Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Return of the Song by Phyllis Clark Nichols, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Return of the SongSeries: The Rockwater Suite #1
Author: Phyllis Clark Nichols
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
When Caroline lost her love, she lost the music too.
Caroline Carlyle's dreams were crushed when her fiancé died six weeks before their wedding. For years she wrestled with aching loss and shattered faith, struggling to find the inspiration that once came so easily. Abandoning her half-finished piano compositions, Caroline trades her old ambitions for the comfort and familiarity of life as the town’s piano teacher.
But Caroline's world turns upside down when a mysterious stranger enters her life. Filled with courage and fresh purpose, Caroline embarks on a quest to track down the beloved, rare piano she played as a child. Her search leads her to Rockwater, the Kentucky estate of a wealthy gentleman, where Caroline finds her heart may be composing a surprising new song.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Christian Book | Book Depository
MY THOUGHTS
She had been walking a straight, dull path the last six years, living on level ground in a valley of monotony void of mountain peaks. She had found comfort in the simmering state of her daily days; but from somewhere deep inside herself, a place she could not describe or explain, came the unsettling sense her path was about to take a turn.
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The story resonated with me on many levels, for like Caroline, I’m a musician who has taught piano, and I live in Georgia. From the small-town Moss Point setting, to Caroline’s performance of the classics, composing, and instilling a love for music in her students, Nichols crafted a story that sparkles. The prologue gives us the last few hours of David’s life in Guatemala and I’m so glad this was included, because it shows his heart for the Lord and his fiancé, allowing his spirit to live through the book.
There’s a wealth of strong supporting characters – such as Sam and Angel, an older couple who love Caroline like a daughter, and the young savant Bella. And oh, how I loved Roderick! Because they converse by phone and don’t actually meet in person until way in the book, it might seem at first that romance isn’t a key element. However, I think this reflects the author’s pure genius because I connected with Roderick from the beginning and felt the realness of their steadily growing friendship. Can’t wait to see what happens with these two!
Although very much open ended, Return of the Song concluded satisfactorily for me and I understand that Freedom of the Song, to be released next spring, will pick up right where this one leaves off.
Highly recommended, “best of the best” for me!
I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Please click on the title to see my review of the previous excellent book by Phyllis Clark Nichols, Christmas at Grey Sage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis Clark Nichols’s character-driven Southern fiction explores profound human questions using the imagined residents of small town communities you just know you’ve visited before. With a strong faith and a love for nature, art, music, and ordinary people, she tells redemptive tales of loss and recovery, estrangement and connection, longing and fulfillment . . . often through surprisingly serendipitous events.
Phyllis grew up in the deep shade of magnolia trees in South Georgia. Born during a hurricane, she is no stranger to the winds of change: In addition to her life as a novelist, Phyllis is a seminary graduate, concert pianist, and cofounder of a national cable network with health- and disability-related programming. Regardless of the role she’s playing, Phyllis brings creativity and compelling storytelling.
She frequently appears at conventions, conferences, civic groups, and churches, performing half-hour musical monologues that express her faith, joy, and thoughts about life—all with the homespun humor and gentility of a true Southern woman.
Phyllis currently serves on several nonprofit boards. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her portrait-artist husband.
CONNECT WITH PHYLLIS: website | Facebook | Twitter
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive (US only)
- a print copy of Christmas at Grey Sage
- a print copy of Return of the Song
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
beautiful review as always, my friend :)
ReplyDeleteThis glowing review convinced me that I need to read this book!
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