Author: jskinnell

I'm the owner of JLSkinnell Editing & Proofing, author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon. and travel blogger at The Rambling Quilter.
frozen wave against sunlight
Inspirational Writings

Don’t Ignore God’s Nudge

jskinnell

We’ve all had them. You know the ones. Those times we feel compelled to do something or call someone, and we don’t understand why. I call them “God’s Nudges,” and I never took them seriously until five years ago this week.

This particular nudge was one of the most significant nudges I’d ever received, and it made me see life in a whole new way. All because God nudged me to go to Panera for a free bagel. This may sound inconsequential, but trust me, it was a pretty big nudge in my life.

I was so moved about all that had happened in that short two-week span in July five years ago that I wrote a post about it. Once again, I feel the nudge to share this post so that others may act when God nudges them.

Read on, and you’ll see what I mean.

We’ve all heard about intuition and “just having that feeling.” Sometimes we act on this, but more often than not, we ignore it. Then later, we realize we should not have done that because God was trying to tell us something.

Two weeks ago, my husband and I were visiting our family in Ohio. Our extended family lives in Northeast Ohio, so we stopped to see them for a few days before heading down to Columbus to see our daughter and son-in-law. Our parents live about forty-five minutes apart, so we usually spent time with each of them individually.

While I was staying with my parents, I woke up Friday morning to find an email from Panera Bread that I could get a free bagel every day for the entire month of July.  Awesome!  I’d have to take advantage of that when I got back home.

However, as I was getting ready for the day, I kept having “the feeling” that I needed to go to Panera that morning.  My mom had Cheerios and other things I could have had for breakfast, but I felt God “nudging” me toward coffee and my free bagel.  My mom put in an order for a bear claw and cinnamon roll, and off I went to Panera.

I walked into the restaurant and was wonderfully surprised to see my aunt and uncle standing there ordering their breakfast. (I must say here that when we make our quick trips to Ohio, we don’t have the time to see everyone, and this was one of those times.) I called my mom and told her that their breakfast delivery would be a little late because I was going to stay and have breakfast with my aunt and uncle. I hadn’t seen them since my daughter’s wedding in February 2015.

We had a wonderful hour of catching up on how everyone was and what everyone was doing. My uncle has been researching our genealogy and told me we actually had relatives in Canada and Scotland. They talked of how they would like to make a trip to Scotland to meet them someday.  

My aunt had worked for Avon Book Publishing, so I told her how I’ve started writing my first novel. She said most of her contacts were probably retired, but if I needed an editor, she’d be happy to take a look at my book. We talked about how self-publishing was the way to go now, and again she offered her assistance in any way she could to make my dream a reality.

After we finished our breakfast, we had hugs all around and promised to see each other again when we went up to Ohio, or they came down our way.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I didn’t know how much God’s nudge meant until the phone call I received from my mom last night. My aunt passed away yesterday in a car accident.  As I am writing this, I still cannot believe it. We will soon be heading back to Ohio to say goodbye to my aunt and to support my uncle and three cousins left behind. No amount of comfort and words can ease their pain, but we will all gather around them and support them as best we can.

My aunt was the youngest of six children. Two of my uncles had already passed, and she said to me on that Friday that she felt it would be her responsibility to look after all of us cousins and keep us in contact with each other as her older siblings began to pass. I know that most of us will be together to say goodbye to her this week, but I’m sure this “contact” is not what she had in mind.

So, for now, I hold on to the fact that if God had not “nudged” me to go to Panera that day, I would not have had a wonderful breakfast with my aunt and uncle. Rest in Peace, Aunt Jetta, until we meet again.

As you can see, this was a huge nudge that God gave me, even though it didn’t feel like it at the time. If I hadn’t followed through, I would have missed out on that special breakfast with my aunt and uncle.

July 12, 2021, will mark five years since her passing. On the day of her funeral, twenty of the twenty-one cousins were there. She met her goal, just not in the way she’d planned.

I have since gone to complete my Hope Springs Romance Series, and I am now experiencing the nudge from God to alter my plan once again. I’m feeling called to help other up-and-coming authors realize their dream of becoming an indie author through my business, JLSkinnell Editing & Proofing.

Don’t ignore God’s nudges. He does this for a reason.

Inspirational Writings

What Children Can Teach Us About Diversity

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NOTE: I published this blog in June 2016 on my other site, The Rambling Quilter, before I began writing travel blogs, and five years later it’s still relevant.

Lessons Adults Can Learn From Children

Another year of preschool is over for many children.  It brought me back to last year when I finished my last year of teaching after nine years.  I let my mind wander over those nine years and what I learned.  I’m sure I learned more from the kids than they learned from me.  I taught three-year-olds.  This was their first experience with school, and for many, it was their first experience away from their parents.

Our school was very diverse in cultures, backgrounds, and languages spoken.  I often wondered how a child must feel leaving their parent(s) for the first time to come to an often unfamiliar place.  And if they couldn’t understand a word the teacher was saying, no matter how comforting, it must have been even scarier.  But I was humbled that the parents thought enough of us to trust us with their little one.

The speech I gave the parents at the beginning of the year was that we would be teaching their children life skills like how to walk in a line, be responsible for their own area, sit and listen to a story quietly, and be respectful of others’ property and feelings.  We also introduced the academics through play and our daily projects.  By the end of the year, most children knew some, if not all letters, could count, could cut with scissors, and were working on writing their own name.

However, some of the most important skills the children learned didn’t come from me or my assistant.  They came from each other.  They learned to tolerate each other’s differences.  Here are some examples.

There Are No Language Barriers With Children

One year we had two little girls who just happened to be the smallest in our class by about a foot!  We called them our little peanuts.  One little girl spoke English and the other spoke Spanish.  They couldn’t understand the other’s language.  But somehow, over the course of the year, they were able to communicate with each other through drawing, playing, and other cues only they understood.  We, and the other children, had no idea what they were communicating to each other, but they did.

Handicaps Don’t Exist With Children

Another year, we had a little boy who had severe spina bifida.  He used a walker to get from class to class, but in the classroom, he was able to move around without it, although he was a little unsteady on his feet. The other children in the room had most likely not seen a child with a walker before.  But that didn’t matter to them.  They helped him if he needed something, got his walker if he needed it, and made sure there was nothing in his way as he moved around the room.  They wanted to make sure he didn’t fall.  He moved during Christmas break to another state, and when we all came back to school, they all wanted to know where he was because they missed him. The time he was in our classroom, the children all learned compassion for another who may not be like them.

Children Have Compassion

One year, on the first day, we had a little boy who was having a hard time separating from his mommy.  We tried everything we could to console him and try to take his mind off missing his mommy.  Unfortunately, there was a language barrier, so he couldn’t really understand what we were saying.  One of our little girls, who also didn’t speak his language, asked me why he was crying.  I told her he missed his mommy.  She went over to him and sat beside him.  She started rubbing his arm and quietly told him, “it’s okay, our mommies are going to come back for us.”  She stayed there rubbing his arm until he finally fell asleep on the pillow.  Compassion at its finest.

Children Don’t See Skin Color

We had two little boys in our class who both happened to be of the same skin color.  One of the boys was born here in America, but the other one had been adopted from Uganda.  They hit it off right away and played together most of the time.  One day I was putting up pictures I had taken of the children as they did different activities around the classroom.  One picture I had taken was of these two children helping each other complete a puzzle.  They looked at the picture, and then one said to the other “hey, we have the same color skin!”  They had played together for months, but it took a picture for them to realize this!

The Lesson From The Kids

People are people, no matter what.  Kids get that.  Something we should all think about.

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A Grandmother’s Wish

jskinnell

I’m excited to announce that the final book in my Hope Springs Romance Series, A Grandmother’s Wish, is available on Amazon! Go to my Amazon Author Page for all the details.

College graduate Missy Macintire is ready to advance her career from store manager to store owner. When her current employer presents her with the opportunity to become a partner in her consignment business, Missy is ecstatic, especially since it will mean having a store of her own in the historic Baxter building.

Cooper Landers is a recent transplant from the city to the small town of Hope Springs. His employer, Frederick Development Inc., has relocated to this sleepy town in the country, and Cooper is happy for the chance to move out of the city. When his boss puts him in charge of the Baxter building project, Cooper is happy to do it. During the renovation, however, he realizes there is more to his move to Hope Springs than he ever bargained for.

Missy is falling hard and fast for Cooper, but she has this nagging feeling that he is keeping something from her. While trying to sort out a series of mysterious events happening at his condo and the Baxter building, Cooper realizes he has fallen in love with Missy.

With the threat of betrayal and the project (and romance) falling apart, it’s up to Rosie Macintire and the Advice Quilting Bee to bring this latest couple together in A Grandmother’s Wish.

I truly enjoyed creating this series, and while I will miss the characters I’ve given life to, they will forever be in my heart. I hope you enjoy this final book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Love and Happy Reading,

Jennifer

Jennifer Skinnell is the author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon. She is also a travel blogger, and you can find out about her travels on The Rambling Quilter

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COMING SOON! A Grandmother’s Wish

jskinnell

I’m excited to announce the 5th, and final, book in my Hope Springs Romance Series will soon be available on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and paperback! Here’s a little preview of the story of Missy and Cooper.

As Cooper Landers entered the law offices representing his late grandmother’s estate, he wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. Priscilla Bordan had lived a comfortable life, with a house too large for one person, a staff to take care of every detail, and a full social calendar. She even had a driver to take her wherever she needed to go. His grandmother also had a bit of an eccentric personality, so Cooper was fully expecting to find out that she’d left her entire estate to some oddball organization.

Cooper was okay with that option. He’d made his own way as an architect with Frederick Development Inc., or FDI, and didn’t really need his family’s money. His grandmother had outlived her only child, his late mother, leaving Cooper the sole heir to her estate.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling to the receptionist sitting at the small desk just inside the door. “I’m Cooper Landers. I believe I have a meeting this morning with Mr. Smithson.” Cooper had accompanied his grandmother to her lawyer’s office several times, but he didn’t ever remember this particular receptionist.

“Yes, sir,” the young woman answered. As she rose from behind her desk, he watched her brushed her left hand over her dress, straightening out non-existent wrinkles. “Right this way,” she said as she escorted Cooper down a long corridor to a corner office. Entering the room, the receptionist flashed a huge smile. “Mr. Smithson will be with you shortly. Can I get you something to drink while you wait?” she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Cooper wasn’t a vain man, but he could have sworn she was coming on to him. “No, thank you,” he replied politely.

“Very well,” the young receptionist answered, seemingly disappointed to be leaving him alone.

How odd, Cooper thought as he walked over to look at the expansive view Mr. Smithson had of the city below. Prime real estate. He knew several of the attorney’s clients, having gone to prep school with their children. One did not hire this lawyer unless one had an extensive portfolio.

Cooper turned just as Mr. Smithson entered the office. “Cooper, how nice to see you again.” The older man extended his hand, and added, “I just wish it were under more cheerful circumstances.”

“Thank you,” Cooper replied as he shook the lawyer’s hand. “Yes, Grandmother lived a long, active life. I think we were all a bit shocked to hear she’d passed in her sleep.” Cooper was happy to hear she hadn’t suffered in any way.

“Please have a seat and we’ll get started with the reading of the will,” Mr. Smithson said, walking around to sit at his desk. He opened a legal-size folder and looked at the will before him. “Now, before I get started, please know that this will contains your grandmother’s wishes. She revised it only a few weeks ago. She wanted me to give you this letter to read after you leave here.” At the questioning look Cooper gave him as he handed the letter over, Mr. Smithson added, “I’m guessing it’s personal in nature and she didn’t want it included in the will.”

Cooper took the letter from the lawyer and thought how strange it was. His grandmother had been quite vocal with her opinions when she’d been alive, so he found it odd that she’d felt the need to write him a letter to be opened after he’d heard the contents of her will. “Is it a good thing I’m sitting down for this?” he asked curiously.

Mr. Smithson just smiled. Of course, he thinks this is entertaining, Cooper thought. He knows what’s in the will. “Okay, let me hear what strangeness my grandmother has in store for me,” Cooper said, sitting back in the comfortable high-back leather chair and crossing his right leg over his left.

Mr. Smithson began, “I, Priscilla Marie Bordan, being of sound mind and body, do hereby decree this to be my final will and testament . . . .”

***

While lounging on his brown leather sofa nursing a bourbon on the rocks later that evening, Cooper stared at the letter sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He was still in disbelief at the contents of his grandmother’s will. He’d never heard of such a request, but then again, his grandmother was not your normal cookie-baking grandmother. Cooper was actually afraid to open the letter. God only knew what other demands she might have placed on him. “I think I’ve had enough fun for one day,” Cooper said out loud. “This can wait for another time.”

Finishing his drink and getting up to take his glass to the kitchen, Cooper stood looking at his well-appointed condo in one of the high-rise buildings overlooking the river. He thought about his grandmother’s request, and decided maybe part of it wasn’t so strange after all. He walked back into the living room and picked up his cellphone, dialing the one number he knew could be the answer to a fresh start.

“Hello, Cooper,” Peter Frederick answered cheerfully. “How’s life in the big city?”

Cooper grunted and asked, “Are the Cotton Mill Condos ready for occupancy?” Cooper had designed them, but hadn’t expressed an interest in buying one, until now.

“The corner unit on the second floor has your name on it,” Peter assured him. “We’d love to have you move to our humble little town.”

“Good. Give me a few weeks to take care of things here, and I’ll be down,” Cooper told him. “This small town better be as relaxing as you say it is, Peter.” All Cooper had heard from Peter and some of the other employees was how wonderful Hope Springs was. He sure hoped that was true.

“Come on down and see for yourself,” Peter said. “I’ll have office space for you as well.”

“Sounds good,” Cooper answered. “See you in a few weeks.”

***

Peter hung up the phone and turned to his wife, Chandler. “Looks like another eligible bachelor is moving to Hope Springs.”

“Really?” Chandler Frederick asked, surprised.

“Yes, Cooper Landers has decided to move to Hope Springs,” Peter answered. “He said he’s ready for some relaxation.”

Chandler moved to readjust the pillow she’d been leaning on. As comfortable as her sofa was, her newly-growing baby bump was already making it more difficult to be in a comfortable position for too long. “Well, I think Hope Springs is definitely relaxing. And who knows, he may meet someone here he can relax with.” Silently she already knew there was a woman who would be perfect for him.

Peter gave his wife a sideways glance and laughed. “Yes, dear,” he said, leaning in to kiss Chandler on the cheek. “I’m sure you already have someone in mind.” Peter wasn’t sure if Cooper was ready for the women of Hope Springs.

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The Inn at Hope Springs

jskinnell

inn-at-hope-springs-cover-copy.jpgSo thrilled to announce that the fourth book in my Hope Springs Romance Series, The Inn at Hope Springs is now available for purchase on Amazon! Click here for all the details!

What’s it about?!

Luann Freeman’s dream of moving back to her hometown of Hope Springs and opening her own bed and breakfast is finally coming to fruition. However, the dilapidated Victorian she and her partners purchased needs a major overhaul.

Joshua Burke has been tasked with overseeing the work of transforming the Victorian into The Inn at Hope Springs. He has never lived in a small town and is only in Hope Springs because he works for Frederick Development Inc.

While working to transform the inn, Luann and Joshua are not on the same page about anything. Joshua was raised with a domineering father, and cannot get past the idea of a woman on his job site, let alone owning her own business. Luann was raised, like most of the women of Hope Springs, to be an independent, strong, successful businesswoman. This is hardly a match made in heaven!

As the two continue to work on the inn, however, their relationship begins to grow. When a secret from Joshua’s past threatens to wreck everything, it’s up to the ladies of the Advice Quilting Bee, along with a nosy spirit, to bring this couple together in The Inn at Hope Springs.

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Love and Happy Reading,

Jennifer

Jennifer Skinnell is the author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon. She is also a travel blogger, and you can find out about her travels on The Rambling Quilter

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Exciting News!

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Three announcements to share!!

  1. Book Sale and Signing:   I’ll have copies of the first three installments in my Hope Springs Romance Series to purchase at the Gift Shop. 

    WMCA Gift Shop 2nd Annual Book Signing Event
    Featuring Local Authors
    Pam Webber, Jennifer Skinnell, Jay Foreman
    Friday, October 11, 2019
    11am-2pm
    North Tower Lobby

    Lite refreshments included

    Proceeds Benefit the Cancer Center

  2.  Book Sale and Signing:

Winchester Book Gallery
7 North Loudoun Street
Winchester, VA
Saturday, November 2, 2019
11am – 1pm

I’ll have copies of the first three installments my Hope Springs Romance Series, PLUS . .

3. New Release!!

The Inn at Hope Springs will be available by the end of October!! I’m so excited to share with you the fourth installment of my Hope Springs Romance Series. More info coming on the exact release date. I will DEFINITELY have copies available for purchase at my November signing!!

Jennifer Skinnell is the author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon here.

Check out her travel blog, The Rambling Quilter, here.

 

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One Sweet Development Re-release with New Content

jskinnell

So excited to announce the re-release of One Sweet Development with a new look and added content!

The ebook is now available for pre-order on Amazon following the link below. The paper book will be available on 2/23.

Buy One Sweet Development Here!

Jennifer Skinnell is the author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon.

Hope Springs Romance Series, Uncategorized

It’s Time To Love Again

jskinnell

I’m happy to announce that It’s Time to Love Again is now available!  Go to my Amazon author page to purchase in eBook, Kindle Unlimited and Paperback! Read below for all the details in this third installment in my Hope Springs Romance Series!

The new tavern owner is causing quite a stir in Hope Springs, and the Ladies of the Advice Quilting Bee have found the perfect match for him!

It’s been two years since Andrea Porter became a widow after her beloved Jeremy succumbed to cancer. Her friends have been telling her it’s time to start dating again, but she’s just not sure. There really isn’t anyone in Hope Springs who interests her, that is until Keith Carson moves to town with Frederick Development, Inc. and decides to convert the vacant hardware store to a tavern.

Keith Carson has been single for a very long time and likes that just fine. He has moved to Hope Springs to open the Hope Springs Tavern with his business partners, and never dreamed he’d meet someone in such a small town. But now that he has, can he really have a relationship with Andrea? No one knows the secret he’s been keeping locked inside, and he’d just as soon keep it that way.

But Rosie Macintire has been around long enough to know that her dear Andrea and Keith Carson are perfect for each other. If only she can keep Myrtle Freeman and the Little Old Lady Network from interfering until she can find out the secret that’s holding Keith back from committing to Andrea….

The biggest dilemma when you lose the one you love is knowing when it’s time to love again.

Hope you enjoy it! And be sure to check out the first two in the series, One Sweet Development and Patience For Love in case you missed them! Available now on Amazon!

Love and Happy Reading,

Jennifer

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Sneak Peak at “It’s Time To Love Again”

jskinnell

The countdown to the release of my third book, It’s Time To Love Again, is on! Coming Monday, November 12!! Here’s a sneak peak:

PROLOGUE
Two Years Ago

Andrea sat at the graveside surrounded by the ladies who’d been by her side for most of the previous year. She’d only known them for three years, but they took care of her as if she’d grown up in Hope Springs.

As the cold January wind whipped at the flaps of the funeral tent meant to protect the mourners from the elements, Andrea pulled her long coat a little tighter around her. How had she gotten here? Not to the cemetery, but to this place in her life where she was now all alone.

She heard the minister talking, but she wasn’t really listening. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. This wasn’t the plan. They were supposed to grow old together in Hope Springs, working in their diner until they were too old to do it anymore. There were no children to take over and keep their small-town diner going.

But now she was alone, no Jeremy and no children. Just three years after the diner opened, their dream was over. She didn’t want to even think about going on by herself. That wasn’t part of the plan either.

Soon the minister was reciting the Lord’s Prayer, with all the mourners joining in. Andrea looked to her left and saw Jeremy’s parents staring stone-faced at the casket that now contained the remains of their only son. She was sure that this wasn’t part of their plan either. While Andrea’s relationship with them had been strained at best, she still felt their pain. She also knew they held a resentment toward her for the move she and Jeremy had made to Hope Springs. His parents had wanted them to stay in upstate New York, but Jeremy had wanted to go south where the winters were less harsh. Andrea figured that once this was all over, she’d probably never see his parents again.

Rosie Macintire, who Andrea had come to love like a mother, sat to her right and reached out to hold Andrea’s hand. She knew the whole sordid story, and since Andrea had no other family, had stepped in to be present for her.

Soon the funeral director was instructing his staff to begin lowering the casket into the ground. Andrea could hear Jeremy’s mother begin to sob, but she was wrapped up in her own grief, and didn’t have the strength to console her. She’d leave that up to Jeremy’s father.

Once the service was over, the minister invited everyone to the firehouse for a lunch reception. Jeremy had been a member of the Hope Springs Volunteer Fire Department from the time they’d moved to town. The ladies of the Advice Quilting Bee, as well as other civic groups, had prepared the meal.

As her friends stood waiting, Andrea turned to her in-laws. “You’re welcome to join us. It would give you a chance to meet some of the wonderful people here in Hope Springs.”

Jeremy’s mother just gave Andrea a look that could best be described as a death stare. “You brought our son to this Godforsaken place to die,” she spat at Andrea. “I don’t want to meet any of these people. My son would still be alive if he’d had proper medical care.”

Her husband put his hand on the grieving mother’s shoulder. “Now honey, you know that’s not true,” he said, giving Andrea an apologetic look.

“Jeremy developed his cancer after we moved here, and had the best medical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital,” Andrea tried to explain.

“But if he’d still lived near us, I could have cared for him,” his mother cried. “I blame you for all of this.” She dropped to her knees next to the grave side. “And now he’s in this hole,” she sobbed.

Her husband turned to Andrea, “I’m so sorry about this. I had no idea she was feeling this way. I hope you know that deep down, we both know you did everything you could to take great care of our son. And we truly thank you for that. It’s just still such a shock.” He stopped and pulled Andrea aside. “He never told us it was terminal.”

Andrea felt for them even more upon hearing that. Unlike them, she’d had time to prepare. She’d seen him when the pain was unbearable and the drugs weren’t working anymore, and knew he was in a much better place. “I had no idea that Jeremy hadn’t told you,” she told Mr. Porter, sympathetically. “It’s just like Jeremy to not want you to see him suffering. Better to remember him the way he was when you last saw him, vibrant and healthy.”

Mr. Porter turned and glanced toward his wife, still on her knees with Rosie at her side trying to console her. “In some ways it may have been better,” he agreed, “but I think my wife would have been able to handle it better if we’d known.” He went to help his wife rise. “Come on honey, it’s time to go.”

Mrs. Porter got to her feet and gave Rosie a hug. “Thank you for your kindness,” she said.

“It might help you if you came to the firehouse and met some of Jeremy and Andrea’s friends,” Rosie told the grieving mother, hoping she’d accept the invitation, if not for herself, then for her husband.

She gave Rosie a small smile. “That’s very thoughtful, but I just don’t think I’m up to it.” Turning to her husband, she said, “I think I’d like to check out of our hotel and head home.”

Clearly her husband knew not to suggest anything else. He gave Rosie a hug and then reached out to Andrea. “Thank you again for everything. He was his happiest when he was with you,” he said, hugging her so tightly Andrea had trouble breathing. She could feel the pain radiating from his body as he said, “I hope we see each other again someday.”

Andrea smiled a small smile. “So do I.” As she watched them walk away, Andrea knew deep down that would probably never happen.

“Take as much time as you need, dear,” Rosie whispered as Andrea turned back toward her husband’s grave. Rosie and the others stood circled around Andrea like a warm quilt blocking the cold wind.

Bending to take a single white rose from the spray her quilting group had given, she turned to the women standing around her. “I’m so thankful for each and every one of you,” she told them. “Let’s get out of this cold.”

Watch for the link to my latest book coming Monday, November 12!

Jennifer Skinnell is the author of One Sweet Development and Patience for Love, the first two in the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon, indiebooks.com, and booksamillion.com.

 

Hope Springs Romance Series, Uncategorized

Patience For Love

jskinnell

Patience For Love is now available! Go to my Amazon author page  to purchase in eBook, Kindle Unlimited and Paperback! Read below for all the details in this second installment in my Hope Springs Romance Series!

The Ladies of the Advice Quilting Bee are at it again. And this time their target is the new town doctor, Jake Grainger. The ladies think he is the perfect match for their friend, and his nurse, Macy Greenburg.

Macy Greenburg moved to Hope Springs to get away from a doctor who stole her heart and stepped on it. And now it seems everyone in town thinks she’d be the perfect match for the new town doctor. But she’s not too sure.

Dr. Jake Grainger is just trying to get acclimated to life in a small town. He’s not used to everyone knowing his name or his business. And he certainly isn’t used to the matchmaking that seems to be going on with him as the target. Yes, he thinks his new nurse is cute, but if she won’t give him the time of day, how is he supposed to ask her out?

Under the guidance of Rosie Macintire, Jake decides to be patient with Macy and see where it leads. Unfortunately, Myrtle Freeman and her Little Old Lady Network have other plans. And why did Myrtle have to inform Jake that his house is still inhabited by the previous, now deceased, owners?

Macy has always felt that with her tumultuous past, she would not be worthy of Jake’s love. But while things seem to be going along well with Jake, she receives a package from the past. Now she feels he’s lied to her and she doesn’t know if she can trust him. Can Jake find a way to prove to her that she is worthy and he can be trusted, before it’s too late?

Hope you enjoy it! And be sure to check out the first in the series, One Sweet Development in case you missed it! Available now on Amazon!

Love and Happy Reading,

Jennifer