Good romance about a temp farmer (didn't know that was a job) who helped an older widow with her cranberry farm ( )

I've always been a bit addicted to the stories from Steeple Hill publishing and this is no exception. When the world is crazy and you need to know that there are good things in the world these books are always a relief. I've never read a bad one. This book gives us an insight into cranberry farming but underneath there is single parenting, agism, death, survivor's guilt and finally love in abundance. Of every kind.) ( )

3.5 stars--better than most books from the Love Inspired Series.

So we have a failed marriage that yielded one daughter who is now a spoiled teenager. The ex-wife/mother (Gloria) seems to be an entitled rich kid herself who basically thinks of herself and what she wants, putting that above anything else. Maybe no surprise then that her daughter (Jazz) seems to be the same way at first.

I'm still not clear as to whether Jazz expected her dad (Daniel) to twist the headmaster's arm to keep her in school or didn't want him to bother. There are indications both ways. I also wonder why Gloria called Daniel rather than calling her own father who has apparently donated quite a bit to this private school where his granddaughter is attending (a building or building wing is apparently named after him).

Even as he's reeling from Jazz's suspension from school, Daniel gets the call that his mother has fallen. To Jazz's credit, she does seem to have real concern and sympathy for her grandmother (Ella).

Ella has hired Jo to work the cranberry bogs. Jo is the one who found Ella and so Daniel meets her when he arrives in Nantucket to see his mom. Jo seems to have a good sense of responsibility and respect on her shoulders. She wants Jazz to help with repairing the damage she caused in the cranberry bog; Jazz obviously expects that her father will buy her way out of it.

Thankfully Jazz meets Matt who apparently makes being in Nantucket worth it for her and allows her appreciation of the area to grow. Jazz grows into a more responsible young lady.

I also admire Ella's determination to stay in the home that has been her home for years. It makes it all the more odd that she finally agrees to move to the facility near her hometown toward the end. I don't see her agreeing to do that at all so someone must have been doing some fast talking to her about economic sense etc. to get her to agree. I do think Daniel started out doing what he thought would be the best thing for his mom. Though he didn't seem to listen to what his mom wanted and only saw the obstacles to her desires--up until after she gave in and agreed to sell the land.

I did wonder why they couldn't just sell the hotel and back out of the estate sale contract they'd signed--though details of the contract weren't given. I wasn't sure why Daniel had to pay out good money to purchase land that should have been his outright. Maybe there were some financial benefits to doing it the way they did. That's not my area of expertise.

Overall, very well done story for this type of series and I'd read more by this author. ( )

Routine story. One question....Why would a sophisticated business man arrange to sell his mother's property through an auction, when he was planning on buying it himself??? Did he want to make a commission for these auction people??? ( )