I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for Karey White's newest book, Broken Things To Mend. It's part of the Power of the Matchmaker series that releases a new book every month, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
This book was tender and emotional. Two broken, yet brave people, are facing loneliness, loss, and just trying to get by. Celia is fleeing a painful past and with nowhere to go, she opens a map and when a stray tear falls on Sisters, Oregon, that's where she decides to try to start over. She doesn't quite make it to her destination, however, and watches her bus leave without her, but a Chinese woman steps in to help. (Our Chinese matchmaker, Pearl, is such a fun character. I loved her interactions in the story.) Celia is drawn to her, but afraid to make any connections with anyone after what she's already been through. Coming to Sisters, though, changes her in a way that is all at once wonderful and scary at the same time. Pearl, her Chinese guardian angel introduces her to Silas, a forest ranger that doesn't seem to be able to meet her eyes and doesn't stick around much whenever he meets up with her. Celia doesn't know what to make of him at first, but his quiet steadiness pulls at something in her and she starts to want to see more of who he really is.
Silas is the tall silent type. He's dealt with loss in his life, but his stutter compounds that so he puts up walls around himself so he doesn't have to deal with mocking and pity. He is wary of Celia at first, but when he sees how vulnerable she is, it draws all his protective instincts out. He begins to get past his unease and embarrassment about his stutter and thinks more of her and how to get to know her better. Their relationship builds into something more and it was so sigh-worthy sweet. Everything is going along well until her secrets trickle out and the reader just knows no one will ever be the same after that.
This book will draw on every emotion you have as a reader. You can't help but feel for Celia and all she's been through and want to root for her to have a happy ending. But she's facing a lot of painful decisions with no right answers. Silas is such a strong hero, but even he isn't sure how to best help her. I was up so late turning pages just to see how the book would end for them. The ending wasn't what I expected, but was good and solid and left me with a smile as I closed the book. This author has really outdone herself in giving the reader three dimensional characters and a setting that is beautiful and adds to the story, but it's the emotional decisions, right and wrong, that make this a standout. I highly recommend this one.
(Don't forget to scroll down to enter the $50 giveaway!)
Here's the back copy:
Celia is in desperate need of a change--a change of scenery, a change of pace, and a complete redo of all relationships. Not knowing what else to do, she opens a map, closes her eyes, and lets fate decide her future. Then she packs her meager belongings and buys a one-way ticket to a little town on the fringes of Oregon's Deschutes National Forest called Sisters. She's wanted a family for years. Will she find one in Sisters? What Celia doesn't plan to find is a strange Chinese woman whose meddling ways keep throwing her in the path of a handsome, but reserved, forest ranger. But no matter how kind or dependable Silas seems to be, there are some things in Celia's past that neither of them can escape, and this time, the damage might be too much to mend.
About the Author:
Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.
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