Weaving The Strands
(4.7 / 5)
From Kirkus Reviews:
“…things move along at a pleasantly fast clip, and the dialogue jumps from the page. Evocative details and scenes bring the story to life…A charming …romance with a memorable leading lady.” Kirkus Reviews
The beloved Rosemont saga continues with secrets in the shadows and love in the air.
Maggie Martin’s plans to start a serene new life in Westbury are not going smoothly. In this second book in the beloved Rosemont series, Maggie finds herself at the epicenter of Westbury’s worsening financial crises. She’s juggling a demanding new job, a lovelorn daughter, too many guests for Thanksgiving dinner, and an uncertain relationship with her favorite veterinarian. Throw in an attic full of surprises and Maggie has her hands full.
Her nemesis on the Town Council, wealthy businessman Frank Haynes, is up to what he does best—no good. He’s poking around in her late husband’s shady past to unearth anything unsavory to gain the upper hand over Maggie. But his new assistant from Scottsdale, Arizona, may have her own tricks up her sleeve.
Meanwhile, the ballroom dance craze sweeps Westbury, an elderly couple affirms the universal truth that love is ageless, and timeless holiday traditions are honored.
Will the winds of change blow favorably or foul for Maggie? Curl up and lose yourself in the enchanting world surrounding Rosemont and its irrepressible owner.
A fun, fast read to lose yourself in over a weekend or on vacation.
Weaving the Strands is now available as an audiobook! Audible.com has done a fantastic job and narrator Dina Pearlman continues to share the stories of Maggie, Frank and the residents of Westbury.
Reviews
What an enjoyable weekend escape! I loved her first book and the second one was just as engaging. Really, contemporary romance at it’s best! Great story line, wonderful characters and a house i want to live in. Cannot WAIT for the third book.
Lighthearted, love the tale of a house that brings family together. Can’t wait for the next book. I love when goodness and love win against evil.
Another sweet, tightly woven tale from this author. The plot is engaging, the characters are likeable, and the book made you want to know what was coming next. It was a sweet story with wonderful people in it and a totally fun read.
A small-town tale of romance and corruption.
Hinske’s (Coming to Rosemont, 2012) second novel delves further into the adventures of Maggie Martin, a forensic accountant-turned-reluctant mayor of Westbury, a Norman Rockwell-esque Midwestern town—at least on the surface. Maggie, who in the previous book won the election with a last-minute write-in campaign, must now pick up the pieces after the previous mayor embezzled from the city treasury. Unfortunately, the solution likely involves cuts to employee salaries and pensions, which has made Maggie unpopular with constituents. Plus, she suspects that several council members might still be playing fast and loose with the town’s funds. She finds solace in Rosemont, the beautiful estate left to her by her dead husband, and her relationship with local vet Dr. John Allen. But Maggie devotes so much time to her mayoral duties that she neglects John, and the relationship sours. The corruption angle takes a back seat to various romances, from spunky Maggie’s evolving relationship with John to her daughter Susan’s budding affair with a young doctor to the sweet saga of elderly Glenn and Gloria, who fall in love as they fight to save their retirement community (which is facing foreclosure due to the town’s financial troubles). Meanwhile, the question of what’s really going on with the town’s finances remains unanswered, despite the appearance of mysterious papers in a dusty attic, a murder staged to look like a suicide and a corrupt council member with a propensity for violence. Hinske has an appealing heroine in Maggie, a middle-aged woman with a zest for living; she’s now struggling to find her footing after some major, and unexpected, personal changes…things move along at a pleasantly fast clip, and the dialogue jumps from the page. Evocative details and scenes bring the story to life, such as a big family Thanksgiving dinner and Maggie’s successful (and amusing) foray into online dating.
A charming… romance with a memorable leading lady.
Barbara Hinske writes to bring salvation to the working classes. Westbury is a world onto itself and the perfect setting for the next chapters in Maggie Martin’s life. A forensic accountant whose life is still under the cloud of her two timing embezzling college president husband is not your usual romance novel heroine. Weaving the Strands breaks ranks with the usual formulas and provides a compelling excuse to shut down and turn off the world for a few hours. Barbara Hinske is quickly becoming one of the new masters of the contemporary romance. Weaving the Strands proves this. Hit the button and place your order without delay! You will become a Hinske fan and come away wanting to read more of Maggie Martin.
What an enjoyable weekend escape! I loved her first book and the second one was just as engaging. Really, contemporary romance at it’s best! Great story line, wonderful characters and a house i want to live in. Cannot WAIT for the third book.
When reading romance novels, I generally find myself skimming paragraphs of superfluous setting, desperate dialogue, and lurid description, searching for an actual plot.
Barbara Hinske’s ‘Weaving the Strands‘ is different. It’s dedicated to carrying the story. Vivid glimpses of Rosemont, the heroine’s grand home, and small town Westbury are cleverly woven into the action. Relationships between villains and heroes, including Frank Haynes and Maggie Martin, evolve through dialogue and thought. And romantic moments are filled with warmth, tenderness, and sometimes even a touch of humor.
This contemporary romance has feel good written throughout, and the underlying suspense will keep you turning pages and then asking Hinske: “When do I get to read number three?” For romance lovers—and for those who have jilted the genre, soured by puffed-up descriptions or lack of a good story line—I highly recommend you read this book!
Lighthearted, love the tale of a house that brings family together. Can’t wait for the next book. I love when goodness and love win against evil.
Another sweet, tightly woven tale from this author. The plot is engaging, the characters are likeable, and the book made you want to know what was coming next. It was a sweet story with wonderful people in it and a totally fun read.