Army vet Will Davenport knows all about missions but nothing about raising his young daughter. Settling in Serendipity, Texas, he hopes they'll both find the peace that has always eluded him. But when the widower goes to work for a local beauty, he gets much, much more. Samantha Howell is ready with a helping hand for everyone else but insists on taking care of her problems on her own. Will wants to be her hero, but too much stands in their way. For a future with Samantha, he has to bury the past. But forgiving himself may be his most difficult mission ever….
Serendipity Sweethearts: Three small-town matchmakers finding Texas-size love.
Publishers Weekly Bestselling, award-winning author of over 50 novels and two million books in print, Deb Kastner enjoys writing contemporary inspirational and sweet western stories set in small communities, often including animals as major secondary characters.
Deb lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband, her puppers Gabby and Sadie, and two mischievous bonded brothers, black tuxedo cats Hype and Dab. She recently went through what she terms her midlife crisis and adopted her very first ever real live horse whose name is sweet Moscato.
She is blessed with three adult daughters and two grandchildren with #3 on the way. Her favorite hobby is spoiling her grandchildren, but she also enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music (The Texas Tenors and The High Kings are her favs), singing in the church choir and exploring the Rocky Mountains on horseback.
I love how the author uses her Christian faith to create the depth and intensify of each characters and their situations...
Will needs God's help to forgive him for not being able to help their daughter, Genevieve, after his wife's brutal murder while Sam needed help fighting Save n Shop, a big box store, from shutting down her small grocery store...
Our main characters, Samantha Howell and Will Davenport, both were struggling with emotional baggage and need desperately to seek help from God alongside their loving community to survive.
This is another book that came to me through two friends. I picked this one because I seemed to remember reading the author before and liking her stories.
I rated this book a bit higher than I do most Love Inspired books. Instead of being strictly romance, the author did put in a second plot about fighting to keep the family store. It also did discuss several parts of the Christian faith (unlike others in the series where faith isn't much mentioned). There's a strong family at the center (The Howells) and a nice small town (Serendipity).
I somehow doubt though that the victory over the Stay-n-Shop corporates would have been as easy as this book makes it out to be.
I feel sad that Will's father perpetuated the myth that church is only for good people. I feel sad that Will's father made Will feel like a failure in life. The reality is that to God, none of us are good (except Jesus). It's only through Jesus's sacrifice that we are made "good enough" to stand before God. I like that Will is trying to make his daughter's childhood experience different from his own.
The dislikes: if you analyze the plot, from the time that Samantha and Will meet each other to when they get engaged is not very long. (If this was reality, I'd encourage a good, long engagement to be sure each is what the other thinks they are.)
Favorite quote: "It's just the waiting I can't stand. I need an decision, one way or another, so I can move on with my life." I can relate, Samantha. I can relate.
I thought this book was amazing, and the author is amazing as always. I really think that the story was extremely well written, and very believable, and it was really awesome to see that love can even with gods help assist someone who has PTSD to move past this type of condition. If any of you wish to friend me you’re welcome to as I’m a lover of Christian fiction
Series continuation: This series is related the Email Order Brides series. The characters from those books are included in this series.
Place: Serendipity, Texas
Hero: Will Davenport just retired from the Army after his wife, whom he was separated from, was killed. He barely knows his four year old daughter, Genevieve, since he was on tours a lot of the time and he and his wife separated when his daughter was only one. He is in Serendipity because his army buddy, Seth, told him about his family. He'll be helping Seth's parents fix up their bed and breakfast (with cabins) and working in their family grocery store with their daughter, Samantha.
Heroine: Samantha wants to make her parents proud by running a successful grocery store. It's been in her family for generations, and she isn't going to let anything ruin it - especially a box grocery store that is threatening to force her out if she won't sale to them. She meets Will and his daughter, and there is something about them that turns her heart.
The plot: Stay-n-shop, a chain grocery store, is sending Samantha legal letters with offers to buy her out. If she doesn't accept, they'll build their big box grocery store which will force her out of business. Samantha is determined to make it on her own without any help from her family or from will. This is a great story that kept me turning pages. I can remember the anticipation when the town council came back with their decision. I was on the edge of my seat and kept thinking, "Don't look at the next page..." I was so nervous! I loved how this whole situation played out and can see simular things happening in my hometown when the big supercenter rolled in. Our home grocers are just not the same!
The Romance: Oh-so-sweet! There was a kiss that lasted three pages. Seriously! Then there was something Samantha did near the end that made my mouth pop open, but I LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!! Samantha was willing but Will had some things from his past that needed work. It was just so sweet how it all worked out in the end!
Set in Serendipity, Texas (and part of the Serendipity Sweethearts series from Love Inspired) Samantha Howell is in for a surprise when Will Davenport, recently retired from active duty in the Army, shows up on her doorstep. Samantha is a self-sufficient woman who's used to running her own business while Will is a man with a plan as well as a past he can't seem to get away from.
I really enjoyed reading this novel! Deb paints a vivid picture of small town life in Serendipity, and her characters leap off the page with their real-life struggles and authentic emotions. Will is a hardened Army veteran and Samantha is a woman who wants to take the world on her shoulders. They both must find ways to overcome themselves in order for them to work together against a threat to the quiet way of life in this small town.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who want's to read a sweet love story that portrays genuine characters who overcome real-life problems to find not only love, but a deep reliance on God.
_______________ I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
Will has just returned from active duty in Afghanistan and is getting to know his four year old daughter. He feels a lot of guilt for what he sees as his fault that his ex-wife is dead. He never was a good husband or father but maybe he can change the father part of that now.
Samantha has her own share of problems with the big-box store wanting to take over her legacy. When Will shows up expecting a job to be waiting for him, thanks to Samantha's soldier brother Seth, he's just another thing for her to have to deal with. His love for his daughter wins her over quickly though, and it doesn't hurt that he's handsome! Together they get to work through some issues and get to the point of realizing that God's the one in control of it all.
I enjoyed reading this book, which was the first I have read by the this author. The writing flowed well and the plot had the right amount of twists and turns. Being a wife of a retired Air Force Officer I enjoyed the military aspect of it. I would like to read more by this author.
At first it seemed like an alright novel about a religious family in a small (religious) town who welcome in a retired army soldier who neither believes nor disbelieves in god, Will whats-his-face (Davenport?). Will needs a safe place to land after getting honorably discharged from the army in order to care for his 4 year old daughter after the death of his estranged wife. And yes, he believes it was all his fault even though he was half a world away. We'll get to that.
So at first I was like, okay cool! an agnostic character for once! Nope. Not at all. We are not preaching acceptance and unity of different ways of living here. No sir! Can't marry the man cause he's not a true believer (literally the deciding factor that got the girlfriends to back off). We MUST convert him by repeatedly inviting him to church and making him pray with us over dinner and every single major decision the family has. Sigh...I would really enjoy a book where doubters and non-believers are still welcome and people try to 'show' them the christian way of living is a good way of living by living it and not constantly trying to convert people, no matter how subtle it is. Sigh. I digress.
I wasn't too clear on the time line, but it seems like in the span of just a few short months Will is converted to christianity via church invites, lots of praying, wanting to be part of the family he didn't have as a child, and some family dinners. Literally felt that way for me. I also wonder about the time line. Aside from many other little issues like the usual widower with a fast and loose excuse to fall in love and get married in what I believe to be less 6 months (okay so he only proposes and that's NOT a spoiler cause this is christian fiction y'all. Spoiler is when they DON'T get married and you tell), this book is pretty...meh, to be honest.
I never really got into the whole 'tension' in the plot that's supposed to invest you. Let's be honest, we all know how that part turns out. I also never understood the 'it's all my fault about my wife' thing from Will (told you we would get back to it). You were clear all through high school that you wanted to join the military. You were IN the military when you got married. Your wife totally knew what she was getting into, so that part is not fully your fault Will. Move past it. Also, she left you. Also, it's called online learning. Also, why did we need to have a Touched By An Angel moment in the chapel for Will to realize that it wasn't his fault....so he could make out with whats-her-name (I just finished reading this 10 minutes ago, I should know this)? Ugh.
Let's just sum this up because I am most definitely rambling. This books falls into a lot of cliche christian romance traps. 1) strong independent woman suddenly needs a man to rescue her just as one appears. 2) widower because of some event they had zero control over happened and now they are convinced they are a danger to everyone...except their offspring and anyone they aren't romantically interested in, that's fine. 3) Religious family converts an agnostic. 4) crisis of faith over something stupid...like . 5) some stupid speech is made to convince a person a)god forgives/loves/died for them and b)they are worth loving or c)they aren't a danger to others for stupid stupid reason and are therefore worth loving. 6) Whirlwind romance under 6 months. 7) Ending with a proposal and/or marriage (which is alright if #6 is not playing in the same field).
I could keep going, but I'm not going to. What I did like was how Will tries not to take over her life (I serious forgot her name!) but does as a result of her not coping without him. I like how Will's PTSD is mentioned in a few places, making it real that he still struggles with it daily. Uhhh. I did enjoy some of the phrasing the author wrote. Like when....Samantha (?) is describing Will about...56% of the way through the book. It was well done. I also like how hard Will seems to be trying with his daughter in the beginning (and then the daughter kinda fades into the background a fair bit, not getting into it, I promise). I enjoyed the setting....the grandpa. The grandpa was epic. That guy's got timing. Frank was amusing too... and the family aspect in general.
In Conclusion
I guess I mostly kept reading this because I had started? I'm not a quitter...unless it's really really bad. Which this wasn't! I'm just a little particular about my christian romances. Just don't read this if you don't like christian romance cliches. If you do, or don't mind them, you'll probably love this one.
This is the 1st book I read by Deb Kastner. I loved ❤ this book's storyline. I loved ❤ the Christian theme in this story. I loved ❤ Samantha's character. I loved ❤ Genevieve. I loved ❤ the scenes with Samantha & Genevieve. I loved ❤ Will's character. My heart broke 💔 for Will. I loved ❤ the ending. Awesome job Ms. Kastner.
This was a good story whit good character and a wonderful story line. Now on to the next story in this series. I started with the last one but I’m excited for the second one.
From the first page to the last I really enjoyed this story. I loved the way she developed the characters and the story. Even though the outcome is always the same I couldn't stop reading until the end! A good read!
The Soldier's Sweetheart doesn't actually come out until August, by I was blessed with an advanced copy from the author Deb Kastner.
The Soldier's Sweetheart is part of her 'Serendipity series.' From the small fictional town of Serendipity, Texas. I LOVED visiting Serendipity and it's residents again.
Army vet, (and friend of her deployed brother), William "Will" Davenport literally shows up out the blue with NO WARNING at Samantha Howell's small town, family owned grocery store with his newly discovered 4-yr old daughter in tow. Looking for a job. Already basically been promised the job, by Samantha's brother, Seth. Much to Samantha's chagrin. He instantly fits right in as an employee at Sam's grocery. Also helping Samantha's parents with construction on there soon to be bed and breakfast on the side. Will also becomes a HERO for Samantha (and her family), helping them with a major problem. (Don't want to give too much away.) Even though Samantha, who is there for everyone else, resist Will's help at first.
The ONLY reason I gave this book 4 instead of five stars is because it took me longer to warm up to Samantha than it did Will. But by the middle of the book I LOVED Samantha too. Will was 'SIGH.' LOVED Will! And his daughter, Genieve? was a DOLL! LOVED Will with his daughter. And LOVED Samantha's relationship and instant bond to the little girl. LOVED Samantha's parent's. And Samantha's friend's are hysterical!LOVE the 'little chicks.' CAN'T WAIT for Deb to write Mary and Alexis's stories. A really good, sweet book of LOVE, family, faith. DEFINITELY recommend.
Sweet, small town setting with a second chance/friends to lovers trope.
After his wife's death, Will Davenport leaves the Army to raise his four-year-old daughter in a small town in Texas. He finds employment at a local and beloved grocery store. It does not take long before he becomes attracted to his employer Samantha Howell. Together and with he support of the whole town they fight off an intruding chain store.
Will makes an interesting character. Although he is no longer serving in the armed forces, he is still fighting many battles. Most significantly, an inner battle of guilt as he blames himself for the death of his first wife. It takes the whole Howell family (and also the supportive atmosphere of the small town) to get Will to trust God for peace and forgiveness.
What I liked about this one is that sometimes the Love Inspired books are extremely predictable, but with this one, I wasn't really quite sure how it was going to end.
I wanted to read this one because I really enjoyed the second book in this series, but this one just didn't captivate me in the same way. It was an ok read, but nothing special.
Inspirational romance. Samantha Howell has Will Davenport foisted upon her as her new employee by her parents. But the big conglomerate has set its sights on her little general store.