Review by Booklist Review
Laurel Springs, Texas, is a sleepy little town run by Connor Larady, who holds the positions of mayor, newspaperman, dutiful grandson, and bedraggled father of a rebellious teenage girl. He's keeping it together and doesn't realize what his life has been lacking until drifter Jillian James shows up looking for work. Jillian has no intention of staying in Laurel Springs for longer than it takes to track her estranged father, whom she believes once came to Laurel Springs before she was born. But after several months of living in the local B&B, Jillian begins to develop relationships with the townspeople that make leaving impossible. A gentle, contemporary romance that takes place in a charming, small Texas town is Thomas' niche, but her latest departs from her previous rancher-family sagas. Rather than creating the usual rural western atmosphere, Thomas portrays a town blighted by the death of manufacturing yet holding on by the strength and charm of its citizens.--Giovanni, Kristina Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Mayor Connor Larady has roots in Laurel Springs, TX, going back generations. Jillian James isn't likely to stay long in any one place. Still, Jillian's desire to find her long-missing father and Connor's goal to organize a museum exhibit of the finished projects in his grandmother's quilt shop don't seem mutually exclusive. Gram is getting more forgetful, so Connor hires Jillian to catalog the pieces while Gram can still remember their stories. Jillian thinks the three-month job should suit her time line and allow her to inquire after Jefferson James, who, according to zip codes in journals he kept, spent time in the quaint Texas town. Jillian is enthralled by the histories of the quilts, as well as entangled with Gram; the quilting circle members; Sunnie, Connor's 16-year-old daughter; and the soft-spoken man on whom they all depend. Will three months be long enough? Verdict Thomas (Ransom Canyon) has drawn a warmly touching portrait of this small Southern town. The characters are multidimensional-even the young folk are engaging-while the quilts come alive whether readers are familiar with the craft or not. Stitching in several threads of mystery, Thomas hits another winner with this latest romance. Highly recommended for most libraries.-Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
