Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate

Hope Springs is the epitome of small town life- a place filled with quiet streets where families have been friends for generations, a place where not a lot changes...until now.

Janelle Evans has not been back to Hope Springs since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn't long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened.

Becca Anderson is finally on the trajectory she has longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she has been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women's conference. But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father's church in Hope Springs. Will small-town living affect her big ministry dreams?

Stephanie London is married to a doctor in St. Louis and living the ideal life. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels compelled to do the same. It is a decisions that will forever change her.

As these women come together, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches that have long been divided along racial lines. God's plan for them in Hope Springs - and for Hope Springs itself- is bigger than they ever imagined.

Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate was an excellently fashioned novel overflowing with truths about God, love, forgiveness, and Christian unity. The plot line was well developed and clearly showed the characters' struggles, weaknesses, and growth. There was only a little suspense in the plot, but the novel was well crafted and did not need suspense and mystery to keep me tied to the book.

The characters were very realistic, and it was easy to identify with their realizations, flaws, and struggles. I enjoyed seeing Stephanie's growth into a woman with a servant's heart, Becca's understanding that humility and love are more important than an impressive ministry career, Janelle's acceptance of God's plan for her and her family, and the countless other lesser characters who still experienced growth and change as they grew closer to God and family.

The themes of Hope Springs were phenomenal. The need for a community living in God's word was palpable, and the characters' realization that all Christians are united in Christ, no matter the color of their skin, was beautiful to behold. Other important themes included forgiveness, faithfulness in marriage and relationships even when your spouse is unfaithful to you, love, and acceptance.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate, and I highly recommend any of her books to any woman looking for a novel that is full of truth and clearly reveals the godly relationships that can exist between women.

I received this novel for free from Booksneeze.com with Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.