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Tomorrow Starts Today–family problems
Tomorrow Starts Today
by Jessica Redland
Join Yvonne, Paulette, Veronica, Milly, and Laughlin along with others who gather for the Cake & Craft Club held every Wednesday at the Willowdale Village Hall at 2-4 p.m. It’s open to all regardless of hobby interest or skill level. Yvonne is a widow with no family or friends—just a African Grey Parrot, Trevor, and a secret she has never shared with anyone. She is at a dead end when she sees a notification in the local paper for this group and decides to take a risk. The members of the Cake & Craft Club welcome her with open arms and extend to her the same kindness they need as well.
Despite the problems each one of the characters has with dysfunctional families and other stumbling blocks, Tomorrow Starts Today is a story filled with hope and kindness. Part of the positivity comes from the generous nature of the characters and part comes from 19 year old Saffy, Paulette’s granddaughter. She is living temporarily with Paulette after dropping out of college after the first term. Her parents are upset with her, but the creative and artistic young lady has tried to explain that she needs some time to figure out what she wants to do. Saffy has a hobby of journaling and she shares her ideas and philosophies with the group, stimulating many of them to examine their own lives and effect changes they have been hesitant to make.
The story is full of active and former romances as most of the characters are retired or approaching that age. Some are wondering if there is only one destined soulmate per person or if they are too old to be involved in romance. Some have had traumatic events that keep them from reaching out to others and some have used those traumatic events to spur them into being good listeners and sounding boards for others in pain.
“Tomorrow Starts Today” is a good title for this book. Yvonne and her friends discover through journaling and goal setting how to find their futures and act on a plan. With Saffy’s artistic flair, the projects become a cross between journaling and scrapbooking complete with washi tape, stickers, and ribbons.
I enjoyed the camaraderie, the journey to trusting others, and the gradual disclosure of Yvonne’s family mysteries. I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Clean
2. # 5 in the Escape to the Lakes series. I have read the other books in this series, and I reread my reviews and the publisher summaries to refresh my memory on the characters and events in previous books in the series. That search was actually not necessary. Although there are some minor crossover references to other books, this book is an enjoyable standalone—plot and characters are complete in Tomorrow Starts Today.
Publication: January 8, 2026—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
Me! I was stopping me. It was that little voice in my head that told me that when you started spending time with people, you had to talk to them about more than the weather and everyday life. You needed to exchange stories about the past and that was where things became tricky.
“Families should be there to heal each other—not to be the ones causing the wounds.” Absolutely that, but life was rarely that straightforward.
That was the appropriate point for hugs and, as I squeezed Veronica tightly, I marveled at how long I’d gone without physical human contact and how powerful and restorative it could be.
Dash Away All–dangerous drama on the movie set
Dash Away All
by Christina Freeburn
I was close to frustration with Merry Winters, the main character in Dash Away All by Christina Freeman, when she became frustrated with herself. Finally! Merry has been contracted to create craft items for the backdrop of a Christmas movie featuring a crafter. The job becomes bigger than originally planned when a shed holding many Christmas decorations burns down and Merry is expected to create or round up from the tiny town of Carol Lake, Indiana, the necessary items to fill out the various scenes. For someone so overwhelmingly concerned about the quantity of crafts she is supposed to make, Merry spends a lot of time going down rabbit holes. Some of the trails she follows are legitimate ones to pursue a criminal, but others are self-indulgent like her visit to a toy store. Sometimes she is just plain nosy and involves herself in things that are truly none of her business.
This Christmas movie is being filmed in a hot and humid July, so if you are looking for a Christmassy read, this is not for you. If you want a cozy mystery with red herrings, a plot with twists and turns, some danger, and a tiny splash of romance, you would probably enjoy Dash Away All. An aging and domineering Christmas movie star is making a comeback at the same time she is trying to resolve some personal issues from her past. They happen to coincide with Merry’s current crisis in terms of family. Merry’s long distance business partner Bright is somewhat helpful, but it seems we will never meet her as she, for family reasons, is not able to join Merry in her time of need. I, unfortunately, felt little fondness for the characters in this mystery, and that hampered my enjoyment of the book. Even the role of Ebenezer the Guinea pig seemed contrived.
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #3 in the Merry and Bright Handcrafted Mystery Series
Publication: July 7, 2020—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
“Luna’s three loves in life are acting, trouble, and men, and which takes the top spot changes from day to day.”
A woman who loved to feel needed and felt lost when those who had needed her most—children and mom—either no longer did as they’re venturing out on their own, or because they couldn’t remember her.
It was a simple solution. Why hadn’t I thought of it? I knew exactly why I hadn’t; complicating matters was becoming a new hobby. I was turning back into a teenage girl and morphing everything into a drama of the century.
The Brides of the Big Valley: Three Romances from a Unique Pennsylvania Amish Community
The Brides of the Big Valley: Three Romances from a Unique Pennsylvania Amish Community
by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean B. Brunstetter and Richelle B. Brunstetter
Three different Brunstetter authors have combined to create three equally good short Amish romances all set in Big Valley located in Mifflin County. The Amish situation that is unique in this area is that in the 1840’s the congregation broke into three groups based on beliefs, customs, and later the colors on the tops of their horse drawn buggies.
Deanna’s Determination by Wanda E. Brunstetter tells the story of Deanna Speicher, a young Amish widow with a sweet little boy who has Down syndrome. She lives with her father and contributes to their support by creating quilted goods to sell at the local flea market. Her deceased husband’s best friend, Elmer, is the romantic interest in this story until tragedy strikes again. Will Deanna and Elmer’s love survive the new crisis?
In Rose Mary’s Resolve, by Jean B. Brunstetter, we are introduced to a family that was mentioned in the first story, the Rennos, who own a furniture company. With older sister Linda getting married, Rose Mary is learning the ins and outs of the show room so she can help in the family business. Romance is in the air as Tom Yoder courts Rose Mary, but problems arise as Tom thinks of going Englisch and pressures Rose Mary on all of their decisions. Meanwhile Kevin literally drops out of the sky as he crash lands in the Renno field and develops an interest in Rose Mary and the Amish way. Will Rose Mary stay true to God and her family customs?
Leila’s Longing by Richelle Brunstetter is the story of Leila Fisher, a shy young lady who was bullied at school when she was younger and now carries the emotional scars of those experiences. She is a gifted artist, creating sketches and making greeting cards and selling them. Will her new friends Aden and his sister Sue and her new employee Mollie be able to help her emerge from her reclusiveness? Will anyone ever want to court her?
The Brides of the Big Valley is comprised of three novellas, gentle stories combined to make an interesting tale for a calm afternoon’s reading. The characters are likable and the plots are not overly predictable. God and faith are an important part of these tales.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian Fiction, Romance
Publication: June 1, 2019— Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press)
Memorable Lines:
I bet Rose Mary would say anything is possible with the Lord’s help. But can He truly help me through my relationship with Dad, by repairing the bridge across the chasm that exists between us?
She’d been too trusting of others when she was young, which caused her to be suspicious of disloyalty. No matter how nice she was to others, she didn’t receive kindness in return. That was why it was easier for her to not even try.
When life gets at its worst or drags us down, reading God’s Word provides guidance on good living.”
education pathways 