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: 

          

What's Next, Wednesday (73)

•  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... 

Fender by Brent Jones. After the death of his wife and daughter, Brennan is taken on a cross-country road trip by his two best friends in hopes that they'll save him from his grief. I feel like this is going to be quite an emotional book, and I usually stay away from those. However, this story seems like one I may regret if I pass it up. 

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." 

The Hunted (Crystal Coast #2)

A new queen rises…

When Stevie vanquished her family’s greatest threat, she thought they’d be safe. Unaware of the evil surrounding her, she trains with her coven and prepares to inherit her mother’s role as queen and protector of the amulet.

Chaplain Benjamin Parris, descendant of the notorious reverend behind the Salem Witch Trails, plots to resume his family’s mission and rid the world of witches. He joins forces with Susan Moore, who’s sought revenge against the coven for years, and together, they formulate a plan to destroy Stevie’s family.

Left weakened after the theft of their protective amulet, the coven confronts the unthinkable as a modern day witch hunt unfolds around them. And this time, Stevie might not be able to save the people she loves.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The Hunted by Chrissy Lessey, the second book in The Crystal Coast series, brings the villains back to Beaufort, NC with more power than the coven can handle. As the first book ended with the seeming defeat of Vanessa, this book picks up with her survival and Susan's unrelenting determination to see the coven decimated.

In this book, the main characters who share the narrator position all experience a change. Stevie, the daughter of the Beaufort Coven's Queen, is still trying to navigate her newly exposed powers. Within this installment readers see Stevie trying to keep the secret of being a witch while raising her autistic son, Charlie, whose powers were also revealed in the first book. However, with the new threat of Susan escaping from the mental health institution (though this is unknown to the coven members for most of the book) Stevie must focus on protecting her son while preparing to take a leadership role in the coven. With this new status, Stevie feels uncertainty in herself and in her powers, appealing to the emotional side of readers and building on the connection made in the first book.

Though Susan's character doesn't change much in this book -- she's evil and expressly focused on destroying the coven -- readers do see just what she's capable of when she has her magic back. Readers will undoubtedly dislike, perhaps even hate, her while learning more about how far she'll go to get her revenge.

The biggest character evolution comes with Vanessa Moore. Though she tried to destroy the coven in the first book, her perception of right and wrong is shifting. Vanessa is finally seeing just how evil her mother is. More importantly, Vanessa is learning that her mother does not care about her -- or anyone for that matter -- if they don't help her cause. As a reader, Vanessa's villain status is wearing off and it causes a change in perception. Vanessa becomes a character that could end up being the key to defeating Susan. The way that her character is written shows her changing emotions and viewpoint on the battle between Susan and the coven, making her a more likeable character. I think the little girl who would do anything to gain her mother's approval will soon be history, leaving the coven with a secret weapon and an important ally in the next book.

The plot of this book focuses on Susan's escape from the mental institution, her retrieval of the amulet, and the fear this incites within the coven. The amulet allows Susan to be all powerful, and the Queen of the coven (Patricia) wants to run like her ancestors have done. Yet, unfortunate events leave the coven broken and Stevie focused on fighting back by the end of the book. This leaves readers with the sense that even though the coven were the ones being hunted in this book, the third installment will be a battle to the bitter end.

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups