This Book was supplied to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers through NetGalley for a review in return.

Book Description

Hope Springs, North Carolina, is the epitome of small town life-a place filled with quiet streets where families have been friends for generations, a place where there's not a lot of change. Until three women suddenly find themselves planted there for a season.

Janelle hasn't gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn't long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened.

My Review

This book is the first book of Kim Cash Tate's that I have read and I guarantee you, it will not be the last one either. She has a way of intertwining everyone into her story, you feel like you are there.

I love how Kim just draws you into her stories and this one is GREAT. I felt very close to Grandma Geri because she reminded me of what my grandma would have been like if she had lived long enough. I was only 7 when she passed away.

This story intertwines Janelle, Stephanie and Libby and I love how Kim just brings them so close together and how Jesus changes their lives. At first, I felt sorry for Janelle since she lost her husband and has to raise her kids. But, as the story goes on, you can see Jesus working in her heart. I thoroughly love that.

I grew really close to all of them, but I think I loved Grandma Geri the best. She was struggling through some pretty deep issues and I won't tell you what they are because that would spoil it for you. She gets cancer and what she endures is amazing but she never left the Lord, if anything she grew closer.

Thank you Thomas Nelson Publishers for giving me a chance to read and review this WONDERFUL book. Thank you, Kim Cash Tate for giving us all a good book to read and learn how Jesus moves. I just have to say this one thing, "Jesus does not move, we do". Just a thought.

I would suggest this book most definitely to my friends and family.

Reading Hope Springs was like stepping into the town itself. I could relate to so many of the characters, and I almost felt as if I was a part of their close-knit family.

The women in this book face struggles that we all deal with, sometimes even daily. Libby struggles with her dating relationships and the paralyzing fear of commitment. Stephanie is living a comfortable life, the one she carefully planned for, but feelings of discontent have her wondering if there's something more. Becca has finally been given the opportunity of a lifetime, the very thing she's always dreamed of, but what happens if it is immediately taken away? And could her husband's calling be different than her own? Janelle is still grieving her husband's death and is raising her two children on her own, wondering what is the next step in her life. Sara Ann desires to do more to serve her Lord, but fears that she isn't worthy, isn't good enough.

The small town of Hope Springs is honestly synonymous for many, many small towns and communities. Having grown up in a small southern town myself, I've seen first-hand the lines of segregation that still exist today. Miss Tate did an exemplary of presenting this issue in an honest, factual way. As Christians, these lines that we draw, regardless if they are racial, social, or simply lines of bitterness are dividing the plans and blessings that God has in store for us.

This story is also a great example of how easily secrets, feelings of prejudice and things left unspoken can tear a family apart. Learning to let go can be the hardest thing, but the most beautiful, and rewarding thing in the very end.

Hope Springs is the third novel Kim Cash Tate has written around the Sanders family, preceded by Faithful and Cherished.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book through a publicity agency. However I was not required to write a positive review, the opinions listed above are entirely my own.

The Sanders family gathers in Hope Springs for their annual fun-filled, family-packed Christmas. When Grandma Gerri is diagnosed with cancer, cousins Stephanie, Libby, and Janelle volunteer to stay in town to help care for her. They quickly become friends with Becca, newly arrived in Hope Springs following her father-in-law's sudden death. Family and lifelong friends are reunited for an emotional journey. They will all be changed forever.

After reading Cherished last fall, I knew I had to read more from Kim Cash Tate. I was excited to learn that Hope Springs follows more members of the Sanders clan and I wasn't disappointed! Hope Springs is a warm yet emotional story of three women trying to live the life God wants for them. While some stories like this leave me feeling sad or a little down after reading them, Hope Springs was filled with hope and left me with a satisfied sigh at the end.

The characters were completely real, and Kim shared the good, the bad, and the ordinary about each of them. There were quite a few people and stories going on simultaneously. I often get confused with so many characters, but it didn't bother me in this book. (And the family tree at the beginning helped as well!) I was drawn to each of the characters for one reason or another, which helped me connect with them and want to know how their particular story turned out. Similarly, several plot lines ran throughout the book, but they were told in such a way that it seemed just like . . . well . . . real life. :)

Tate certainly didn't shy away from dealing with tough topics either! Death, adultery, disunity in the Church, single parenting, racism, pride, and sexual immorality are brought up in this book. Every issue was presented realistically and with grace and redemption in mind.

Kim Cash Tate is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors. With realistic characters and engaging plots, I highly recommend Hope Springs to anyone who enjoys stories filled with drama, faith, emotion, and romance. My fingers are crossed that we'll be reading more about the Sanders family in the (near!) future!

[5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson and Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Hope Springs is a small town in North Carolina...held together by two churches...one white Calvery and the other black New Jerusalem.

The story starts when Jim Anderson pastor of Calvery passes away. He lives next door to Geri Sanders and their families have lived by each other most all of their lives. Both families come back to town for his services.

This book becomes a compelling read, and we are soon immersed in the lives of these families.

While in town it is found out that Grandma Geri is dying of lung cancer. This fact changes a lot of lives, and the family begins to focus mainly on her well being.

The center of the story are the lives of Granddaughters Janelle, Stephanie, Libby, and Becca Anderson...her husband is called to take over his Dad's Church.

Throughout this book I found God leading, yes there are hard times, and a lot of tears shed. Don't miss this page turning read!

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Group and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

I just finished reading Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate and have to say it is one whopper of a novel. It deals with so many issues — divorce and remarriage, illegitimate children, racism as well as family relationships and losses and more. I love Grandma Geri from the very first time I met her. What spunk she had, what love, and yet she had faults and regrets. She reminds me of my own mother, who will be 86 in July.

The story is actually the story of three cousins Janelle, Becca and Stephanie who have their own issues to face, but it all happens in small town Hope Springs, North Carolina, where two races live side by side with friendships that run deep, yet divided, most notably on Sundays.

One of the lessons I learned and will take with me is disappointment can be a time of humility and drawing closer to God. Yes, this is an inspirational novel, complete with a study guide, but don't let that turn you away from reading this book. It deals with daily issues and actually looks at racism from both sides of the line.

Until I had read through the study questions to the very end I did not realize that Faithful was about the same families. Because I want to know more about the background to Hope Springs New, I will probably look for this novel as well but not because one is incomplete without the other.

I received this book free from Nelson Publishers through their booksneeze program for the purpose of writing a review. I was not required to write a positive review for them, and the opionions stated are my own.