Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love -- a book review

Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love  

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It is actually  the second book in the ‘A Hickory Ridge Romance’ series. I haven’t read the first book and I think it would have made getting started in this one much easier. As it was, there were characters that I felt the author thought we should already know.  To her credit, by the end of the book, she had  done a very good job of working their stories into this one.

This story open with the main character, Carrie Daly, a young widow, preparing for her only brother’s wedding.  His bride, Mary, turns out to be a selfish, self centered woman with two children who she expects Carrie to take care of.  Mary’s treatment of Carrie is too much for her to take so she moves into the town boarding house for women.  Her suitor, Nate, owns a bookstore and she consents to work for him.  Into all this rides Griff Rutledge.  A man of questionable character, he is drawn to Carrie and she to him.  Here’s what the publisher says :

 “She’s a beautiful young widow. He’s a Southern gentleman with a thirst for adventure. Both need a place to call home.

After losing her husband in the Civil War, Carrie Daly is scared she will never have the family she longs for. Eligible bachelors are scarce in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, but Carrie has found love. Not the weak-in-the-knees kind, but something practical. Still, she isn't quite ready to set a wedding date with Nate Chastain.
Griff Rutledge is a former member of Charleston society, but has been estranged from his family for years. He’s determined to remain unattached, never settling in one place for too long. But when asked to train a Thoroughbred for an upcoming race in Hickory Ridge, he decides to stay awhile.
Despite objections from the townsfolk, and her fear that true happiness has eluded her, Carrie is drawn to Griff's kindness and charm. It will take a leap of faith for them to open their hearts and claim God's promise to give beauty for ashes.”

This was a very enjoyable book with plenty of action and humor and
grounded in Christian faith.  I’m planning to get the first book of the series to read all the stories of the characters that make an appearance in this one. 

 I give this a 4 out of 5 stars, mainly because it took me a while to get the characters and their relationships from the first book figured out.  She also has a third book in the series that I will want to read when it comes out. 

You can learn more about the author by going to her website http://dorothylovebooks.com/

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”