Georgia Sweethearts

by Missy Tippens

A Pattern For LoveAfter inheriting her great-aunt's failing yarn shop, Lilly Barnes is determined to make it a success. All she wants is stability, something she doesn't think possible in the small town of Corinthia, Georgia. Then Pastor Daniel Foreman rents space in her store to hold meetings for his growing congregation, and this proves to be her lifeline. At first Lilly wants nothing to do with Daniel's big dreams, but she soon finds herself starting to share his goals. Yet trouble between her customers and his congregation make them both doubt the path they're on. That is, until practical Lilly shows him that love is a risk worth taking.

Genres: Love Inspired, Romance, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance, Christian

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Missy Tippens is a pastor's wife, mother of three adult children, and an author from near Atlanta, Georgia. She loves being involved in their church through the Happy Sack Ministry (healthy snacks for local school kids who may go hungry on the weekends), singing and playing hand bells!

After more than 10 years of pursuing her dream of publication, Missy made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens....

Reviews

[Paula-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missy Tippens writes Georgia Sweethearts

Lilly Barnes inherits a yarn shop in small town Corinthia Ga, She is not a crafty person and wonders how she will make this work but she must, as Aunt says to inherit-must live and work it for a year or forfeit.
As money is tight she lets a small beginning church rent the basement and soon finds herself helping them and stopping by some sundays. Pastor Daniel has dreams of being a church starter and plans to move when this one gets well started. He and Lilly find themselves attracted to one another and try to stay away and not become close.
When the church tries to help some young people in the community who are not as well behaved as they could be,They had many problems and Lilly remembers her youthful days and wants to help them grow. She offers to let the girls have a group in her shop and learn the craft.

Lilly is determined to make a success of the business and puts herself into it heart and soul.
they have good days and bad and when some of the church members become friends, they help Lilly to learn more and eveyone settles into a happy relationship. It is hard when Daniel decides it it time he moved on and help another beginning church...He is undecided as he wants to stay and he wants to go. Much prayer is needed from those upstairs and those in the basement too to make this a happy transition.

[Angela Breidenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this story. Georgia Sweethearts kept me company on a drive between Montana and Oregon. I turned on the speak feature on my Kindle and listened. Lovely story where two people try to determine God's will for their personal lives-and if their lives mesh. So real for all of us.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story. It's about God bringing two people together who think they couldn't be more opposite if they tried. But in the end they find they have the same fears, the same hopes, the same love that will make them perfect together. I really liked the youth in the story and how that all worked out. Made a good story great.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming story that has you pulling for all the characters all along. Love the town of Corinthia!

[Harlequin Books]

Category: Inspirational Romance

[Kayli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super sweet Contemporary Christian romance featuring a yarn shop, troubled teens, and a quest for faith. I read this a while back so I don't remember all the finer details but what I do remember was the warm, gooey feeling after finishing the book. After inheriting her great-aunt's yarn shop, Lilly Barnes moves to Georgia with little faith in religion but a lot of faith in herself. She's going to turn the failing shop's future around and she's not going to let cute pastor, Daniel Foreman, distract her. Even if he is charming and works with the misguided teens. Meanwhile, Daniel has been sent to Georgia with the intention of building up the congregation and then carrying on. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for us), he doesn't count on Lilly and her spirited personality, even if they don't see eye to eye on God. Personally, I loved this book and its cutesy hometown vibes. Admittedly it is one of the better Christian romances out there but I didn't love the pressure Daniel puts on Lilly to declare her faith, especially before he gets to know her background. That being said, it was cute and I gave it four out of five stars. I highly recommend to anyone looking for an easy-going, low stakes romance.

[Jennifer Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written. Engaging. Tippens did a great job of showing Lilly's need for stability and making me understand it. Because of that, the romantic conflict was believable. Loved the subplot with the teens and seeing Daniel's heart for mission. Great book.

[Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very predictable, but enjoyable. Fast, easy and fun read!

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tender, hopeful Christian romance filled with interesting characters in a town I think most people would want to visit.

[Anbu Manoharan · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first ever Christian romance, which I picked randomly off the library shelves.

[Ann Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet, sweet book!

I loved the character development and the plot!

Hallmark worthy

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just skimmed this .. not interested.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lilly and Jenna Barnes are sisters who grew up in a very dysfunctional family and have now inherited a yarn shop that was previously owned by their great-aunt. It’s located in Corinthia, Georgia; presumably far away from a Jo-Ann’s Fabrics or even a Target and they’re trying to make the best of things, despite mounting bills and overhead and lowered revenue.

Lilly meets a local pastor, Daniel Foreman, who claims that her great-aunt made a verbal promise to him that the basement of the shop could be used for church services. Sparks fly almost immediately between Lilly and Daniel, but they’re both reluctant to act on their feelings for good reasons: Lilly fears abandonment and Daniel is a Christian, whereas Lilly lost her faith some time ago.

The book is pretty realistic in terms of how the characters behave. Jenna, Lilly’s sister, is having marital problems with Ned, her husband, and they separate. The problems are mostly Jenna’s (due to her dysfunctional home life) and there are times when you want to smack some sense into her, but I found her very relatable. Some of Lilly’s customers (the snobbish Vera) clash with the underprivileged youth group that Lilly has offered to watch over in the shop and this also causes friction between Jenna, Lilly, and Daniel.

Daniel himself feels called to start churches, and has accepted an offer in Valdosta, Georgia. The locals want him to stay, but he isn’t sure this would be a good idea due to his increasing feelings for Lilly. The doubt that Lilly and Daniel both feel (are we really following God’s plan or one of our own making?) is also relatable. About the only thing not realistic here is the fact that a yarn shop actually exists: larger chains such as Jo-Ann’s have pretty much made smaller niche shops like The Yarn Barn disappear. Also, Lilly is reluctant to do any marketing for the shop. Why? Internet orders would increase business.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inheriting your own yarn shop, helping take care of your sister’s adorable baby, and friends who welcome you. And then there’s the church renting out your basement that just happens to have a handsome young bachelor preacher that makes your heart go thumpety-thump. What’s not to love about a year’s stay in Corinthia, Georgia?

Lilly finds plenty of problems with her life. For one thing she doesn’t know how to knit. For another, her sister is having marital problems and that preacher guy? Well, it doesn’t appear he’s the staying around type and Lilly is not going to fall for any love-em and leave-em guy, no matter how many tingles run up her spine.

Georgia Sweethearts by Missy Tippens is the story of romance between Daniel and Lilly that seems to bloom despite their efforts to the contrary. Can Daniel find God’s plan for his life while battling his own insecurities? Can Lilly learn to trust God again and in the process dare to open her heart to love?

Georgia Sweethearts will pull at your heartstrings as you find yourself cheering on Daniel and Lilly in their quest to discover their place in each other’s lives. Thanks, Missy – you’ve done it again.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a huge romance novel fan, but I enjoy these inspirational romances. This one is definitely one of my favorites so far. My grandmother loaned me this book. She is always picking up used books and we swap and share. I'm glad she brought me this one. It was sweet, heartfelt, and made me smile. I loved the characters and I loved how they interacted with one another and grew as the story progressed. It was a little predictable, but not in a bad way. Sometimes it is satisfying to now that somethings are inevitable.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lilly and her sister have inherited their great-aunts yarn shop, and they are determined to make it a success! When Lilly meets Pastor Daniel, she is a little hesitant to get to know him, but as they work together, they form a wonderful friendship.
Daniel feels that God is calling him to move on to another town to help with their Church, but he cant decide what to do, because of his feelings for Lilly.
Will love be in the future for Daniel and Lilly?

[Lindi Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missy Tippens brings another emotionally packed story to our hearts. Lilly and Daniel, at odds over many things in the beginning, find common ground in one of the most important things in life. Love! You'll laugh, shed tears and root for Lilly and Daniel as you turn the pages, (quickly) in Georgia Sweethearts.

[Teri-K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a cute premise and interesting setting. I liked the idea of a yarn shop with a new church meeting in the basement - lots of possibilities. Unfortunately the writing was only so-so. The dialogue was stilted and the character's thoughts were "romance novel" not realistic. I finished it because I was basically interested in the MC's, but the reading experience wasn't fun.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story, as it should be, to fit the title and location. Lilly and Daniel are wonderful characters drawn together because of their needs. Come walk into this little town in Georgia and get to know the people. You'll love the story.

[Mwizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great story, the type that you read on a lazy sunday afternoon when you have nothing to do. Cause if you have stuff to do, you'll put the book down. Nevertheless I'd definately read it twice. Daniel and Lilly are very inspirational characters.

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet book. It's nice to read a simple love story every now and then. It talked about religion without being too "churchy" even though half of the book takes place in a church! A very good read, highly recommended!

[Jaquelyn Scroggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The main characters think they couldn't be more different, but learn that they actually have a lot in common. In this book there are also other characters that you learn about their stories and are pulling for them as well. Some things are worth fighting for!

[Jill Kemerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Missy Tippens hit one out of the park with this book. I loved the characters--they all seemed so real and complicated. Lilly and Daniel both faced unique spiritual challenges which I could empathize with. Can't wait to read more from Ms. Tippens!

[Myra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missy Tippens consistently delivers emotionally driven love stories that capture the heart. This one about two people overcoming desertion issues from childhood is no exception.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one. It is a sweet, simple story of letting go and following God, even when your mind is telling you something else. Easy read that is worth the time!

[Kim]

I enjoyed reading this book every much.