Wishing on Willows

Katie Ganshert's second book, "Wishing on Willows," carried a predictable ending, but each page wove the reader deeper and deeper into the characters. Robin Pierce and Ian McKay are fighting a losing battle against each other over Robin's cafe and a family business venture. Pitted against each other--while quickly getting the townspeople to voice their allegiance--and yet they created a typical romantic story: independent and successful adults disagree until they start to fall for each other. The only question is whether the fight will destroy any hope of a relationship. Some of the deeper messages within the pages are how a person will go through stages after any loss. After Robin somehow managed to keep breathing after her young husband died, she now strives to serve others (and find solace in their healing). With a young son of my own, her interactions and pains over raising her son alone also hit home for me. There was something very refreshing about Ganshert's images and I particularly liked when Robin relived an important point in her life. Those mini chapters reached out to my heart and not only endeared me to the character, but also hit a spot of "what if" within my seemingly perfect and routine family. Ganshert definitely won me over as a new follower and I look forward to see where her writing career takes her. She writes in a very honest and entertaining way and this is well worth the read! I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.