"Wishing on Willows" by Katie Ganshert

 


Willow Tree Cafe represents everything to Robin - her plans, her dreams, her hopes. She opened it after her young husband's unexpected death, and it has kept her going through her grieving process. Now condominium developer Ian McKay wants to buy out Willow Tree and the surrounding businesses in order to put in a new project for his father's company. Robin's a fighter who isn't about to give up everything so quickly.

One thing I liked about this novel was that it took the main characters a while to come to understand each other. This isn't a "love at first sight" story, which felt refreshing. One thing I didn't like about the book was that it seemed to be lacking the Katie Ganshert depth and insight I've come to expect from her more recent releases. A Broken Kind of Beautiful is about a fashion model who finds herself floundering when the only identity she's ever known is slipping from her grasp. The Art of Losing Yourself is the story of two sisters raised by an abusive mother and how each took their pain and let it shape them in very different ways. Life After tells of one young woman's journey after being the sole survivor of a bombing. Each of those stories so unique and packs an emotional intensity that I felt was lacking here. This was Ganshert's sophomore release and I can tell she has grown since then.

I would highly recommend each and every one of the novels linked above, and I can't wait to see what Katie is going to publish next!