Judy Duarte

Good book. Mallory has come back to town after ten years away in order to take care of her grandfather. With her is her nine year old son, who she gave up for adoption but is now back with her. She doesn't expect to see Lucas's father almost as soon as she arrives. They had been in love when they were teens, but parted when she got pregnant. She moved away to have the baby and stay near his adoptive parents, while Rick stayed in Brighton Valley. Now he has a chance to get to know his son and show more rekindle his romance with Mallory.

I liked both Rick and Mallory. Despite their breakup all those years ago they weren't mean or nasty to each other when they were reunited. When Rick sees their son for the first time and figures out who he is, Mallory knows she has to come clean with him. The story behind how Lucas ended up back with her is complicated but still believable. She's nervous about it because she's still getting used to being a parent and doesn't want to make things harder for Lucas. She also discovers that Rick has changed a lot from the rather wild rebel he used to be, though her feelings haven't.

Rick is stunned to see Mallory back in Brighton Valley. Besides being deeply in love with her back when they were teens, she had been the only one who seemed to think he was a worthwhile person. When she left Brighton Valley he went down a wrong road for awhile before finding his way back. Now he's a respected veterinarian and community member. Finding out about Lucas causes him some heartache because of all the years he has missed. But he also worries about whether he would be a good father because he didn't have a good role model for it. I loved seeing how good he was with Lucas right from the beginning. Rick also realizes very quickly that he still cares for Mallory, but has no idea if there's any chance for them to have a future.

I really liked the way that Rick and Mallory worked together to make sure that they were doing what Lucas needed. Even if they were having issues themselves, he came first. Working together for Lucas also gave them a chance to get to know each other again and deal with their pasts. Rick also had to overcome some of those old feelings of inferiority in order to fight for Mallory.

I had a lot of fun reading about Buddy the dog and Lucas. Buddy reminded me of the dogs I've had and how adorable they can be even when you're mad at them. I also liked seeing Lucas's attempts to bring his parents together. The part with the email he sent was pretty funny. show less

A good book about two people from vastly different backgrounds competing for the same business award. Sofia is a self-made woman from a poor family. She worked hard through school and setting up her financial planning business. She watched her mother and grandmother struggle to make ends meet as she grew up while watching those with more money have all the advantages. Then she suffered through the betrayal of her wealthy college boyfriend, who disrespected her because of her past. This left show more her with a bad taste for anyone with money. At the top of the list are the members of the Fortune family, who seem to be taking over the town of Rambling Rose.

Beau Fortune and his brother Draper have opened a branch of Fortune Investments in Rambling Rose. They work hard to give their clients the best service possible. Rather than living in the exclusive section of town, they rented a house in a "normal" development. Beau is aware of his advantages growing up but hasn't let them go to his head.

At the end of the previous book, A Soldier's Dare, Beau and Sofia had a brief conversation at the Valentine's Day dance. As she was there with someone else, Beau backed off when the other man seemed to have a problem with him. But he has never forgotten the beautiful woman in the red dress. At the beginning of this book, they meet again while dog walking and quickly connect though still without exchanging names. Beau's subsequent encounter at the dog park is with Sofia's grandmother, who, after a not-so-subtle interrogation, invites him to Sunday dinner. In the meantime, Sofia and Beau are notified that each has been nominated for a prestigious business award. But in an awkward scene, Beau overhears Sofia complaining to a friend about how those prosperous Fortunes seem to walk away with all the accolades because of their unfair advantages. That puts a damper on the budding relationship between them. Complicating matters further, as part of the competition, they are assigned to work together on a project to benefit their community.

At this point, I wanted to give Sofia a good, hard shake. She is such a reverse snob, looking down on anyone who hasn't had to struggle to succeed. Beau is hurt by her attitude but doesn't let it get to him. He is determined to do his best in the competition and let his actions speak for themselves, while Sofia takes every chance to take potshots at his job, background, and lifestyle. I loved the project they decided on - teaching high school seniors about financial responsibility. They covered budgeting, saving, taxes, loans, and even investing. (I wish my school had offered something like that!) I loved watching the students get involved in the subject and seeing how Beau and Sofia brought their personal experiences into play. I liked seeing how Sofia and Beau learned a little about each other during those classes.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Beau and Sofia develop. Beau is a great guy, down-to-earth and good-hearted. He is attracted to Sofia and ready to show her that he's nothing like she thinks. Something proves her wrong whenever she thinks she has him pegged as a spoiled rich guy. I got to the point where I couldn't wait to see which preconception got blasted next. I especially enjoyed seeing her reaction when she discovered that he and Draper clean their own house, cut their grass, and make their meals. I liked how Beau and Sofia came to respect each other and their abilities during their time together. I was initially not very happy with the judging for the award but felt the judges redeemed themselves with their creative solution.

Their relationship is also helped by Sofia's grandmother, Maria, and her mother, Camila. From the moment she met him, Maria was sure that Beau was The One for Sofia. I loved her first meeting with Beau and her not-so-subtle interrogation before inviting him to dinner. She takes every opportunity to throw them together. She's a source of great advice for both characters when trouble arises. I ached for both Beau and Sofia when the mysterious delivery of a pink baby blanket brought Sofia's fears and insecurities back to the surface, driving a wedge between them. I felt like Sofia had earned her misery but hurt for Beau. I loved watching Beau try to find a way to show Sofia that she could trust him, but none of the "grand gestures" that other people suggested felt right. I loved the one that finally hit him as just right because of the way it showed how much he respected and admired her. I also liked that Sofia realized how wrong she'd been and that her issues, not his actions, caused the problems. I loved seeing Sofia face up to her mistakes and her scene with Beau. The ending was terrific.

The book has a secondary romance between Beau's friend, Dan, and Sofia's mom. I loved seeing them meet and experience an unexpected attraction to each other. Both have painful pasts, and I liked seeing them take their time to get to know each other. Maria is over the moon with happiness at having helped with two successful relationships.

In this third book, another mysterious gift is given to a Fortune. The first book had a sculpture; the second was a picture and a pink baby blanket in this one. No one has any idea who sent them or what they mean. I'm looking forward to reading the other books and solving the mystery. show less

Good book. Ellie is the young and popular mayor of Rambling Rose. She loves the town and its people and is determined to do what is best for them, even if that means standing up to the wealthy Fortunes and their plans. She has had more than one run-in with Steven Fortune and his hotel plans. There's more than antagonism causing sparks between them, but she won't be seen consorting with the enemy.

But Ellie is also in a bit of a predicament. She recently ended her relationship with a man, show more only to discover she was pregnant with his baby. He made it plain he had no interest in being a father and left the country to pursue his career. That leaves Ellie pregnant, unmarried, and worried about the reactions of her constituents. Ellie always holds herself to very high standards and feels she's letting everyone down.

Steven is the oldest in his family, charming, good-looking, and used to things going his way. He has his vision of where he wants the Fortune properties to go, and nothing will deter him from making it happen. Clashing with Ellie is frustrating but also stimulating, and he looks forward to winning her over.

I enjoyed seeing Steven and Ellie's encounters. She focuses on the town's residents, while Steven seems more interested in the high-end tourists he envisions spending time there. I could feel her frustration as her efforts to get through to him fell on deaf ears. I especially enjoyed seeing her take him to talk to ordinary people. He's charming and easy to talk to, but he still doesn't get it.

One thing he does get is his attraction to her and how much he enjoys her company. While she resists dating him, she isn't opposed to the idea of being friends. As a friend, he offers her a marriage of convenience, giving her the cover to preserve her reputation with the town. Ellie is hesitant to accept, fearing that their chemistry could lead to heartbreak. I liked Steven's feelings of protectiveness toward Ellie and his desire to take care of her. But as they start their married life, Ellie realizes she wants more than Steven agreed to when they hatched this plan. I wanted to shake Ellie when she ran instead of talking to Steven and risking rejection. I hurt for Steven, who had no idea she was unhappy until after she left. An unexpected visitor helped Steven see the truth of his feelings. I loved the ending and seeing them finally admit their feelings to each other.

I loved the importance of family in this book - family of the blood and the heart. Both Steven and Ellie were adopted, which had a significant impact on their lives. Ellie's history made it easy to see the impact on her life and actions and why she made her decisions. Steven's backstory was easier but still profoundly affected his life. I loved how close he was to his parents and siblings. show less

I’ve just finished reading Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte. It may be the first Christian novel in quite a while to move me almost to tears. It’s set in the area round a small park, where people who hardly talk to each other are bound to turn out to be neighbors. Over time, the good, the bad and the indifferent prove to be friends as well. The story centers on a young girl who’s lost her parents and a middle-aged woman who’s lost her child. Somewhere along the way the woman also lost show more her faith, but the child has kept hers and starts writing letters to God, which she persuades a fellow park-player to hide in a tree. Then God answers.

In a small neighborhood, coincidences are inevitable, and there’s never any feeling of the characters being manipulated in this book. Each event arises naturally out of its own situation, and the characters build on their own shaky foundations of mistakes and mistrust. But somehow there’s a feeling, as in any good story—and in the faith of a little girl who writes letters to God—that life’s not entirely random. Death’s not the end, and hope is never lost.

I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, though Judy Duarte describes it with great poignancy and sympathy. I cannot imagine losing a beloved spouse, a child losing a parent, family losing home and livelihood. But life can be built on losses as well as on gains; hope is built on forgiveness, and forgiveness on faith.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t God who wrote an answer to Analisa’s letter. But it’s God who writes his name on our hearts and his healing on our lives. And Mulberry Park is a beautiful image of how that healing might look. show less