Porch Swings and Picket Fences: Tarnished Silver/Twice in a Blue Moon/Texas Two-Step/The Boy Next Door (Inspirational Romance Collection) - Softcover

Lisa Tawn Bergren; Barbara Jean Hicks; Jane Orcutt; Suzy Pizutti

3.76

58 ratings by Goodreads

9781578562268: Porch Swings and Picket Fences: Tarnished Silver/Twice in a Blue Moon/Texas Two-Step/The Boy Next Door (Inspirational Romance Collection)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578562260 ISBN 13: 9781578562268

Publisher: WaterBrook Press, 1999

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In the face of constant time pressures and the juggling act of balancing countless tasks, there is nothing more soothing than taking the opportunity to slow down for a few moments, relax with a good story, and come home to romance.

In Porch Swings and Picket Fences: Four American Love Stories, readers will find not just one, but four delightful tales of love–each written by one of the foremost authors of Christian romance fiction. All four evoke familiar warm feelings, and a sense of getting back to the basics with feel-good stories about characters readers love.

From Vermont to Iowa, Texas to Washington State, Porch Swings and Picket Fences spins the tales of four couples who find love where they least expect it–right under their noses–and leaves readers with a sense of satisfaction and hope that will bring joy to their hearts.

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About the Author:

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling author of five novels, including Refuge and Firestorm. From her best-selling Northern Lights Series, discover The Captain’s Bride, Deep Harbor, and Midnight Sun. Lisa and her husband Tim reside in Colorado with their children.

Suzy Pizzuti and her husband Matt live in a wonderful, old Oregon farmhouse, where they are raising their toddler daughter, Madeline, and baby Olivia. Suzy is the author of more than a dozen top-selling “sweet” romances, as well as the inspirational romantic comedy Say Uncle...and Aunt.

After briefly satisfying encounters with retail sales, banking, waitressing, public relations, childcare, social service, office management, and teaching, award-winning author Barbara Jean Hicks finally figured out the real world was not for her. She currently resides in Oregon, where she fritters away her time tweaking favorite fairy tales as part of her Once Upon a Dream series.

Jane Orcutt lives in Texas with her husband and their two sons. Her books include The Fugitive Heart, The Hidden Heart, The Fruit of Her Hands, and Words by Heart, a 1996 finalist for the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart award for best inspirational romance.

Review:

Porch Swings and Picket Fences has the subtitle Love in a Small Town. It's a set of four stories set in towns that most tourists would pass through without stopping. Each town has a strong set of moral values and a sense of community that is as much part of the stories as the four couples we are introduced to. "Tarnished Silver" by Lisa Tawn Bergren - Jemma Stuart pegs Stillwater, Iowa as a copy of each of the other small towns she's worked in returning old stained-glass windows to their former glory. Manhattan is her home and there is no comparison. Samuel Tucker, the pastor of the church that employs her, bets he can change her mind. Thus begins an uneasy romance, with the inescapable fact that neither can leave the places where they've put down roots. It's up to Jemma to find the compromise between her heart's desires. "Twice in a Blue Moon" by Barbara Jean Hicks - Cait Reilly and Jack Van Hooten had been best buddies most of their lives. Time and life had separated them. They both had married but were now single following the deaths of their spouses. Jack returns to Pilchuck, Seattle to visit his sister. When he encounters Cait, he is perfectly willing to pick up the friendship where it left off. But Cait seems to want something more, and it wasn't exactly what Jack had in mind! "Texas Two-Step" by Jane Orcutt - Molly Fuller returns to Crunk, Texas for a divorce and to settle her Great-Aunt Electra Merriweather's will. Aunt Electra had been Molly's and Clay's biggest supporter when they married against their family's wishes. Now's she's counseling from the grave. Aunt Electra leaves Molly and Clay her house, but the terms of the will force them to live in it as man and wife for three months. Molly is furious, but to keep the house in the family she agrees. After all it's only for the summer, then she and Clay can go their separate ways. What can happen in three months? "The Boy Next Door" by Suzy Pizzuti - Lucy Burns and Trevor Bacon had lived next to each other in the same duplex much of their childhood. Lucy greets Trevor's return with an enthusiastic renewal of their friendship. And Trevor is just as willing. But when Lucy realizes her view of Trevor as a brother has changed to something else, she decides the quickest cure is to find Trevor a girlfriend. Trevor has the same notion about Lucy's love life, which leads to some odd dates. And the two of them struggle to ignore the truth that's right under their noses. Porch Swings and Picket Fences is a nice collection of stories that anyone can pick up and enjoy. The character's faith flows naturally, but is not preachy or intrusive. A fun read that will leave you smiling! Curl up in the hammock with this one and forget the world for awhile! A delightful peek at the small town life we all feel nostalgic for! Romance on the porch can't be beat! Linda Fitzner -- Copyright � 1999 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

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