Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Shilo Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Shilo: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Muddle (The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue: Book 7)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy

Release Date: May 1, 2025

From Breck Girl to Hippie to Jesus People…

…It’s been a long journey back home

But can her heart truly find peace where it all began?

When free-spirit Shilo Anderson inherits two million dollars with an unexpected condition—marriage—she refuses to be bound by her grandfather’s will. Until her beloved aunt faces cancer with no insurance to cover chemotherapy.

She won’t marry for money for herself, but to save her aunt’s life? She’ll make that sacrifice in a heartbeat.

Maybe.

Jesse Franklin never forgot his first love. When her grandfather’s will brings Shilo back to their hometown, he discovers his love for her has only deepened with time. Offering to marry her to help save her aunt, no problem.

Keeping it a marriage of convenience, that might be a problem. More like impossible.

As their feelings grow stronger, Shilo faces her greatest fear: revealing the truth about her past decade. Can she make Jesse see she doesn’t belong on anyone’s pedestal?

Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where faith shapes the journey and the legend of the cardinal in the sycamore still proves true love endures all seasons.

You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of second chances, because sometimes the rough patches prepare us for the wildly wonderful.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author and three-time Selah Award nominee, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty-plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy, as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawland The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

More from Jennifer

The story for Shilo has been fermenting in my brain for a long time. I had always loved Neil Diamond’s song of the same title and could see his characters playing out their parts and thought what would happen if the girl came back after ten years?

However, what I didn’t catch was that Shilo in the song was a boy, an imaginary boy who’d been a friend to a lonely boy.

In my brain, I missed the importance of him turning to his only friend in his mind.

Instead, I had a little girl moving in next door—she was Shilo—and they went from being friends to first loves, but something called her away and though he understood, he called her name like before hoping she’d return.

Okay, so not what Neil Diamond had in mind, but it became Jesse’s back story.

Then I had to ask, what was so important that she had to leave? That’s when I remembered Breck Girls. Do you remember them?

There was a time as a child that I thought one of the Breck Girls on the back of a magazine was so beautiful, I said, “She’s prettier than Mom.”

I was quickly (verbally) chastised by my dad who made sure to inform me that no one was prettier than my mom. I never thought of it as an insult. My mom was the high standard for beauty, and for someone to be even prettier, they were definitely a looker. However, I learned to keep those types of opinions to myself if my Dad was around. Mom understood and didn’t take offense—in fact, as I meant it, she thought it was a compliment that I found her so pretty.

All that to say that Breck Girls were a part of my growing up years, into the seventies. I wondered how Breck Girls were chosen, and if Shilo could/should be one. I learned there’s even an exhibit at the Smithsonian dedicated to Breck Girls and those lovely pastel portraits.

So, when (my) Shilo told Jesse she had to go before he could tell her that he loved her, it was because she’d been chosen to be a Breck Girl. Now I had a framework to start building the story.

I hope that when you read Shilo: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Muddle, you will be transported back to 1973 with many of your own memories.

Abundant blessings,

Jenny

MY REVIEW

Oh to be back with this series is amazing. I adore the Weather Girls so much and love how their business brings glorious hope and memories. I would encourage everyone to read the series so you don’t miss out on any character.

The nostalgia in the story is so so good. Shilo is someone who reminds me of a care free sold out to Jesus person. I remember the commercials of Breck and the girls whose gorgeous hair sold their shampoo. As Shilo mentions the hair shampoo all I could think about was how I wanted my hair to shine like the girls in the commercials. Shilo also shared about a music festival she went to where Janis Joplin performed. I’m showing my age, but Janis Joplin has always been a favorite of mine. There is mention about how she died but I found it be to important to the story because of the era we are covering.

Shilo never thought she would come back to Kokomo but she makes the decision to for a very good reason. Her mode of travel is questionable though. Hitchhiking is dangerous as a young woman but Shilo seems to not be bothered by the danger. I loved her heart that shows how important family is to her. Every step she takes in the story is selfless and humble. Her grandfather’s will is very specific about how Shilo can inherit his wealth. Don’t miss the reason on she decides to do something. It is definitely not for monetary gain, but to help someone she cares deeply for.

Jesse has had a crush on Shilo for such a long time. Seeing her back in town kinda gets his hope of rekindling a relationship with her. Now he has his own problem to focus on though. I don’t like parents that put pressure on a child to take a career that they aren’t sure about. Jesse surprises me with a decision that not only will change his future but somebody else’s as well.

I don’t want to ruin any part of the story so let me say how gifted the author is as she creates characters that are relatable with flaws that we can understand. Her look at the seventies is perfect and brings me back to my teen years. Trying to please others is not what God wants and wants us to leave our past behind. Will Shilo and Jesse find themselves in a relationship of convenience or will true love happen?

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