About the Book
Book: Sunflowers and Suspicions
Author: Karen Malley
Genre: Christian Fiction
Release date: October, 2021
When Julie Wagner’s identical twin Jade goes missing, Julie travels to New York intent on pretending to be her sister so she can unravel the truth. There, she meets the the only person who has ever been able to tell them apart. Together, can she and her sister’s neighbor unravel a shady restaurant owner’s mysteries and find Jade?
A Fractured Family Healed…
Matt Callahan has lived across the hall from Jade Wagner for a year, but never understood the pain behind her eyes. When her sister appears in his apartment building, he is amazed at the differences he sees in the twins. As he helps Julie find her twin, he discovers that she just might be the answer to helping his own fractured family.
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About the Author
Karen loves to hear from her readers. You can connect with her on her website:
www.KarenMalley.com. Sign up for her newsletter and you’ll receive a free short story in your mailbox each week.
More from Karen
Sunflowers and Suspicions is the third full book in the Pine Springs series. While you may discover some spoilers from the previous books, this book can be read as a standalone. I wrote Sunflowers in Suspicions because I loved the characters so much, I wanted their stories to continue!
This was a fun book to write. Julie was a minor character in the previous books in the series, and her story needed to be told. Living in the shadow of a glamorous twin sister hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm for life, but her self-esteem suffered a hit, making it difficult to believe a guy could be interested in her instead of her sister. Most of us have been there! God promises He’s given gifts to all His children, but if our gifts don’t seem to measure up to those we perceive others have, we lose our joy.
Granted, Julie has a lot more than that to deal with – her twin sister goes missing, and her former boss may know more than he’s letting on. Couple that with feelings of inadequacy since all her friends have special guys and the fact the guy Julie starts to fall for seems more interested in her sister, and it’s easy for her to feel second rate. God never wants that for us. While Sunflowers and Suspicions is a tale of suspense and romance, it also taught me a thing or two about accepting myself for who God made me to be. I hope it does the same for you!
MY REVIEW
This book is a sweet story with romance and suspense both put together with just enough faith mixed in to entertain readers. It was easy to follow along as the characters were fun to get to know. I liked that it featured twins that may look identical but completely different in everything else.
Julie is the grounded twin who loves God and has a job working in a crisis pregnancy center. Jade on the other hand is flighty and has this big dream to be an actress. They both had a good childhood but one deals with insecurity and the other hides a deep secret that is destroying her life. It is funny how they may seem different but they both are dealing with insecurity and acceptance.
When Julie hasn’t heard from her sister in awhile she starts to get suspicious and takes off to New York to see if she can find her. When Matt enters the picture as Jade’s neighbor they team up to try to find out where Jade has disappeared to. I enjoyed getting to see how the two developed a friendship. As they start to get to know each other better there are sparks between them. Julie has it in her head that Matt and Jade have been dating so she has no chance with Matt. Matt is so kind and patient with Julie and his faith is strong as he prays for guidance.
The mystery is quite intriguing and I loved how the author surprised me of where Jade has been. I would never have thought of this plot and I think it was kind of nice that in the end the man involved just wanted his family happy and to live in a safe environment. I may have lost you with this information but trust me it is well worth finding out yourself about this mysterious place where Jade is found.
There are a few delicate subjects in the story but the author does a good job of showing how God forgives us and leads us to a place of healing. One important part of the story deals with Matt’s family. His mother is punishing herself for something she did and has shut out the entire family. Reading how her healing takes place is very emotional and is an example of how important it is to communicate with others.
Jade comes to a point where she knows she needs to change her life. Be ready for tissues when you read how her transformation comes. Filled with great counsel and compassion she is lead to … well you must read this part for yourself.
This is a story that has many lessons from forgiveness, healing, a new beginning, and trust . The message is clear that no matter what mistakes we may make God is there to wipe your tears and lead you to His unconditional love and forgiveness.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 14
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 15
Inklings and notions, March 16
Texas Book-aholic, March 17
For Him and My Family, March 18
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 19 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, March 19
Inside the Wong Mind, March 20
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 21
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 22
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 23
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24
Splashes of Joy, March 25 (Author Interview)
By the Book, March 25
Blogging With Carol, March 26
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 27
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of e-copy of Sunflowers and Suspicions, an 11 x 14 canvas print of a sunflower, and some jewelry: two beaded bracelets, one bangle bracelet, a heart necklace, and a keychain!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1b8bb/sunflowers-and-suspicion-celebration-tour-giveaway
This sounds like a multi-layered story with lots of interesting details as well as lessons to learn.
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