A friend sent me this book in a box of books. I remember reading Heartsong Presents in the past but haven't seen as many recently, which makes me wonder if the troubles of the publishing industry affected the line. I did see one reviewer said she'd downloaded the e-book, so maybe the line has gone that way rather than print books.

I also see that another reviewer mentioned that there was a book previous to this one--I have not read that either, so I don't know what lingering question she felt it answered.

I liked the romance part a bit better than I usually do. Circumstances of life caused them to meet and their love for each other grew over time of interacting in ways other than traditional dating or boyfriend/girlfriend activities. I liked that Carter is a hardworking man who is doing his best to raise his 3 children after his wife died. I can understand his reluctance to take advantage of the pantry but pride is a bad thing--we all need help from time to time. I was glad to see he donated to the pantry when his financial situation improved and he was able to do so to help others who needed help.

I both understood and was a bit puzzled by Ivy's reaction to her mother's relationship with Phil. Ivy was plotting to get the two together in the hopes that it would distract her mother from matchmaking, but yet when it happened, Ivy seemed dismayed. I wasn't sure if that stemmed from how quickly it happened or from Ivy's own disappointment that Phil moved faster than Carter (which isn't really fair as each life situation is different). ( )