Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

Let me say upfront that I love this author. I have read several of her series and am a fan.  Her characters are well written, the communities interesting and have depth; having said that, though I would recommend the Moses Lake series, that this book is book four of, I don’t know if I can recommend this book.  Constantly switching back and forth from present day with Allie to Civil War period with Bonnie Rose is confusing.  Half way through the book – if you can make it that long the story does finally pick up pace and get more interesting. The end is well worth it – if you can make it that far, but it is dependent on the early stages of the book.

“When you love someone- really love someone – that person’s happiness becomes your own happiness. I had figured that out. Life isn’t about protecting yourself, it’s about tearing the box wide open and letting other people in. The people you meet come with lessons to teach.  Kim taught me to be bold. To take risks. To jump in with both feet instead of always standing on the shore worrying about getting my shoes wet.” This is a reminder that Lisa Wingate is good at. Finding a moral to the story, hope for the future, finding and giving love a chance.  We all need the reminder offered here that life isn’t for the meek – in order to have a full life you need to be a person willing to step out in faith.

If this book makes you reconsider giving Lisa Wingate’s novels a chance – let me ask you to try again. Try her Texas Cooking series. It is a series that I go back to time and time again. The characters are well written, and a community you want to move into – though just as interested in everyone’s business as any small town in America.