"tempest's course" by lynette sowell

About the book (from Litfuse): Kelly Frost, a textiles conservator, is invited to the Massachusetts coastal town of New Bedford to restore a 150-year-old Mariner's Compass quilt, with one stipulation: she must live and work in Gray House where the quilt is stored. Tom Silva, whose heart seems as hard as the rocky coastline, is the caretaker employed by the mysterious absent owner of Gray House.

Over the long-lit months as Kelly works to restore the quilt, she is drawn out of her self-imposed shell and embraces the family God has given her after her own family failed her. As Kelly reads stories in a journal penned by Mary Gray, she learns there is no transgression beyond God's forgiveness, but the real obstacle is forgiving herself. During her and Tom's journey to grace and love, an unknown force works to keep both of them from discovering a long-buried truth that will change their lives forever.

My take: Featuring a sweet romance and intriguing mystery, Tempest's Course provides hours of enjoyable reading. Kelly and Tom are likable characters, and they both go on interesting (largely separate) journeys to find the truth about their heritage and Gray House.

I did find the secondary plot involving Mary Gray's journal to be more enthralling than Kelly and Tom's story, but then the story threads overlapped, wrapping everything up in an interesting manner. I do wish that Sowell had revealed a bit more of what happened to Mary and her children. Really, I'd be happy to read an entire book about Mary! But the book Sowell did write is quite good in its own right.

My rating: 4 stars

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Read my reviews of other books in the Quilts of Love series: Aloha Rose and A Wild Goose Chase Christmas.

About the author: Lynette Sowell is the award-winning author of five novels and six novellas for Barbour Publishing with sales topping 250,000. In 2009, Lynette was voted one of the favorite new authors by Heartsong Presents book club readers. Her historical romance, All That Glitters, was a finalist in ACFW's 2010 Carol Awards. When Lynette's not writing, she divides her time between editing medical reports and chasing down news stories for the Copperas Cove Leader-Press. Lynette was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but makes her home on the doorstep of the Texas hill country with her husband and a herd of cats who have them well-trained.

Learn more at: http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

About the giveaway: Lynette Sowell's Tempest's Course is the newest book in the Quilts of Love line, and Lynette is celebrating with a fun giveaway and joining Vannetta Chapman and Lisa Carter for the Quilts of Love "Christmas Bee" Facebook Party on December 10th!

 One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Tempest's Course by Lynette Sowell
• The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman
• Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 16th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love Facebook page on December 17th. But wait! There's more. RSVP for the "Christmas Bee" Facebook Party on December 10th and connect with the authors from the Quilts of Love series, Vannetta Chapman, Lisa Carter, and Lynette Sowell, for an evening of book chat, quilt trivia, and Christmas traditions and gifts, PLUS get an exclusive look at January's Quilts of Love book!

So grab your copies of The Christmas Quilt, Aloha Rose, and Tempest's Course and join Vannetta, Lisa, and Lynette on the evening of December 10th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on December 10th!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."