He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy . ~ Proverbs 28:13
MY REVIEW:
When Piper reluctantly returns to her family hometown after twelve years of doing everything humanly possible to disassociate herself from it including changing her name, she finds that things are not quite the same as she remembered them. Still carrying a heavy burden of pain inflicted by her relatives, Piper digs in her heels and fights every attempt to change her feelings about the townspeople and especially her kin. But as each day passes, she becomes slowly reconciled with her cousins and the town and eventually finds herself.
Leaving Carolina is humorous with several laugh out loud moments; however it is not a lightweight book. It is a story about making difficult decisions, doing the right thing and most important of all – forgiveness. It also doesn’t hurt that there is a subtle romance that builds throughout the book to a satisfying conclusion. Ms. Leigh has incorporated plenty of spiritual content without being preachy. I would definitely recommend Leaving Carolina.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.
Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.
Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After Tamara Leigh earned a Master’s Degree in Speech and Language Pathology, she and her husband decided to start a family, with plans for Tamara to continue in her career once she became a mother.
When the blessing of children proved elusive, Tamara became convicted to find a way to work out of her home in order to raise the children she and her husband longed to have. She turned to writing, at which she had only ever dreamed of being successful, and began attending church. Shortly thereafter, her agent called with news of Bantam Books’ offer of a four-book contract. That same day, Tamara’s pregnancy was confirmed. Within the next year, she gave up her speech pathology career, committed her life to Christ, her first child was born, and her first historical romance novel was released.
As Tamara continued to write for the secular market, publishing three more novels with HarperCollins and Dorchester, she infused her growing Christian beliefs into her writing. But it was not enough, and though her novels earned awards and were national bestsellers, she knew her stories were lacking. After struggling with the certainty that her writing was not honoring God as it should, she made the decision to write books that not only reveal Christianity to non-believers, but serve as an inspiration for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior. Her inspirational romances are peopled with characters in varying stages of Christian faith, from mature believers to new believers to non-believers on the threshold of awakening.
Tamara Leigh enjoys time with her family, volunteer work, faux painting, and reading. She lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, David, and two sons, Skyler and Maxen.
Learn more about Leaving Carolina at the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
