When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer is the 2nd book in The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy. This book opens with reporter Briley Forrester and his boss working on an undercover scheme to expose the Mennonite community as not being the idyllic people that tourists believe. The plan is for Briley to become a long term boarder at Grace Notes Bed and Breakfast in Arborville, Kansas.

Alexa Zimmerman has just opened Grace Notes in her grandmother's old home and is establishing a means to support herself and in hopes of being accepted by the family she has only recently come to know. (For more on this story, read When Mercy Rains) Things are further complicated when her cousin Anna-Grace moves into the boarding house to help her fiance', Steven, restore and repair the house which has been bequeathed to him.

I did not read the first book in the series, so I am a bit leery of writing an accidental spoiler. Therefore, I am not giving many details. I will say that Kim gives enough background from the first book that I did not feel that there were huge pieces missing. Yet, she also shared just enough to pique my interest in wanting to read, "When Mercy Rains" so I can get the full picture of what happened. So, while not a stand alone novel, it is still a satisfying story. Of course, as with any good writer, she leaves you wanting more. I definitely want to read "When Love Returns" when it is released.

The characters were well developed and people you could understand. Even when I would think, "that's not what I would do," I understood the motive and mindset of each because we did get a fuller picture of each. To me, creating fictional people you would like---or even dislike---in real life is what draws me into a story and hold my interest. I have read several of Kim's books and she is very skilled at adding layers to the people who populate her novels. To be honest, I am not a huge Amish/Mennonite genre fan, but Kim has once again presented a story that I thoroughly enjoyed and kept my attention.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from WaterbrookMultnomah's, Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Kim Vogel Sawyer FB Author page
Kim Vogel Sawyer website