It’s Narelle here. I’m excited to share with you my recommendation for Hope For Tomorrow by Inspy Romance author Elizabeth Maddrey. Armchair travelling to a ranch in New Mexico provided a fun and thought-provoking escape from the chilly winter we’re experiencing in Australia.
Here’s the Book Description:
She’s out of options. He doesn’t want to get involved.
Skye Hewitt thought coming to Jesus would fix all her problems. Boy was she wrong. But He has given her the strength to make some big decisions. Like the choice to leave the East Coast where she was comfortable, and head to the Southwest and the grandparents she’s never met. Maybe the change of scene will provide the solution she desperately needs.
Morgan Young came to Hope Ranch to work with horses and put his years as a police officer behind him. The influx of Hewitt grandchildren isn’t even a blip on his radar. At least until Skye shows up. Now he’s torn between seeking out and steering clear of the woman who stirs more than his curiosity.
The longer she stays, the more they’re thrown together, and both of them will have to decide if falling in love is something they’re willing to risk.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading Hope For Tomorrow and it’s my favorite book so far in Elizabeth Maddrey’s Hope Ranch series set in New Mexico.
We meet Skye Hewitt when she turns up unannounced at Hope Ranch and, for the first time, sees her paternal grandparents. She’s only twenty-three and was forced to leave her job because her unknown health condition and the associated anxiety had became too much. I’ve struggled with health issues in recent years, and I could relate and empathize with Skye’s frustration in firstly not knowing what’s wrong with her, and secondly not being able to do what she wants to do because she’s not feeling well.
Life isn’t easy, and Skye is looking for a safe place to heal and find answers. Her older brother, Cyan, is living on Hope Ranch with their grandparents. You can read more about Cyan’s romance with Maria in Book 1, Hope for Christmas (see my recommendation at Inspy Romance here).
Morgan Young is a lovable hero for a bunch of reasons. He has a maturity beyond his years from his former life as a cop where he witnessed the best and worst of human nature. His faith is strong and, prior to meeting Skye, he’d accepted his lot as a single man who loves his job working with horses. Morgan is drawn to Skye. She inspires him to leave his comfort zone and explore the possibility of a romantic relationship. I appreciated his patience and understanding of Skye and her complex family situation.
Skye’s grandparents have a strong faith, and they haven’t stopped praying for their estranged son, daughter-in-law, and their grandchildren to become believers. Skye’s father has never attempted to hide his hostility toward Christianity and his parents. Skye’s father’s attitude, combined with her unconventional upbringing and family situation, has complicated Skye’s faith journey. Despite feeling distant from her parents, Skye shares a close relationship with her siblings and her twin brother, Royal.
Both Morgan and Skye have a ton of emotional baggage to overcome plus the reveal of a long held secret threatens their path to happily-ever-after. I read the second half of the book in one sitting because I had to turn the page and find out what happens next! I loved the ending and I recommend reading the books in order to fully appreciate the unfolding events in the series.
Skye’s grandparents are adorable and the other residents at Hope Ranch reminded me of why I love reading contemporary Christian romance (CCR) set in small town communities. I enjoyed rereading Hope for Christmas (Book 1) to get my head back into the series, and I’m currently reading Hope For Love (Book 3) that released a few weeks ago.
I highly recommend Hope For Tomorrow to readers who like sweet and realistic romance stories that aren’t afraid to address contemporary issues.
My questions for you: Have you read Hope For Tomorrow, or any of the other books in the Hope Ranch series? Do you reread earlier books in the series when a new book is released? Have you recently read a CCR book where you closely connected with one of the characters because of a shared experience?
A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
I have of read any of this series. I will go back and read previous books if a new book of a series is due out.
Hi Narelle. Thanks for sharing your arm chair travels. Sending you some heat from SW Michigan. I am an avid reader of Elizabeth Maddrey. Enjoy her writing style and stories. I have read Hope for Tomorrow. (Something the world needs at the moment.) My review: Inspiring, page turning story with some unexpected twists and turns: spring in New Mexico, twins, DNA testing, heart disease, gaming, horses, summer camp, reading preferences and Ecclessiastes. Delightful well developed characters – the Hewitt clan, especially grandparents Wayne and Betsy Hewitt, plus reconnecting to the Peacock Hills series. Well written romance with a hint of suspense and medical facts.
With over 1000 books in my Kindle account and so many authors and stories to explore, I do NOT reread books ever. As a reader, I hope the author puts subtle facts from past stories in the story. That usually refreshes my memory. I may go back and look at a blurb and my Amazon or Goodreads review. Stay warm and healthy. Best wishes.
Thanks Renate!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Narelle! Thanks for blogging about my book!
HI, I have not any of the books, but they do interesting. I occasionally go back and read all the books in a series so I can enjoy it even more the second time around
No I haven’t read, but will add to my list. Thank you.
I have Hope for Christmas in my TBR stack! I need to get this one, too!! I don’t usually go back and re-read the other books in the series when the next one comes out. However, after I’ve read them all individually, later I will go back and re-read the entire series again.
I’ve been reading the stories and really loving it. I think these books are coming out so close together that I don’t have to reread to refresh my memory, but sometimes I do.
One of my favorite series!
I rarely reread earlier books in a series when a new title is released, but it has happened on occasion! Like most readers, I have a LOT of books waiting in my TBR on my ereader…
I have not read any of your books, this book sounds very intriguing and like a good page turner! I love the cover, it is beautiful. Sometimes if it has been awhile and a new book comes out in the series, I will read it, but usually I am eager for the next book in the series to come out.
Thank you for the review and recommendation. I am still working my way through the Peacock Hill series by Elizabeth. I have already read the Baxter Family Bakery series and I have Hope Ranch #1 and the Grant Us Grace series in my TBR pile. I can happily say that Elizabeth Maddrey is on my list of must-read authors. I’m looking forward to visiting Hope Ranch very soon!
Hi Mary, I like to try and find the time to reread earlier books in the series. Thanks for commenting 😊
Hi Renate, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Hope for Tomorrow. I hadn’t thought about reading reviews to refresh my memory – a great idea. 😊 Best wishes and enjoy your summer.
Hi Elizabeth, You’re very welcome. 😊
Hi Yvonne, I hope you’ll have a chance to read the Hope Ranch series. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Lucy, yes, definitely add the Hope Ranch series to your list. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Trudy, I prefer to binge read series books, which means I’ll sometimes wait for the whole series to release before I start reading book 1. I hope you’ll have a chance to read the Hope Ranch series soon! 😊
Hi Toni, The advantage of rapid release is we don’t need to reread to refresh our memories. I’m loving the Hope Ranch series, too! 😊
Hi Valerie, I don’t want to think about how long it could potentially take me to read every book in my tbr list, lol. I’ll sometimes reread books I’ve loved to analyse why I loved the story. 😊
Hi Alicia, I love the cover of Elizabeth’s book, too! I hope you’ll have an opportunity to read the Hope Ranch series. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Lincoln, You’re very welcome. Enjoy the Peacock Hill series – you’ll meet Azure, Skye’s sister, in A Heart Realigned. I hope you can visit Hope Ranch soon! Thanks for commenting. 😊
I haven’t read this book or this series, but it sounds wonderful.
I have not read any of these books. If it’s a closely connected series of books where they aren’t so much stand alone, I usually wait until I can read them all in order. Even if that means waiting until all the books release. If they are more stand alone, I don’t re-read earlier books because the author usually gives enough background for the previous books to remind me of what happened. I’m picky like that….where I have to read the books in order, lol! I also see that the “Hope Ranch” series is on Kindle Unlimited so I can definitely borrow them :-) Thanks for the book suggestion Narelle!
I don’t read a lot of contemporary, however, this last year I’ve been reading more! I’ve discovered many great authors that write in this genre; Becky Wade, Denise Hunter (though I DID read her Nantucket series years ago), Nicole Deese, Courtney Walsh, Karen Kingsbury, and Suzanne Woods Fisher’s new contemporary series (she normally writes Amish). OH…funny thing, I also read your book Narelle “Winning Over the Heiress” not too long ago!
I think for a character that I recently connected with was Nora Bradford in Becky Wade’s Bradford Sisters series book “True to You”. She is a librarian, genealogist, an introvert, and would rather bury herself in work or a good book than face people. Her personality just resonated with me and I could relate in that way, not so much in shared experience. I just loved her :-)
Hope Ranch is new to me. I sometimes reread earlier ones , especially if there has been a long gap between books, though my personal preference is to wait until the series is complete and then read them all together. A nice warm climate would be wonderful as it is decidedly chilly down under here today. Thanks for the post!
Oh wow! Thank you so much! It’s always special to know I’ve made a must read :)
Hi Denise, I hope you’ll have an opportunity to read the Hope Ranch series. Thanks for commenting 😊
Hi Trixi, I’ll often wait for the whole series to release before I start reading. Then I’ll have a nice binge read! I try to read books in order, if possible. Definitely borrow the Hope Ranch series in KU! It’s on my to-do list to get my old Heartsong books back into print. When all the ducks finally line up… (hopefully in 2021). Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Dianne, I hope you’ll have a chance to read the Hope Ranch series. Yes, it’s definitely indoor weather where I live atm. No snow this year, either. Thanks for commenting 😊