I think this book was great. This was well written, and doesn't overdo the descriptions. It explains some of the back stories as you go along and meet with each of the characters. I got really into the book in the first 3 pages.Here are some extra tidbits to get you interested, hope you like them. :DJade wants to have a baby, but seems to be unable to, she always miscarries. Her husband Max and her mother-in-law June think they can adopt, and don't really need to actually choose "the right one".She thinks that because she had an abortion once, that God is saying that she blew her chance, to have one of her own, and she doesn't want to use a surrogate cause that bring another woman into their marriage intimately, and it would feel like cheating. She says if God wants them to have children, then they will when He decides. Max wants a boy and says if they don't get one then they can just keep trying.Jade's mom has leukemia, and she looks after her, as well as manages her 2 shops. She has a really old truck, and nothing really works in it.She find out her father-in-law is cheating (after she and the mother-in-law catch him). "'Love keeps no record of wrong,' Jade, if I recall Scripture accurately.""And 'Thou shall not commit adultery,' if I recall Scripture accurately," Jade shot back.With an unforgettable opening scene of shocking betrayal, Sara Evans along with Rachel Hauck, bring us back to Whisper Hollow, Tennessee and the life and times of Jade Fitzgerald Benson, whose tumultous story Evans and Hauck sketched for us in the first novel of this series, The Sweet By and By.Softy and Tenderly picks up the now married Jade and, along with her husband, Max, father-in-law Reb and mother-in-law June, and Jade's dying mother, Beryl, and toss them, and us, into a maelstrom of pain, betrayal, and faith as they navigate a series of personal revelations that drive Jade and June to Iowa as a way of gaining distance and perspective as well as taking Beryl home to die.Well written, emotionally powerful, and fast paced in theme and style, and published by Thomas Nelson, Softly and Tenderly takes the reader into the heart of relationships, the choices we make, the things we hide, and the fallout that is sometimes made public and their cumulative effect on our level and ability to trust in our most imtimate of all relationships - marriage.What I appreciate about this book is the simple honesty with which faith is brought into the story as a way of successfully coping and overcoming the heartache of infidelity as well as mistrust and personal disappointment without it appearing "preachy." And the memorable scenes and characters of the book are another delight and I think that Sara has done a great job with deepening them in this second book.If you enjoyed The Sweet By and By you will love Softly and Tenderly.And I am very much looking forward to Love Lifted Me as well!This book, and I think this series, would make a great reading club selection and I think that late High School and early adult women would enjoy it as well.On my unofficial offical rating scale of 1 (poor) through 5 (great) I rate this as a 5. It is a great read!Note: I received a free copy of this book to review as part of Thomas Nelson's blogger review program, Booksneeze in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review.
What do You think about Softly And Tenderly (2011)?
There are 3 books in this series.I enjoyed them all.Sweet easy reads.
—kay
It ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and I don't have book 3. Urggh!
—quietstorm
