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A Mother's Homecoming
The children she never thought she’d know…
She’d put the past behind her…
But her secret has just returned.
Charmed by the two-year-old twins in her toddler tumbling class, Maggie Arledge is shocked to learn they’re the children she gave up for adoption. And when Bridger Hollingsworth—the uncle caring for the boys—needs an emergency nanny, she fits the bill. But with sparks flying between her and Bridger, can she let herself get attached…and risk exposing secrets from her past?
She’d put the past behind her…
But her secret has just returned.
Charmed by the two-year-old twins in her toddler tumbling class, Maggie Arledge is shocked to learn they’re the children she gave up for adoption. And when Bridger Hollingsworth—the uncle caring for the boys—needs an emergency nanny, she fits the bill. But with sparks flying between her and Bridger, can she let herself get attached…and risk exposing secrets from her past?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published May 19, 2020
About the author
Lisa Carter
50 books251 followersWriter. Book Lover. Avid Gardener. World Traveler.
Lisa Carter is the Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty books. She writes the contemporary Truelove Matchmaker romance series with Love Inspired. She also writes romantic suspense—best described as “Sweet Tea with a Slice of Murder.” When not hard at work on her next fictional adventure, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. A native North Carolinian, she has strong opinions on barbecue and ACC basketball. www.lisacarterauthor.com
Follow Lisa on BookBub for the latest book news at https://bit.ly/3G2iWGv.
Join her newsletter mailing list for book happenings at https://rb.gy/2ilkh7.
Lisa Carter is the Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty books. She writes the contemporary Truelove Matchmaker romance series with Love Inspired. She also writes romantic suspense—best described as “Sweet Tea with a Slice of Murder.” When not hard at work on her next fictional adventure, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. A native North Carolinian, she has strong opinions on barbecue and ACC basketball. www.lisacarterauthor.com
Follow Lisa on BookBub for the latest book news at https://bit.ly/3G2iWGv.
Join her newsletter mailing list for book happenings at https://rb.gy/2ilkh7.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 18, 2020
Once again we found ourselves in Truelove, NC with the double name club playing matchmakers once again! This time it's GraceAnne's niece Maggie Arledge and her father's replacement Police Chief Briger Hollingsworth. Bridger is the uncle of Austin and Logan's late brother's twin boys. Maggie soon discovers she is the biological mother of the twins which she gave up for adoption almost 2 years ago. Circumstances bring her back into her boys lives. Can she keep the secret she is their mom despite falling in love with the boys again and their legal guardian?
A Mother's Homecoming has complex characters that deal with a range of emotions. Both characters rely on God to help get them past their issues. At the heart it's like a love letter from God telling you that no matter what He sees you and He loves you! You'll fall in love with the secondary characters as well. Once you visit Truelove, I think you'll find yourself longing to stay there in this cute mountain town.
A Mother's Homecoming has complex characters that deal with a range of emotions. Both characters rely on God to help get them past their issues. At the heart it's like a love letter from God telling you that no matter what He sees you and He loves you! You'll fall in love with the secondary characters as well. Once you visit Truelove, I think you'll find yourself longing to stay there in this cute mountain town.
June 5, 2020
Wooheee -- there's tons of sizzle and pop in this toe-curling romance. My fingers are slightly scorched from page-turning my way through these charged pages. I'm a huge fan of this kind of romance -- where there's a swift connection between the hero and heroine despite their attempts to ignore the attraction. And I wasn't the only one noticing the sparks flying. No sirree, the officially unofficial Truelove matchmakers noticed too and they are back to their exasperating antics. :-)
While not marked as a series, this isn't the first Truelove ( town slogan - "Where true love awaits") novel by Lisa Carter. By my calculations there are three novels before this one, but they can all be read as standalones. Although, since this is a small town, we get to meet up with previous heroes and heroines in A Mother's Homecoming which was lots of fun.
Carter messed with my emotions big time. She knows how to immerse a reader in the complex lives of her characters. I felt a little wrung out by the end, in an exhausted but blissfully happy kind of way. And there's a sweet inspirational message about learning to trust -- both in God and each other -- which brought depth to Maggie and Bridger's story. All in all, another stunning read from one of my favourite authors.
While not marked as a series, this isn't the first Truelove ( town slogan - "Where true love awaits") novel by Lisa Carter. By my calculations there are three novels before this one, but they can all be read as standalones. Although, since this is a small town, we get to meet up with previous heroes and heroines in A Mother's Homecoming which was lots of fun.
Carter messed with my emotions big time. She knows how to immerse a reader in the complex lives of her characters. I felt a little wrung out by the end, in an exhausted but blissfully happy kind of way. And there's a sweet inspirational message about learning to trust -- both in God and each other -- which brought depth to Maggie and Bridger's story. All in all, another stunning read from one of my favourite authors.
March 15, 2024
Leaning on God!
Oh my! Such a heart wrenching story. It’s a story of how God takes the bad things in our lives and turns them around to make good from them. That’s the lessons that Maggie learns. When she leaned on herself instead of God, things can get out of hand. I read the story in a personal way, because I can relate. I hope there are others that will find the same mercy and grace.
Oh my! Such a heart wrenching story. It’s a story of how God takes the bad things in our lives and turns them around to make good from them. That’s the lessons that Maggie learns. When she leaned on herself instead of God, things can get out of hand. I read the story in a personal way, because I can relate. I hope there are others that will find the same mercy and grace.
May 16, 2026
I found myself tearing up a few times. I’m glad I picked this for my next read. Nice inspirational romance!
May 7, 2020
When one of my most favorite authors has a new book I grab it! And this one is a win-win read because not only is it by a favorite author, Lisa Carter, but it's also a Love Inspired book.
I enjoy inspirational romances, especially when I want a short story and reading away the stresses of the day are made better by reading a wonderful story. And this book fits that description.
I love Maggie. She made some hard choices and she feels badly for having to make them but God in His mercy allows her a second chance.
When Maggie has unexpected life changes, some by her choice some not, she continues on and more than anything her life speaks of perseverance and forgiveness.
Ms. Carter has a way with words that makes a story flow from the page to the imagination of the reader's mind. Those words also take the reader into the mind of the hero/heroine and their story becomes your "reality" for an hour or two. And that's what makes reading a Love Inspired novel a true pleasure.
Be sure to grab this book for your summer reading.
I enjoy inspirational romances, especially when I want a short story and reading away the stresses of the day are made better by reading a wonderful story. And this book fits that description.
I love Maggie. She made some hard choices and she feels badly for having to make them but God in His mercy allows her a second chance.
When Maggie has unexpected life changes, some by her choice some not, she continues on and more than anything her life speaks of perseverance and forgiveness.
Ms. Carter has a way with words that makes a story flow from the page to the imagination of the reader's mind. Those words also take the reader into the mind of the hero/heroine and their story becomes your "reality" for an hour or two. And that's what makes reading a Love Inspired novel a true pleasure.
Be sure to grab this book for your summer reading.
June 5, 2026
I'm reading thru a series. Probably out of order, but whatever. It doesn't really matter.
What matters is that - while the characters are great in this series, the stories are so badly written that I can't get over it and enjoy the characters the way I want to. That's the real problem, here. And it's all on the author. She just can't get a plot-line together. Which is a shame.
I actually want to try my hand at 'fixing' this storyline - writing something similar, but doing it *right*. Might just have to, at that.
So Maggie went away from TrueLove to go to college, and while there she was violated (let's just keep it simple) and got pregnant. But she didn't want her family to know, so she simply didn't go home for the duration of her education period. But she has this loving father who's sooooo close to her. Um, he wouldn't go even ONE year without seeing his baby girl, hello.
Anyhow, she 'picked' a couple to adopt her TWIN babies out to (because yup... she had TWINS), because she just couldn't keep them, having had them out of a rape, r'something. Because *BAD STORY* for the kiddies to have. ?!?!??!?!
Except the couple are killed in a freak accident, and the twins go to the man's brother - an unmarried police chief just taking a new job in ... wait for it... TrueLove!! How CONVENIENT !!
But it gets better than that. Maggie avoids the opposite sex, because of leery issues having to do with the rape (or so Carter tells us) - except Maggie is AMAZINGLY well adjusted, and has NO problems with the really big, really single, really handsome police chief (or any OTHER guys in town), so that whole thing comes off as ridiculously contrived.
More, she couldn't POSSIBLY be a mother, but she returned home and immediately started working with toddlers, doing nursery, etc. WHAT. THE. HECK?!?!
What *REALLY* bothered me, though, was that her twins were 'not quite two years old', but they have a grasp on adult concepts, are TALKING in complete sentences, and acting like they're THREE, not eleven months old. It's walk at one, talk at two, remember? I mean, I had FIVE babies. None of them functioned at the level Carter has these twins at whilst eleven months old, hello. She has them doing OBSTACLE COURSES, for the love of Mike!!!!
BAD, BAD, BAD writing!!!! GAHHHH!!!!
Like I said. I like the story concept, but Carter botched it up, top to bottom. It could be done, and done REALLY well. But man... (((shakes head)))
What matters is that - while the characters are great in this series, the stories are so badly written that I can't get over it and enjoy the characters the way I want to. That's the real problem, here. And it's all on the author. She just can't get a plot-line together. Which is a shame.
I actually want to try my hand at 'fixing' this storyline - writing something similar, but doing it *right*. Might just have to, at that.
So Maggie went away from TrueLove to go to college, and while there she was violated (let's just keep it simple) and got pregnant. But she didn't want her family to know, so she simply didn't go home for the duration of her education period. But she has this loving father who's sooooo close to her. Um, he wouldn't go even ONE year without seeing his baby girl, hello.
Anyhow, she 'picked' a couple to adopt her TWIN babies out to (because yup... she had TWINS), because she just couldn't keep them, having had them out of a rape, r'something. Because *BAD STORY* for the kiddies to have. ?!?!??!?!
Except the couple are killed in a freak accident, and the twins go to the man's brother - an unmarried police chief just taking a new job in ... wait for it... TrueLove!! How CONVENIENT !!
But it gets better than that. Maggie avoids the opposite sex, because of leery issues having to do with the rape (or so Carter tells us) - except Maggie is AMAZINGLY well adjusted, and has NO problems with the really big, really single, really handsome police chief (or any OTHER guys in town), so that whole thing comes off as ridiculously contrived.
More, she couldn't POSSIBLY be a mother, but she returned home and immediately started working with toddlers, doing nursery, etc. WHAT. THE. HECK?!?!
What *REALLY* bothered me, though, was that her twins were 'not quite two years old', but they have a grasp on adult concepts, are TALKING in complete sentences, and acting like they're THREE, not eleven months old. It's walk at one, talk at two, remember? I mean, I had FIVE babies. None of them functioned at the level Carter has these twins at whilst eleven months old, hello. She has them doing OBSTACLE COURSES, for the love of Mike!!!!
BAD, BAD, BAD writing!!!! GAHHHH!!!!
Like I said. I like the story concept, but Carter botched it up, top to bottom. It could be done, and done REALLY well. But man... (((shakes head)))
May 19, 2020
We’re back in North Carolina with Book 4 of Lisa Carter’s Blue Ridge Mountain Series.
Police Chief Bridger Hollingsworth is the guardian/uncle of toddler twin boys (their parents passed), and finds himself in need of a nanny.
Maggie has been away for awhile, and is now back in town. She makes a connection with the twins in their tumbling class, and Bridger hires her.
No one knows Maggie gave birth a couple years earlier, and gave up those twin boys for adoption. Imagine her shock at discovering Bridger’s nephews, Austin and Logan, are those same boys!
This book is about having faith in the Lord, and trusting Him to open up to another. To show honesty, trust, and love.
Police Chief Bridger Hollingsworth is the guardian/uncle of toddler twin boys (their parents passed), and finds himself in need of a nanny.
Maggie has been away for awhile, and is now back in town. She makes a connection with the twins in their tumbling class, and Bridger hires her.
No one knows Maggie gave birth a couple years earlier, and gave up those twin boys for adoption. Imagine her shock at discovering Bridger’s nephews, Austin and Logan, are those same boys!
This book is about having faith in the Lord, and trusting Him to open up to another. To show honesty, trust, and love.
July 7, 2020
Is it a coincidence or divine intervention that brings Maggie face to face with the twins she gave up years ago? Now she is offered the job as Nanny to her very own boys! As she gets to know her twins, she is falling for their handsome uncle. What will do if he finds out the truth?
Beautiful story of love, trust, and forgiveness!
Beautiful story of love, trust, and forgiveness!
August 31, 2020
What a special story! Bridger Hollingsworth comes to Truelove as the new police chief and guardian of his twin nephews. Maggie helps care for the boys only to discover that they are the babies she gave up for adoption. Only her aunt knows the truth about the circumstances of Maggie’s past. This story shows the importance of not rushing to judgement without knowing the whole story.
January 17, 2023
Wow, a beautiful capativing and uplifting love story. Excellent characters and so well written, I felt myself so unbelievably attached to Maggie. She was naturally stronger than she thought, extremely kind and generous not only with her time but her love for Bridger, Logan and Max.
Highly recommended
Highly recommended
April 17, 2024
The fact that Bridger talks the way he does to Maggie when he finds out ~the secret~ and that it's forgiven and forgotten in like, under 20 pages, is honestly so disturbing to me. Throw the whole man out.
March 9, 2025
A story of love, forgiveness and hope
I enjoyed this story by Lisa Carter. Maggie and Bridger work through their fears and their past and allow the grace of God to help them heal. A heartwarming story in which Lisa Carter expertly interweaves the faith element.
I enjoyed this story by Lisa Carter. Maggie and Bridger work through their fears and their past and allow the grace of God to help them heal. A heartwarming story in which Lisa Carter expertly interweaves the faith element.
July 5, 2026
So Good.
Maggie gave up the twins for adoption 3 years ago to avoid them knowing the crime of their conception. Now they are living with their uncle in her home town. And they are enrolled in her “Tumbling Toddlers” class. What should she do?
Maggie gave up the twins for adoption 3 years ago to avoid them knowing the crime of their conception. Now they are living with their uncle in her home town. And they are enrolled in her “Tumbling Toddlers” class. What should she do?
July 19, 2026
Maggie had experience happen to her before she meets the new police chief, Bridger. She learns he needs a babysitter for his two nephews so she applies. She teaches a tots tumble class. Maggie learns to listen to what God wants for her. A special story.
December 29, 2020
ExcellentBook
You are a new author to me I loved this book and stayed up until 2.00AM finishing it I highly recommend it to everyone I will go back to my kindle and purchase more of your books Dorothy schaefer
You are a new author to me I loved this book and stayed up until 2.00AM finishing it I highly recommend it to everyone I will go back to my kindle and purchase more of your books Dorothy schaefer
August 15, 2021
A very well written story about rape and redemption and love!
September 6, 2021
Great book
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way Lisa brought Maggie and Bridger together. Lisa an awesome writer. Love all her books.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way Lisa brought Maggie and Bridger together. Lisa an awesome writer. Love all her books.
June 28, 2024
This will stay in my heart.
May 14, 2026
All this is a sweet story of love and second chances, it also deals with some heavy topics, including grief and assault. Lisa Carter, the author, handles them with grace.
April 2, 2020
When I began reading " A Mother's Homecoming"
I could not put it down. It was easy to get
into the story. A lot of memories come to mind
on Mother's Day. After three years of hiding a
major secret she finally told her Dad what had
happened.The love of two little boys grow for
Maggie and Bridger, and their love for the boys.
After a death and some hardships they found their
ways back to God. There are times you cry while
reading this book, especially when she finds
out who the twins really are. This is a book
you have to read.
I could not put it down. It was easy to get
into the story. A lot of memories come to mind
on Mother's Day. After three years of hiding a
major secret she finally told her Dad what had
happened.The love of two little boys grow for
Maggie and Bridger, and their love for the boys.
After a death and some hardships they found their
ways back to God. There are times you cry while
reading this book, especially when she finds
out who the twins really are. This is a book
you have to read.
April 7, 2020
Book 4 in Liasa Carter's Blue Ridge Mountain series in Truelove, NC is another winner. I give it a perfect 10, not 5 stars. She has yet again written an amazing book. She tells such a wonderful tale that you feel like you actually go live with the residents of Truelove.
Maggie's and Bridger's story is romantic and at the same time feels realistic, not over the top romantic and fake feeling, as they slowly fall in love.
You also can't help, but fall in love with the town all the more. If it was a real town. I'd have already moved in.
Maggie's and Bridger's story is romantic and at the same time feels realistic, not over the top romantic and fake feeling, as they slowly fall in love.
You also can't help, but fall in love with the town all the more. If it was a real town. I'd have already moved in.
May 22, 2020
great story.....I enjoyed it
July 26, 2020
Wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it but I did.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews