Book: Secrets and Wishes
Author: Kathleen Rouser
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: January 30, 2024
She only wants a fresh start, but her past might be the only hope to save his life—and the lives of countless innocents.
Determined widow Maggie Galloway dreams of a peaceful life and a successful business. And winning the Silver Leaf Flour Company baking contest could be the key to that success. She even has a chance at a prestigious position through a dashing former beau. But when her son gets into a fight with the local pharmacist’s son, Maggie’s peaceful life is derailed.
Reserved pharmacist and recent widower Thomas Harper is also looking for a fresh start for himself and his four children. But when Thomas falls gravely ill, his only choice is to enlist the help of the local baker with a knowledge of concocting remedies. He’s even more reluctant to admit that Maggie may also be the remedy for his grieving heart. And when a traveling medicine man’s medicines beget tragedy, Thomas and Maggie must overcome their differences to save the children of Stone Creek—and face the growing attraction between them—before it’s too late.
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Kathleen Rouser is one of my favorite Christian Fiction Authors, so I was excited to be able to read another new book by Kathleen. Secrets and Wishes is Book 2 in the Stone Creek Brides series.
Secrets and Wishes has 3 main characters, Maggie Galloway, Thomas Harper and Giles Prescott. Maggie and Thomas are both widows and singled parents living in Michigan. They begin a friendship when their sons are in a fistfight with each other. The friendship flourishes when Maggie has to take care of Thomas when he becomes deathly ill. Maggie is also trying to support herself with a baking business. Along comes a old boyfriend who wants her to come to Chicago to work in his Test Kitchen. All that sounds good to Maggie, but she feels drawn to stay in Michigan with Thomas. What will she decide? How will the love story end? I cannot spoil the ending, as the book is soo good it is a must read!
I really like the time period that this love story took place, in the early 1900's! The way health care was in that time is quite interesting. Also, the fact that when Maggie became a widow she had to be creative in how she would support her family due to the fact that women had a difficult time gaining employment during that time. Her baking skills and her knack for concocting things could just be the remedy for her peaceful life. Secrets and Wishes is a GREAT stand alone book and I HIGHLY recommend it. Kathleen Rouser is a wonderful author and she proves it once again in this FABULOUS book!
Kathleen Rouser is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical and contemporary Christian romance. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers. She resides in southeast Michigan, a location which she often uses in her novels, with her hero and husband of forty-some years and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.
More from Kathleen
Maggie Galloway’s Prizewinning Recipe
Maggie Galloway was a secondary character in my first Stone Creek Brides novel, Rumors and Promises. As the older sister and housekeeper of hero, Ian McCormick, she liked to have her say. I enjoyed getting to know Maggie as I created her character. She was so much fun to write I knew she needed her own story.
She has a knowledge of remedies from working with her pharmacist husband in the past, but Maggie is also a prizewinning baker because of her creative and cherished recipe for pecan snickerdoodles. I hope you’ll enjoy her recipe.
Increasing the vanilla in her favorite snickerdoodle recipe while adding toasted chopped pecans to the dough and the cinnamon sugar made for the delightful crunch and a nutty taste, which had won her second place in the recipe contest. (From Maggie’s musings in Secrets and Wishes.)
Maggie Galloway’s Pecan Snickerdoodles
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup flour
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Cinnamon sugar mixture:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped toasted pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease cookie sheet.
Beat butter until creamy. Add 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar, mixing well.
Beat egg and vanilla into the mixture. Slowly add flour and chopped pecans to the mixture.
Set dough in the refrigerator (or the icebox in Maggie’s day) for at least a half an hour to make it easier to handle.
While you’re waiting, mix the cinnamon sugar ingredients together with the 1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans.
When the dough is ready, roll into small balls and roll in cinnamon sugar/nut mixture.
Place a couple of inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, only until slightly golden brown along the edges. Yield is approximately two dozen cookies.
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, February 20 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 20
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 21
Books You Can Feel Good About, February 22
Life on Chickadee Lane, February 22
Devoted To Hope, February 23
Vicky Sluiter, February 23
Texas Book-aholic, February 24
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 25
ABBA’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 26
lakesidelivingsite, February 27
Betti Mace, February 28
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 29
Cover Lover Book Review, March 1
For Him and My Family, March 2
Holly’s Book Corner, March 3
Pause for Tales, March 4
To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the garand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2a256/secrets-and-wishes-celebration-tour-giveaway
Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Secrets and Wishes by Kathleen Rouser
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