Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel by Melody Carlson

Moving to New York after college Daphne had dreams of becoming a great writer. Getting a dream job for The New York Times she thought she was all set. But a failed romance and years of being stuck in the same job disillusions Daphne.

When Daphne's Aunt Dee passes away Daphne travels to her hometown to attend the funeral. When the will is read leaving the bulk of her Aunt's estate to Daphne she is as surprised as the rest of her relatives. According to her Aunt's attorney though there are some stipulations in the will that may keep Daphne from inheriting.

While Daphne gets to know her hometown all over again she meets many people that help to welcome her to her new life in Appleton. She gets reacquainted with her old friend Olivia who helps her choose paint colors to give her Aunt's house a facelift. She meets the local diner owner whom her father thinks would be a great match for her. She meets her Aunt's gardener who happens upon her sunning in the backyard in her nightgown. And her Aunt's attorney seems to be taking an interest in Daphne's social life as well. When a man from her past shows up to try and win her heart again, Daphne is confused about what she wants and wonders what her Aunt was thinking when she made the stipulations in her will.

Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel was a cute read. It kept me entertained throughout. I enjoyed the small-town atmosphere of Daphne's hometown and all of the people that came into her life once she moved there. I did find myself getting a bit frustrated at Daphne's indecisiveness, but as the book progressed she seemed to grow as a character. Being Book One in the new Dear Daphne series I am hoping for more maturity on Daphne's part to develop in the next book. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book to see if Daphne is able to meet all of her Aunt's stipulations to claim her inheritance. And of course to see if any of the eligible bachelors capture Daphne's attention ;)

I received my copy of Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel for review from the publisher B&H Publishers. This review is my honest opinion.

O Little Town : A Novel by Don Reid-Kindle

Mt. Jefferson in the 1950's was your typical small town where everyone seems to know each other and their lives are intertwined.

It is Christmas 1958 and the story opens with a local pastor's daughter being caught shoplifting in the local department store. Not wanting to raise too big of a scene the manager of the store attempts to keep the news from getting out. Unfortunately he has to call Buddy the Chief of Police in.

Buddy is having problems of his own. He has just found out that his 16 year old daughter is pregnant. The baby's father is the son of a well-known doctor in town. Louis Wayne wants to do the right thing and marry Buddy's daughter. 

Walter is in the hospital. His daughters Doris and Colleen are two very different women. Doris has always tried to win her father's love even though she already had his love. She is a strong personality. And she is married to a doctor. Colleen has always been the favored daughter, but something is bothering her that she cannot figure out. Things just don't seem right between her husband Milton(the manager of Macalbee's department store) and herself.

When Buddy brings Pastor Franklin's daughter home he and his wife Dove are both disappointed in their daughter's behavior. Millie seems to have no remorse for what she has been caught doing. Dove decides to march up to the store and defend her daughter. She has been wanting to move from Mt. Jefferson for a long time. There is one temptation that she wants to flee.

Another story is woven into the main story. That is Walter's story from his youth. It is about the tragic loss of his first love. 

Everyone gathers Christmas eve for service at Pastor Franklin's church. He delivers a message on forgiveness. Hearts and lives are touched and healing can begin for so many.

I enjoyed this story very much. Everyone's lives interwoven together and the ultimate gift of forgiveness shines through.