by Crystal Walton
Publisher: Impact Editions, LLC
Series: Love in Willow Creek
ISBN: 978-1732816244
Isn't it so fun to find a new author to enjoy? That happened recently thanks to my friend and co-worker Carrie! She suggested Crystal reach out to me to see if I'd like to review her new release The Tire Swing, which publishes February 27th. It's the first book in her Love in Willow Creek series. She sent me the ebook ARC for review.
Summary:
When an unexpected call reignites the past, a mysterious estate plan sends two wandering hearts down a second chance it’ll take every ounce of faith to face.
Returning to the small town Ellie Barrett lost her heart to has her stomach in knots. What was Aunt Bev thinking, naming her as the executor of her estate? At the very least, she could’ve left Ellie instructions on how to stop the bank from seizing her home. But when a crazy chase for answers gets tangled up in memories shared with the boy she’s still in love with, there’s no way to dig herself out of the mess Aunt Bev left her without confronting the one she’s still trying to outrun.
Cole Patterson would do anything to get out of helping the one girl capable of flipping his plans upside down. He’s already torn enough over leaving Willow Creek to honor his grandpa without getting thrown into a project tying him and Ellie to the town that brought them together. Then again, when does life play fair? If fighting to keep Ms. Bev’s house doesn’t break the rest of him first, fighting for the girl he still wants to share it with could leave nothing left.
When every failed effort backs them against the clock, and attacks in town threaten to derail their plans, Cole and Ellie must count the cost of fighting to protect a legacy while facing the risk of losing their hearts.
Returning to the small town Ellie Barrett lost her heart to has her stomach in knots. What was Aunt Bev thinking, naming her as the executor of her estate? At the very least, she could’ve left Ellie instructions on how to stop the bank from seizing her home. But when a crazy chase for answers gets tangled up in memories shared with the boy she’s still in love with, there’s no way to dig herself out of the mess Aunt Bev left her without confronting the one she’s still trying to outrun.
Cole Patterson would do anything to get out of helping the one girl capable of flipping his plans upside down. He’s already torn enough over leaving Willow Creek to honor his grandpa without getting thrown into a project tying him and Ellie to the town that brought them together. Then again, when does life play fair? If fighting to keep Ms. Bev’s house doesn’t break the rest of him first, fighting for the girl he still wants to share it with could leave nothing left.
When every failed effort backs them against the clock, and attacks in town threaten to derail their plans, Cole and Ellie must count the cost of fighting to protect a legacy while facing the risk of losing their hearts.
My Review:
This was such a sweet story! It's my first by this author and I can't wait for her next book.
Ellie arrives to her aunt's place after her aunt has passed and it's easy to feel how difficult it is for her... pretty much from the start. Running into her old flame, Cole, right away doesn't help matters. There are lots of old memories in this small town story... for both of them.
I liked Ellie. Like her, I'm curious as to why her mother and aunt Bev had a falling out. And what happened with Ellie and Cole? Thankfully, that is answered in the story. Then there's Cole. Goodness, what a sweet guy who has lost so much. But this town has come around him and loved on him. It's one of the elements I adore in small town stories.
Speaking of small towns, the additional side characters are so wonderful and pivotal to the story. Even Sam, who no one is a fan of. Oh, and speaking of side characters... this one has a horse, a dog, and some cats that make the story entertaining!
I enjoyed watching Ellie and Cole work through not only their individual issues, but their "we used to have something" issues. It's easy to see how not communicating can cause issues, but on the other hand, it was so tender how they wanted to protect each other.
Sometimes our family members do things that we just don't understand, whether it's out of quirkiness or devotion (oftentimes both involve love), and like Cole & Ellie, they just have to learn how to accept it.
There's a cliffhanger at the end that has me excited for book two!
Ellie arrives to her aunt's place after her aunt has passed and it's easy to feel how difficult it is for her... pretty much from the start. Running into her old flame, Cole, right away doesn't help matters. There are lots of old memories in this small town story... for both of them.
I liked Ellie. Like her, I'm curious as to why her mother and aunt Bev had a falling out. And what happened with Ellie and Cole? Thankfully, that is answered in the story. Then there's Cole. Goodness, what a sweet guy who has lost so much. But this town has come around him and loved on him. It's one of the elements I adore in small town stories.
Speaking of small towns, the additional side characters are so wonderful and pivotal to the story. Even Sam, who no one is a fan of. Oh, and speaking of side characters... this one has a horse, a dog, and some cats that make the story entertaining!
I enjoyed watching Ellie and Cole work through not only their individual issues, but their "we used to have something" issues. It's easy to see how not communicating can cause issues, but on the other hand, it was so tender how they wanted to protect each other.
Sometimes our family members do things that we just don't understand, whether it's out of quirkiness or devotion (oftentimes both involve love), and like Cole & Ellie, they just have to learn how to accept it.
There's a cliffhanger at the end that has me excited for book two!
About the Author:
Crystal received her bachelor of arts from Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in upstate NY, and earned her master of arts from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides with her husband and two sons.
She writes small-town inspirational romances with humor, broken characters, and emotional plots full of grace and hope. Her Home In You series includes Write Me Home, a RONE Award finalist, and Begin Again, a Readers' Favorite Gold Award winner. When her hands aren’t full with her little blue-eyed heroes, she's delving into the wonder of words, supporting her green tea habit, or laughing over movie quotes with her husband.
