Times are good, and 1950s moms are hungry for pastries to serve their baby boomer families. Icky’s Cookies fly off local grocery store shelves, and with each new variety, the neighborhood is filled with the enticing aroma of Saigon cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and molasses. Soon, national grocery chains and distributors want to buy his product, too, and Icky thinks he’s made it big in the commercial baked goods market. But just as he’s ready to expand his bakery, an editorial in the local newspaper suggests cookie “fumes” could pose a danger to nearby Marcus Park. Will all good things crumb to an end? Perhaps. Baking Second Chances is a local-guy-bakes-good story about a faithful man who follows his call to reflect God’s glory even when the world seems stacked against him—and family and friends who are willing to put their cookie-eating mouths where their hearts are.

A tough town like Olean offers a guy only so many job options: sweat in the stench of oil refinery crude, like his immigrant father does, suffer boredom in a factory job, or apprentice in a trade. Icky Haut chooses the latter and works his way up, one crumb at a time, in a commercial bread bakery. Haut loves everything about baking bread: the smell and taste of yeast, the softness of flour rubbed between fingertips, the intense heat of ovens, the anticipation of a loaf's rise, and the comfort of its promise of sustenance. But after his second child is born, he realizes he's been mixing, proofing, shaping, scoring, and baking dough half his life. Is this it? Maybe not . . . but then his great idea to expand the bakery jams him up with his boss, and he's toast. How Haut relies on family and faith to start his own bakery is the center of this real-life, local-guy-makes-good story set in the 1930s and 40s. Haut's boss calls bread the "staff of life" feeding his bottom line; the Hauts are nourished by their faith, and that shift in perspective recasts the story to hope in the "Bread of Life."

'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness' FIONA HARPER on The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane 'Comforting and uplifting, this book is a joy to read' MY WEEKLY 'A heartwarming tale' WOMAN'S OWN Home is where the heart is... Joy has made a family for herself. She's turned her beautiful old farmhouse into a safe haven for anyone who is looking for a new beginning. She's always ready with a kind word, a nugget of advice and believes that anyone can change their life for the better, if they really want to. Libby has exchanged her high-flying job in New York for a break in the quiet Somerset countryside. She's soon drawn into Joy's world and into her family of waifs and strays - including Drew, whom Joy once helped get back on his feet. So when a secret from Joy's past threatens everything, can the unlikely group come together to give Joy a second chance of her own? Curl up with this uplifting new story of second chances and finding where you belong, from the author of The Little Village Library, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Ali McNamara! *** Readers adore Helen's heartwarming storytelling 'Enchanting... Employing all the warmth and charm of Maeve Binchy, and a special brand of kindness that she has made her own, Rolfe weaves together elements of mystery, romance, family relationships and the warmth of community in a story guaranteed to bring laughter, tears and miles of smiles' Lancashire Post 'A warm, comforting tale of family and community which brims with kindness and love' Annie Lyons 'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness... If you're looking for a feelgood novel in these difficult times, this is definitely it!' Fiona Harper 'A lovely community, full of friendship and love' 'I enjoyed every minute of this book and found it very hard to put down' 'Lovely, feel-good...filled with lots of love' 'Gave you all the emotions: suspense, happiness and excitement' 'Helen Rolfe's writing brought a smile to my face' 'Loved loved loved this fabulous book'

A moving story about love, redemption and what happens when life switches to fast forward. Cassie learned the hard way: Love forgives… in the end. In No Reverse, Josh and Cassie’s epic love story went from the brink of destruction to a fragile new beginning. Now they must mend their broken family and win back the son they gave up five years ago. But second chances need to be earned and the road ahead is rocky. With Cassie on tour and Josh trying his hand at a political career, the struggle becomes clear. When the adoption takes a bad turn, Cassie and Josh are prepared to give up everything for the fight of their lives. Will this young family finally heal the years of heartache, or will they be torn apart for good?

"Jennifer Olsson had a busy life in Bozeman, Montana. Mother to a young son and running a tackle shop alongside her husband, she was also much in demand as a fly-fishing guide. Then a letter arrived from a Swedish river-keeper named Lars. He had found Jennifer's name in a brochure and thought that inviting this well-known American fishing guide to visit his stretch of river--once nearly ruined by logging and now making a comeback--might be a terrific public relations coup. At first, Jennifer considered tossing the letter out with the junk mail. Lars, however, was persistent. Late one night he called to follow up. Listening to his voice on the answering machine, Jennifer made one of those decisions that change life instantly and forever. She picked up the phone and said she would come. This wonderful memoir provides us with a true "and then ..." story. Jennifer went to Sweden and fell in love--with the country, the river, and with its keeper"--Publisher's description.

Tony Herrera couldn't believe Becca Stiles had applied for a job at the home he'd started for former foster kids. And that he'd hired her! Eleven years ago, she'd walked out on him and their marriage without a backward glance. But even as the old attraction sizzled between them, the single father knew that letting Becca back into his life was asking for trouble. Rebecca knew that returning to her childhood town would reopen old wounds. But Tony had a child of his own now—a little girl who needed a mother.

The gorgeous hunk of cowboy fl esh had a name— Hank Monroe—and just about every woman in Whitehorse dreamed of being his match. So why would the newcomer want to date plain ol' Arlene Evans? His arrival was enough to flip her world upside down—leaving no time at all to get her hair done—but could he also set it right? When Arlene's pregnant daughter disappears, Hank's got the connections to close the case. But with his own past catching up—heck, nobody's perfect!—Arlene will do anything to get to the bottom of one tall, masculine, Montana mystery. Their lives are on the line, but nothing in this rough and tumble world can tear Hank and Arlene apart.