Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

family sagas

What it looks like to follow a dream: Review of Two Roads Home by Deborah Raney

One strength of family sagas like this one by Deborah Raney is the chance to zoom in on one family within the family while still catching up with characters we met before. Two Roads Home shows us Corinne and Jesse Pennington, who are living the dream. Sort of. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.)

two roads homeWith three girls and a beautiful house, Corinne is satisfied with her life as a stay-at-home mom, even as chaotic as it can be. Jesse has a good job that provides for his family, but he’s been harboring a dream and he’s afraid to tell his wife because it will mean drastic change. Then he’s hit with harassment charges by a co-worker with a grudge, and the Penningtons are forced to act to save their family and protect their daughters.

Meanwhile, parents Grant and Audrey Whitman face trials with the inn they’ve dreamed of operating. With an empty nest, they, too, are living a dream, but wrestle with maintaining a balance between work and family.

Two Roads Home is the second book in the Chicory Inn series. To read about the first story, Home to Chicory Lane, click here.

I know you’ll love the Whitman family with all their problems. Raney weaves real-life annoyances and major setbacks into these families’ lives making them all the more real. (I’m not personally a fan of the TV show Parenthood, but I think if you liked that show, you’d like these books and this family.)

This story in particular resonated in my life as the whole topic of dreams and major changes is one I’ve been thinking about. This quote stuck out:

There’s never a perfect time for change. Sometimes you just have to do it.

I look forward to the next installment of this family’s drama and I’m so glad to have finally discovered Raney’s writing.

Two Roads Home Deborah Raney 

Solid series start: Review of Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney

It has taken me a decade to pick up a book by Deborah Raney, despite glowing recommendations from trusted friends.  Ten years ago, I attended a writers’ conference where she was on faculty and in my ignorance of the industry back then, I’d never heard of her or her books. Times have changed for the better, and even though I follow her on Facebook, I still hadn’t read anything by her until now.

Home-to-Chicory-Lane-PKWhen an author has been writing books for a long time, I often don’t know where to start. Should I read their early works so I get feel for their style or just start with something new? I took the plunge on Raney’s latest, Home to Chicory Lane, when it was offered for review by Litfuse Publicity Group. (I received a free copy of the book.)

And it’s just as delightful as I might have expected. Raney has an approachable charm to her Facebook posts and I find her writing to be the same. Home to Chicory Lane is the first in a new series focusing on the Whitman family. In this one, we meet the cast of characters, led by parents Audrey and Grant who have recently turned their family home into a bed-and-breakfast. On the opening weekend of the inn, their newly wed youngest daughter shows up unexpectedly, without her husband, and her parents suspect trouble.

The book is equally balanced between the two storylines: Landyn and Chase, the newlyweds, and Audrey and Grant, the new business owners. Other family members make appearances and it will be fun to find out what further antics are in store for this family.

I’m more and more fond of these family saga type of stories and the focus on individual characters in separate books. In this one, particularly, I enjoyed the banter between siblings and the real-life emotions that surface in families during times of stress and trial. This is not a picture-perfect family that makes you want to puke. The Whitmans are pursuing dreams and struggling financially and facing hardships, and though their love for each other is apparent, there is no shortage of angry outbursts or words spoken in stress.

This was just a realistic family that drew me in to their lives. (And the Midwestern setting didn’t hurt. I’m a bit homesick for the Midwest these days.)

So, don’t be like me: Don’t wait 10 years to read a book by Deborah Raney! You’ll be missing out on some enjoyable fiction.

Also not to miss: this $200 B&B giveaway as part of the book’s launch. Read on for the details about how you can win!

The first book in Deborah Raney‘s new Chicory Inn series, Home to Chicory Lane, introduces us to Audrey Whitman, a mother who has launched all her children into life and now looks forward to fulfilling some of her own dreams during her empty-nest years. However, not all of her children are ready to stay out of the nest quite yet.

Deborah is celebrating the release of her new series with a $200 B&B Weekend Getaway and a Facebook author chat party.

chicory-400-click

One winner will receive:

  • A B&B Weekend Getaway (via a $200 Visa cash card)
  • Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 9th. Winner will be announced at the Home to Chicory Lane Author Chat Party on 9/9. Deborah will be hosting a heartfelt book chat, giving away prizes, and answering questions from readers. She will also share an exclusive sneak peek at the next book in the Chicory Inn series!

So grab your copy of Home to Chicory Lane and join Deborah on the evening of September 9th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 9th!