River's End

We all know at some point in our lives, chapters in our life stories must reach an end before new one's begin and that is just what happens in the conclusion to the Inn at the Shining Water Series of books by Melody Carlson, River's End. It's a book of some sadness, anxiety, hope and of course new waters to chart, but it is also filled with the most heartbreaking and sweetest goodbyes as well.

If you have followed the series from the beginning with River's Song, you learn about Anna's story and her Indian heritage and why the river holds a place for her people and offers any who come to live here a chance for healing and restoration. In River's Call, we learn about Anna's daughter Lauren and the healing of a broken relationship between Anna and Lauren, and finally now a grandmother in River's End, and the prodigal returning home of her missing granddaughter, Sarah who has gone without a trace for two years. She has answered the call of the river and came home.

Now as history repeats itself, mother and daughter are at odds and bitterness between the two continues to escalate as one tries to heal and the other tries find a path towards forgiveness. Each is trying too hard to make the other one see the path towards new beginnings as Sarah returns home from living in a commune in Oregon that seems to have inspired a bit of sadness and harbors grudges towards her mother for not being good enough while she was growing up. Lauren on the other hand wants nothing more than to apologize and move forward without recognizing the pain and hurt that Sarah is carrying within her heart, she wants the quick band aid fix but the pain goes much deeper than Lauren realizes.

As Anna tries to help them work together to find healing along the water by working at the Inn during the summer season, it only seems to do nothing more but cause each of them to avoid the other for the sake of not getting into heated confrontations, and drive them further apart. Anna's mother-in-law, Hazel, returns home from a long trip in China only to return home ill. Anna hopes some old-fashioned home made remedies might do her some good but soon we find out that Hazel's heart has grown much older than she feels and Anna and Clark along with some of the readers must find a way to say good-bye to a loveable character that has been so prominent from the very beginning. Will Lauren and Sarah find healing in the passing legacy Hazel has to leave behind, or will the river's call go unanswered between the two?

I received River's End compliments of Abingdon Press and Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review. In this series it shows the lasting consequences that can happen when we let bitterness poison our hearts and keep us from the opportunity to say our final good-byes to those we love the most. It shows how forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook for the pain they have caused, but more about the healing that happens within our own hearts when we can let the burden go and finally move forward in freedom spiritually. While the river I believe is a metaphor for the spiritual river all of us have running through our lives, we must all heed to its call and return home to God, for without it we will be left in a faithless drought and always be searching in thirst for something to fill it unless it's God. Only He can fill the emptiness in anyone's life and that's why I rate this series a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. Trust me, you'll want to read this series from the first book to gain all the insight you can from Melody Carlson's words!

For more information on River's End, Melody Carlson and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

River's End by Melody Carlson

You can also find Melody Carlson on Facebook!

River's End

We all know at some point in our lives, chapters in our life stories must reach an end before new one's begin and that is just what happens in the conclusion to the Inn at the Shining Water Series of books by Melody Carlson, River's End. It's a book of some sadness, anxiety, hope and of course new waters to chart, but it is also filled with the most heartbreaking and sweetest goodbyes as well.

If you have followed the series from the beginning with River's Song, you learn about Anna's story and her Indian heritage and why the river holds a place for her people and offers any who come to live here a chance for healing and restoration. In River's Call, we learn about Anna's daughter Lauren and the healing of a broken relationship between Anna and Lauren, and finally now a grandmother in River's End, and the prodigal returning home of her missing granddaughter, Sarah who has gone without a trace for two years. She has answered the call of the river and came home.

Now as history repeats itself, mother and daughter are at odds and bitterness between the two continues to escalate as one tries to heal and the other tries find a path towards forgiveness. Each is trying too hard to make the other one see the path towards new beginnings as Sarah returns home from living in a commune in Oregon that seems to have inspired a bit of sadness and harbors grudges towards her mother for not being good enough while she was growing up. Lauren on the other hand wants nothing more than to apologize and move forward without recognizing the pain and hurt that Sarah is carrying within her heart, she wants the quick band aid fix but the pain goes much deeper than Lauren realizes.

As Anna tries to help them work together to find healing along the water by working at the Inn during the summer season, it only seems to do nothing more but cause each of them to avoid the other for the sake of not getting into heated confrontations, and drive them further apart. Anna's mother-in-law, Hazel, returns home from a long trip in China only to return home ill. Anna hopes some old-fashioned home made remedies might do her some good but soon we find out that Hazel's heart has grown much older than she feels and Anna and Clark along with some of the readers must find a way to say good-bye to a loveable character that has been so prominent from the very beginning. Will Lauren and Sarah find healing in the passing legacy Hazel has to leave behind, or will the river's call go unanswered between the two?

I received River's End compliments of Abingdon Press and Net Galley for my honest review. In this series it shows the lasting consequences that can happen when we let bitterness poison our hearts and keep us from the opportunity to say our final good-byes to those we love the most. It shows how forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook for the pain they have caused, but more about the healing that happens within our own hearts when we can let the burden go and finally move forward in freedom spiritually. While the river I believe is a metaphor for the spiritual river all of us have running through our lives, we must all heed to its call and return home to God, for without it we will be left in a faithless drought and always be searching in thirst for something to fill it unless it's God. Only He can fill the emptiness in anyone's life and that's why I rate this series a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. Trust me, you'll want to read this series from the first book to gain all the insight you can from Melody Carlson's words!

For more information on River's End, Melody Carlson and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

River's End by Melody Carlson

You can also find Melody Carlson on Facebook!

River's Call

The Shining Waters Inn offers its guests a place to relax, and find peace and healing beside the Siuslaw River. Now that it's gaining more popularity, Anna Larson is staying busier than ever before. Now that she and Clark are working full-time at expanding the Inn's lodging by building more cabins, she isn't prepared for the news that arrives during one late phone call from her daughter Lauren. She is sick and physically exhausted and needs her mom. When Anna sends for her daughter and offers her time to be cared for at the Inn, Lauren gratefully accepts.

However what was thought to be a severe case of the flu, turns out to be worse than anyone expected. Lauren's pregnant and the father, Donald Thomas has no idea. Now all Lauren can think of is how her college life is going to be ruined by her baby and considers abortion. Anna cringes at the thought but realizes she can only support her daughter, she can't make her do anything even if that goes against anything she believes.

Worse yet, when Donald does find out, he is already seeing another girl and doesn't know what to do. When Lauren's grandmother, Eunice finds out however, she figures she can manipulate everything so Lauren gets her way, marriage and happily ever after. But life doesn't always offer a happily ever after ending as soon everyone will find out as the river calls all of them back.

Melody Carlson once again has created a beautiful story of what forgiveness means through her second novel in the Inn at the Shining Waters series, River's Call. Even though it can be read alone, you will want to understand the story about Anna and Eunice which is revealed in more detail in the first book, River's Song. I received this book compliments of Glass Roads Public Relations for my honest review and wish there was really a Shining Waters Inn because this story is amazing. The healing and peace that just being at the Inn offers is such a wonderful way to draw the reader into the story of Lauren and the difficult relationship between her and Anna. I love the Native American references that appear all throughout the book as Anna's heritage is explored more in this book. I would easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the next one, River's End due out soon!

For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

River's Call by Melody Carlson