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Hometown Girl
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Courtney Walsh returns with a hopeful and emotional new book about seizing second chances, finding yourself, and forging your own path.
Beth Whitaker isn’t supposed to be a small-town girl. She’s always dreamed of leaving Willow Grove, Illinois, for the big city, but she feels trapped, struggling to make up for a mistake that’s haunted her for years. Just when Beth is finally ready to break free, her sister impulsively buys a beloved but run-down farm on the outskirts of town, and she begs Beth to help with the restoration. Reluctantly, Beth agrees to help—and puts her own dreams on hold once again.
Drew Barlow hasn’t been back to Fairwind Farm since he was a boy, and he’s spent all these years trying to outrun the pain of a past he thought he buried long ago. When he learns that the owner has passed away, his heart knows it’s finally time to do the right thing. Returning to Willow Grove, Drew revisits the old farm, where he attempts to piece together his memories and the puzzle of the crime he witnessed so long ago.
Both on a journey to find peace, Beth and Drew are surprised when they begin to experience a restoration of their own. But when long-buried secrets break through the soil and the truth unfurls, will it threaten their budding relationship—and the very future of the farm?
Beth Whitaker isn’t supposed to be a small-town girl. She’s always dreamed of leaving Willow Grove, Illinois, for the big city, but she feels trapped, struggling to make up for a mistake that’s haunted her for years. Just when Beth is finally ready to break free, her sister impulsively buys a beloved but run-down farm on the outskirts of town, and she begs Beth to help with the restoration. Reluctantly, Beth agrees to help—and puts her own dreams on hold once again.
Drew Barlow hasn’t been back to Fairwind Farm since he was a boy, and he’s spent all these years trying to outrun the pain of a past he thought he buried long ago. When he learns that the owner has passed away, his heart knows it’s finally time to do the right thing. Returning to Willow Grove, Drew revisits the old farm, where he attempts to piece together his memories and the puzzle of the crime he witnessed so long ago.
Both on a journey to find peace, Beth and Drew are surprised when they begin to experience a restoration of their own. But when long-buried secrets break through the soil and the truth unfurls, will it threaten their budding relationship—and the very future of the farm?
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2017
745 people are currently reading
1909 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Walsh
37 books5,448 followersCourtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes low spice romance and women's fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists. She is also a Carol award winner and Christy award finalist.
A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
May 23, 2020
0.99 e-book https://amzn.to/2LXgabG
(5/23/20)
I just love this author's writing style! She has a way of drawing me into the lives of people who are struggling against the darkness and as their stories weave together the light emerges and hope shines brightly on its way to a happy ending- which really seems more like a new beginning. The contrasts and similarities between Beth and Molly as sisters really stood out to me, and it was interesting to see the characteristics they embraced and which ones they left behind as they were influenced by their parents and the people around them. I loved that they both rediscovered qualities about themselves that they believed didn't apply anymore. It's reassuring that it's never too late to decide to change and pursue a new focus in life. Beth and Drew are both holding on to painful secrets, and the process of loosening up around each other shakes the secrets out of dark corners where they can now be released... although Drew required a little more shaking ;) It was nice to see how they supported each other and yet had a realistic dynamic based on their very defined personalities. They had fabulous chemistry, and that first kiss- wow. I admit I read that scene a few times over (fans self). It was gratifying to see how the long time mystery unfolded and also watch the community band together to work hard for a new Fairwind Farm.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
(5/23/20)
I just love this author's writing style! She has a way of drawing me into the lives of people who are struggling against the darkness and as their stories weave together the light emerges and hope shines brightly on its way to a happy ending- which really seems more like a new beginning. The contrasts and similarities between Beth and Molly as sisters really stood out to me, and it was interesting to see the characteristics they embraced and which ones they left behind as they were influenced by their parents and the people around them. I loved that they both rediscovered qualities about themselves that they believed didn't apply anymore. It's reassuring that it's never too late to decide to change and pursue a new focus in life. Beth and Drew are both holding on to painful secrets, and the process of loosening up around each other shakes the secrets out of dark corners where they can now be released... although Drew required a little more shaking ;) It was nice to see how they supported each other and yet had a realistic dynamic based on their very defined personalities. They had fabulous chemistry, and that first kiss- wow. I admit I read that scene a few times over (fans self). It was gratifying to see how the long time mystery unfolded and also watch the community band together to work hard for a new Fairwind Farm.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
July 11, 2023
Beth Whitaker never dreamt she would still be in Willow Grove. After all she was the one meant to succeed. That is, until she made a momentous mistake that cost her dearly. But her family don’t know of her mistake. Her father knew and covered for her. But now he is dead. When her younger sister Molly buys a past loved, but now run down, farm on the outskirts of town, she begs Beth for help to restore it. Can they really make Fairwind Farm a success or is Beth doomed to fail again?
Drew Barlow with his family, left the area and Fairwind Farm when he was ten after what happened to his friend Jess. But the pain and half formed memories still haunt him. He needs to find out what really happened that day that his brain keeps shutting it out. And so he returns to Willow Grove trying to find answers. What he does not expect is to find a woman like Beth. But once secrets emerge will they shatter their budding relationship? Will the truth of what happened to Jess come to light?
I thought from the cover this would probably be a light romance. But there is much more going on, a mystery, lies, guilt, family dynamics, and community working together. It is interesting to see the relationship between siblings, Beth, Molly and Ben. Beth and Molly are as different from each other as sisters could be. And yet sometimes they do show the same traits. The book is written from a Christian perspective and there was only one part when I thought it sounded a bit preachy but then it moved on. So no big deal and it was appropriate to the story. An entertaining read that I enjoyed more than I initially anticipated.
Drew Barlow with his family, left the area and Fairwind Farm when he was ten after what happened to his friend Jess. But the pain and half formed memories still haunt him. He needs to find out what really happened that day that his brain keeps shutting it out. And so he returns to Willow Grove trying to find answers. What he does not expect is to find a woman like Beth. But once secrets emerge will they shatter their budding relationship? Will the truth of what happened to Jess come to light?
I thought from the cover this would probably be a light romance. But there is much more going on, a mystery, lies, guilt, family dynamics, and community working together. It is interesting to see the relationship between siblings, Beth, Molly and Ben. Beth and Molly are as different from each other as sisters could be. And yet sometimes they do show the same traits. The book is written from a Christian perspective and there was only one part when I thought it sounded a bit preachy but then it moved on. So no big deal and it was appropriate to the story. An entertaining read that I enjoyed more than I initially anticipated.
December 1, 2017
I stuck with this way longer than I normally would have. I think it's because I've had a string of disappointing DNF books, lately, and thus had a hard time admitting that yet another die roll had come up snake-eyes.
I think part of the problem is that Walsh is a decent writer. Her characters are clear, the setting evocative, and the plot holds together with an adequate eye to pacing. She's a bit coy about details, and I always hate that, but she only delayed about a quarter of the book before I had most of the backstory figured out. Being a decent writer is not an actual plus when the characters are immature simpletons who were dreadfully failed by the adults in their lives growing up, however.
Beth's father managed to convince her that she is as emotionlessly detached as he wished to be and then larded responsibility and expectations on her until she broke. So she spends her entire time trying to live up to this completely stupid ideal to pay back a mistake she shouldn't have been in a position to make in the first place. Add that she doesn't understand that bad things sometimes happen to good people and I have to wonder what she did in church all those years she claims to have attended. Indeed, her interactions with her sister are mean spirited and laced with jealousy and judgement (on both sides) to such an extent that I have to wonder if that community couldn't get a refund for all they wasted on obviously incompetent spiritual leadership for I dunno how many years. Maybe Beth and her family were abnormally recalcitrant and hard-headed members? That happens, heaven knows. I get the feeling that we're supposed to identify with Beth on what looks like it is supposed to be a spiritual journey, though, and I just couldn't relate to her having that far to go when she has supposedly been part of a faithful community all her life.
Drew is worse, though. Made to feel guilty for something he had zero control over as a kid has blighted his life. And continues to do so as he has made himself into a joyless automaton with an internal litany of self-loathing and blame that became tiresome by the second repetition. It doesn't help that he's hiding his identity from people in a completely stupid way (and for reasons that amount to "the author wants an excuse for an emotional landmine later on in the story"). Also, some of what he recalls from his childhood is behavior that I can't picture actual non-evil adults indulging.
So both main characters have childhood traumas and are stuck trying to achieve basic emotional maturity in the absence of caring adults in their lives. And it just doesn't work. Some of what they're struggling with just isn't that hard. And the stuff that really is hard has been locked in too tight for this story to tackle gracefully at this late stage. I could maybe have become engaged in the story with the starting point as written. But I've made it over halfway and nobody has even started on the emotional/spiritual journey that can end with healthy adults making honest lifelong commitments to each other. So I've wallowed in stupid long enough and I'm bailing out.
I think part of the problem is that Walsh is a decent writer. Her characters are clear, the setting evocative, and the plot holds together with an adequate eye to pacing. She's a bit coy about details, and I always hate that, but she only delayed about a quarter of the book before I had most of the backstory figured out. Being a decent writer is not an actual plus when the characters are immature simpletons who were dreadfully failed by the adults in their lives growing up, however.
Beth's father managed to convince her that she is as emotionlessly detached as he wished to be and then larded responsibility and expectations on her until she broke. So she spends her entire time trying to live up to this completely stupid ideal to pay back a mistake she shouldn't have been in a position to make in the first place. Add that she doesn't understand that bad things sometimes happen to good people and I have to wonder what she did in church all those years she claims to have attended. Indeed, her interactions with her sister are mean spirited and laced with jealousy and judgement (on both sides) to such an extent that I have to wonder if that community couldn't get a refund for all they wasted on obviously incompetent spiritual leadership for I dunno how many years. Maybe Beth and her family were abnormally recalcitrant and hard-headed members? That happens, heaven knows. I get the feeling that we're supposed to identify with Beth on what looks like it is supposed to be a spiritual journey, though, and I just couldn't relate to her having that far to go when she has supposedly been part of a faithful community all her life.
Drew is worse, though. Made to feel guilty for something he had zero control over as a kid has blighted his life. And continues to do so as he has made himself into a joyless automaton with an internal litany of self-loathing and blame that became tiresome by the second repetition. It doesn't help that he's hiding his identity from people in a completely stupid way (and for reasons that amount to "the author wants an excuse for an emotional landmine later on in the story"). Also, some of what he recalls from his childhood is behavior that I can't picture actual non-evil adults indulging.
So both main characters have childhood traumas and are stuck trying to achieve basic emotional maturity in the absence of caring adults in their lives. And it just doesn't work. Some of what they're struggling with just isn't that hard. And the stuff that really is hard has been locked in too tight for this story to tackle gracefully at this late stage. I could maybe have become engaged in the story with the starting point as written. But I've made it over halfway and nobody has even started on the emotional/spiritual journey that can end with healthy adults making honest lifelong commitments to each other. So I've wallowed in stupid long enough and I'm bailing out.
October 10, 2017
Full review on my blog: https://lifefullybooked.com/2017/10/1... Which also contains a bonus recipe for apple cider doughnut bread!
Overall this is a beautifully told tale about life, love, and embracing your true self. This book has it all--romance, mystery, and a meaningful spiritual and personal journey.
Overall this is a beautifully told tale about life, love, and embracing your true self. This book has it all--romance, mystery, and a meaningful spiritual and personal journey.
November 14, 2017
It seems to be common for people, as they are growing up, to wish for what they don't have. Beth dreams of leaving her small town to make it big in the city. And she learns the hard way that plans and dreams don't always work out the way one would hope and expect that they would. She finds herself right back smack dab in the middle of her former life, after a short stint in the city, and just exists. Until her sister, Molly, makes a rash purchase.
Beth and Molly are so different from one another and from what I gathered, they didn't always get along really well because of those differences. Now that they are adults, they are each able to embrace themselves and complement and accept each other in ways they never could have imagined. I love the sibling friendship and camaraderie, as it really felt true to life.
Another element to the book that I loved is Drew. He has a secret and is an enigma for sure. I love how the mystery unraveled, especially since that piece to the story was light and was an invisible force that connected Drew and Beth. It's such a treat to have some depth to their budding attraction.
This is the type of book that really invokes the warm-fuzzy feel goods. The setting is as comforting as a security blanket and the characters are rich, complex, and flawed, with great potential for growth. I was completely drawn into the book and loved it all.
Content: mild romance; mild violence; moderate+ religious elements.
*I received a copy to review, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions.*
Beth and Molly are so different from one another and from what I gathered, they didn't always get along really well because of those differences. Now that they are adults, they are each able to embrace themselves and complement and accept each other in ways they never could have imagined. I love the sibling friendship and camaraderie, as it really felt true to life.
Another element to the book that I loved is Drew. He has a secret and is an enigma for sure. I love how the mystery unraveled, especially since that piece to the story was light and was an invisible force that connected Drew and Beth. It's such a treat to have some depth to their budding attraction.
This is the type of book that really invokes the warm-fuzzy feel goods. The setting is as comforting as a security blanket and the characters are rich, complex, and flawed, with great potential for growth. I was completely drawn into the book and loved it all.
Content: mild romance; mild violence; moderate+ religious elements.
*I received a copy to review, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions.*
November 22, 2017
First, that cover. Is it not adorable? I fell in love with it right away.
And then I started reading … and couldn’t stop. Walsh’s engaging writing voice and beautiful way with words immediately immerses you into the story. Before you know it, you’re mentally stopping off for a pastry at Butler’s where you’ll of course chat with Beth and Callie. You’ll want to wrap your arms through the pages and give Beth a huge hug. You’ll find yourself laughing at Molly’s exuberance – and that rascally sheep! You will probably find yourself craving apple cider in any form – straight, with caramel and whipped cream, baked in a donut, hot, cold, whatever. You may also catch yourself keeping an eye out for Drew’s truck…and yeah, Drew himself.
This is a story that makes you part of the family, part of the orchard cleanup, part of the surprise (and very well-crafted) suspense thread. The scene with Beth and the chapel, the prayer journal – that particularly touched a note in my heart. Such a special & meaningful addition to the story.
But more than anything, I loved the theme of finding yourself & what you were created to do. Birdie’s character not only added a bit of quirk to the story but she also added a heap of homespun – and true – wisdom.
And can we just talk about Drew and Beth’s first kiss? Whew. Goodness. Still fanning.
Bottom Line: Hometown Girl is sweet, romantic, witty, and inspirational. A vivid setting, engaging characters, compelling suspense, and a tender theme of purpose and peace. Courtney Walsh has become one of my new favorite authors, and this latest novel reminds me ‘why’ all over again! I really want to read more from these characters and this community. A must-read, no matter the season!
(I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
And then I started reading … and couldn’t stop. Walsh’s engaging writing voice and beautiful way with words immediately immerses you into the story. Before you know it, you’re mentally stopping off for a pastry at Butler’s where you’ll of course chat with Beth and Callie. You’ll want to wrap your arms through the pages and give Beth a huge hug. You’ll find yourself laughing at Molly’s exuberance – and that rascally sheep! You will probably find yourself craving apple cider in any form – straight, with caramel and whipped cream, baked in a donut, hot, cold, whatever. You may also catch yourself keeping an eye out for Drew’s truck…and yeah, Drew himself.
This is a story that makes you part of the family, part of the orchard cleanup, part of the surprise (and very well-crafted) suspense thread. The scene with Beth and the chapel, the prayer journal – that particularly touched a note in my heart. Such a special & meaningful addition to the story.
But more than anything, I loved the theme of finding yourself & what you were created to do. Birdie’s character not only added a bit of quirk to the story but she also added a heap of homespun – and true – wisdom.
And can we just talk about Drew and Beth’s first kiss? Whew. Goodness. Still fanning.
Bottom Line: Hometown Girl is sweet, romantic, witty, and inspirational. A vivid setting, engaging characters, compelling suspense, and a tender theme of purpose and peace. Courtney Walsh has become one of my new favorite authors, and this latest novel reminds me ‘why’ all over again! I really want to read more from these characters and this community. A must-read, no matter the season!
(I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
October 24, 2017
Oh friends, where on earth am I supposed to begin talking about this delightful little story?! There is so much to love about it and I'm afraid all I'm going to be able to do is gush. Which, I know, isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm sure you'd like to hear more than just "It's amazing, go read it!". But for the official record, it is amazing and you should go read it. :)
Can I just start with how much I loved the quietness of the story? There's no huge emotional bursts that lend themselves to full on angst and drama, which is my favorite way for a story to go. Oh there's certainly emotion, with a little drama/mystery mixed in, but it's not all that one experiences. The biggest emotional bursts that occur feel like precisely what needs to come after certain plot shenanigans. The build up of tension leading to those moments make the emotions of the character natural and perhaps even necessary. Because we human beings, when dealing with hard things that have caused us immense grief and pain, don't usually just simply let go, it's more of a process for us.
Hence what captivated me most about Beth and Drew; the quiet, introverted nature of both of them, yet the real emotion that hovered beneath their surfaces, causing them to draw into themselves. And the way they could each sense that about the other, see it in the little things that most other people overlooked, and, while it took stepping out of their comfort zones in order to do so, sought to find ways to help. They simply couldn't ignore each other, no matter how hard they tried! I think this may be the first story I've read where there is very little actual conversation between the two main characters initially, but goodness the build up of chemistry is high-powered and electric! I was on pins and needles every time one of them approached the other, even if no words were spoken between them!
I especially loved that Drew was this quiet, taciturn type of hero. His inability to express his thoughts would make him seem like not a very romantic sort, but oh let me tell you!! He knows how to make a girl swoon! And poor Beth never even stood a chance. ;) Yet more than just the swooniness of their romance charmed me, it was the way they innately understood each other and how they became such safe places for the other. I absolutely LOVED that all the parts of themselves that they struggled to accept and love were so very easily accepted, loved, and make perfectly imperfect in the other. They complement each other so beautifully! So how could I do anything but love the two of them like crazy in response?
I loved the Whitaker family as a whole as well. Watching the siblings circle each other, yet love each other so fiercely was wonderful! They felt like a real family with all the different quirks and ways they understood each other like no one else could. And those townspeople? So many awesome characters who I could stand to know more about! Seriously, Ms. Walsh. Can you pretty please write more stories based on these characters? I loved them all and want more time with them! :) Overall, this was a glorious immersion into life with Beth and Drew. I closed the final chapter unable to stop thinking about them and all the ways I truly wish they were real. Highly, highly recommend this one, friends!
**I received a complimentary copy from the author via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Can I just start with how much I loved the quietness of the story? There's no huge emotional bursts that lend themselves to full on angst and drama, which is my favorite way for a story to go. Oh there's certainly emotion, with a little drama/mystery mixed in, but it's not all that one experiences. The biggest emotional bursts that occur feel like precisely what needs to come after certain plot shenanigans. The build up of tension leading to those moments make the emotions of the character natural and perhaps even necessary. Because we human beings, when dealing with hard things that have caused us immense grief and pain, don't usually just simply let go, it's more of a process for us.
Hence what captivated me most about Beth and Drew; the quiet, introverted nature of both of them, yet the real emotion that hovered beneath their surfaces, causing them to draw into themselves. And the way they could each sense that about the other, see it in the little things that most other people overlooked, and, while it took stepping out of their comfort zones in order to do so, sought to find ways to help. They simply couldn't ignore each other, no matter how hard they tried! I think this may be the first story I've read where there is very little actual conversation between the two main characters initially, but goodness the build up of chemistry is high-powered and electric! I was on pins and needles every time one of them approached the other, even if no words were spoken between them!
I especially loved that Drew was this quiet, taciturn type of hero. His inability to express his thoughts would make him seem like not a very romantic sort, but oh let me tell you!! He knows how to make a girl swoon! And poor Beth never even stood a chance. ;) Yet more than just the swooniness of their romance charmed me, it was the way they innately understood each other and how they became such safe places for the other. I absolutely LOVED that all the parts of themselves that they struggled to accept and love were so very easily accepted, loved, and make perfectly imperfect in the other. They complement each other so beautifully! So how could I do anything but love the two of them like crazy in response?
I loved the Whitaker family as a whole as well. Watching the siblings circle each other, yet love each other so fiercely was wonderful! They felt like a real family with all the different quirks and ways they understood each other like no one else could. And those townspeople? So many awesome characters who I could stand to know more about! Seriously, Ms. Walsh. Can you pretty please write more stories based on these characters? I loved them all and want more time with them! :) Overall, this was a glorious immersion into life with Beth and Drew. I closed the final chapter unable to stop thinking about them and all the ways I truly wish they were real. Highly, highly recommend this one, friends!
**I received a complimentary copy from the author via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 29, 2017
What's not to love about a book that celebrates life's challenges, love, the support of a small-town community, and finding your purpose. Hometown Girl takes all these themes and wraps them in a charming novel that combines romance with self-discovery, and even adds a dash of mystery.
Beth never expected to be living at home in the small town of Willow Grove so many years after finishing high school. The plan was to leave town and never look back. But sometimes you can't predict heartbreak or making some of the biggest mistakes of your life. So Beth is still working at her family's mower construction company, trying desperately to make up for the errors that cost her family so much. When her sister buys a run-down farm, Beth expects it to go like so many of Molly's other crazy schemes - nowhere, fast. But instead, Beth is drawn into the project, reluctantly at first, but soon it grows on her. But she can't restore the farm to its former glory without the help of newcomer Drew Barlow. Drew is tight-lipped about his reasons for being at Fairwind Farm, but events might just work to bring Drew and Beth together, if first they can both work through their pasts.
A charming rural backdrop, a decades-old mystery about a missing child, a run-down farm in need of some serious love, two broken hearts that need mending - seriously, what's not to love. Courtney Walsh manages to bring all this together in Hometown Girl. I especially liked Beth's journey towards forgiving herself for her mistakes and coming to accept that the 'right' path for her future isn't what everyone tells her it should be, it isn't even what she thinks it should be or should have been. Along with Beth's journey, through alternating chapters we also have Drew's perspective. Drew is hurting after years of confusion, guilt, grief, and the kind of pressure that should never have been placed on a young child. Returning to Fairwind Farm is his attempt at closure, but it also gives him a purpose for the future.
The romance in Hometown Girl is equally sweet and tortured as it takes Drew and Beth a while to begin to trust each other and open up to one another. I loved the way in which Beth learns to show Drew the patience and understanding he needs, to accept him as he is. Drew in return gives Beth the opportunity to discover who she would like to be - outside of expectations.
I also really liked Beth's family. She has two brothers and a sister who each have so much promise and potential for stories of their own (please, Courtney? I'm sure I won't be alone in wanting a whole Whitaker family series.) But if this is to be a standalone, it is hugely enjoyable in its own right, a delightful story.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library.
Beth never expected to be living at home in the small town of Willow Grove so many years after finishing high school. The plan was to leave town and never look back. But sometimes you can't predict heartbreak or making some of the biggest mistakes of your life. So Beth is still working at her family's mower construction company, trying desperately to make up for the errors that cost her family so much. When her sister buys a run-down farm, Beth expects it to go like so many of Molly's other crazy schemes - nowhere, fast. But instead, Beth is drawn into the project, reluctantly at first, but soon it grows on her. But she can't restore the farm to its former glory without the help of newcomer Drew Barlow. Drew is tight-lipped about his reasons for being at Fairwind Farm, but events might just work to bring Drew and Beth together, if first they can both work through their pasts.
A charming rural backdrop, a decades-old mystery about a missing child, a run-down farm in need of some serious love, two broken hearts that need mending - seriously, what's not to love. Courtney Walsh manages to bring all this together in Hometown Girl. I especially liked Beth's journey towards forgiving herself for her mistakes and coming to accept that the 'right' path for her future isn't what everyone tells her it should be, it isn't even what she thinks it should be or should have been. Along with Beth's journey, through alternating chapters we also have Drew's perspective. Drew is hurting after years of confusion, guilt, grief, and the kind of pressure that should never have been placed on a young child. Returning to Fairwind Farm is his attempt at closure, but it also gives him a purpose for the future.
The romance in Hometown Girl is equally sweet and tortured as it takes Drew and Beth a while to begin to trust each other and open up to one another. I loved the way in which Beth learns to show Drew the patience and understanding he needs, to accept him as he is. Drew in return gives Beth the opportunity to discover who she would like to be - outside of expectations.
I also really liked Beth's family. She has two brothers and a sister who each have so much promise and potential for stories of their own (please, Courtney? I'm sure I won't be alone in wanting a whole Whitaker family series.) But if this is to be a standalone, it is hugely enjoyable in its own right, a delightful story.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library.
January 24, 2018
A favorite book!
This is the first book I’ve read by Courtney Walsh. I was drawn to it by the cover and had seen it recommended several times and I can see why. I could relate to Beth’s character. Don’t we all sometimes feel we need to earn our redemption? That we need to work so hard for respect and/or forgiveness? I could feel Drew’s withdrawal from people and wanted to offer him my understanding. This book deserves the 5 stars I rarely give.
This is the first book I’ve read by Courtney Walsh. I was drawn to it by the cover and had seen it recommended several times and I can see why. I could relate to Beth’s character. Don’t we all sometimes feel we need to earn our redemption? That we need to work so hard for respect and/or forgiveness? I could feel Drew’s withdrawal from people and wanted to offer him my understanding. This book deserves the 5 stars I rarely give.
May 19, 2018
I listened to this book on audible and found the story poignant, heart warming and at times heart wrenching. This book had a strong story line rich with romance, mystery and the strong silent type hero. Drew, hero, had experienced an unspeakable tragedy as a young boy and had never recovered from it. This book is as much about his journey to redemption as it is about the romance between him and the heroine, Beth. This is my first Courtney Walsh book and I absolutely adored it! A sweet, clean, inspirational read that I highly recommend!
October 27, 2017
" . . . . if you do what you were made to do, then you'll find the peace you've been looking for. You can't work for it, you know. You just have to rest in it."
Beth Whitaker has worked tirelessly to erase the mistake that may have led her father to an early grave. Her risky miscalculation cost the family company a lawsuit, which mercifully her father did not publicize. When her happy-go-lucky sister Molly, pops onto the scene with the harebrained idea of restoring an old community farm back to its glory days, Beth is insistent that the makeover would be financial suicide and uses every argument possible to dissuade her sister's optimism; to no avail.
Guilt has been an albatross around Drew Barlow's neck since childhood, after he witnessed a little girl's abduction, and subsequent disappearance, while playing an innocent game of hide and seek in an old barn on Fairwind Farm. Convinced that they only way to resolve the past is to return to Willow Grove, he finds that two polar opposite sisters and their brother have invested in the place following the owner's death. When the opportunity arises to manage the restoration project, his lovely boss with the intriguing array of personality traits, challenges Drew's defense mechanisms like no woman he has ever met. . . . . . but how can he possibly deserve happiness when the mystery he came to solve remains painfully out of reach?
"If you're going to be strong, you've got to learn to ask for help." This isn't just a good story, it's a great one!
Beth Whitaker has worked tirelessly to erase the mistake that may have led her father to an early grave. Her risky miscalculation cost the family company a lawsuit, which mercifully her father did not publicize. When her happy-go-lucky sister Molly, pops onto the scene with the harebrained idea of restoring an old community farm back to its glory days, Beth is insistent that the makeover would be financial suicide and uses every argument possible to dissuade her sister's optimism; to no avail.
Guilt has been an albatross around Drew Barlow's neck since childhood, after he witnessed a little girl's abduction, and subsequent disappearance, while playing an innocent game of hide and seek in an old barn on Fairwind Farm. Convinced that they only way to resolve the past is to return to Willow Grove, he finds that two polar opposite sisters and their brother have invested in the place following the owner's death. When the opportunity arises to manage the restoration project, his lovely boss with the intriguing array of personality traits, challenges Drew's defense mechanisms like no woman he has ever met. . . . . . but how can he possibly deserve happiness when the mystery he came to solve remains painfully out of reach?
"If you're going to be strong, you've got to learn to ask for help." This isn't just a good story, it's a great one!
October 11, 2017
Hometown Girl made me crave all things apple--- apple cider donuts, in particular! And coffee with danishes. Oh, and it tells an enchanting story of second chances, romance, and getting comfortable with unexpected dreams with a colorful cast and hints of suspense. And a sheep!!!
I loved seeing the similarities and contrasts between the arcs of Beth and Drew. They were similar in seeking second chances and a belonging or sense of security. Along the way, Beth begins to find the blessing she can be to others by extending her love without conditions or strings. And, Drew starts to see how his past doesn't have to define him, or weight him down any longer.
Drew is a realistically flawed hero. His strength and personality are often masked under a no-nonsense, quiet way, but it's a delight to see how Beth draws him out (and prods him, when needed). And he reciprocates by providing a security that encourages her to admit her self-doubt. He's perfectly chivalrous except for that one time when he admits he doesn't want to be polite..... but let me tell you, that's a very, VERY good thing. *swoon*
While Drew's appearance on the page brings a gravity and thread of suspense to the story, Hometown Girl is very much Beth's journey. Her personality drives the relationships of the story, especially that of her dynamic with her seemingly-opposite sister, Molly, whom she approaches with a need to be the sensible voice of reason in their new business venture. As the story builds, the complexity and heart of Beth shine through as her perspective shows a growth in overcoming her internal struggles.
Most of all, I loved the simple message of Hometown Girl. Being a resident of a cozy small town myself, I could understand Beth's dreams and aspirations --- and how they took an unexpected turn along the way. This book is a reassurance that having dreams and goals is a good thing. Yet, it's OK for those dreams to change along the way and manifest in an unexpected source of happiness.
Thank you to the author for the complimentary review copy. This is my honest review.
I loved seeing the similarities and contrasts between the arcs of Beth and Drew. They were similar in seeking second chances and a belonging or sense of security. Along the way, Beth begins to find the blessing she can be to others by extending her love without conditions or strings. And, Drew starts to see how his past doesn't have to define him, or weight him down any longer.
Drew is a realistically flawed hero. His strength and personality are often masked under a no-nonsense, quiet way, but it's a delight to see how Beth draws him out (and prods him, when needed). And he reciprocates by providing a security that encourages her to admit her self-doubt. He's perfectly chivalrous except for that one time when he admits he doesn't want to be polite..... but let me tell you, that's a very, VERY good thing. *swoon*
While Drew's appearance on the page brings a gravity and thread of suspense to the story, Hometown Girl is very much Beth's journey. Her personality drives the relationships of the story, especially that of her dynamic with her seemingly-opposite sister, Molly, whom she approaches with a need to be the sensible voice of reason in their new business venture. As the story builds, the complexity and heart of Beth shine through as her perspective shows a growth in overcoming her internal struggles.
Most of all, I loved the simple message of Hometown Girl. Being a resident of a cozy small town myself, I could understand Beth's dreams and aspirations --- and how they took an unexpected turn along the way. This book is a reassurance that having dreams and goals is a good thing. Yet, it's OK for those dreams to change along the way and manifest in an unexpected source of happiness.
Thank you to the author for the complimentary review copy. This is my honest review.
October 8, 2017
If you want to read a book with great emotional depth, read this book. Courtney Walsh manages to convey the absolute depth of a character's heart here, so much so that sometimes it's painful to read. And her secondary characters are ones I would love to read more about. There is also a very good mystery involved, one that kept me guessing until revealed. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2017
Wow, once I started this book, I couldn't read it fast enough! There's a lot of insight packed into this contemporary tale with a lot of heart, wrapped around a mystery. Plus, there's a delicate romance between two people who seem to struggle with where they fit in, both trying to overcome what has them stuck in life. Some fun side characters add a bit of color to the small town scene. I especially liked Birdie and her wisdom given freely to Beth and Drew. Her encouragement to reach out and accept God's forgiveness and grace--gifts freely given--and not give into the pressure of other people's expectations, were wonderful nuggets of truth in the story. I could relate to Beth's fear of failure, and her striving to keep everything going. She was a 'Martha' to her sister Molly's 'Mary'.
Recommend to readers who enjoy inspirational contemporary romances. 4.5 stars
(An e-book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)
Recommend to readers who enjoy inspirational contemporary romances. 4.5 stars
(An e-book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)
November 23, 2017
I really enjoyed the audiobook of this title. A sweet small town romance with plenty of mystery and challenges to keep the plot moving. Well narrated, too!
August 14, 2019
4.5
Reading Challenge Categories:
-April Bookish Bingo: Set on a farm
Reading Challenge Categories:
-April Bookish Bingo: Set on a farm
October 24, 2017
I lost count of how many times someone told me I should read a Courtney Walsh book but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. Then I met Courtney at CFRR and after hearing her talk about one of her heroes I immediately bought one of her novels. Sadly review books took precedence and it just mocked me from my shelf. But then the was an opportunity to be an influencer for this book and I jumped at the chance!
And boy was everyone right about this author! I was totally sucked into the story from the very first sentence and it held me in its grasp until the very last! I hated putting this book down and quite often found myself thinking about it whenever I was forced to return to reality.
Beth was a heroine I could relate to in many ways, her desire to play everything safe, trying to do everything perfect, and her fear of failure. For a lot of her life she has let these things paralyze her and keep her from really living. I loved seeing her blossom as she let go and gave things over to God, finding her true self in the process.
As for Drew, I loved everything about his character! What he'd had to experience as a child, and the horrendous way the adults in his life handled it, broke my heart and it turned him into basically a shell of a man. The past held him captive and kept him from having any meaningful relationships in the present. But despite all that he was still an amazing guy! He was definitely the strong and silent type but he was also incredibly kind, fiercely protective, and the hardest worker you will ever find.
Both of their journeys to reconcillation with their pasts were hard and beautiful at the same time. The author wrote every heart-rending emotion in such vivid detail that you were feeling them with the characters.
I also loved Beth siblings, Molly and Ben, and would love to get more of both of their stories as well as the mysterious Seth we never got to meet! And the whole small town settting with the farm and orchard was charming and perfect for this story!
The beauty of this book honestly stole my breath at times, it was brilliantly crafted from start to finish and I absolutely adored it! This was my first Courtney Walsh book and it definitely won't be my last, she has fast-tracked her way onto my favorite authors list!
I received an e-book copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
And boy was everyone right about this author! I was totally sucked into the story from the very first sentence and it held me in its grasp until the very last! I hated putting this book down and quite often found myself thinking about it whenever I was forced to return to reality.
Beth was a heroine I could relate to in many ways, her desire to play everything safe, trying to do everything perfect, and her fear of failure. For a lot of her life she has let these things paralyze her and keep her from really living. I loved seeing her blossom as she let go and gave things over to God, finding her true self in the process.
As for Drew, I loved everything about his character! What he'd had to experience as a child, and the horrendous way the adults in his life handled it, broke my heart and it turned him into basically a shell of a man. The past held him captive and kept him from having any meaningful relationships in the present. But despite all that he was still an amazing guy! He was definitely the strong and silent type but he was also incredibly kind, fiercely protective, and the hardest worker you will ever find.
Both of their journeys to reconcillation with their pasts were hard and beautiful at the same time. The author wrote every heart-rending emotion in such vivid detail that you were feeling them with the characters.
I also loved Beth siblings, Molly and Ben, and would love to get more of both of their stories as well as the mysterious Seth we never got to meet! And the whole small town settting with the farm and orchard was charming and perfect for this story!
The beauty of this book honestly stole my breath at times, it was brilliantly crafted from start to finish and I absolutely adored it! This was my first Courtney Walsh book and it definitely won't be my last, she has fast-tracked her way onto my favorite authors list!
I received an e-book copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 9, 2019
I absolutely adore the cover of this book and that is what initially attracted me to it. The title left me wondering but not truly intrigued. But those boots just got me...too cute!
Hometown Girl is a beautifully written story about family, love, loss, forgiveness (including self), and learning to love oneself in a healthy way.
The MC Elizabeth/Beth is living with a lot of guilt and a secret that she's never told anyone. She's a good girl, an obedient child, but everyone makes mistakes and some with long term consequences, as did Beth.
Molly is Beth's younger sister who is just adorable but oftentimes totally annoys Beth. But Molly has a pretty good idea for a project that she convinces Beth to do which does help Beth get her mind off things, and one day in walks the gorgeous guy, Drew. Oh. My. Gosh. Those feelings surface but she denies her feelings, until Drew works his way into her heart.
Drew is good looking, hard working, and a good guy, but he also has a secret he's never told anyone about and he's practically sure to take it to his grave.
As with all relationships, people have to decide whether or not to divulge their deepest, darkest secrets and see if it changes how another person feels about them.
I loved this book and I recommend it. It is faith based but I don't think it's preachy or overly done.
Hometown Girl is a beautifully written story about family, love, loss, forgiveness (including self), and learning to love oneself in a healthy way.
The MC Elizabeth/Beth is living with a lot of guilt and a secret that she's never told anyone. She's a good girl, an obedient child, but everyone makes mistakes and some with long term consequences, as did Beth.
Molly is Beth's younger sister who is just adorable but oftentimes totally annoys Beth. But Molly has a pretty good idea for a project that she convinces Beth to do which does help Beth get her mind off things, and one day in walks the gorgeous guy, Drew. Oh. My. Gosh. Those feelings surface but she denies her feelings, until Drew works his way into her heart.
Drew is good looking, hard working, and a good guy, but he also has a secret he's never told anyone about and he's practically sure to take it to his grave.
As with all relationships, people have to decide whether or not to divulge their deepest, darkest secrets and see if it changes how another person feels about them.
I loved this book and I recommend it. It is faith based but I don't think it's preachy or overly done.
September 25, 2017
Beth Whitaker has spent years trying to make up for a mistake, an error in judgement that cost her father’s company millions in a lawsuit. For Beth, the three hardest words in the English language are, “I was wrong” and her tireless work for the company her dad founded is an effort to avoid having to say those words to the rest of her family. It’s bad enough that her dad knew before a heart attack took him. Must she further humiliate herself in front of the family that looks up to her?
No one understands why she is still in Willow Grove. She’s NOT a typical hometown girl who never wanted anything more than to stay in her small town living small dreams. She always wanted the big city and the big dreams that went with it. Unfortunately, a lost job opportunity coupled with a cheating boyfriend sent her scurrying back to the safety of the family business. It was supposed to be temporary, so why is she STILL there nine years later? When her flighty sister, Molly, comes to her asking for help in another of her pie-in-the-sky business ideas, Beth turns her down flat. What do they know about running a farm, and of all places, Fairwind Farm? Yes, she has beloved memories of family outings taken there but how can they hope to bring it back to its full glory when neither of them have enough money to renovate the farm the way it should be? Beth can’t take another failure but when Fairwind Farm becomes her only option for redemption, can she adjust her dream to include the town she couldn’t wait to flee?
Drew Barlow has spent 20 years running from his past and his memories of Fairwind Farm. The crime he witnessed as a nine year old visits him nightly in his dreams and he’s never any closer to remembering. When the owner dies, Drew wonders if this could finally be his chance to close the door on the past. Arriving at Fairwind, Drew finds the new owners – optimistic but over their heads. He starts out by helping during a community work day and ends up signing on for a longer stint. Will being in the place he experienced his greatest tragedy help him remember and forgive his younger self?
Beth and Drew have both sealed off their secrets and both are suffering because of it. Can they help each other see that sometimes a mistake is just a mistake and sometimes adults place burdens on the shoulders of children that the children have no business bearing?
For every person who has held a secret too close, for every person who has beaten themselves up for an error in judgement, and for every person who has felt unworthy of respect or love or redemption, Hometown Girl is your story. This story hits readers in the ‘feels’ and ultimately points to a God who is waiting to love unconditionally. Courtney Walsh weaves a mystery into a love story into a story of grace for the hurting and I, for one, loved it. I enjoyed it so much I’m really hoping she’s working on a story for each of Beth’s siblings!
No one understands why she is still in Willow Grove. She’s NOT a typical hometown girl who never wanted anything more than to stay in her small town living small dreams. She always wanted the big city and the big dreams that went with it. Unfortunately, a lost job opportunity coupled with a cheating boyfriend sent her scurrying back to the safety of the family business. It was supposed to be temporary, so why is she STILL there nine years later? When her flighty sister, Molly, comes to her asking for help in another of her pie-in-the-sky business ideas, Beth turns her down flat. What do they know about running a farm, and of all places, Fairwind Farm? Yes, she has beloved memories of family outings taken there but how can they hope to bring it back to its full glory when neither of them have enough money to renovate the farm the way it should be? Beth can’t take another failure but when Fairwind Farm becomes her only option for redemption, can she adjust her dream to include the town she couldn’t wait to flee?
Drew Barlow has spent 20 years running from his past and his memories of Fairwind Farm. The crime he witnessed as a nine year old visits him nightly in his dreams and he’s never any closer to remembering. When the owner dies, Drew wonders if this could finally be his chance to close the door on the past. Arriving at Fairwind, Drew finds the new owners – optimistic but over their heads. He starts out by helping during a community work day and ends up signing on for a longer stint. Will being in the place he experienced his greatest tragedy help him remember and forgive his younger self?
Beth and Drew have both sealed off their secrets and both are suffering because of it. Can they help each other see that sometimes a mistake is just a mistake and sometimes adults place burdens on the shoulders of children that the children have no business bearing?
For every person who has held a secret too close, for every person who has beaten themselves up for an error in judgement, and for every person who has felt unworthy of respect or love or redemption, Hometown Girl is your story. This story hits readers in the ‘feels’ and ultimately points to a God who is waiting to love unconditionally. Courtney Walsh weaves a mystery into a love story into a story of grace for the hurting and I, for one, loved it. I enjoyed it so much I’m really hoping she’s working on a story for each of Beth’s siblings!
March 28, 2019
This book surprised me. For some reason, I thought it was going to be about someone opening a flower shop. It's totally not.
It's about a business woman helping her sister renovate and restore a tourist farm/orchard/market/place with the help of a handsome cowboy-ish guy who has a deep, secret connection with the farm. That involves an unsolved crime.
I love mysteries, so that unsolved-crime aspect sucked me in, and so did all the details about restoring old buildings, setting up raised garden beds, and so on. I love gardening, I love old buildings... it was definitely my kind of book.
Plus, a little sweet romance and a lot of character growth. So much character growth. Overall, I liked it better than Walsh's Paper Hearts, which is interesting because I wasn't expecting to like it as well. Huh.
It's about a business woman helping her sister renovate and restore a tourist farm/orchard/market/place with the help of a handsome cowboy-ish guy who has a deep, secret connection with the farm. That involves an unsolved crime.
I love mysteries, so that unsolved-crime aspect sucked me in, and so did all the details about restoring old buildings, setting up raised garden beds, and so on. I love gardening, I love old buildings... it was definitely my kind of book.
Plus, a little sweet romance and a lot of character growth. So much character growth. Overall, I liked it better than Walsh's Paper Hearts, which is interesting because I wasn't expecting to like it as well. Huh.
September 28, 2017
I'll be honest here. I thought the first part of the book--several chapters--was kind of slow-going. I had a little trouble sticking with it; but this was Courtney Walsh, right? I have loved her other books, so I kept reading, and then I couldn't read it fast enough! Wow, what a story! I didn't figure out whodunit until it was right there! I really loved the two main characters and how they were so flawed and yet allowed themselves to be reworked by their Creator and each other. I really loved this book! More, more, Courtney Walsh!
September 30, 2017
I wish there was an ability to give half stars on Goodreads, because I've agonized about where to place this review. 3 stars doesn't do it justice, and I can't bring myself to go a full four. I will explain my reasons, and none of it has to do with the writing.
Consistent throughout, 'Hometown Girl' is a story that captures such a wide array of emotions, heartaches, loss, tragedy and more. I find no fault in Courtney's writing. I love her style. The way she can pull the reader fully into the story. This is more a case of my personal preferences changing in regards to the kind of plot I'm happy reading. I don't want to provide any spoilers, after all you need to enjoy this book for yourself.
Recently I've found myself turning away from the murder, mystery, suspense even with the inspirational romance aspect I always love. Call me a sensitive soul, but I'm needing less of the disturbing parts of stories, and more joy in my life. I did feel like there's a bit of a misrepresentation in the cover, it's fun and flirty. This is not really a reflection of the main character's personality, or the plot line.
It was cleverly written, the conclusion intriguing. Many will love this book, I have no doubts. The development of the relationship between Beth & Drew was a little different from what I have read before, which I always appreciate. It's hard to find originality.
I'm really hoping that Courtney Walsh is setting us up for a series with the Whitaker family, because I would love to see where Molly & Bishop are destined, will Callie snag the crush of her life and who is the mysterious Seth?! I'm excited for more from this family, I just need my reads to be a little less heavy!
Thank you to Waterfall Press & Netgalley for the complimentary copy. This is my honest review.
Consistent throughout, 'Hometown Girl' is a story that captures such a wide array of emotions, heartaches, loss, tragedy and more. I find no fault in Courtney's writing. I love her style. The way she can pull the reader fully into the story. This is more a case of my personal preferences changing in regards to the kind of plot I'm happy reading. I don't want to provide any spoilers, after all you need to enjoy this book for yourself.
Recently I've found myself turning away from the murder, mystery, suspense even with the inspirational romance aspect I always love. Call me a sensitive soul, but I'm needing less of the disturbing parts of stories, and more joy in my life. I did feel like there's a bit of a misrepresentation in the cover, it's fun and flirty. This is not really a reflection of the main character's personality, or the plot line.
It was cleverly written, the conclusion intriguing. Many will love this book, I have no doubts. The development of the relationship between Beth & Drew was a little different from what I have read before, which I always appreciate. It's hard to find originality.
I'm really hoping that Courtney Walsh is setting us up for a series with the Whitaker family, because I would love to see where Molly & Bishop are destined, will Callie snag the crush of her life and who is the mysterious Seth?! I'm excited for more from this family, I just need my reads to be a little less heavy!
Thank you to Waterfall Press & Netgalley for the complimentary copy. This is my honest review.
August 24, 2019
I really enjoyed this story. The characters, the setting, the romance. All of it left me with a warm glow and happy sigh.
October 5, 2017
Hometown Girl (2017) is a novel newly released by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Courtney Walsh. This must-read novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 382 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very energetic and busy five-year old, this story took me three days to read. I give this novel 5 STARS. This story is a Contemporary Christian Romance.
This is another fabulous and flawless novel by Courtney Walsh. I absolutely love this story, and I relate to the main character, Beth, SO much. This is a redemption story, a story about taking second chances and learning to lean on God. A lesson I am personally grateful for every day.
Beth Whitaker is a very serious young woman. Having fun is a foreign concept to her because there is always more work that needs to be perfectly completed. She is the type of woman who does not ever show weakness, admit mistakes, or ask for help. Gracious me, it was like looking into a mirror as I was reading this story. I know what it is like to get it into your head that making mistakes equates to total failure. I have no idea where it came from, perhaps because I am the oldest child in my family, but I used to have this crazy notion in my head that if I made a mistake I would be unlovable. I believed that those I loved would be so disappointed in me because of the mistake they would totally give up on me. This is crazy thinking, but for most of my teen to young adult years this message played on loop in my brain. I was so uptight and defensive, and had three ulcers before I was 25. Beth is like this at the start of the book. Over the course of the novel, she finally realizes that holding on to fear and doubt and insecurity, and hiding the truth about mistakes made in the past, lead to a very cold and lonely life. Beth learns that true peace comes when we turn all of our baggage over to God. When Beth realizes this — it’s a very beautiful moment in an old church — I cried my eyeballs dry. It was such a cathartic moment for me that I had to go back and reread the entire chapter again!
And then, there is Drew! Oh my is he the perfect hero. Drew was a victim of a horrible crime when he was a ten-year old boy. Adults did not deal with the situation very well, and because of this he completely turned into himself and became a shadow of a man. But, he is SO sweet and hard working and good. He’s so well written that the reader can feel the pain and sadness and frustration that radiates from him. I will not explain any of the plot because I really think this book needs to be experienced with ZERO hints from this review, but the relationship that develops between Drew and Beth is lovely. Both struggle with so much, but they both reach the place where they don’t want to anymore. After so long being one way, how do you change into something new? The answer is through hard work, communicating and opening up a bit, and trusting God’s path. And, in this novel, after Beth and Drew figure this out, happily ever after is actually possible.
Drew and Beth’s journey to redemption is a wonderful, realistic, sometimes really painful journey. Ms. Walsh did an impeccable job creating truly authentic characters whom I related to so much. I am truly sorry this story has come to its end. I want more!!! I cannot recommend this novel enough. Purchase this book today — you will not be disappointed. And, maybe buy a box of tissue while you’re at is because there are some heart wrenching, tearful moments.
This is another fabulous and flawless novel by Courtney Walsh. I absolutely love this story, and I relate to the main character, Beth, SO much. This is a redemption story, a story about taking second chances and learning to lean on God. A lesson I am personally grateful for every day.
Beth Whitaker is a very serious young woman. Having fun is a foreign concept to her because there is always more work that needs to be perfectly completed. She is the type of woman who does not ever show weakness, admit mistakes, or ask for help. Gracious me, it was like looking into a mirror as I was reading this story. I know what it is like to get it into your head that making mistakes equates to total failure. I have no idea where it came from, perhaps because I am the oldest child in my family, but I used to have this crazy notion in my head that if I made a mistake I would be unlovable. I believed that those I loved would be so disappointed in me because of the mistake they would totally give up on me. This is crazy thinking, but for most of my teen to young adult years this message played on loop in my brain. I was so uptight and defensive, and had three ulcers before I was 25. Beth is like this at the start of the book. Over the course of the novel, she finally realizes that holding on to fear and doubt and insecurity, and hiding the truth about mistakes made in the past, lead to a very cold and lonely life. Beth learns that true peace comes when we turn all of our baggage over to God. When Beth realizes this — it’s a very beautiful moment in an old church — I cried my eyeballs dry. It was such a cathartic moment for me that I had to go back and reread the entire chapter again!
And then, there is Drew! Oh my is he the perfect hero. Drew was a victim of a horrible crime when he was a ten-year old boy. Adults did not deal with the situation very well, and because of this he completely turned into himself and became a shadow of a man. But, he is SO sweet and hard working and good. He’s so well written that the reader can feel the pain and sadness and frustration that radiates from him. I will not explain any of the plot because I really think this book needs to be experienced with ZERO hints from this review, but the relationship that develops between Drew and Beth is lovely. Both struggle with so much, but they both reach the place where they don’t want to anymore. After so long being one way, how do you change into something new? The answer is through hard work, communicating and opening up a bit, and trusting God’s path. And, in this novel, after Beth and Drew figure this out, happily ever after is actually possible.
Drew and Beth’s journey to redemption is a wonderful, realistic, sometimes really painful journey. Ms. Walsh did an impeccable job creating truly authentic characters whom I related to so much. I am truly sorry this story has come to its end. I want more!!! I cannot recommend this novel enough. Purchase this book today — you will not be disappointed. And, maybe buy a box of tissue while you’re at is because there are some heart wrenching, tearful moments.
June 25, 2018
"I'm saying if you do what you were made to do, then you'll find the peace you've been looking for. You can't work for it, you know. You just have to rest in it." (p 279)
A tumultuous quest for peace is at the heart of Hometown Girl and this quote really settled into my heart. Love that last line -- "You just have to rest in it." And isn't that hard? It shouldn't be, but it is. Especially for this hero and heroine.
Beth is...well, complicated. And, honestly, I didn't connect with her at first. In fact, I found her downright annoying. I was much more of a Molly fan (her effervescent younger sister.) I was ear-to-ear grinning whenever Molly showed up in a scene and I'm hoping we get her story someday! (Though I don't see any indication that Hometown Girl is part of a series. A reader can hope, can't she?)
But I digress -- back to Beth, who isn't nearly as fun as Molly but we all can't be pie-in-the-sky kind of people, can we? Some of us need to be pragmatic and hardworking and dependable. Not bad qualities to have but boring without a whimsical balance of...something! And Beth is steeped in dour when we first meet. She is such a tightly-wound worrier that my stomach was in knots whenever Walsh took us into her point of view.
But that's the beauty of this story...it's the magic that happens as, in spite of herself, Beth begins to loosen up. When she does, she's finally able to 'let go and let God' and it's such an ecstatically freeing feeling that I was floating in giddy spirals right along with her! Powerful lessons here and so true to life!
And then there's Drew. I fell for him in a nanosecond -- maybe even faster. Cowboy with a tortured soul and an affinity for animals. Need I say more? He's stuck in the past, unable to get over a traumatic event from his childhood.
So we have two rather lost souls who might still be floundering without the lively and loving input of Willow Grove's citizens. Friends, family, animals -- even a dilapidated old farm -- conspire to ease a way to the kind of happily-ever-after that I adore. I particularly love Birdie -- a sage, quirky eccentric who isn't afraid to speak the truth. We all need a Birdie in our lives to keep us humble. :-)
An emotional romance (that's sure to kick your air-conditioner into overdrive in a few places!) paired with a decades old mystery and the zany warmth that is small-town living make Hometown Girl one for the Keeper Shelf!
PS Cutest cover ever! And I want those boots!!!
A tumultuous quest for peace is at the heart of Hometown Girl and this quote really settled into my heart. Love that last line -- "You just have to rest in it." And isn't that hard? It shouldn't be, but it is. Especially for this hero and heroine.
Beth is...well, complicated. And, honestly, I didn't connect with her at first. In fact, I found her downright annoying. I was much more of a Molly fan (her effervescent younger sister.) I was ear-to-ear grinning whenever Molly showed up in a scene and I'm hoping we get her story someday! (Though I don't see any indication that Hometown Girl is part of a series. A reader can hope, can't she?)
But I digress -- back to Beth, who isn't nearly as fun as Molly but we all can't be pie-in-the-sky kind of people, can we? Some of us need to be pragmatic and hardworking and dependable. Not bad qualities to have but boring without a whimsical balance of...something! And Beth is steeped in dour when we first meet. She is such a tightly-wound worrier that my stomach was in knots whenever Walsh took us into her point of view.
But that's the beauty of this story...it's the magic that happens as, in spite of herself, Beth begins to loosen up. When she does, she's finally able to 'let go and let God' and it's such an ecstatically freeing feeling that I was floating in giddy spirals right along with her! Powerful lessons here and so true to life!
And then there's Drew. I fell for him in a nanosecond -- maybe even faster. Cowboy with a tortured soul and an affinity for animals. Need I say more? He's stuck in the past, unable to get over a traumatic event from his childhood.
So we have two rather lost souls who might still be floundering without the lively and loving input of Willow Grove's citizens. Friends, family, animals -- even a dilapidated old farm -- conspire to ease a way to the kind of happily-ever-after that I adore. I particularly love Birdie -- a sage, quirky eccentric who isn't afraid to speak the truth. We all need a Birdie in our lives to keep us humble. :-)
An emotional romance (that's sure to kick your air-conditioner into overdrive in a few places!) paired with a decades old mystery and the zany warmth that is small-town living make Hometown Girl one for the Keeper Shelf!
PS Cutest cover ever! And I want those boots!!!
February 8, 2021
I’ll be honest. I started this book with the audible version and I just wasn’t feeling it. But something told me to keep trying, so I switched to reading the kindle version and gosh...I’m so glad I did!
This book...the farm...these people. I am finding it hard to believe that they don’t actually exist because that’s just how well it was written. The love and loss in these pages was palpable and I become completely invested in wanting Beth and Drew to find peace alongside each other.
Beth. Time to be honest again, I didn’t much care for her for probably the first half of the book. She was full of self pity and chasing dreams and ideas that just weren’t right for her. And why? Because people told her they were. But then.. then I started to see myself in her. A woman whose circumstances led her to a place where she’d never thought she’d find herself in a million years. A woman who had the hardest time accepting that she couldn’t continue to carry all her mistakes and regrets alone anymore. Then I loved her. Aren’t we little like that? We try to take the world on by ourselves for whatever lie we let ourself believe? Afraid to let the world see us for who we really are? But the truth is, we don’t have to do it alone and we don’t have to carry it by ourselves. We just have to ask for help and hand it over to the very One who meets us right where we are.
This book...the farm...these people. I am finding it hard to believe that they don’t actually exist because that’s just how well it was written. The love and loss in these pages was palpable and I become completely invested in wanting Beth and Drew to find peace alongside each other.
Beth. Time to be honest again, I didn’t much care for her for probably the first half of the book. She was full of self pity and chasing dreams and ideas that just weren’t right for her. And why? Because people told her they were. But then.. then I started to see myself in her. A woman whose circumstances led her to a place where she’d never thought she’d find herself in a million years. A woman who had the hardest time accepting that she couldn’t continue to carry all her mistakes and regrets alone anymore. Then I loved her. Aren’t we little like that? We try to take the world on by ourselves for whatever lie we let ourself believe? Afraid to let the world see us for who we really are? But the truth is, we don’t have to do it alone and we don’t have to carry it by ourselves. We just have to ask for help and hand it over to the very One who meets us right where we are.
July 17, 2019
First of all, is that not the most adorable cover ever?!?! I loved this cover from the first time I ever saw it-definitely one of my all-time favorite covers!! This story packs a punch, let me tell you. The mystery contained with in the pages of this book is heartbreaking and tragic, and to see the pain it put Drew through made me so sad. I was happy to see the mystery resolved and Drew finally find healing and happiness. I really just want to give Drew the biggest hug ever! All in all, I really enjoyed this story. I have read several of Courtney's contemporary fiction books and she has solidly earned a place among my favorite authors. This book and the rest of Courtney's, I highly recommend if you like great contemporary Christian Fiction.
February 11, 2018
A truly delightful story set in a small town.
Beth and Drew have their own problems to overcome. I like how their relationship progresses as they learn to trust each other.
The mystery kept me intrigued.
Highly recommend.
Beth and Drew have their own problems to overcome. I like how their relationship progresses as they learn to trust each other.
The mystery kept me intrigued.
Highly recommend.
February 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and the narrator was top notch.
September 27, 2020
This bored the crap out of me
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