A Dream of Family

About the Book

Book: A Dream of Family

Author: Jill Weatherholt

Genre: Inspirational Romance

Release date: June 29, 2021

A Dream of Family - cover To give a little girl a home…

she must take a chance on forgiveness.

From the minute Molly Morgan saw sad-eyed little Grace, she longed to give her a happy home. But Molly’s struggling bookstore is endangering her adoption chances. Outgoing entrepreneur Derek McKinney has a puppy Grace adores—and a plan to save Molly’s business. But can he and Molly put their troubled past behind them in time to make a family for a lifetime?

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About the Author

HQ Headshot By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired.

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia.

She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University.

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.

Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

More from Jill

Working in a library or a bookstore has always been a dream job of mine. As book bloggers and readers, you may have had that same dream.

Sadly, I’ve never made that dream come true. So instead, I created a fictitious character, Molly Morgan. In A Dream of Family, Molly Morgan owns and operates a bookstore, so by writing her story, I was able to somewhat fulfill my dream of working in a job where I’m surrounded by books all day.

As a child growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., I loved the bookmobile. Twice a month a small library on wheels rolled into the neighborhood and parked in front of our house. There was nothing better than to feel the wallop of arctic air the moment I climbed aboard. It was the perfect escape from the hot and sticky summer months. Like a time machine, the endless rows of books transported me to distant places. It was there I was introduced to The Box Car Children and Nancy Drew Mysteries. One stamp of black ink,and it was mine to devour for two weeks.

I haven’t seen a bookmobile since my childhood, but they still exist today. Thankfully, libraries and bookstores are still in our communities, offering wonderful programs to inspire young readers. But as I watch public libraries reduce their hours and bookstores close their doors, I’m grateful to have grown up in a time where bookmobiles traveled the streets of my neighborhood. Those days, my biggest decision during summer vacation was what book to take to the pool.

Blessings,

Jill Weatherholt

MY REVIEW

I can tell you exactly why I love this book so much. The characters are easy to like and their problems are what some of us may have experienced. Trying to run a small business is hard but when a big chain bookstore comes to town, Molly knows she is in trouble. Oh how I wanted to help her and tell her everything would be alright. She struggles with pride and rejection which I think stops her from believing in herself. Her childhood was filled with abuse that left emotional scars. The author does an excellent job of letting us see the financial struggle Molly goes through and her desperation to save her business. Molly expresses how important books have always been to her. As a child it was a way to escape the pain she endured and the characters became friends to her. I can relate to this and probably is the same reason I loved reading as a child myself.

Derek is hands down my favorite character because he is genuine. He and Molly have a past which does cause a little distance between them. What I liked about him was his sincere desire to help Molly. His ideas are wonderful and I did learn a lot about running a bookstore. I loved visualizing the children’s corner with its bright walls and inviting little rocking chairs that are perfect to give the children a more relaxed place to listen to stories. Derek tries so hard to help Molly but I think pride keeps sneaking in and pushing her away. Derek does have something that he needs to deal with from his past that has pushed him to withdraw from his family. Derek will face a hard decision that will be be a turning point in his future. Don’t miss this part of the story when Derek faces his past . Will he be able to forgive and move forward in his new venture?

There is another part of the story that really held my attention. It is no surprise that Molly wants a family of her own. She wants to adopt and give a child a place they can feel accepted and loved at. Grace is a very shy and reserved little girl which makes it difficult for Molly to build a relationship with. Here is where the story gets a little serious and the author tackles some sensitive subjects. She does it in a way that points readers to faith and forgiveness. I know you will love this story if you like realistic characters with flaws who find their way back to God. They learn to trust, forgive and find hope. I believe this is my favorite book that the author has ever written.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.