Softly and Tenderly

From the back of the book: Maybe out there in the country she could catch her breath, learn to breathe again.

Happily married and owner of two successful boutiques, Jade longs to begin a family with her husband, Max. But when she discovers that Max has an illegitimate son—who he wants her to help raise—Jade’s life is turned upside down.

She flees to her childhood home, a rambling Iowa farmhouse, with enough room to breathe. There—while her mother’s health grows fragile, and the tug of her first love grows stronger—Jade begins to question everything she thought she knew about family, love, and motherhood. In the wide-open landscape, Jade begins to see a future that doesn’t rest on the power of her past but in the goodness of God's tender mercies.

My review: Once again I am reading a series out of order. Softly and Tenderly is the second book in the Songbird series by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck. I started with the third and have not read the first one yet. The authors did pretty good filling in background information, but I highly recommend reading these books in order. I enjoyed this book but not as much as the third one, Love Lifted Me. The authors have incorporated tough issues into the plot that can happen to anyone, and it serves to remind the reader that we have to constantly guard our hearts. This is another book that will draw the reader into the lives of the characters. I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze blogger program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.