Peas, Beans & Corn

Sovereign #2

by Jennifer Wixson

The romance of a bygone era infuses Book 2 in The Sovereign Series, when Maine Army Guardsman Bruce Gilpin, 35, returns to Sovereign with the secret dream of restarting the town s old sweet corn canning factory. He s encouraged in his mission by the passionate young organic foodie Amber Johnson, 21, who reawakens his youthful heart.
The course of their true love becomes muddied by their well-meaning mothers, however, and by the arrival of Bruce s ex-wife Shelia and the handsome corporate attorney Ryan MacDonald, who hits town to rusticate. History pervades this little tale of hummingbird moths and morning mists, horse-drawn sleighs and corn desilkers, and the words of the poet Emily Dickinson, who could have been describing Sovereign when she once "I Went to Heaven -- 'Twas a Small Town."

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2013

About the author

Born on a dairy farm in Winslow, Maine, Jennifer's writing is heavily influenced by her childhood running free in the Maine pastures and woods near her rural home. She received a Master's degree in Divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary in 2001 and has served as an itinerant Quaker minister for several different denomination churches. Jennifer writes (in winter) from her farm in central Maine, where she and her husband (affectionately known as the Cranberry Man) raise Scottish Highland cattle. In addition to her novels and two non-fiction titles, Jennifer also writes a regular column, "Letter from Troy," for the oft-heralded Maine publication, Islandport Magazine. You can follow her daily adventures on Twitter @ChickenJen and discover the latest on her writing via her Facebook author's page https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer.Wix.... Find more about The Sovereign Series at http://www.thesovereignseries.com/

Reviews

[David Lucchesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone should read!

didn't read the first book, and this book read fine as a stand alone novel.

small town setting, great dialogue, and beautiful story. a must read!

i received this book for free from a first reads giveaway.

[Marik Berghs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pass me the “Peas, Beans and Corn”—Love It!

More than a Romance, this is a love story. Bruce Gilpin returns home after serving two tours in Afghanistan. He's come home to raise his son and heal. Bruce is a decent man; think Atticus Finch, perhaps a blonder version of Gregory Peck, whose dedication to duty has just about squeezed the joy of living from his soul. The narrator, who remained in the background until the end of "Hens and Chicks", plays a central part in this second novel. This time she steps from the shadows to give us the inside scoop on the growing relationship between Bruce and Amber. Once again the narrator paints a love story in shades of quiet realism, about young hearts of many generations, about all the colors of love, about honorable people and what it means to cherish and be cherished.

There are a lot of iconic archetypes living in Sovereign, Maine. When I finished "Hens and Chicks" I hated to let any of them out of my sight, or far from my heart. I worried what Jennifer Wixson would do for a second act. I need not have concerned myself. She picks up where she left us with another love story at once charming yet honestly rendered, and brings us through this lovely read with the same confident skill, compassion and humor that she used when she first revealed this community--tucked somewhere between the edges of "the Shire" and the Internet.

We've met the principals in her first book, and they are unusual, engaging, wise and accepting. They have an abiding love for their town and all of its inhabitants. They are interesting people, innocent not naïve, no they've been out "amongst them" but they don't see any need to be mean or intolerant. This is the village we want to help raise our children. These are the people we want to grow old with. "Peas, Beans and Corn," the second in what I hope is a series, is a love story for all ages.

When you finish this story your heart will feel bigger, your worries will seem lighter and the world will feel like a better place. That is the purpose of romantic fiction: creating stories of heroes and heroines, larger than life--or just about our size. Making stories that lift us out of ourselves and urge us to carry on with a little more hope. If this is what you are looking for, read "Peas, Beans and Corn."


I received this book for honest review. The Author neither influenced or suggested any part of this review.

P.S. I loved the first book too, "Hens and Chicks"

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes books end and the reader's reaction is, "But I am not finished liking you yet!"
If you read Hens and Chickens, you will want to know what happened with Lila and Rebecca and their romances that closed the book. Peas, Beans and Corn does not disappoint. Not only do we find ourselves visiting with old friends living their new lives, we meet and grow close to a few more.

Is life in a small town in New England really like this? I like to think so. Wixson reveals the setting easily, as though she is very familiar with the lifestyle and sense of community that a small town engenders. If you were not immediately transported to Sovereign from your own corner of the world, go back to the first book and jump in from the big city. Weariness and tension recede with each Sovereign morning.

At first I found it a little difficult to reconcile the perspective changes in the writing style. It was difficult for me to make the jump from third person omniscient to first person while reading Hens and Chickens but by the second book, I got to know the minister a little better. She becomes a realistic part of the story, rather than just a commentating observer. I begin to care about her part in the little town and how she fits in.

It is not outside the realm of possibility that a minister knows what her flock are thinking and can tell a story taking those unspoken but very true factors into consideration. Getting to know Minister Maggie let me speculate about a potential romance between her and her long-time friend, Peter. Does Maggie even know their relationship is changing a little? Is it really shifting to a new dynamic or am I joining the gossipers on the benches at Gilpin's Hardware store?

Perhaps I am becoming one of the bench boys. I was so pleased to drop in at the hardware store and listen to some of the old codgers discussing town events. I am becoming quite fond of them. Is there a romance ahead for one of them? I will have to wait for book three.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peas, Beans and Corn offers a second delightful visit to the fictional town of Sovereign, Maine. It invites the reader back into the story with warm and engaging characters--characters of all ages who each play an integral part in the community. Wixson is able to wrap current events around the lives of every day people. Whether it's a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq returning home to find love and his place in this world or a retired, elderly music teacher who is struggling to find meaning from loss, Wixson bridges the gap between young and old, the present and the past, and brings together a community. She paints a lovely picture of rural Maine and sprinkles it with heart-warming stories of these every day folk who come together in good times and bad to provide love, friendship and support to one another.

This modern day love story spans all ages and knows no bounds. The positive nature of the story is one that is seldom seen nor heard nowadays. And, although at times, it seems as if the characters might be positive to a fault, this causes the reader to look inward and examine his or her treatment of others. In a world where the Golden Rule has fallen by the wayside, Peas, Beans and Corn certainly displays an example of how nice the world would be if it were just like Sovereign, Maine.

[Kara Cantwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began reading the first couple of pages I wondered if I would be able to get through the book and then very quickly the story picked up and my interest was piqued. Jennifer Wixson does a beautiful job of telling a tale that gives you a glimpse of what living in small town Maine is truly like; the people, the landscape, and the culture. As I read the dialogue I could hear the awesome Maine accent in my mind and it made me smile. I quickly fell in love with the characters and only put the book down when I absolutely had to go back to reality. Having grown up in Maine, this book brought me right back to my home. It made me miss the wonderful things of that beautiful place. The story flows well and even has a twist and turn that I wasn't expecting. I am a romantic at heart and can't get enough of a good, clean romance. You don't have to worry about the story turning into anything inappropriate. It's wonderful! I will, without hesitation, recommend this book to my friends. I look forward to escaping back into small-town, picturesque Maine again soon

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of The Sovereign Series follows the growing relationship of Amber Johnson and Bruce Gilpin. While still set in small-town Maine, this book takes a slightly different path than the first. Bruce is back in town after retiring from the Maine Army Guardsman and Amber is now running her mother's organic egg business. Their love for each other is steadily blossoming when an unexpected visitor from Bruce's past arrives and almost ruins everything. Add in trying to resurrect a defunct canning factory, finding long lost Emily Dickinson letters, and the trials that come with young love, and you have a book that's hard to put down! It makes me wish that Sovereign, Maine was a real town that i could visit.

[Niffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

I will admit I was disappointed by this book. When I first received it, I decided I wanted to read Hens And Chickens (the first book in the series) before this one. So I purchased it and read it and really enjoyed it. I then waited until I had some free time to read this book because I really wanted to savor it. And I was disappointed.

I feel as though this book is much more forced than the last one. Many of the plot twists are very contrived feeling and resolved much too quickly. Despite the fact this is primarily a romance, I felt very little connection to the main characters and not much interest in their relationship. And some of the characters that should have played a major part in the story (like the hero's son!) were barely mentioned at all (seriously, his dad comes home after years away in the army and there's no mention of their reunion? Or any consideration about where he will live when the hero moves into a new apartment?)

Also the narrator became a little too intrusive this time, at one point lamenting about criticisms received for her first book. And there were far too many digressions and back stories when new characters were introduced--a little back story is okay but 150 years of family history really wasn't necessary.

I will likely read the next books in the series but I won't get my hopes up this time.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything in its place and time and order. That's sort of the theme in the book. A gentle, rather lovely story of some of the people in the town of Sovereign, Maine. Bruce Gilpin, an Army Guard veteran returns from his long tour of duty to what he hopes will be a quiet life. He's not sure what he wants to do, but he knows where....and on the bus home..he knows with whom. He meets Amber Johnson and is smitten pretty much immediately.
There are bumps in the road to their happiness. Like each one's mother has other mates in mind.
Not my usual fare, but so glad I requested and won this book.

[Gail J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is really getting better at her craft of spinning a tale so it is very believable. Great read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did I love this book? I have never set foot in Maine! Peas, Beans & Corn by Jennifer Wixson is about a small town in Maine and characters that seem to come right off the page. Many of the older ones reminded me of my aunts and uncles. I grew up Indiana and fondly remember the farming communities. This book is not all about the people growing the best corn or beans; it is an appreciation of locally grown food, small town romance and a sense of community. The stories about the canning factory in Sovereign, Maine make think of home. I can remember waiting in the car in the parking lot of the canning factory while my cousin took her brother a brown bag lunch.

Bruce Gilpin finally finished his last of duty as a Maine National Guardsman in Afghanistan and was eager to get home to Sovereign, Maine. He married the wrong woman in the past. She left him with a baby to raise. That was impossible to do while he was on duty so his folks took over the raising of his boy. On the last leg of his journey home he met Amber Johnson on the bus. She was curled up on the seal against the window with her e-reader.

This book is their tale but it is much more. It is really the story of the whole town including newcomers and returning people. This book is a joy to read. I was a little concerned at the beginning because the font size is small but after I got to know the people in Sovereign, I just sat back and enjoyed the stories.

I highly recommend this book to all the people in Maine and everyone who has ever known a farming community. This is the second book of a series but it works well as a standalone book.

I received this book from Library Thing and that in no way influenced my review.

[R J Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peas, Beans & Corn by Jennifer Wixson give the reader a wonderful look at a bygone time in the little town of Sovereign, Maine. Bruce Gilpin is returning to his home town after serving military tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. His secret dream is to see the old canning factory up and running but at 34, Bruce figures it is time to marry and settle down. He didn’t expect to lose his heart to Amber Johnson on the bus ride home. And he didn’t expect to share his thoughts to reopen the factory and have her so quickly agree. Amber re-awakens a long buried dream for Bruce. But even in idyllic Sovereign, there are a few problems to overcome. Bruce’s Mother is determined to have her son marry Trudy while Amber’s Mother is equally determined to see her daughter married to Ryan. And just when Bruce and Amber get their Mother’s on board with the idea of their being a couple, Bruce’s ex-wife appears to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Sheila, with baby Olivia in tow, arrives on Bruce’s door step, expecting to be taken care of. Bruce feels an obligation to Sheila, the mother of his teenage son Gray, and decides the only course of action is to marry her and give her and her baby security. It isn’t until his own words, in the form of a letter he had penned years ago, come back to him, that he realizes he is making a terrible mistake.
This book is written in the voice of Maggie, the town minister, who does a wonderful job of introducing all of the delightful characters of the town. She spins the tail is such a folksy and comfortable way. It is a wonderful book and I look forward to the next installment of The Sovereign Series.

[Beth Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this second book in the Sovereign series even better than the first. I still enjoy the writing style and the reflections of the narrator Maggie. I want to know more about her, in fact, and I gather that perhaps I will in the next book, coming out in the spring. Some of the same lovable characters return from the first novel, in addition to a few new characters, mainly Bruce Gilpin, whom, I must confess, I wanted to string up by his little toes a time or two. There are some interesting twists and turns in the story, which I enjoyed. One day I hope to make it to Maine to see a little of the life that the author has shared.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series because of the characters, the setting, and the sense of small town, rural community. All of that was still here in a sense, but so much was missing from this story and I found it sorely lacking.

[LizJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my least favorite of the Sovereign series. The hero is weak and the plot is weak. Could not even imagine why Amber would marry this loser. He gives away his children’s legacy. No respect for a future bride.