but it all came back to home and family. Color was part of the equation, but love was the answer.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly cherished and faithful did it for me this book didn't do it it just didn't do it I couldn't get into it no matter how much I liked Corey and that relationship but nothing else did it for me honestly

[Sunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly a downer. The characters felt flat and unrelatable despite the author’s efforts to use various common life issues. Things seemed to resolve quickly due to the end of the book rapidly approaching. However, the writing was good.

[Stacey E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be 100% honest, I did not expect this to be this good. The faith was rich and a main focus of this book. The prayers, laying of hands, scripture references, and the trust in God was so edifying. So glad to have read this and looking forward to more books by Tate in the future!

[Fredreka Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me pulling out my journal several times and writing being prompted by what was in the book. I even would say some fo the prayers outloud! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next!

[Rebekah Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do they have to end? 😩

Kim's books are so amazing! The way she knits together the story and characters and also layers in the Word is masterful. Nothing but God ordained. You won't be able to read this book and not be changed in some way.

[Raynise A. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this!

Such a lovely read! This book reminded me of my own extended family in some ways- the comfort and familiarity of Grandma’s home, kind neighbors and cousins who were more like siblings than cousins!

[Micheal Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Family

A book about introducing to a family dynamic. Except for the color racial dynamic this I could relate to. My family had to deal with cultural difference since we were German and largely clannish, But the basic culture differences , especially language i relate to.