This was a 2-in-1 book by two of Harlequin's favorite (and prolific) inspirational authors. I had never read anything by Linda Ford before reading her story "Season of Bounty". I had previously read one book by Winnie Griggs, a full length book that was third in a trilogy. I had really enjoyed that book so much that when I saw she was a contributor to this anthology, I had to pick it up, plus the bonus perk of trying Ms. Ford's writing.
It took me six days of forced reading to get through this 195 pages; partly due to my family's on-going illness(es) and partly because the stories were so sweet they gave me a tooth ache.
Season of Bounty by Linda Ford
I would give this story one star. Katherine was a Christian Mary Sue to the point I thought she should have entered the nunnery rather than fall instantly in love with Buck. Buck and Rosie seem much more realistically drawn and had a more complex backstory. Katherine was also the type of Christian to pray for what she wanted or expected should happen - there was not a lot of prayers of gratitude. Yet the story moved fast - so fast that any an all obstacles in Katherine's and Buck's way were resolved in a way that was unbelievable. Overall, shallow characters and idealized Christian life made the story a slog to get through. 1 star.
Home for Thanksgiving by Winnie Griggs
This story was meatier, with both the Ruby and Griff having backstories that mattered to the present story and to their characters. The author pulled no punches on the emotional front. Also the one side character (other than the cat) was Inez and she was fully engaging in the story. Ruby had more prayers of gratitude and a whole lot less of prayers of want. The religious aspect was handled with a deft hand. But the story was too short to be rushed through to HEA without proper courting, which left me unsatisfied. 2 stars.
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