Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich - GIVE AWAY!

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

MY THOUGHTS:

“God’s ways are mysterious….and best.” (p. 271)


Stray Affections is a story that will make you remember your childhood, examine your parenting skills, and feel immeasurably thankful that we serve a God of grace and mercy! I think we all are a little like Cassandra Higgins and carry regrets and some bitterness about events from our childhood. It’s not until we grow older and become parents ourselves that we realize that oftentimes circumstances out of our control force us to make decisions we’d rather not make. In that way, we are all a little like Bad Betty in the story, and we find ourselves in a position to choose whether or not to both offer and receive forgiveness. I’m so thankful that God is long-suffering with our stubborn emotions, and that He loves us enough to work ALL things out for our good and His glory!

This story is an easy read in some ways, but the truths contained within the context of the story are those we all need to understand and place in practice in our lives. We need to love others as Christ loved us, and we need to forgive others and ourselves in order to serve God fully and joyfully. The “flurious” moments in the story add a bit of mystery, but also serves as a reminder that God’s ways are not our ways, and sometimes we just have to believe that He is guiding us even when it requires stepping out in faith to re-embrace a dream we’d given up on long ago.

I enjoyed Stray Affections, and I think you will too! If you want to learn more about this book and it’s author, please visit the publisher’s website. This story is scheduled for release on September 15th, so pre-order your copy today!

I also have a FREE copy of this book to give away, so if you'd be interested in reading STRAY AFFECTIONS, please leave a comment on this post, along with your contact information, and you will be entered to win!