Ever since Bethany Hanahan moved back to Bloomfield after her husband Charlie passed away two and a half years ago, people have been after her to get rid of the clutter - first her mother Naomi and then a few other garden club members who meant well. But until recently, she didn't see it as clutter. To Bethany, it was all about the memories. Charlie had been a wonderful husband and father before he found out he had advanced stage prostate cancer. After he passed away, her mother had tried to talk her into returning to Bloomfield, but she decided to wait until Ashley finished high school before moving into the modest house Charlie's parents had left them.
Charlie and Pete both worked for their families' businesses part-time during high school, with the understanding they'd eventually go full-time until their parent retired. Bethany and Charlie hung around for a couple of years, but he grew tired of Bloomfield and the small-town quirkiness. Leaving her family and friends, she moved away with him as soon as he could find a job. She compensated for her homesickness by finding joy in Charlie's happiness.
Bethany once thought they might eventually move back to Bloomfield, but after Ashley was born, that changed. Bethany and Charlie didn't want to pull their daughter away from the church-based social life that kept her busy with so many activities. But now all of that changed with Charlie's death. If only she could find a way to part with the many knick knacks that now filled her small home literally to overflowing leaving no room for movement or cleaning. If only she knew a way to do that, she just might more than light at the end of the tunnel in moving on.
In the novel For the Love of Pete by Debby Mayne, Bethany Hanahan remains at the center of what her mother Naomi believes is best for her and trying to find a happy medium to keep her sanity in tack. She just isn't ready to part with the overflowing keepsakes from Charlie's mother, the gifts that Charlie and Ashley have helped her collect over the years they had with one another, but now it seems that everyone knows what's best for Bethany without taking her feelings into consideration. All except Pete, who has always carried a torch for Bethany since he and Charlie vied for her heart so many years ago. But Pete isn't sure when will be the right time to tell her how he felt even though everyone else in town can see it as plain as day. Is there hope for Pete to find a way into Bethany's already cluttered and overflowing life? Only time will tell!
I received For the Love of Pete by Debby Mayne compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and B and H Publishing Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. I can understand the conflicts that Bethany is facing with each object that has filled her home. It carries with it the time and place of someone close to her, the day she got it and most importantly the love she feels by touching it and remembering. Her mother only wants to see her moving on with her life instead of remaining locked away in her home with only things from the past keeping her company. Pete is the perfect hero to come along at a time when she really needs a true friend! I rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars and love how well Debby Mayne put all the elements together to create a truly remarkable series readers will love.
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- Series: A Bloomfield Novel
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: B&H Books (January 15, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 143367730X
- ISBN-13: 978-1433677304
- Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
