Saturday, February 24, 2024

About the Book

Book: Secrets and Wishes

Author: Kathleen Rouser

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: January 30, 2024

She only wants a fresh start, but her past might be the only hope to save his life—and the lives of countless innocents.

Determined widow Maggie Galloway dreams of a peaceful life and a successful business. And winning the Silver Leaf Flour Company baking contest could be the key to that success. She even has a chance at a prestigious position through a dashing former beau. But when her son gets into a fight with the local pharmacist’s son, Maggie’s peaceful life is derailed.

Reserved pharmacist and recent widower Thomas Harper is also looking for a fresh start for himself and his four children.

But when Thomas falls gravely ill, his only choice is to enlist the help of the local baker with a knowledge of concocting remedies. He’s even more reluctant to admit that Maggie may also be the remedy for his grieving heart. And when a traveling medicine man’s medicines beget tragedy, Thomas and Maggie must overcome their differences to save the children of Stone Creek—and face the growing attraction between them—before it’s too late.

Click here to get you copy!

About the Author

Kathleen Rouser is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical and contemporary Christian romance. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers. She resides in southeast Michigan, a location which she often uses in her novels, with her hero and husband of forty-some years and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.

More from Kathleen

Maggie Galloway’s Prizewinning Recipe

Maggie Galloway was a secondary character in my first Stone Creek Brides novel, Rumors and Promises. As the older sister and housekeeper of hero, Ian McCormick, she liked to have her say. I enjoyed getting to know Maggie as I created her character. She was so much fun to write I knew she needed her own story.

She has a knowledge of remedies from working with her pharmacist husband in the past, but Maggie is also a prizewinning baker because of her creative and cherished recipe for pecan snickerdoodles. I hope you’ll enjoy her recipe.

Increasing the vanilla in her favorite snickerdoodle recipe while adding toasted chopped pecans to the dough and the cinnamon sugar made for the delightful crunch and a nutty taste, which had won her second place in the recipe contest. (From Maggie’s musings in Secrets and Wishes.)

Maggie Galloway’s Pecan Snickerdoodles

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup flour

½ cup chopped toasted pecans

Cinnamon sugar mixture:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped toasted pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease cookie sheet.

Beat butter until creamy. Add 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar, mixing well.

Beat egg and vanilla into the mixture. Slowly add flour and chopped pecans to the mixture.

Set dough in the refrigerator (or the icebox in Maggie’s day) for at least a half an hour to make it easier to handle.

While you’re waiting, mix the cinnamon sugar ingredients together with the 1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans.

When the dough is ready, roll into small balls and roll in cinnamon sugar/nut mixture.

Place a couple of inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, only until slightly golden brown along the edges. Yield is approximately two dozen cookies.

MY REVIEW

I enjoyed following Maggie on her journey of making a new life for herself after her husband passes away. It was interesting to read about a pharmacist during this time period. Maggie’s husband has taught her a lot about medicine while they were married. Now that he is gone she has to rely on the local pharmacist in town. There is a slight problem though when her son and his son have a fight. It is hard to swallow our pride sometimes.

Thomas has his hands full with all his kids running around out of control that not even their housekeeper can control them. He is left on his own trying to run the pharmacy, set up the soda fountain, take care of his kids when they get the measles and deal with Maggie who is upset. I liked how the author brought these two together when Thomas becomes very ill and Maggie is asked to help. It is the perfect solution since she is familiar with medicines but will they be able to get along?

There are moments in the story that reminded me of a movie with Doris Day in it. The kids try everything they can to make this strange lady leave, but she is determined to get the upper hand. All she needs to do is show them love , grace and understanding. The boys in this story were exasperating at times but Maggie knows what is really going on. They are missing their mother.

I loved the baking contest in the story and hints of a romance blossoming between two unlikely people. With faith as the front runner, this story is sure to please those who love historical fiction. The children are the highlight in this book as we see how losing a parent can affect them. They need love and encouragement as they deal with their grief.

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