For my full, non-spoiler review: https://christianlovingbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/raspberries-and-vinegar-review... ( )

I used to read romance novels, adult and YA alike when I was in my early to mid-teens. It wasn't until I'd reached fifteen that I found sci-fi and horror a great fascination. Honestly, this is my second romance of 2015 but my first, ever Christian romance novel. and I loved it!

Raspberries and Vinegar is about Jo and her two girlfriends who want to return to a natural, spiritual lifestyle. Jo loves the country and carries strong environmental beliefs due to her knowing God would want her to appreciate all He's given. All she's wanted with said life was a man who felt the same way.

Zach is tired of the country living, caring for bovine with a heart that yearns to be a vet in the city. He's also looking for an opportunity to leave his broken heart behind but there's something in Jo Shaw that makes his heart hitch every time he sees her.

When Jo and the girls purchase land from the Nemesek's, Zach's parents, they think they're devoted to one another and lives with God as their only man. But when Jo falls for Hot and Handsome Zach, she fights against her heart strings for the want of a possible husband. Zach also fights but the feistiness and beauty of the short, brown-eyed nature lover won't leave him be.

This book has an incredible story! It's not just about Zach and Jo resisting, doubting and falling for each other. There are crazy situations (and people), a dog who doesn't mind and seriousness that keeps a Christian theme without forcing faith on the reader. The tone is light and airy, just enough to get you to remember there's a plan, a God-driven purpose for everything. I don't think non-Christians will feel weighed down by it this book at all. It's a terrific story with the perfect merger of romance, faith and comic relief. Check it out!
Have a great day and even better book! http://tinyurl.com/ofkg2j9 ( )

Three friends, Jo, Claire and Sierra, buy farm property just outside the town of Galena Landing (Idaho) to realize their dream of living off the land in an eco-ethical way. Even the mouse-infested trailer they have to move into (until they get around to building their straw-bale-walled, solar-powered house), is worth it… they are sure. Twenty-five-year-old Jo (never-been-kissed) Shaw is the one of the trio through whose eyes we see the beginnings of Green Acres Farm in Valerie Comer’s contemporary Christian novel, Raspberries and Vinegar.

Son of the neighbors Zach Nemesek is just finished vet school and champing at the bit to get a full-time position, preferably in the big city. He’s put out resumés all over. But at his last job he was let go when he broke up with the boss’s daughter. Now that former boss won’t even give him a reference. Plus his own dad has fallen ill with a mysterious neurological disease, is in hospital, and Mom desperately needs Zach to help with their own farming operation. So he’s stuck.

Of course the trio meets the hunk and soon it’s obvious there’s electricity between Zach and Jo. But could there possibly be a future for such a fast-food-loving city boy wannabe and this eco-evangelist?

This is a fun book that delves into serious issues, albeit with a light touch. There’s the whole green, organic reduced-carbon-footprint movement the girls represent, versus the townspeople who are used to the way things are—not to speak of having to make a living. This includes Zach’s own father who, before he got sick, worked at Leask’s feedlot—a smelly, suspiciously disease-laden place out of which cattle are shipped in droves to meat plants.

There’s the dating game / sex-before-marriage issue over which Zach has come to grief with his last girlfriend and which Jo brings to a head when at one point she lashes out:

“That’s another place we’re different Zach. I will never date a man I couldn’t see marrying. Why put myself through that? Why build up false hope” – p. 204 (Kindle edition).

Both of these young people struggle with the ideal of living their lives under God’s control versus calling the shots themselves. I love how Comer frames the issue as seen through Zach’s eyes:

“And what was God going to say, if Zach sincerely wanted an answer? Oh man. He didn’t even want to go there. Asking for God’s direction would get way more complicated. It wouldn’t end with which job he should take. It wouldn’t end with where he should live. It wouldn’t even end with Jo and her enviro-crazy ways. God was going to want to meddle in every facet of Zach’s life” – p. 128.

Comer’s writing style is brisk and savvy. Point-of-view doesn’t wander but stays firmly with either Jo or Zach. And the plot kept throwing surprises at me. As a result, the book’s 343 pages sped by. The book is a refreshing and chaste-but-fun modern romance that isn’t afraid to tackle some hot-button lifestyle issues.

Along with discussion questions on Raspberry and Vinegar, Chapter 1 of Book 2 in Comer’s Farm Fresh Romance Series (Wild Mint Tea) is included at the end of the book. I read it and am definitely going to look it up when it releases, sometime in the spring of 2014.
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Jo and her two best friends, Sierra and Claire move to a small town community in Idaho to begin their dream of an organic lifestyle. They plan to live off the earth and hope to teach their neighbors to do the same. Jo is extremely independent and passionate about her dream of sustainable living and isn't afraid to tell others about it. She receives some kick back from the locals, but doesn't expect to fall head-over-heels for one of them, her neighbor, Zach. Zach is back just to help out on the farm while he dad is recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and has no intention of farming or sticking around. He wants to live the big city life and run a small animal vet clinic. When he learns what may have caused his dad's illness, he may start to wonder if his new neighbors might just be on to a new way of living. And he can't seem to get Jo out of his mind.

While reading, you will learn a lot about sustainable living, where our food comes from, and how to live in a way to reduce your resources. If anything, it will make you stop and think the next time you go to the grocery store. I was very curious about the title of the book and the drink the locals seemed to enjoy on a hot afternoon, Raspberry Vinegar. The author even includes a recipe for the beverage at the end of the book. A little bit of tart mixed with the sweet flavor of raspberries, much like the main character, Jo.

There is a quaint feel to the story and definitely a Christian message throughout the book. We are reminded to take all our worries to God and pray for Him to work in your life. You just have to be willing to follow His direction and guidance. It is also stressed to take care of the world God gave us and appreciate the land and the animals, even the mice.

Jo and Zach's relationship was complicated, immature at times, and continually frustrating, but you still were rooting for them all the way through. Even though parts of the book were predictable, there were some twists thrown in to keep you interested. I appreciated that there were road blocks along the way and not everything was easy as sometimes happens in romance novels.

Reading this will remind you of the simpler life and make you want to rush out and grow your own garden or at the very least, stop by your local farmer's market. The author has included discussion questions at the end of the book. It would make a great read for a book club or church group. If you are interested in reading more, the second book in the series, Wild Mint Tea (Farm Fresh Romance) (Volume 2)came out on March 1, 2014, and tells Claire's story. ( )

Originally published on Tales to Tide You Over

I had the privilege of being a beta reader for this novel. Even then, in a much less polished form, Jo captured my heart and my attention. She, along with her two college friends, is determined to honor God by being a true caretaker of the planet. What this means to them is that they’re beginning a sustainable living farm where they plan to live and teach others ways to reduce the impact of humanity on the natural world.

As it sounds, she’s a bit of a fanatic. Jo’s driven, sometimes blind. Adamant in her faith and how she’s chosen to express that faith.

Along comes Zach, current generation of a long-term farming family. He’s lived the farmer’s life growing up and seen how sustainable it isn’t. He has his hopes set on a city job, using the veterinarian degree he’s worked so hard to earn on pampered pets in return for culture and an easy life with modern conveniences…which include dining out whenever he gets hungry, often enough on fast food.

Zach begins the novel as a reluctant hero, home temporarily to help his mother after his father is afflicted with a serious immune disorder. He has one foot out the door, unwilling to commit to any significant length of time because it will delay his plans even more than they’ve already been hindered by a failed relationship with his former boss’s daughter.

That these two have nothing in common is obvious…or is it?

Valerie manages to take a fanatical character and teach Jo there’s more to life than her goals, while also giving her reason to consider whether brow-beating is the best approach to teach better caretaking. She also delves into poor Zach who needs to see beyond the superficial to understand what’s really in his heart in terms of his life plans, love, and faith. He needs to see beyond the struggles to the strengths to be found in a small community where people stand by each other.

This is both a sweet boy meets girl story and so much more, offering a look at how people’s relationships with God affect their outlook along with an evaluation of how different choices have an impact on our environment. There is no question that this is an inspirational romance. The faith message is strong, so if that’s a turn off, be forewarned. The environmental message, focused on local produce and understanding where our food comes from, is also strong. But don’t let me give the impression that the book is a message book rather than a story. The messages it offers are firmly within the perspectives of the various characters as they try to establish who they want to be and how they want to interact with others, the Earth, and God. They face trials of faith, of body, and of heart as they struggle to meet the challenges life offers without losing hope or giving up.

I’m happy to see this series published so that we can share in the journey of a bunch of interesting people doing interesting things as they balance faith and relationships to find their place in the world.

P.S. I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. I hope you enjoy Jo and Zach’s story as much as I have. ( )