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Something New
Charlea Evans thought she had finally put her unconventional past behind her.
Now a widow with a college-age daughter and a promising new career within reach, she's worked hard to build a respectable life far removed from Serenity Hill—the quirky former commune where her free-spirited mother still lives. But when a devastating house fire destroys her home and everything she owns, Charlea finds herself with nowhere else to turn.
Reluctantly, she returns to the farm she thought she'd escaped forever, trading independence for her childhood bedroom, milking goats, tending chickens, and counting the days until she can afford a place of her own. Then an accident lands her mother in the hospital, leaving Charlea responsible for managing the property and overseeing an ambitious new venture.
Her mother and daughter have plans of their own. Big plans. Plans to transform Serenity Hill into a seasonal market and destination for workshops, events, and community gatherings. Helping bring the vision to life is Drew Wallace—the man who stole her heart on a single unforgettable date fifteen years ago.
As she works to keep the project moving forward, Charlea finds herself confronting old hurts, long-held assumptions, and the family history she's spent years trying to leave behind. With old dreams awakening and new possibilities taking root, she begins to wonder if Serenity Hill holds the answers she's been searching for. She must decide whether she's willing to risk her heart again—and whether the future she carefully planned can compete with the one God may have been preparing for her all along.
Coming home is the last thing Charlea wants—but it may be the beginning of everything she's been searching for.
Now a widow with a college-age daughter and a promising new career within reach, she's worked hard to build a respectable life far removed from Serenity Hill—the quirky former commune where her free-spirited mother still lives. But when a devastating house fire destroys her home and everything she owns, Charlea finds herself with nowhere else to turn.
Reluctantly, she returns to the farm she thought she'd escaped forever, trading independence for her childhood bedroom, milking goats, tending chickens, and counting the days until she can afford a place of her own. Then an accident lands her mother in the hospital, leaving Charlea responsible for managing the property and overseeing an ambitious new venture.
Her mother and daughter have plans of their own. Big plans. Plans to transform Serenity Hill into a seasonal market and destination for workshops, events, and community gatherings. Helping bring the vision to life is Drew Wallace—the man who stole her heart on a single unforgettable date fifteen years ago.
As she works to keep the project moving forward, Charlea finds herself confronting old hurts, long-held assumptions, and the family history she's spent years trying to leave behind. With old dreams awakening and new possibilities taking root, she begins to wonder if Serenity Hill holds the answers she's been searching for. She must decide whether she's willing to risk her heart again—and whether the future she carefully planned can compete with the one God may have been preparing for her all along.
Coming home is the last thing Charlea wants—but it may be the beginning of everything she's been searching for.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2026
About the author
Cathe Swanson
35 books472 followersAfter 40 years of wandering (but always in lovely places and not in a desert), Cathe Swanson has recently returned to her childhood home and family in Minnesota.
In the summer, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and being outdoors, gardening, hiking, birdwatching, and kayaking. The long winters are perfect for writing books, playing games, reading, and indoor hobbies. Cathe's been a quilter and teacher of quiltmaking for 35 years and enjoys just about any kind of creative work, especially those involving fiber or paper.
Everything inspires new books! A lifelong love of quilting, Cathe’s Swedish heritage and an interest in genealogy led to The Glory Quilts series, and the Hope Again series is inspired by her life in the Midwest and experiences with the elderly, the military, and inner-city ministry. As a child of the 60s, she’s currently having fun writing about hippies and the Jesus People movement.
Cathe writes books with creative plots and engaging characters of all ages, to glorify God and entertain and bless readers. Her heartwarming stories will make you laugh and make you cry—and then make you laugh again.
In the summer, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and being outdoors, gardening, hiking, birdwatching, and kayaking. The long winters are perfect for writing books, playing games, reading, and indoor hobbies. Cathe's been a quilter and teacher of quiltmaking for 35 years and enjoys just about any kind of creative work, especially those involving fiber or paper.
Everything inspires new books! A lifelong love of quilting, Cathe’s Swedish heritage and an interest in genealogy led to The Glory Quilts series, and the Hope Again series is inspired by her life in the Midwest and experiences with the elderly, the military, and inner-city ministry. As a child of the 60s, she’s currently having fun writing about hippies and the Jesus People movement.
Cathe writes books with creative plots and engaging characters of all ages, to glorify God and entertain and bless readers. Her heartwarming stories will make you laugh and make you cry—and then make you laugh again.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 27, 2026
finding a way home
“Something New” by Cathe Swanson is a heartwarming story of Charlea, a widow with a college aged daughter. Charlea has experienced plenty of changes to her life plans, and most of those changes were not positive ones in her mind. This story joins her as her life is once again at a crossroads. Charlea’s mother, Pamela, has lived all of her adult life at the old hippie settlement called Serenity Hills. Pamela is the only one left there on the rambling farm, the other hippies having long ago gone back to their normal lives. Pamela loves God but hasn’t gone to church in years. Their lives meet some bumps in the road, and we get to meet more interesting characters as the plot rolls out. Norbert is a delightful addition to the story, and I think readers will enjoy the interactions between Norbert and Pamela. Norbert’s nephew Drew is contracted to help Pamela with some updates to Serenity Hill, and Charlea and Drew met once long ago.
This book is such a heartwarming and encouraging read. God has plans for each of us, and those plans do not always match our thoughts and plans. Not all changes are bad, and are often full of good from God. Sometimes we are like Charlea, and we try to invent our own path and then we are stuck spinning our wheels in anxiety and confusion when God shows us a different path. Cathe Swanson does a great job writing a good plot with likable and real-to-life characters. This book is no exception. The plot does not drag and the resolutions in the plot leave the reader satisfied but wondering what is next for these lovely characters.
“Something New” by Cathe Swanson is a heartwarming story of Charlea, a widow with a college aged daughter. Charlea has experienced plenty of changes to her life plans, and most of those changes were not positive ones in her mind. This story joins her as her life is once again at a crossroads. Charlea’s mother, Pamela, has lived all of her adult life at the old hippie settlement called Serenity Hills. Pamela is the only one left there on the rambling farm, the other hippies having long ago gone back to their normal lives. Pamela loves God but hasn’t gone to church in years. Their lives meet some bumps in the road, and we get to meet more interesting characters as the plot rolls out. Norbert is a delightful addition to the story, and I think readers will enjoy the interactions between Norbert and Pamela. Norbert’s nephew Drew is contracted to help Pamela with some updates to Serenity Hill, and Charlea and Drew met once long ago.
This book is such a heartwarming and encouraging read. God has plans for each of us, and those plans do not always match our thoughts and plans. Not all changes are bad, and are often full of good from God. Sometimes we are like Charlea, and we try to invent our own path and then we are stuck spinning our wheels in anxiety and confusion when God shows us a different path. Cathe Swanson does a great job writing a good plot with likable and real-to-life characters. This book is no exception. The plot does not drag and the resolutions in the plot leave the reader satisfied but wondering what is next for these lovely characters.
June 26, 2026
“Human plans aren’t sacred."
And no one knows that better than Charlea Evans. Growing up on what used to be a hippie commune that turned into a shared farm, she married and left as fast as she could. Now she's forced to return to Serenity Hill after the house her late husband's family owns burns to the ground.
So what goes around kind of comes around as she and her mother settle into a kind of truce. And along comes Drew and Uncle Norbert and the apple cart gets a bit upset. And Charlea's boss arrives home with a new husband? And Charlea's daughter Samantha has been working with her mother about doing things differently up on Serenity Hill....
Can it all be accomplished?
I have been reading Cathe Swanson books for a very long time. Each one has reminded me of lessons I learned as a young Christian and bring them up again as a 69 year old retired minister. I highly recommend this and all of Cathe's books 5/5
[ Disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author however in no way did it affect my reading or review]
And no one knows that better than Charlea Evans. Growing up on what used to be a hippie commune that turned into a shared farm, she married and left as fast as she could. Now she's forced to return to Serenity Hill after the house her late husband's family owns burns to the ground.
So what goes around kind of comes around as she and her mother settle into a kind of truce. And along comes Drew and Uncle Norbert and the apple cart gets a bit upset. And Charlea's boss arrives home with a new husband? And Charlea's daughter Samantha has been working with her mother about doing things differently up on Serenity Hill....
Can it all be accomplished?
I have been reading Cathe Swanson books for a very long time. Each one has reminded me of lessons I learned as a young Christian and bring them up again as a 69 year old retired minister. I highly recommend this and all of Cathe's books 5/5
[ Disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author however in no way did it affect my reading or review]
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What do you do when you just want a nice, normal, respectable life, but your past keeps dragging you back into your mother's hippie "phase" (that never quits!).
For Charlea, you stay far away and try to make it on your own--until your house burns down and you have nowhere to go. Enter one strong, independent, opinionated mother. You should know where you got it, but does Charlea? Nope. She bucks the free-spirited, hippie lifestyle. And then comes Norbert. And Drew. Oh, and those crazy plans her mother and daughter are cooking up--plans certain to derail her own plans. Great.
Three women, all with similar personalities manifesting in completely different ways. Two smitten men. One epic story only God could write in the lives of His people.
Cathe does a fabulous job of making us believe Charlea will go a little crazy at Serenity Hill (mom's farm), that Pamela might go stir crazy and AWOL from acute rehab, and that Samantha will never get things ready for opening day of the new farm business model. Love at first sight? Bought it hook, line, and sinker. And the twist? I was sure I knew what was going on and was TOTALLY WRONG.
I received an advance copy of this book from the author/publisher and chose to review it with my honest opinion.
For Charlea, you stay far away and try to make it on your own--until your house burns down and you have nowhere to go. Enter one strong, independent, opinionated mother. You should know where you got it, but does Charlea? Nope. She bucks the free-spirited, hippie lifestyle. And then comes Norbert. And Drew. Oh, and those crazy plans her mother and daughter are cooking up--plans certain to derail her own plans. Great.
Three women, all with similar personalities manifesting in completely different ways. Two smitten men. One epic story only God could write in the lives of His people.
Cathe does a fabulous job of making us believe Charlea will go a little crazy at Serenity Hill (mom's farm), that Pamela might go stir crazy and AWOL from acute rehab, and that Samantha will never get things ready for opening day of the new farm business model. Love at first sight? Bought it hook, line, and sinker. And the twist? I was sure I knew what was going on and was TOTALLY WRONG.
I received an advance copy of this book from the author/publisher and chose to review it with my honest opinion.
June 24, 2026
What a lovely story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Charlea and her struggles. No matter what she tried to do to become independent, everything seemed to fail, and now she’s homeless after a house fire, with no idea where to go to start her own business. Her only option? Moving into her mother’s house—and then, in quick succession, she learns that her mother and her daughter have built business plans of their own without telling her, and her mother lands in the hospital (the last place this former hippie wants to be!). How can Charlea handle all these changes?
What I saw in Charlea was someone who was fiercely independent—but struggled with change. She had to learn to let go of control, and be flexible enough to accept a change in direction. This book is the story of that journey.
I liked the way the romance was done in this book. It was obvious from near the beginning of the story how it would turn out, but the journey was natural and paced just right. I am wondering how the other romance in this book will turn out—it has not come to fruition yet! I’m looking forward to a sequel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
What I saw in Charlea was someone who was fiercely independent—but struggled with change. She had to learn to let go of control, and be flexible enough to accept a change in direction. This book is the story of that journey.
I liked the way the romance was done in this book. It was obvious from near the beginning of the story how it would turn out, but the journey was natural and paced just right. I am wondering how the other romance in this book will turn out—it has not come to fruition yet! I’m looking forward to a sequel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
June 19, 2026
Groovy story!
A wonderful story of love, growing in faith, a bit of romance and a few great one liners. Loved this one, and looking forward to more about Serenity Hill!Cathe Swason's books are always a satisfying read.
A wonderful story of love, growing in faith, a bit of romance and a few great one liners. Loved this one, and looking forward to more about Serenity Hill!Cathe Swason's books are always a satisfying read.
June 23, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! I found it unique, fresh, and delightful! Loved the multigenerational nature of it, and Cathe is such an engaging storyteller! Really looking forward to the rest of this series!
I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from the author.
I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from the author.
June 27, 2026
Well done
This very well written book drew me in from the beginning! I almost didn't start it, thinking I didn't want to read about hippies a d a commune. I am so glad I started, then got pulled in to a great story!
This very well written book drew me in from the beginning! I almost didn't start it, thinking I didn't want to read about hippies a d a commune. I am so glad I started, then got pulled in to a great story!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews