The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek- Review

About the Book:

Upon his arrival, Butternut Creek Christian Church's newly-minted minister is met by a welcome committee led by Miss Birdie and her friend Mercedes, a.k.a. "the Widows." Their first order of business, to educate him on how things should be done, quickly gives way to a campaign to find him a wife.

When their matchmaking efforts fizzle, the Widows turn to another new bachelor. Amputee and Afghan vet Sam simply wants to be left alone-- a desire that's as good as a red flag to the Widows! Soon they're scheming to pair him up with Willow, his beautiful physical therapist, a divorced mother of two who is afraid of commitment, Perrine's small-town tale is a big-time triumph of gentle humor, fast-paced plot, and wonderfully engaging characters.


About the Author:

A Missouri native, Jane Myers Perrine earned her B.A. from Kansas State University and her M.Ed. in Spanish from the University of Louisville. She was a finalist in the Regency category of the Golden Heart Awards, and her short pieces have appeared in the Houston Chronicle and Woman's World magazine. A high-school Spanish teacher as well as an ordained minister, she currently lives in Texas with her husband, who is the minister of a local Christian church.

My Review

What a wonderful book! All a story could hope for ~ a quaint little town, a young and handsome new Preacher, Adam. Lest we forget the widows, who find it their job to be matchmaker! You will fall in love with Birdie and Mercedes(the Widows) not only do the play matchmaker, but also make sure Adam knows how the church is run. They even become decorators for Adam's parsonage. For this, Adam is so thankful, since he came to town with very little! Willow is a physical therapist, a mom of two, and single! The Widows believe she is the perfect one for Adam. Adam is determined to make his own way and as he settles in, he begins reaching out to those in his community, doing whatever he can with God's help. His heart and compassion will inspire you as he helps others face their troubles.

This is first book in this trilogy and I CANNOT wait for the next one! Heart of a BookWorm definitely gives this
5 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥'s!! This was A complete Joy to read! Nothing like laughing out loud while reading your book and having people come up to you, asking about it! I always love to share a great book with others and this one is definitely on the list!

Thank you Sara @ Hatchette Books and Faith Words for allowing me this complimentary book in exchange for my honest review!

The Woman Who Wasn't There ~ Review

The astounding story of Tania Head, whose heartrending account of surviving the World Trade Center attacks made her a celebrity—until it all turned out to be an elaborate hoax.

It was a tale of loss and recovery, of courage and sorrow, of horror and inspiration. Tania Head’s astonishing account of her experience on September 11, 2001—from crawling through the carnage and chaos to escaping the seventy-eighth-floor sky lobby of the burning south tower to losing her fiancé in the collapsed north tower—transformed her into one of the great victims and heroes of that tragic day.
Tania selflessly took on the responsibility of giving a voice and a direction to the burgeoning World Trade Center Survivors’ Network, helping save the “Survivor Stairway” and leading tours at Ground Zero, including taking then-governor Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg, and former mayor Giuliani on the inaugural tour of the WTC site. She even used her own assets to fund charitable events to help survivors heal. But there was something very wrong with Tania’s story—a terrible secret that would break the hearts and challenge the faith of all those she claimed to champion.
Told with the unique insider perspective and authority of Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr., a filmmaker shooting a documentary on the efforts of the Survivors’ Network, and previously one of Tania’s closest friends, The Woman Who Wasn’t There is the story of one of the most audacious and bewildering quests for acclaim in recent memory—one that poses fascinating questions about the essence of morality and the human need for connection at any cost.


Robin Gaby Fisher is the author of New York Times bestseller After the Fire. She is a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing and a member of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She teaches narrative journalism at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr., has made two award-winning films, Idling Brando and The Heart of Steel, and has written screenplays both optioned and in development. The Woman Who Wasn't There documentary is in post-production and is produced by Meredith Viera Productions and Academy Award-winner Ross Kauffman.


My Review:

Not since the true Story of Frank Abagnale Jr. and the way he conned millions of dollars as well as countless people around him, have I been this astounded by such a story.

September 11th will forever be in our minds. The Shock. The Horror. The utter Disbelief. The Heartbreak.

In the days after, America came together in so many powerful ways. People reaching out to one another, helping in whatever ways needed. Introduce Tania Head. She claimed to have been in the South Tower, narrowly escaping as she crawled to safety. She shared that not only had she survived this horrible tragedy, but she lost the love of her life and fiancé' Dave. He was in the North Tower and it took months to receive confirmation of his death. Tania became very active in the World Trade Center Survivors' Network, and became the Network President in 2006. She helped financially, she was able to do things that no one else could, and to meet with those that no one else could. From the outside looking in, Tania was, for all practical purposes, a godsend.

There was only one problem - and that was Tania's story.

The Woman Who Wasn't There could be described using the exact words I shared above - Shocking. Horrifying. Unbelievable. and Heartbreaking, to say the least.

To believe one person could deceive so many, who were already at such a vulnerable state. Losing someone is hard enough but sharing the grief with someone who might have been with your loved one, or who gives a voice to their tragedy,
can bring healing or in the very least, help to begin that process.

Tania Head's deceit will leave you speechless, and yet, looking at all she was able to do for so many affected by this horrible tragedy, will leave you in awe.

I recommend reading this story, especially if you are one who is fascinated with those who are like Tania. Those who create their own scenario, their own world, their own web of lies, yet,to them, it is nothing but the truth. Or is it?


Thank you to Ashley Hewlett with Touchstone Books and Simon & Schuster for allowing me complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.