There is a mystery in Wildwood Creek's history, a mystery that affects Allie's present...
Wildwood Creekby Lisa Wingate
Christian Romance
Paperback, 384 pages
February 4th 2014 by Bethany House Publishers
Allie Kirkland has never been one to take wild risks. But when she’s offered a costuming assistant’s job on a docudrama in the hills near Moses Lake, she jumps at the chance. She’s always dreamed of following in her director-father’s footsteps, and the reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step. The family expectations will have to wait.
But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delevan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the folk songs of Chinquapin Peaks. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.
When strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, everyone in Wildwood, including Allie’s handsome neighbor on the film set, Blake Fulton, seems to be hiding secrets, and Allie doesn’t know who she can trust. If she can’t find the answers in time, history may repeat itself . . . with the most unthinkable results.
Lisa Wingate is a journalist, inspirational speaker, reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, and the author of over twenty novels. Her novels combine elements of history, romance, mystery, and women's fiction with nuggets of Southern culture, from the sublime to the humorous. She is a seven-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, a Christianity Today Book Award nominee, an Inspy Award nominee, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her works have been selected for Booklist’s Top Ten List in 2012 and in 2013. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.
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My Review / Thoughts:
When I signed up for the review I didn't realize that this was #4 in the series. I have not read the first three, so my review may be a little on the "what did she say" side. I enjoyed reading it, and will have to go back and read the first three so that maybe some of the things I think were from left field, might not have been left field after all :). BUT, having admitted to only reading book 4, I still really enjoyed the book :). The series must be fantastic :). I love the go between the past and the present. It is so interesting, and fun to see how they connect.
The story is mostly between Bonnie Rose and her sister Maggie May in the past and Allie Kirkland in the present day. Allie gets the opportunity to work on a documentary film set about Wildwood Creek and what happened there. We realize that it is also the story of Bonnie Rose, and how she came to Wildwood Creek, and what happened to her.
Allie's father was in the film business and when he died she always held the memories of those days close to her heart. It lead her to want to work in the film industry herself. When the opportunity came up to work on a documentary Allie and her friend Kim apply. Allie starts out as a costume/gopher for the production, and her friend Kim actually gets cast as part of the documentary.
Soon Alllie is approached by the producer and asked to play the part of Bonnie Rose in the movie. When she and Kim accept their jobs, they had no idea what was in store for them. They embark on a 2 and a half month journey into the world of Wildwood Creek, and the mysterious happenings that went on there. The past seems to be colliding with the future, and things start to get a bit bizarre.
The bad guy from the past was obvious from the very beginning. Although I think there were more than a few bad guys, but the main village idiot was obvious from the moment Bonnie Rose stepped foot into Wildwood Creek. NOW, the bad guy in the present seemed to totally come out of left field for me. I even had to go back and read to see if I missed some clues. I may have STILL missed some clues, but I think the author did a fantastic job of hiding the identity of the "bad" guy "present".
There are a few parts that got a little slow and a little wordy, but when it was all said and done I really enjoyed reading it. It was mysterious, and interesting, and exciting to read.
Source: I received this book as part of a tour stop from Netgalley and Prism Book Tours in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and these are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.
My Rating:
Lisa Wingate is a journalist, inspirational speaker, reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, and the author of over twenty novels. Her novels combine elements of history, romance, mystery, and women's fiction with nuggets of Southern culture, from the sublime to the humorous. She is a seven-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, a Christianity Today Book Award nominee, an Inspy Award nominee, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her works have been selected for Booklist’s Top Ten List in 2012 and in 2013. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.
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Print copy of Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate
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1 Winner, 1 Amazing Prize Pack:
$50 Amazon Gift Card
Print copy of Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate
Handmade-by-author Prayer Box with notepads
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Great review, I'm looking forward to reading the book.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you. It really is a good one! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI am so glad you enjoyed this especially with it being the 4th book in the series and you not having read the other three.
ReplyDeleteI just must not pay good enough attention :). I just want to read everything! hehe! It was really a good one though! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! Sometimes I wish I could go back and tell myself "don't do that" :)..hehe
ReplyDelete