Book Review and Kindle Giveaway: An Unlikely Blessing

Title: The Unlikely Blessing
Author: Judy Baer
Publisher: Guideposts
Published Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8249-4814-6
Pages: 263

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

Synopsis:
An Unlikely Blessing is a heartfelt story about a new pastor and life-long city dweller Alex Armstrong, who reluctantly accepts his first assignment, a two-point parish in the wilds of North Dakota. Hilltop Township, a farming community, blooms from the prairie like a wild pink rose—lovely and prickly all at once, much like the people who live there.

Alex quickly finds that this lovely place is in quiet peril. Farmers are struggling to make ends meet: Jonas Owens, a faithful member of Hilltop parish, is on the brink of losing the farm. Alex believes that part of why God called him to Hilltop was to help turn things around, and steps in with ideas for saving the Owens' land. But can even God's minister help save this rural community?

There are a lot of firsts for the new pastor—the annual Hunter's Breakfast, julebukking (also called Christmas fooling), King Oscar's fish balls, and the melody of the musical saw. And the new, single pastor creates remarkable excitement among the unmarried women in the community. If you could die of hot dish overdose, Alex would be a dead man. Whether performing weddings, counseling his flock, or herding cattle by snowmobile, Alex soon discovers that his new church home has as much to teach him as he will teach them. Day by day, he falls more in love with the people of Hilltop Church. People may leave Hilltop, but Hilltop never leaves them.


About the Author:
udy Baer is the author of over seventy-five books for adults and teens. She has won the Romance Writer of America Bronze Medallion and has been a RITA finalist twice. She lives in Elk River, Minnesota with her husband. Follow the Hilltop characters on Judy’s blog and find out more about Judy and her books at http://www.judykbaer.com


My review:
Judy Baer transports you back to small town America where a small, rural community warms your heart. Baer's writing makes the reader wish to be in a small town where you know everyone and they know you. I think that is one of the reasons I connected right away in the pages of this book since it reminded me of the small town I grew up in. She was able to capture the close knit community that comes from a small town, yet shows the reality that no town or community is perfect and that God has His hand in all. The reader is treated to a dash of humor, characters that you won't soon forget, and a story that you wish you were a part of. This is the first book in the series and I an anxious for the next installment.

In celebration of the release of An Unlikely Blessing, Judy is giving away a KINDLE prize package worth over $175.

One lucky winner will receive:

* Brand New KINDLE with Wi-Fi
* A $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com

To enter just click HERE (http://litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/an-unlikely-blessing-by-judy-baer.html) and then tell your friends! Winner will be announced on February 21st on Judy's blog, http://www.judykbaer.com/wordpress

Be sure and check out what other blog reviewers have to say about this book HERE.