Thistle Down

Wildflowers of Scotland #1

by Sherrie Hansen

Can tenderhearted Pastor Ian MacCraig keep a pair of prickly sisters from marrying the wrong men? Emily Downey has found the perfect groom. If only she loved the man... Chelsea Downey is wild about her boyfriend. Trouble is, he’s two-timing her and everyone sees it but her.
Their thorny situation gets even stickier when the church ladies come up with a plan.
Can Pastor Ian MacCraig weed out the thistles and get to the heart of the matter in time to save the day?
Thistle Down is a novella, and a prequel to Wild Rose, and the Wildflowers of Scotland novels by Sherrie Hansen.

Genres: Romance, Christian

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2013

About the author

Sherrie Hansen just retired from her life calling - operating a Victorian Bed & Breakfast and Tea House, The Blue Belle Inn. She enjoys writing novels, quilting, playing the piano, renovating old houses and traveling. Sherrie and her husband live in Northern Iowa.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely novella, prequel to the author’s Wild Flowers of Scotland series, Thistle Down introduces readers to a small Scottish town, its crumbling old church, and the handsome new pastor, Ian. The depiction of a pastor’s life is pleasingly honest and evocative, and the conversation of old ladies might be heard in many a church hall. Who shall they marry the pastor off to? And how will he deal with upcoming weddings where spouses seem so awkwardly unsuited?

Ian is wise beyond his years, both in spiritual and secular matters. His prenuptial meetings offer suggestions and exercises of value to any readers intending, or enjoying marriage. And his Easter sermon presents a wonderful image of comfort beyond the thorns. Meanwhile someone’s stealing artifacts, from a church! And the flowers of Scotland’s spring are coming to bloom.

Evocative, sensitive, sensible and sweet, this is a tale with well-drawn thorn and flower, making a truly lovely lunch-time read, in a world where not everything is resolved in one gulp.

Disclosure: I’ve enjoyed other books by this author and was lucky enough to be told where to find a free ecopy of this one.

[Emespre · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't what I expected, but it was quite good. The pace was a little too fast, with some things not really developing as much as they could have (e.g. the transference thing seemed to come on pretty quickly). However, I don't know much about pre-marital counselling and transference could often occur quickly for all I know. I liked Emily and her storyline. Curious about other things. Sorry about the vagueness, but it's hard to be more detailed without giving anything away. All in all, a nice story.

[Ashley Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting prequel to Hensen's series, and as such the author handles the exposition with class. The characters are relatable, the setting is charming, and the situation fascinating. Hansen does a great job building tension without over stimulating readers with too much conflict in the short novella. As such, readers are interested in reading more to engage the characters on the next level.

[Odessa Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pastor Ian is a busy man, but when two sisters are scheduled to be married to people who may not be their perfect matches. He has to counsel both sisters and their betrothed. It's a grueling process that takes him down a rollercoaster of twists and turns, but in the end works out for the best. Mostly.

As always, the author captivates me into reading her books in one sitting. I loved this book as much as the others and look forward to reading more.