Susan's Review of Love Lessons in Good hope by Cindy Kirk

Charlotte McCray has been on her own a very long time. She knows what she wants and she wants her new partnership with Marigold Rallis to succeed. Which means work has to be her focus.

Organic farmer, Adam Vogele, is not the kind of man who normally would catch her eye. But his easy smile, strong arms and sizzling good looks prove impossible to resist. It was an amazing night that left Charlotte breathless…and pregnant.

Adam spent his childhood without a father and is determined to put everything on the line for his child, and his child’s mother. As they learn more about each other, Charlotte battles falling in love with a man and a lifestyle not in her plans.

When an old flame shows up with an intriguing offer, Charlotte must decide whether to return to the fast-paced life she left behind, or embrace this new chapter she’s writing in Good Hope.

Gladys Bertholf is the matriarch of Good Hope and is the town’s matchmaker and she’s determined to find a match for Charlotte McCray. At first, I wasn’t too sure about Adam Vogele, Gladys’ choice for Charlotte. I wondered if a career oriented city girl find love with an unpretentious farmer. Cindy Kirk surprised me with a fabulous, heart felt story for this couple.

Charlotte McCray is at a crossroads both personally and professionally. An exciting business opportunity motivated Charlotte to return to Good Hope. Charlotte and Marigold Rallis have formed a partnership. They are opening a salon and day spa in Good Hope. Charlotte is conflicted; she wants her new business to succeed but longs for a child of her own.

At first glance, Adam Vogele and Charlotte appear to be total opposites. Adam and his father own an organic farm. A well-respected member of the Good Hope community, Adam is unpretentious, passionate about organic farming and enjoys a warm relationship with his father.

Adam and Charlotte share a passionate Fourth of July and conceive a child. The conflict between Charlotte and Adam was spot on. Charlotte wanted to raise the baby by herself while Adam wants to be his child’s father. Both characters had very different childhoods and these experiences shaped their opinions. Charlotte’s parents divorced and had second families—she was an outsider. Although Adam was raised by his step father Stan, he never knew his biological father.

Adam’s father Stan was one of my favorite characters in this story. He has known a great love and he encourages Adam to put family first and explore his own feelings for Charlotte. I adored Adam because he put his unborn child first; he wants his child to know that he is loved by both parents. And Adam truly understood that Charlotte’s past experiences made it hard for her to trust anyone. He gave Charlotte space and time to sort through her feelings.

Love Lessons in Good Hope has all the feels. Cindy Kirk blends the importance of family and friendship in this emotional story. At first glance, Charlotte and Adam may appear to be very different people. Loved the couple’s honest conversations as their relationship changed. Fin Rakes and Charlotte have an important talk about friendship. Charlotte realizes that she needs to let people in—to share her feelings—and this changes her attitude towards Adam and Good Hope. She realizes she wants her child, a family and friends. I loved that Charlotte realized that friendship and family could not be taken for granted—an important love lesson¬-¬--and Adam was the one who held her heart.

If you are looking for a feel good read that’s about love, friendship and babies—then Love Lessons in Good Hope is the perfect book for you!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the author

Read Susan's Review of Baby Dreams in Good Hope HERE!

Susan's review of Thankful in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk

Keeping this secret could cost him everything…

Trinity McConnell came to Good Hope expecting to reconnect with a former colleague, not a former fling. But within hours of arriving in the picturesque small town, she’s face-to-face with Ryder Goodhue, the man who gave her the hottest, most romantic night of her life.

Ryder has never believed in fate, yet there’s simply no way to explain Trinity’s appearance in Good Hope other than meant to be. Since the night they met, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Now, he’s determined to show Trinity how perfect their relationship can be.

The connection between Trinity and Ryder is as powerful as ever, and soon they are swept up in a whirlwind romance. But when an orphaned eleven-year-old girl with Ryder’s name on her birth certificate turns up, their newfound romance is put on hold. A former foster child herself, Trinity knows what it’s like to be a little girl alone in the world. She’s happy to help Ryder make his new daughter his top priority. But there’s something Ryder isn’t telling her. While revealing the truth could have disastrous consequences…keeping this secret could cost Ryder the one woman he can’t live without.



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Trinity McConnell and Ryder Goodhue’s story is a powerful story of compassion. Cindy Kirk’s choice to write about child abuse and the way she crafted this piece of the storyline drew me into this novel. The writing is fantastic and I could not put the book down.

Trinity and Ryder were introduced in Sparks Fly in Good Hope. They met and had a brief affair. Months later, they meet at an election party in Good Hope. Trinity sees Ryder across the bar and walks over to talk to him. The couple has an intense connection—and this is noted by Gladys and Oaklee, two of the town’s matchmakers—and spend the night together.

The couple’s romance is interrupted when Ryder learns that his friend Jenna has died. He is shocked to learn that she has a daughter, he has been named as her guardian….and that Ryder’s name is listed on Zoe’s birth certificate. Ryder is put in a difficult position and he keeps a secret to himself.

I loved the plot choices that Cindy Cook made in this story. As a reader-I was torn. Trinity and Ryder faced many difficult situations in the novel. Trinity understood Ryder’s decision to bring Zoe to Good hope. After her mother died, she spent time in foster care—Trinity emphasized and showed compassion towards her. Zoe becomes Ryder’s priority and the secret he’s keeping is in danger of being revealed. Could the secret tear the couple apart?

Thankful in Good Hope is the perfect book to read as the holidays approach. The characters and their journey made me appreciate my family and friends who share our table during the holidays. Thankful in Good Hope features many of my favorite characters and the storyline presents a serious issue in a thoughtful, relatable way. The novel is filled with compassion, love, hope and forgiveness.

Cindy Kirk’s engaging characters and their journeys make each of the Good Hope novels unique. The author balances love, family and drama in each story. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the author

Susan's Review of Marry Me In Good Hope by Cindy Kirk

Of all the things Hadley Newhouse expected to find in Good Hope, love wasn’t on the list.

The baker extraordinaire has spent the last three years hiding her past and holding her breath. It isn’t that she likes being evasive. She just doesn’t want to open old wounds. Still, Hadley understands there’s a fine line between discretion and disaster, and she’s pretty sure agreeing to work for sexy single-father David Chapin leaps right over it.

David knows firsthand the havoc secrets can wreak. It was a secret that made his ex-wife walk out on their family, and now a secret elopement has cost him his daughter’s longtime nanny. When he learns that Bloom’s Bake Shop will temporarily close, leaving Hadley without work, he immediately offers her a job. He already knows his daughter adores Hadley, and after a few days with the beautiful baker, David realizes he does too.

Hadley has always believed that happily ever after was meant for other people, not for her. Yet when David paints a picture of a life with him and his daughter, Hadley begins to believe her dream really could come true. But before that can happen, she must come clean. David deserves to know what really brought Hadley to Good Hope—even if hearing it means he’ll want Hadley gone for good.

Hadley Newhouse has had a small but, significant role in each of the Good Hope novels. Hadley started working at Ami Bloom’s bakery in Christmas At Good Hope and she has assumed more responsibility at Blooms Bake shop with the birth of Ami’s baby. Cindy Kirk has sprinkled hints about Hadley in each book—the last two books contained BIG hints— I can honestly say this story was well worth the wait! I LOVED it!

Hadley volunteers at all of the town’s activities and is a well-liked member of the community. She works two jobs to support herself and lives above the bakery. Hadley doesn’t share a lot about her family or her past—just the basics. Two things about Hadley have intrigued me: her past and her interest in Brynn Chapin and her father David. Brynn adores Hadley and it didn’t surprise me when David offered Hadley a job as Brynn’s nanny while the bakery was being remodeled.

Hadley reveals to David that she is Brynn’s natural mother but, that’s not the only well-kept secret in the novel. David and his ex-wife Whitney were not honest during the adoption process. After DNA tests confirm that Hadley is Brynn’s mother, David reveals that his wife omitted an importance piece of medical history during the adoption process. This story technique worked as both characters needed to come to terms with the others actions and forgive each other before they could move forward. Where these decisions made in Brynn’s best interest?

I loved the very emotional scene when Hadley confesses that she is Brynn’s mother to the Bloom sisters. Each sister reacted differently to the news and Fin gave Hadley an important piece of advice. David’s mother, Lynn, does not react well to the news and believes Hadley is taking advantage of the situation.

Marry Me in Good Hope has all of the small town charm and warmth that I adore in this series. Both characters had secrets and they worked together to build an honest relationship. The chemistry between David and Hadley was off the charts and the couple’s sensuous romantic scenes were perfect! Cindy Kirk includes several tough issues in this novel; adoption, DNA testing, abuse and inherited medical conditions. She weaves these elements through the novel—and they add depth and authenticity to the story. Hadley and David’s journey toward happiness wasn’t easy but it ended PERFECTLY!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the publisher

Cindy Kirk is a lifelong Nebraska resident who started writing after taking a class at a local community college. But her interest in the written word started years before when she was in her teens. At sixteen she wrote in her diary, “I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t be a writer.”

Not until her daughter was heading off to college did Cindy return to her first love---writing. Unlike some writers, Cindy wasn’t interested in newspaper or magazine articles, short stories or poetry. When she decided to start writing, she jumped feet first into book length fiction. She loves reading and writing romance because she believes in the power of love and in happily ever after. An incurable romantic, Cindy loves seeing her characters grow and learn from their mistakes and, in the process, achieve a happy ending.

Someone once told Cindy that to know a writer you just have to read what she's written; she hopes that once you read her books you can tell she is an eternal optimist, one who truly believes in the power of love. She invites you to kick off your shoes, pick up one of her books and get to know her. Cindy and her high school sweetheart husband live on an acreage with two dogs and two cats—Oreo--a friendly feline who loves to sit next to the computer and supervise her writing and Leo, a white devil with a raccoon-like tail.

Susan's Review of Be Mine in Good Hope by Cindy Kirk

Be Mine In Good Hope is the perfect winter romance!

Cindy Kirk does a fabulous job introducing the characters in this fast-paced, character driven novel. Marigold Bloom arrives at her sister’s New Year’s Eve party and senses that a man that she met at a wedding a few months ago is nearby. Marigold smiles when she sees Sheriff Cade Rallis walking towards her. The powerful attraction between Marigold and Cade drew me into the story. I enjoyed reading the couple’s journey from lovers to friends. Be Mine In Good Hope is a fun, refreshing twist to the second chance story!

Marigold has returned home to Good Hope. She needs time to regroup after being fired from her job in Chicago. She tells her sisters, her father, friends and Cade throughout the novel that she is only staying in Good Hope temporarily. Marigold’s goal is to work as a stylist in New York or California. She wants to be successful in a large city; she’s not a small town girl. On the other hand, Cade worked for the Detroit police department before he arrived in Good Hope. He loves the small tight knit community of Good Hope so much that he has decided to run for the sheriff position.

The themes of loss and sense of belonging were important in the novel. Both Cade and Marigold have suffered losses. Marigold is still affected by her mother’s death and this drives her desire to be famous. A broken engagement haunts Cade and he realizes that he was to blame for the break up. Loved the scenes when the couple meets at the Friday Night Skate night and when they decide to date. Cade and Marigold are talked into running an afterschool first grade scouting group. Their first meeting doesn’t go as planned and it was fabulous to read how they decided to work together to help their group successful. The author does a fabulous job weaving the members of the Bloom family throughout this novel. The conversations between the sisters are humorous, honest and poignant!

The couple’s relationship becomes more serious as the annual Valentines dance approaches. Cade loves Marigold but, he realizes that her dreams and his are different. The couple suffers a serious setback during the dance. The conclusion to the story surprised me—but was absolutely perfect for the couple.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC form the publisher--thank you! 

Photo of Celeste taken by Susan Gorman