Serendipity

Only in Gooding #5

by Cathy Marie Hake

Todd Valmer should have known better. A farmer who's been through several disasters, he travels to Virginia to fetch his widowed mother to cook and help him around his Texas farm. . .or that was the plan until she keels over on the train and they get kicked off. Maggie Rose barters for a living and also makes soaps, lotions, and perfumes with a special rose recipe passed down from mother to daughter for generations. She hasn't wanted to marry. . .until that handsome Texan shows up. Her heart skips a beat, and when he proposes, a hasty marriage follows. What ensues, however, is a clash of culture and a battle of wills and it's clear they both mistook instant attraction and infatuation for love. As their marriage loses its sparkle and fills with disillusionment, Todd and Maggie must determine what is worth fighting for. He dreams of a farm. Maggie wants to fulfill the family tradition with her rose perfumes. Todd's mother, however, has entirely different plans for her son that do not include Maggie. In light of their hasty marriage and mistaken dreams, is there any hope of recapturing their love and building a future together?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian, Fiction, Christian Romance, Historical

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

As a child, Cathy Marie Hake had an imaginary playmate. Now "grown up," she indulges in a host of imaginary friends as she writes. She teasingly says she decided if those voices in her head were talking, she might as well write down what they said and make a living by doing it. She met her sweetheart in the High School department at church and married him after finishing nursing school. They live in Southern California and have two children and two dogs (one of them even moos - one of the dogs that is, not the kids). Faith in God, a loving family, and a wacky sense of the ridiculous keep her going.

Known for surfing across the kitchen on a dropped dill pickle slice, waterskiing on sea anemone spit, and using Right Guard® as hair spray; she considers herself living proof that God does, indeed, possess a healthy sense of humor.

Cathy loves classical music, romantic getways with her husband, and Diet Pepsi Free®. "I need chocolate to survive, love my friends, and enjoy a deep personal relationship with the Lord. Although an extrovert, I'm very conservative on a personal level."

In her writing, Cathy attempts to capture a unique glimpse of life and how a man and woman can overcome obstacles when motivated by love. In her inspirational pieces she enjoys the freedom of showing how Christ can enrich a loving couple's relationship.

Reviews

[Sunshine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book actually bugged me. I had a hard time with Maggie and Todd's relationship. Maggie is unnaturally patient and charitable with her new husband and even more so with her mean bitter mother-in-law. Yes, there were times I admired Maggie, but it actually wore me out reading constant, Saintly forebearance for a stupid man and his sick mother. I never grew to like Todd with all his idealistic ideas about what a wife should and shouldn't be, say or do. His mother was well written to chap you raw. I pittied her, but she was a burr under my skin just reading her ugly feelings for her son's wife. With all this said, I could have gotten through this book easier if it wasn’t for the author's need to create an absolute nightmare of a situation that never is resolved. A newlywed bride should never have to share her bedroomless cabin with her mother-in-law and be expected to believe that a blanket hung between two beds (that nearly touch) is enough privacy for a family to be created. Stupid Man!! This wore on me. The poor bride has no respect and is challenged the whole book to give up who she is and what she loves to fit "her man's" idea of a "wife". I know we live in a different age, but even back then it didn't feel right. Maggie took a stand in her own way, but I really didn't relate to her willingness to bite her tongue to make everything better for everyone else. It could have been a cute story, but too much chapped me.

[Noella Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many times I laughed out loud and had to tell my family what was happening 🤣 Love it! This was such a good book!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful tale of how the love between a man and a woman can grow despite difficulties, setbacks, and misunderstanding. Feelings and trust can be nurtured or damaged with the smallest things, at times. This was deftly portrayed with Margaret and Todd. Cathy Marie Hake finds the delicate balance of portraying the staggered growth of love between two people who see so differently from one another—a lovely story

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a couple of Cathy Marie Hake’s and have had a similar experience with each one. On the one hand, her stories are charming and sweet. On the other hand, I’ve always had a hard time getting into the story and keeping focused on the story. Serendipity was a similar experience to my previous experiences with this author. It is very difficult to put my finger on what exactly I’m missing with these books, but I just don’t love them like I always hope to. When I look back at Serendipity, I find that reading it was a pleasant experience and I did enjoy the story, but while I was reading it, I just didn’t feel like I was getting into the story. There was nothing that stood out that I did not like and the story was a good one. I guess some books just speak to different people in different ways.

I know Cathy Marie Hake has a lot of very loyal fans and I am working on becoming one of them. I look forward to reading more of her work and hopefully, they will start to speak to me the way I want them to. I think Serendipity will be very well loved by her fans and by new readers. I will just keep on reading her books and see how it goes. I can still safely say that I recommend this book, especially to historical fiction fans.

[Amanda Tero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really liked some of Hake's books and just really didn't click with others. This was one I didn't click with. It's been months since I've read it, but I just couldn't get the characters. I understand (somewhat) what Hake was going for in the difficulty of a mom letting her son become a man of his home, but there was almost too much tension without enough resolution.

The romance was a little more on the sappy side than I prefer as well, with several references to the marriage bed.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

i would not read again

[joy *the clean-reader extraordinaire* · Rating 3 out of 5]

completely tolerable B-grade christian historical romance
suffers from a little whiplash in some sections -- love him, leave him, love him, leave him

[June Guymon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, quick read with likeable characters and a good plot line.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a difficult time getting into this story with Maggie Rose caring for old men and the only woman in Carver’s Holler. Todd Valmer’s arrival with his ill mother arrived during a snowstorm. Maggie is a caring and giving individual but was not looking for a beau. The story dragged at times, in my opinion. Maggie and Todd were from different cultures but Maggie had been told she needed to marry. Will Todd and Maggie be able to come to an understanding while Maggie is caring for his ill mother?

I purchased this book at a resale store since it was classified as historical fiction. I was under no obligation to write a review but have shared my opinion.

[Judithpn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stars originally because it was so frustrating to read. I bumped it up to 3 stars because I’ve thought back frequently to the book and it’s made me think about how marriage should be and how I can change for the better (part of the purpose of the book I suppose).

The main issue is that the characters just frustrated me to no end. The problem with that is a lot of what they did happens in real life. I think that’s the frustrating part. I don’t want to read about too real drama when I just want something light and uplifting. I don’t have the emotional energy for it.

Todd was absolutely clueless about women and let his mother get away with so many things it drove me crazy.

His mother!!! That women needed to be put in her place so much sooner. She was the biggest jerk I’ve ever read. She knowingly causes contention and is so spiteful to Maggie. The author tried to show why she did those things, but her excuses were lame and shallow.

Maggie was too patient. No one would still be so caring to a mother-in-law like that. She took way too much crap before she stood up to herself. She’s supposed to be a spitfire, but she just does petty things towards her husband instead of stand up for herself and talks with him. I know in reality it’s hard to talk to a man about those things, and so I know that’s why she didn’t, but it still drove me crazy.

[Mollythepirate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't tell you how relieved I was when this story had someone other than the "love interest" man nitpicking about every little thing the woman did claiming it was not enough and/or wrong. That seems to be the case in most of the others in this series I've read and then the "we're suddenly in love" at the end always baffled me.
Here we have a nitpicky mother-in-law - granted, a lot of it was a cultural/regional difference.
I also liked that the woman didn't swallow all the garbage she was given like many of the other stories. Here she prayed for patience but she also got mad and hollered back once in a while. Thank you!
It felt like several of the same arguments over and over, but the story about a couple who barely knows each other, working out their first year of marriage had a good message. That said, after much of the same it felt like the story ended rushed. Still I like this better than most in the series.

[Carol Guthrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie is adorable! There is just no other way for me to describe her. She keeps the whole story interesting. Although this book pulled at my heart-strings, it has enough humor to keep it on the lighter side.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the heroine and the story had some cute moments, but most of the other characters drove me crazy. It was overly preachy for my tastes too and not nearly enough romance.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes! Not good writing! The characters are flat and predictable. The dialogue stilted and unrealistic. The plot and setting cliche and ho hum. Not worth it.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for a great series and the final book. Only wish this wasn’t the end of the series!

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I wanted to give this book all 5 stars at first, then at the middle of the book I wanted to change my mind, but at the end of the book I then decided to rate it 5 stars again.

There are a couple reasons for this.
1. Ma was a horrible person. A character you love to hate. I was q caregiver for a little while and she reminded me of one of my clients and how awful she made me feel.
2. The way Todd thinks about marriage and his view of submission is quite skewed. If a man wants an obedient wife, he should be willing to lay his life down for his woman. Right? Loving the way Jesus wanted them both to.

Then I started thinking about it.

1. Ma was a horrible person because she had been treated horribly by her second husband and had also experienced great loss. I wish that the story would have actually touched in why she was the way she was. I would have found that I intriguing and it would have helped the resolution.
2. Todd did not have a good example of what a godly marriage was. Then at the end, when he sets his fields on fire, he does risk his life to save his friends and his wife!

So, it is a 5 star book for me and the series as a whole was very great! Cathy has become one of my favorite authors throughout this series and the Chance Brides series. Looking forward to my next read by her!

[Anneliese Dalaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story of Maggie, an Irish girl who lived in a small town. She was the only woman, and she cooked and cared for the men who lived there. Maggie is happy with her life, but her uncle wants to see her married. Todd, a handsome German bachelor, arrives in the town with his ill mother in his arms. Maggie knows how to care for the sick and so she helps his mother. When it becomes clear that Todd's mother would need extended care while he had a farm to run, he proposes marriage to Maggie. Maggie agrees because she fell in love with him after only a brief time, but Todd was not in love with her, so she hides her feelings from him. After they marry, they have their differences to overcome. Misunderstandings and prejudice try to tear them apart. This story moves along nicely, is fascinating, and hard to put down. I loved the character development. It's a beautiful love story.

My one complaint would be the German word the author uses for thunderstorm. She said Donnerwetter, which is actually a German curse word. The word for thunderstorm is Gewitter.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only other book I've read by this author is Forevermore, which is really good. This has some of the same charm, but its characters aren't nearly as endearing. Part of it is because Forevermore has a special connection to my sister because she is very much like Hope Ladley, and I found Maggie and Todd more annoying than both Hope and Jakob. He kept making me mad, and she kept having the same dramatic reactions which felt like they were just repeating the same fight every 2 days. I also couldn't get into the whole "do you love me?" conflict?

I also felt like the ending was rather rushed, and things never quite got satisfied with the mom in a way that felt clean and resolved, although they do imply that they get better.

It was a pleasant enough world to be in, and I'll probably finish off the series, but this isn't my favorite romantic pair.

[Bess · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This was my least favorite book in the series.
Maggie & Todd barely knew each other but got married and left Arkansas for his farm in Texas with his mother who suffered an apoplexy episode that landed her in Maggie's care to start. I think they knew each other for about a week, maybe less. He needed her to take care of his vicious mother and she just fell for him. Not something I’m familiar with reading in Cathy’s books.
Maggie is a barterer. She’s famous for it. But Todd sees it as taking charity. He obviously doesn’t understand bartering. Nor does his ill-tempered, mean-spirited mother.
There was a lot of yoke and guilt associated with what a wife is supposed to be and not be. However, Maggie was a strong woman. She took Todd’s debt and his foul mother as her own and decided to make the best of everything. Yes, she had emotional breakdowns at times but being strong doesn’t mean keeping together all the time.
I loved her character. If the story were just about her and how her life was, I’d gladly give this book 5 stars. Add Todd & Helga and now you’re not quite at 3 stars. Todd was a weak character. He told Maggie there were lots of different types of love and then near the end just blurts out he’s finally in love with her! Talk about a serious 180 real fast. It felt forced and unnatural.
There were lots of positives in the book; however, the negativity and the verbal abuse Maggie suffered from both Todd and Helga made this an unpleasant read for me.
Maybe someone else will find it endearing. But I didn’t.

[Mishon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t remember the last time there was a character in a novel I despised as much as I despised Todd’s mother in this book. She is terrible and never really seems to learn or redeem herself in any way at all.
Todd is only a bit better. It’s probably the first romance I’ve read where I haven’t been happy for the couple to be together or fall in love or what have you.
I almost quit reading it several times but since I’d read all the books leading up to it in the series I really wanted to push through and finish. If it had been the first book in the series, there’s not a chance I would have finished it or read the following books.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that doesn't say on the cover that it's part of a series. apparently I need to start looking up books on Goodreads before I check them out of the library! I liked that the story wasn't one of "love" at first sight with the lovers barely able to contain their excitement in order to make it to the altar, but for that one serious issue that confounds them until just before the engagement/wedding. A story if love and family and pride of heritage and blending lives and sacrifice and learning to love and, yes, romance. This is probably my favorite story by this author.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was so different than the rest of the series. It began in Carver's Holler, Arkansas where all the others were totally in Texas. This one is about Margaret who is the only woman living among 12 older men one of which is her uncle. She has lived there her whole life. Just before a huge snowstorm hits a man shows up with his mother who needs a doctor. The only person to help is Margaret. Well, the mom has had a very bad stroke and Margaret helps her get a bit better and the man, Todd, asks her to marry him, move to Texas, and help continue the care of his mother.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just the story is so so boring and I don't like the main characters. I am listening to this as a audiobook and the actress they got to play the voice sounds like she is in her 60's70's. They should have gotten a younger voice actress to read the part .. it was very distracting.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not my favorite from this author. I think there's someone out there who needs to hear this message. It didn't resonate with me, but I'm sure it would click with the right reader. Give it a shot.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Historical Romance

This is probably the most unusual story I've read and at the same time the most common!
unusual characters, unique personality, yet common faith and common love! Perfect! and the narration couldn't have been any better!

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel lacked the typical charm and engaging plot I'd come to expect from Cathy Marie Hake's stories.

[Terry Yaceyko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. I liked the development in the marriage relationship.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good character development and an emotional story. The ending is amazing. Happy reading/listening!

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5