This book was another great read for me. Unexpected but great.

It is about family, love, secrets, reunions, GOD and so much more.

Small town North Carolina is the setting for this story of change. Janelle hasn't been 'home' since the death of her husband. But after arriving to spend Christmas and hearing her grandmother has cancer her decides to move her children home for a season and help. Her cousin, Stephanie, also there for the holiday decides to stay while her husband goes on a mission trip.

This is the story of how these small decisions change their lives and the lives of many around them.

The birth of the Soul Sisters, love, lost, faith and growth are just a few things that will touch you in this wonderful book by Kim.
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Hope Springs is a small town where everyone knows everyone. Of course, this also means everyone is involved in everyone else's business as well. When the pastor of one of the 2 churches in town passes away, former Hope Springs residents come back for the funeral. As they discover how theirs lives have changed, they also discover they still have many things in common. The Sanders family soon learns their matriarch, Grandma Geri, is very ill. They try to make the best of things, but a family secret soon rocks them to their cores. Meanwhile the Dillon family is making some big decisions of their own when husband Jim feels called to come minister to the flock his father left behind. There are ups and downs, but the residents of Hope Springs will find that with each other they can make it through anything.

This book kind of took me by surprise. There were a lot of topics that could be somewhat heavy, but the author managed to handle them very deftly. I will admit to getting confused with all the names though. I definitely needed that family tree in the front! I think the book managed to talk about sensitive topics without being too preachy (which is saying a lot for a book somewhat about preaching). Nothing was really wrapped up in a neat little bow, and I appreciated that. It made the book seem more realistic. I found myself cheering for almost every character. Even through the problems and secrets, I grew to love all the characters in different ways. The big family secret surprised me, and that can be hard to do sometimes. It wasn't really projected in any way, so I was feeling just like the characters.

I really loved the way race was portrayed in this book. To have so many people of different races who were equally successful and well-rounded was awesome. These are the types of positive characters that everyone could stand to read about. Sure, they all had their struggles, but they were all good people overall. Reading about the children being wonderfully colorblind helped give me hope. Issues with race in the past, present, and future were all addressed to some degree. Once again, no easy answers were given, but there were definitely a lot of things for me to think about. Just watching the people of Hope Springs start a conversation about it was great. When it came to forgiveness of others, I like that one character was ready to admit she couldn't just easily throw aside past hurts. I just felt like so many of they characters had problems that so many of us have had or will have in our lives. Watching them work through it all helped give me some ideas of things I could work on. This book was really fantastic, and I think a lot of people will enjoy reading it.

Galley provided for review. ( )

Kim Cash Tate has written a very heartwarming and entertaining book as she takes the reader through a southern community that is filled with hope while hiding their past. So much of the past has stayed the same, including the black church and its neighboring white church. While they get along in their separate locations they aren’t inclined to come together as one. The reader will be engaged in historical struggles through the small group of ladies who meet at the local restaurant and call themselves “soul sisters.”

Hope Springs is very entertaining and moves along at a nice speed never allowing the reader to become bored. There are many new events that seem to pop up at just the right time to create a new level of interest. For instance, there is a sibling that has been hidden for years because one parent was black and the other white. This allows the reader to see a sense of hurt, pride, honestly and respect come together in the middle of uncertainty.

Becca was the character who grabbed my attention as she lead a small ministry and then was catapulted into the big spotlight of a major ladies ministry that traveled and held conferences. While she gets the call to come and does a marvelous job at the event, something happens that causes her to understand that humility comes before honor. I won’t spoil the outcome of this event, but this is one that many readers will be able to relate to and find inspiration for their own lives.

Grandma Geri gives so many family members, church attendants and neighbors wisdom and insight into life if they will only take time to listen. We find it hard to slow down today to listen, but in doing so we would allow the Holy Spirit an opportunity to speak to the heart and learn nuggets of wisdom. So from the youngest child, to the eldest adult in this book, you will find characters who are relational and almost real as you if you only allow your mind into the world at Hope Springs.

This book has so many happy, challenging and inspirational stories, but I want you to read them and learn from them without creating spoilers. I hope you will pick up a copy today and began a great adventure that is Hope Springs.

Luxury Reading ( )

Here is a fiction book that addresses one of the major issues facing today's Christian churches, and that is the segregation present in worship services. A black family and a white family have lived next door to each other for years in the small North Carolina town of Hope Springs. Now the matriarch of the black family is dying of lung cancer, and her relatives have gathered in to support her. Both families attend church, but their churches are two blocks down the street from each other. And, both families have produced the current pastors of these churches. There are many side stories going on with romances of family members and problems that develop as the story progresses. The plot takes many unexpected twists and turns, and I could hardly put the book down. There are two earlier books in this series. Highly recommended! ( )

The Lord works in mysterious ways and always has a plan for everyone ... for three women, God's plan will lead them back to their hometown and change their lives forever.

Hope Springs is an uplifting inspirational story about three women who each find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. For Janelle, Becca and Stephanie, a family illness and funeral has the three women making the trip back to their small southern hometown of Hope Springs, NC over the Christmas holidays. Their stay in Hope Springs will send them on an emotional journey of prayer and self-discovery as they each learn to confront their individual issues, and rebuild their lives through the grace of prayer, faith, family, and community.

Set in the the small southern town of Hope Springs, NC, the author weaves a story told in the third person featuring the perspectives of the three women in alternating chapters. The alternating chapters flow smoothly from one perspective to another, creating an interwoven story that captivates the reader and easily transports them into the Sanders and Dixon families' lives in Hope Springs.

The author creates a cast of characters that are strong, down-to-earth, fun-loving and spiritual people who deal with very real issues in life that the reader can relate to. Dealing with such issues as: cancer, death, infidelity, trust, lack of faith, family, friends, community and race ... with their many strengths and flaws, the characters deal with the issues in an inspirational and realistic way that makes their story that much more powerful and compelling. There are a lot of characters that are introduced throughout the story, but I don't think that they hindered, distracted or took away from the basic premise of the storyline, rather they all contributed to the strong community bond that is felt throughout the story.

I really liked how the author balanced the story with a little light romance, the romantic subplots were light and flirty, and I enjoyed watching how the relationships developed. This was a very enjoyable story, it captivated me as I embraced the characters' lives and shared in their triumphs and tragedies. This is one story where the full range of your emotions will be felt, it will make you laugh, smile, cry and sigh.

Hope Springs is a poignant and touching story about family, faith and community ... it is a story that provides an uplifting message that through the power of faith, prayer, and love, a person can survive life's issues with grace and dignity.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Litfuse Publicity Group.

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