The Promise of Spring

Seasons of Change #2

by Linda Hanna, Deborah Dulworth

Will they walk away from love or learn to trust?

Millie Drake’s mind drifts between hard-knock reality and starry-eyed fantasy as she tries to keep her six-month romance with Lou Blythe from her dysfunctional mother. Her mother, Penny, expects more for Millie than a shy, knuckle-cracking, computer geek with a mangy, germ-carrying dog. When the couple’s secret comes out, Penny works overtime to sabotage their odious relationship.

Along with his computer business, Lou sings with The Warble-Heirs quartet, with a voice so deep it melts the polish off your toenails. The quartet is offered a six-week contract to sing on a cruise ship. That’s when a scheming Penny rolls up her matchmaking sleeves to snag a new love interest for Millie. KAPP’s hunky news anchor is in her cross hairs.

Meanwhile, on the cruise ship, Lou has battles of his own as he wrestles with wind, waves, and women.

Will Penny finally get her comeuppance? Can Millie and Lou find their way back to each other?

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2017

Reviews

[Edward Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever read a book and wonder why certain characters acted as they did? Or maybe you questioned how someone could be so dense? Have you sat there reading and simply wanted to tell the leading lady that she was playing with fire? Are there times when a character is introduced to the story and gently comes in like a breath of fresh air, like the soothing breezes of spring? I think I experienced all of that in this book and more. What made Penny Drake act as she did? Why did she seem to want to make everyone around her miserable? Why didn’t Lou even once consider trying to call Millie at the church office or the florist, rather than continuing to call the home number? Why did Millie continue going out with the TV anchorman when she disliked the places he was taking her and did not really care for his company? The thing that is so sad is that people in real life do the exact same type of things every day. Even sadder is the fact they don’t have storybook endings. I enjoyed the humor woven into the book. Above that I appreciated the Good News that was shared. If I say any more, I would be giving away too much of the story. You should read the book to appreciate the promise of spring. By the time you finish, I think you will like Gabby Blythe as much as I did. When I first saw her name, I pictured someone who was constantly prattling on about one thing or another. But she had a true gift of gab that gives a new meaning to the word. She knew how to make her words count. I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher. This is my honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

[Linda Wimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional rollercoster where issues are resolved

I have enjoyed reading the first two books in the series. The first book was free but without reservation I bought the 2nd and will buy the 3rd. The characters are well developed and the life issues are realistic. I suggest reading them with a box of tissues nearby. The endings were probably my least favorite part of both books. The problems were resolved a little too nicely and quickly. Having read many, many books over the years, I know this is the hardest part of telling a fictional story. The need to resove the conflicts and put a happy spin on the story is a trap many authors fall into. Life doesn't always end so nicely. Sometimes there is pain and unresolved issues. I guess authors are afraid if they end a book without a "happily ever after" they will loose readership but in these cases the authors have delved into deep emotional storylines and have spent 90%of the book giving you the conflicts and 10% of the book making everything come out OK. This is nice for fairytale endings but not for realistic life problems. Lets face it sometimes life hurts all the way to the end.

[Carla Guthrie O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Deb and Linda are such wonderful writers. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
The characters they create, the storyline, the redemption, the details....just awesome. When I picked up the book I could barely put it down. Love, love, love it!

[David]

No review on this one. I narrated and produced the audiobook.

[Michele]

Includes blatant decision theology. Otherwise, a sweet tale.

[Robert A. Sugg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another story filled with interesting twists

Abuse comes from satan, but praise God, He can and does overcome. Well worth reading. So grab your copy now.

[Melissa]

This is book 2 in the Seasons of Change Series. It truly does bring about The Promise of Spring. I think everyone has that one relative that makes us go Hmm.... We cannot understand why they act as they do. Penelope Drake is that character in this story. She appears to want to make the people around her feel miserable and sorry for her. Penny's character will have you laughing and crying. I fell in love with many of these characters in the first book. Yes, even Ms. Penny. We also see how some characters are finally able to come into their real selves. This book makes one really ponder about the future.

When long suffering Millie finally introduces her secret love to her parents, disaster strikes in the form of four legs and a tail. This leaves Lou and Millie in love limbo. Lou and his Christian quartet are offered a job on a six week cruise. With things still up in the air, Lou must leave. This gives Millie's mom Penny time to find her daughter a more suitable suitor and not the Neanderthal that she has. Will Millie stand up for herself? Will she continue to allow Penny to run/ruin her life? Meanwhile, Lou must decide if pursuing Millie is really his future. Can he overcome his feelings of despair after he witnessed the big fight? Hopefully spring will bring a breathe of fresh air.