Learning to TrustYoung widow Tara Madsen has spent the last two years dealing with her eight-year-old daughter’s battle with cancer. Now a new job means the opportunity to give Hailey the best Christmas ever, but the arrival of Caleb Fitzpatrick, her employers’ son, and overreaching authorities put that goal in jeopardy.Caleb returns to his small Massachusetts hometown with one mission—to make … mission—to make sure another charlatan doesn’t take advantage of his parents and their generosity. When he meets Tara, the new receptionist at the family business, he is immediately on guard. A pretty blonde fooled him once before, and he will make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Will Tara’s sincere and giving nature soften Caleb’s heart and help him learn to trust and love again?
BOOKS IN THE FRONT PORCH PROMISES SERIES
1. A Match to Call Ours
2. A Place to Call Home
3. A Love to Call Mine
4. A Family to Call Ours
5. A Song to Call Ours
6. A Baby to Call Ours
7. A Place to Find Love
Each book stands alone, but the stories are connected through setting or characters.
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This story was about how holding on to betrayal can affect your future relationships and that forgiveness will set your heart free. It was beautiful how Tara and her daughter Hailey won over Caleb’s heart and how they both faced past betrayals to find their happy ever after. I received a free copy with no obligation.
Merrilee Whren tugs at your heart as two wounded hearts reach out to each other. Tara has been left with bills by her late husband in addition to the stress of a young daughter recovering from cancer treatments. Caleb has been betrayed by someone he loved and whom his parents had tried to help. Trust does not come easy to either one. I could not find a good stopping place in this book and kept reading long after I should have quit and left to meet family. I recommend this book.
The inspiring romance of Tara and Caleb in the Front Porch Promises series. Caleb’s parents enjoy helping others, but Caleb is skeptical about the recipients after a bad experience. God’s plans are the best plans. Fall and holiday inspired setting (Thanksgiving & Christmas). A page turner.
Love it
Caleb has been away from home working for the family for a while and when he returns he is skeptical when he finds his family has hired a receptionist. He finds out that she is down on her luck and his parents are letting her stay in the in law suite of their house as well. She has a daughter that is recovering from cancer.
He is skeptical because of an incident that has happened in the past. Can he move past that and begin to like Tara. His parents hope so. I can see some matchmaking going on.
This is another awesome book by Merrillee Whren. I received an ARC of the book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
I have to say that I think this was my favorite story in this series! The whole story line was very realistic, as were the characters. Tara and her daughter, Hailey were in the previous book but this book is certainly a stand alone if you haven’t read any of the other books in this series. Tara is a young widow with a daughter who has gone through cancer. Going through the death of her husband and then dealing with cancer in her young daughter has to have tested Tara’s faith and strength. She is remarkably resilient because of good friends and the faith that her grandparents raised her with. She finally has a job, working as a receptionist and gets along with her bosses and feels she is starting to get her life back together. Then, one morning, her bosses’ son, Caleb, walks in (he’s been in Florida working with a client for about a year) and is immediately suspicious of her because the business has never had a receptionist before! Tara and Caleb get off on the wrong foot but then they are constantly put together on various fundraising committees by well-meaning matchmakers! Caleb has sworn off women because of a betrayal by his last girlfriend and he doesn’t appreciate his mother constantly putting him together with Tara. I really enjoyed Caleb hitting it off with Hailey though. Caleb loves children and he falls in love with that little girl. Pretty soon puppies are involves and what is better than that?
There is so much heart in this book! There’s also a lot about forgiveness and second chances with people in our lives. I don’t want to give any spoilers out! I really, really enjoyed all the messages that came out of reading this book. I would highly recommend it. It’s definitely a “feel good” story! Although I was given a copy of this book by the author, I was not required to write a review. All opinions I have expressed are my own.
Maybe I’m just a sucker for romance sprinkled with a touch of little girls and puppies, but this third book in the Front Porch Promises series is my favorite so far.
Caleb Fitzpatrick returns home from an out of town job for his family’s accounting firm to discover that his parents have hired attractive Tara Madsen as a receptionist. In spite of his first impression of her efficiency, his concern that his parents have once again fallen for a sob story and that Tara will take advantage of them makes him immediately distrust their new employee.
Does he have reason to worry? It doesn’t help that he finds himself attracted to her and that, in addition to working together; they find his parents have intervened by volunteering them to help with a local fundraiser.
It is easy to become absorbed in this story as Caleb and Tara put aside their personal concerns to see where life will take them. Will Tara’s young daughter, Hailey, receive the complete family that she wants as her special Christmas gift?
I was very drawn to Caleb, Tara, and Hailey and felt that they are people I would love to personally know. Their faith-based story will keep you turning the pages as you follow the emotional highs and lows of their relationship. I expect that you, too, will be hoping for a happy ending.
Even though this is part of a series, “A Family to Call Ours” can easily be read as a standalone novel.
I received an advance copy of this book with no promise of a review. Any opinion expressed here is my own.