Savoring the Seasons (Chilton Crosse #4)

Julia Bentley spent her fortieth birthday doing what she always does, baking treats for the customers in her Cotswold bakery and taking care of her elderly father. She doesn’t realize how stagnant her life has become until a younger man, Tristan Hannigan, moves to the village and shows interest in her. As Julia becomes closer to Tristan, he begins to season her mundane days and to challenge how she views the world.

The relationship is threatened when Julia’s doubts and insecurities overwhelm her, and the secret she’s afraid to reveal creates a wedge between them. Will Julia choose the easy route, slipping back into her daily routine and living without love? Or will she find the courage to follow her heart and accept the love she deserves?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Traci Borum has brought readers another love story from Chilton Crosse with her fourth book in the series, Savoring the Seasons. With this installment, Julia, the town baker, is given a second chance at life and a new chance at real love, if she decides to take it. 

Julia Rose has helped her father run the bakery in Chilton Crosse for nearly her entire life. She did move to London once, attend school, and try marriage on for a bit, but it didn't seem to fit her. The bakery, however, does fit her and her routine of caring for her father. Julia's a woman in her forties who has accepted her life as it is. Nothing bad, but nothing overly delightful. Some may call it a rut. But when Tristan comes to town, a man eleven years her junior at twenty-nine, Julia starts to wonder if a little change could do her some good. 

As a character, Julia is sweet, incredibly caring, thoughtful, yet insecure and scared of claiming her identity. At times, it seems she can get caught up in what other people think about her so that she ends up being afraid to be herself. I think a lot of readers, myself included, can relate to that sometimes. These personality traits will initially connect Julia with readers, but her daunting secret that threatens her new relationship will bring readers closer to her emotionally. As a middle-aged woman, Julia has had some reproductive problems in the past and she's unable to have children. This frightens her in regard to her younger love interest, creating a serious insecurity that she'll have to share and move past if she wants to claim her happily ever after. With the combination of her personality, her fears, and, above all, her hopes, I think readers will definitely connect with Julia and care about her story as Borum shares the classic story of letting go of fear and making room for love -- and life -- to grow. 

The main plot of this book follows Julia and Tristan's love story. While being romantic, and emotionally complex, the book also shares the story of a community who comes together to celebrate one of their own. As a side plot, the bakery that Julia and her father own is coming up on its fortieth anniversary and a certain townsperson wants to throw an elaborate celebration. This celebration works to remove Julia from her comfort zone and get her more involved in the community, which (as it turns out) is exactly what she needed. 

The books of the Chilton Crosse series are always easy to read, heartwarming novels about love and family and community. Savoring the Seasons is no different. It's a perfect book to take your time with and enjoy the little truths about life and love that Borum explores. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Read the reviews of previous books in the Chilton Crosse series: 

          

Teaser Tuesday (282)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.




Savoring the Seasons (Kindle 25%)
     - Traci Borum

"I wanted to quit so many times, but I always thought of my brother. He wouldn't want me to quit. So I pushed through the pain, and I did it for him. He's the reason I can walk again." 

What's Next, Wednesday (72)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

Savoring the Seasons by Traci Borum. This is the fourth book in the Chilton Crosse series, which I have enjoyed in the past. This book focuses on Julia, a baker in town, who realizes that her life has become a bit stagnant. When Tristan starts spicing things up, Julia will have to decide between her routine life or sharing her secret and opening up. 

Seeking the Star

One December night, in the sleepy Cotswold village of Chilton Crosse, a drifter named Ben collapses on George and Mary Cartwright’s snow-covered doorstep. As Christmas cheer spreads throughout the village with a Dickens-themed festival, Mary nurses Ben back to health, but she becomes curious about the secrets he seems to carry.

On Christmas Eve, one of Ben’s secrets accidentally comes to light, forcing him to confront the darkness of his past and to rediscover the faith he once knew.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Looking for a book to help you into the holiday spirit? Traci Borum introduces a new face to the Chilton Crosse community in her latest book, Seeking the Star. A man who has lost everything he ever wanted stumbles into the Chilton Crosse village and collapses on the doorstep of George and Mary Cartwright. They take him in, determined to save a young man's life, but they do so much more than that. 

Ben, George, and Mary are the three main characters of this novel. Ben Granger crawls into Chilton Crosse, barely hanging on to life. He couldn't guess the date or say when he ate his last meal. In fact, it's more like life is hanging on to him. All Ben knows is that there's a chance that if he never stops running, then maybe his memories won't catch up to him. He's wrong of course, but Ben is a man who has been beaten down and you can't blame someone for trying. He's at his lowest point. And for a very understandable reason, though I'll let Ben tell you himself after you get your hands on this book. Readers will be intrigued by the mystery surrounding Ben and it will form the initial connection. Once their curiosity is piqued, readers won't be able to stop until all hidden pasts have been revealed. I read this entire novel in less than a day. The emotional bond I felt with each of the main characters was substantial and I couldn't relax until I knew every detail. 

George and Mary form a different, yet similar connection with the reader. They're an elderly couple who have lived in Chilton Crosse for some time. Though they help and support Ben, they are living with their own tragedy, the loss of their son. Readers will sympathize with George and Mary while also feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and deep respect for them. Their struggle for happiness is a tough one, but they reach for it all the same. I can't imagine putting the pieces back together after the loss of a child, but George and Mary's story is that trial and, at times, that triumph. 

The plot of Seeking the Star is focused on the emotional journey of Ben, George, and Mary. Though it's obvious from the beginning that Ben needs the Cartwright's help, they come to need him too. The good qualities of each character make them all easy to like as readers witness their attempt at living life after tragedy. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Finding the Rainbow

Holly Newbury’s life is on hold in the cozy English village of Chilton Crosse. While her friends are marrying, having children, and embarking on successful careers, Holly is raising her three younger sisters and working part time at the village art gallery. Her life feels incomplete, but family is more important to her than anything. Then a film crew’s arrival galvanizes the community, and Holly becomes fast friends with Fletcher Hays, the movie’s love-shy American writer.

The production of an Emma film isn’t the only drama in town, though. Their father makes a choice that threatens everything she gave up her dreams for. Holly’s sisters endure growing pains. And Fletcher plans to return to America as soon as filming is over, ruining any chance of their relationship blossoming further. After years of sacrificing for others, Holly must find the courage to take a risk on a future she never dared to expect.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Traci Borum continues sharing Chilton Crosse with readers in her new book, Finding the Rainbow, the sequel to Painting the Moon. Though Adam and Noelle make their own appearances, this novel focuses on Holly, who has her own love story to share. 

Holly is a young woman in her late twenties, living back at home, helping raise her three younger sisters since their mother passed away six years prior. Holly is an engaging, busy, aspiring woman who feels her life is in a sort of limbo. She left college to help her family, and though she continues to take online classes, Holly is unsure of her purpose. This is a foundation for readers to build upon. We've all wondered where our paths will take us, what our future holds. This uncertainty and vulnerability allows readers to care about Holly and her future. Her loving personality and understanding nature will only add to the initial character connection. 

Readers will also enjoy Fletcher, the Texan who's transplanted himself onto English soil. He's a sweet man who plays the hero to a few damsels in distress. Though the love story is slow, emulating Emma, I believe, since a film adaptation is being shot in Chilton Crosse, there is a romantic plot. The main focus of the novel is really just Holly. Borum explores her career goals, the relationship between her and her sisters, as well as her love life. Through ups and downs, readers watch as Holly's life becomes her own. 

The relaxed nature of the book did drive me a bit batty towards the end, as everything wraps up. I wanted a bigger climax in the romantic plot. Though the big scene is deliriously sweet, it's a little predictable. I loved watching the relationships between Holly and her sisters shift with various situations and events. I think that dynamic was my favorite. Also, I am a little jealous of a certain part of Miss Holly's happily ever after. The career that drops perfectly into her lap is a fond dream of my own (and other book lovers, I'm sure!). Finding the Rainbow elicits various emotions throughout and shows that there is also calm after the storm, when the rainbow appears. Readers who enjoy a book that takes its time and a love that is slow to bloom will thoroughly enjoy this meandering story.

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Book 1 of the Chilton Crosse Novels

Painting the Moon

When Noelle Cooke inherits a quaint English cottage and an art gallery from her famous Aunt Joy, she welcomes a departure from her San Diego routine. But the lure of the Cotswolds, combined with a locked cottage room and a revealing journal, entice her to stay and discover more, including a way to save the gallery from financial ruin. And that means remaining in England.

When her childhood sweetheart, Adam Spencer, begins work on a restoration project in Noelle’s village, their friendship blossoms. But as her feelings for Adam deepen, she struggles with memories of what might have been and yearns for a future once thought lost. Faced with a life-altering revelation Aunt Joy took to her grave and a wrenching choice regarding the man she loves, Noelle could lose far more than her heart.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Traci Borum shares a romantic and touching story about a woman who gives up the life she knows for a chance at living meaningfully and having true love in her novel, Painting the Moon. Noelle flies across the pond to her inheritance in England and readers tag-a-long, witness of a chance to begin anew. 

Noelle is a Californian woman who dislikes her human resources job, often feeling lonely and bored. Then she receives unfortunate news of her Aunt's passing paired with happy news that she's the sole inheritor. England becomes her second chance at life, love, discovery, and happiness. Noelle rekindles old friendships and opens up. Readers see her personality blossoming with every day that passes. She begins studying art again and taking chances. The shift of perspective will reach out to readers, pulling them into Noelle's life. Though the story starts off slowly, the connection with and hope for Noelle only deepens as the plot progresses. 

The plot follows Noelle's inheritance of an English cottage and an art gallery that is going bankrupt. When she is given a strange letter from her deceased Aunt letting her know that there are secrets to be discovered and surprises in store, Noelle begins the search. She uncovers a locked room full of paintings that her Aunt never shared with the world. She also reconnects with her two best friends from childhood, Jill and Adam, which gives Noelle a chance at examining the feelings she had for Adam during her teenage years. Painting the Moon is a slow second chance for life and love. Definitely an end of summer, relax while you can, smile at the sentences, kind of novel. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (115)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Painting the Moon by Traci Borum. After an Aunt passes away, Noelle finds herself in England sorting through what was left behind with a penned promise that she'll stumble over a few secrets and surprises.

02. Recently Finished:
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson. Such a wonderful coming of age novel about three teenage girls who form an unlikely friendship while working at a peach orchard.

03. Reading Next:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. In the middle of a war, Alina discovers she has a special power that could be exactly what the country needs to survive.

Teaser Tuesday (128)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Painting the Moon (Kindle 1%)
   - Traci Borum

She kicked off her sandals and walked down the steps of her beach house, grateful for San Diego's mild weather even in mid-October. And grateful she wouldn't have to walk far, with the ocean practically at her doorstep.