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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Sometimes the Second Time Is the Charm

by Chautona Havig · 7 Comments

In the Cradle Lies offers geneology, mystery, and a blend of historical and contemporary fiction in one, impossible-to-put-down book. Can't wait for the next. via @chautonahavig

“Wait, you didn’t like the first book so you asked to read the next one in the series?”

Look, I get it. My mother’s incredulity fit.  Who does that, anyway?

Apparently, I do.  I tried to explain. “I knew before I finished the last book that I would be reading the next.  The author is excellent with words, I loved this historical part of the story, and I loved the genealogical premise. I think it just took a bit of work to kick it off well.”

Still, I had a tiny bit of trepidation as I grabbed my book and hiked off to Denny’s for a good read and a book review.  I had to go back in for my box of Kleenex.

Yes, I am sick (sinus infection). No, it is not appropriate to spend your night at a restaurant when you’re sick.  Thankfully, Thursday nights at Denny’s are pretty dead, and I knew they’d keep folks far away from me.  I needed that distance from home so I wouldn’t be tempted to give up and crawl in bed.

Just keepin’ it real.

With a glass of Coke in one hand and a Kleenex in the other, I began reading.  For the record, you don’t want to borrow that book.  Or, if you do, spray it with Lysol first.  You’ve been warned.

Never has not plowing through a book from beginning to end been more difficult.  I kept reading and reading… until my sinuses said, “NO MORE.”

I looked at the clock.  It was only 2:00.  For me, that’s FOUR MORE HOURS until bedtime.  Oh, and get this.  I was only on chapter twelve.  I’d been reading for three hours.  The book should have been done.  But I was only on there????

That’s when I realized that I’d never make it.

I’m sitting here with my eyes barely open, my nose is threatening to put Ridgecrest on the map for volcanic eruptions now, and I’m trying to tell you guys why you want to read this book that I haven’t even finished yet.  #becausefiction

In the Cradle Lies review

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Sometimes the Second Time Is the Charm

One of the best things about a great premise and a series is that if one of the books doesn’t do it for you, the next just might.  While I didn’t love The Inn at Hidden Run like I wanted to, I loved the premise and the author’s writing.  Something told me that the next book would knock it out of the park.

In one of those rare, lovely times that I enjoy so much… I was right.

In the Cradle Lies corrects everything that I didn’t love about the first book as well as standing alone as a great story period.  I sat glued to every page and wanted more even when I had to put it down to get that important little thing we sometimes call “sleep.”

Excellent characterization, interesting plot lines, and dual-time story that keeps you riveted to every page, there really isn’t too much to quibble with.

If I had to find any fault (and I may amend this review later to reflect this) it would be that it has a similar root to the first book’s story.  Additionally, the spiritual element dances along the lines of someone being “good at heart” when Scripture makes it clear none of us are good at all.  Still, I get what the author meant by that, and I chose to see that–that people sometimes make decisions that aren’t right because in the moment, they think it is the right option.  It’s a fact of life, not the author’s recommendation for how to behave.  She showed it well.

Tucker is a bit melodramatic, much like Meri in the first book was, but this one it seemed to fit more somehow.  I don’t know. It just didn’t bother me like it did in the first.  I’m thrilled to have requested a free review copy, to have read it, can’t wait for the next, and recommend it for anyone who loves light romance, a good mystery, and dual-timeline stories.

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Comments

  1. Olivia Newport says

    December 13, 2019 at 7:35 am

    Thanks for giving the series a second chance. Hope you feel better.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 13, 2019 at 11:21 am

      So excited for the next!

      Reply
  2. Melissa Wenger says

    December 7, 2019 at 5:25 am

    I like a good suspenseful book as long as it’s not spooky enough to keep me up at night. This one sounds great!

    Reply
  3. James Robert says

    December 7, 2019 at 4:31 am

    Your book sounds like a great read and thank you for sharing it with us.

    Reply
  4. Emma says

    December 6, 2019 at 11:43 am

    I read this one a month or two ago, and could hardly put it down. Of course, I had most of Tucker’s mystery figured out long before the end, but loved seeing the changes in him and how everything was worked out.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 6, 2019 at 10:32 pm

      That’s exactly my experience. I think. 😉

      Reply
  5. Amelia says

    December 6, 2019 at 10:43 am

    Thanks for the review!

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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