Leaving Carolina

Leaving Carolina
by
Tamara Leigh
(Multnomah)

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.
Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After Tamara Leigh earned a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology, she and her husband decided to start a family, with plans for Tamara to continue in her career once she became a mother.

When the blessing of children proved elusive, Tamara became convicted to find a way to work out of her home in order to raise the children she and her husband longed to have. She turned to writing, at which she had only ever dreamed of being successful. Shortly thereafter, her agent called with news of Bantam Books offer of a four-book contract. That same day, Tamara's pregnancy was confirmed. Within the next year, she gave up her speech pathology career, committed her life to Christ, her first child was born, and her first historical romance novel was released.

As Tamara continued to write for the secular market, publishing three more novels with HarperCollins and Dorchester, she infused her growing Christian beliefs into her writing. But though her novels earned awards and were national bestsellers, she knew her stories were lacking. After struggling with the certainty her writing was not honoring God as it should, she made the decision to write books that not only reveal Christianity to non-believers, but serve as an inspiration for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior. Her inspirational romances are peopled with characters in varying stages of Christian faith, from mature believers to new believers to non-believers on the threshold of awakening.

Tamara Leigh enjoys time with her family, reading, and--of course--writing. She lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and two sons. (From her website)

MY THOUGHTS:
I thoroughly enjoyed this charming book. The baggage Piper brings home is a mismatched set, stuffed full of memories, frustration, embarrassment, and desperation. Unfortunately, it just won't stay shut, and handsome Axel Smith seems to delight in watching her scramble for the escaping pieces. His suggestions about how she might relieve herself of some of the particularly difficult ones are completely out of the question. . .except she keeps forgetting the question when he's around! This is a great story of family, grace, and forgiveness.


You can purchase this book directly from the publisher or from Amazon or your local bookstore.

Many thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for providing a copy of this book for my review!