Steady and Slow

Tales from Grace Chapel Inn #45

by Anne Marie Rodgers

This story always makes me smile. The sisters find and rescue a sulcata tortoise, a desert species that definitely does not belong in southern Pennsylvania! At the wildlife center where I volunteer, we have had several of these guests for months at a time until we are able to place them at a tortoise sanctuary. People think they make wonderful pets...until they grow to be upwards of 45 lbs!

Genres: Christian, Christian Fiction, Adult

234 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[L-V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series from Guideposts. My mom buys them and then I borrow them. There is always a good message.

[Debbie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Tales from Grace Chapel Inn book. I am so sorry to be coming to the end of this series and have been putting off finishing the last of the books from this series... but I am going to do it, soon. Only 4 books left of the series.

"'You have your own strengths,' Jane argued. 'Look how great you are at Scrabble. I bet all word games are a breeze for you.'
'Not if I'm playing with my brothers,' Eva said. 'They're all much smarter than I am.' She cleared her throat. 'I'm sorry for being such a wet blanket. I may not join in your competition today, but I'll enjoy watching. I can cheer for you.'
'They have a doubles competition,' Jane blurted out. 'We could sign up as a team.' All the unkind thoughts she had been having about Eva crowded her mind, and she actually felt the sting of tears. How petty she had been!'" pg 183

"'Eva and I are going to enter the team competition as partners.'
'Oh!' Alice clapped her hands. She was holding a dish towel in one of them, and it made a funny, muffled noise. 'That's a wonderful idea. I'm proud of you, Jane.'
'Proud of me?'
'Yes. And Father would be too. Resisting the temptation to 'get even' is difficult.'
Jane felt her face heating with embarrassment. 'I don't deserve any credit. I'm ashamed to say that I was struggling with letting go of that Scrabble incident-fairly unsuccessfully-until Eva shared a story with me this morning that put her behavior in context.'
Alice smiled. 'You have a good heart, Jane. You would have conquered your desire to get even. I am sure of it.'" pg 185

This problem with Eva and Jane was just one of the things the sister's had to overcome in this 45th instalment of Tales from Grace Chapel Inn. It was a good and relaxing read as usual and just made me wish, again, that I lived in Acorn Hill.

[A.K. Frailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story—clean and calm. I need that! Love and friendships apparently don't have to be tumultuous roller coasters that leave me gasping for breath. A nice thought for the new year. Stories not only warn about what might be going wrong in society, but they also encourage what is right in the world.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this author made the sisters seem a little snarkier than other authors have? They almost came across more real because of it. Some of the other books really kind of portray them as the whole "perfect Christian" type. That aside, the storylines were cute and I loved going back to Acorn Hill.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. The sisters take in a lost sulcata tortoise, while searching for her person. Jane searches for a way to get even with Eva after losing to her in scrabble. However, instead she finds she has more in common with her. Louise searches for what truly happened in Acorn Hill during the Civil War.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting story in this series. I will miss the sisters and everyone else the series ends. I was alittle annoyed throughout the book because Alice didn't call Mark about the tortoise. Why? I just kept thinking that thought on every page.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read. Love the message?.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series based in a small town in Pennsylvania about three sisters who turn their old Victorian home into a B&B after the death of their father. All the books are uplifting and without offensive elements such as sex and profanity.

This particular book was nice but not one of my favorites. All three sisters have their own story line in this book. For Louise, she is attempting to prove/disprove a rumor about a Civil War battle that took place in their area. For Alice, she finds a large tortoise in their yard and is trying to find its owners before the Health Dept makes a visit to their B&B. For Jane, she is struggling with feelings of hurt and pride after an inn guest more than bests her in a game of Scrabble.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that this author did not keep the characters of the 3 sisters true to their portrayals in the other books that I've read in this series. I particularly wasn't fond of her portrayal of Jane. The story line is interesting and somewhat amusing. However, I think the author should have spent less time on facts (both scientific and historical) and more time on character development. I guess this is one of the pitfalls of a series written by multiple authors. But it kind of made me wonder if Ms. Rodgers had read any of the previous books.

[Crablady79 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very predictable story but a fun read anyway. There were three major conflicts and they were all solved at the end of the story. I enjoyed the idea of 3 sisters running a bed and breakfast in a small town, put me in mind of our own Ferndale. The sister who cooked reminded me of my own daughter.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible, not great. Just a nice story about 3 sisters who run a bed and breakfast inn. There's a turtle, a Civil War story and a competitive guest involved. And of course, it all gets wrapped up in a bow at the end.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was #3 in the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn Series..........Goodreads has it listed as #45! Just a fun cute book. Easy to read. Turn you worries to God.

[Linda Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book about Grace Chapel Inn is slow and not as good as some of the others. I dwells on a lost turtle and like the turtle it moves very slowly.
I would not recommend this one.

[Theresa Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very, very good

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysterious and humorous!