Wishing on Willows

February 18, 2013
Robin Price is a widow with a three-year-old and a struggling café in Peaks, Iowaâa dream she and her late husband had. That dream is threatened when handsome developer Ian McKay comes to the small town with big plans for condominiums that will breathe needed economic life into the area. That development threatens not only Robin's café, but also a nearby ministry. The development battle is on, even as Robin's and Ian's unspoken attraction grows. Ganshert brings some nice touches to this inspirational romance: she's got a good ear for the speech and interests of toddlers, and she handles romantic tension well. But her drama is lazy: the value of the ministry is stated, not shown, and Robin is given too much pathos (her mother's dead as well as her husband). Ian is more successfully developed, but he's also carrying a heavy load of back story. Sometimes less is more. Agent: Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such Literary Agency.

April 15, 2013

Four years after her husband died, Robin is raising her young son, Caleb, and running the Willow Tree Cafe in the small Iowa town of Peaks. Things go awry when developer Ian McKay arrives in town, determined to build condominiums that would displace not only the cafe, but the nearby ministry. Tensions fly as the town divides over the issue, while Robin and Ian try to deny their mutual attraction. VERDICT Ganshert (Wildflowers from Winter) tackles difficult topics head-on, dealing honestly with themes of loss and redemption while creating believable, sympathetic characters. Karen Kingsbury fans will delight in discovering a promising new author.

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