A mother and daughter facing sudden tragedy, a handsome sinner who agrees to lend a helping hand, and the unwanted feelings he kindles… turn to her last living relative for help, a distant cousin of her late husband whom she hasn’t seen for years. With one stubbornly loyal daughter-in-law in tow, she boards a train for Mountain Spring, Idaho, never dreaming she would land the two of them in the crosshairs of matchmaking minister.
Pastor Zachary Shepherd is flabbergasted at how quickly the Lord answers his prayers to send more women to their town of rough-and-tough mountain men, this time in the form of two lovely widows. The younger one will be an easy match; he already has the perfect husband in mind for her, so long as the man is willing to receive a bit of coaching on his appearance and a few other items. Naomi, however, fits so perfectly into Pastor Zach’s work at the church that he begins to dream of building a parsonage to help him keep her closer — much closer — to his plans for the future.
With the spring thaw approaching, the air is suddenly brimming with not one, but two, courtships and all the pitfalls and mayhem that seem to accompany the first bloom of love in their rustic mountain town!
ONCE UPON A CHURCH HOUSE is a sweet and inspirational historical western romance series with a dash of magic and time travel.
Pastor Zach Shepherd feels called to plant a church in rural Mountain Springs, Idaho, a place his friends warn him is unredeemable. However, he’s a firm believer in miracles and scoffs at their dire predictions of his pending failure. He quickly sizes up the renegade collection of mostly male town folk and determines what they need (in addition to salvation) is a woman’s touch to straighten them out. Throwing on his matchmaker hat, he prays God will send a few saved and sanctified women his way to get the first marriages rolling. He specifically prays for the kind of women legends are made of — from the Bible days — never dreaming how swiftly nor how thoroughly his prayers would be answered!
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Naomi – a widow. With a daughter-in-law who is also a widow. Their hearts have knit and they are willing to stick together no matter what. So when they travel to Naomi’s husbands cousin – who as their only living relative – they are hoping he will help them. Can two extremely poor woman be helped without being a burden? Terrific love story!!!
An inspiring story of loss and hope found as two women, Ruth and Naomi make their way to a new life.
Through a terrible sickness, Naomi had lost her husband and two sons, one with was married to Ruth. Her only hope is a distant relative, Frank McGruder, that they both travel to in Mountain Springs.
Now Frank if the owner of an eatery of fine distinction called “The Slop Bucket”, where the working men come to eat and relax. He worries that is about to change when he hears of the two women coming to town. He was not looking forward to it because he would have to shave and keep his clothes clean. Heaven forbid if they tried to make him go to Church!
What he found was two lovely women who were exhausted due to working on the train to him for their passage!
I loved all three of these characters! Frank had been a bachelor so long, it was so heartwarming and humorous to watch him change and start believing in God and find such happiness when least expected. Also Naomi has her unexpected second chance at love with the pastor.
Jo adds another amazing story to this series and it it warmed my heart and made me smile. Simply Perfect.
Very fast read of Ruth and Naomi. Their husbands and family died and now they are destitute. They have no money left but Naomi does have a cousin from her husbands side. She reaches out for help and her and Ruth head to Idaho. They don’t have the money to purchase tickets so they work for their ticket by serving people on the train. They have no idea what they are getting themselves into by going to Idaho but they need to start over. Will Frank be good for them? Will they find love again? What a great story!
Loved this book! Although I think it should have been called ‘Naomi and Ruth’. I loved Frank and Zachary’s stories. Frank the owner of The Slop Bucket takes in his widowed kin and finds himself falling in love with Ruth. Zachary the Pastor finally finds the Godly woman he had been waiting for throughout this series, in Naomi. I read this in one sitting, it was so heartwarming. If you like clean stories inspired by biblical characters, you can’t go wrong with ‘Naomi’. I highly recommend. I received this book from the publisher. The thoughts and comments are my own.
A lovely updated version or more modern retelling of the Bible story of Naomi and Ruth. These two women lose everything in a short time and are left destitute, yet they have trust in God and decide they will have faith and go to Idaho where they have a long lost relative, hoping he will take them in. They have nowhere else to turn. I found myself wondering where I would turn if that happened to me! Frank is a confirmed bachelor and doesn’t know what he’s going to do with two women living in his house, plus he doesn’t believe in God but is pretty sure those women do! He was a character! I enjoyed all the characters in this story. Frank is so rough around the edges but he’s had no one to smooth himself out for until he met Ruth! The two of them together were so sweet! Naomi, the mother-in-law, was kind and loving and supportive and in the end, has her happily ever after! A truly uplifting story!
I enjoyed reading this book! It followed the story of Naomi and Ruth in the Bible close enough to be very interesting! I recommend this book to anyone who loves romance!
I loved this book!! It’s the third book based on Ruth’s story in the Bible that I’ve read this year, and each book has been amazing in it’s own way. I love Frank!! I’ve liked him since the first book, and this one makes him shine!! I love that Ruth leads him to God, and once he finds Him, there’s no turning back!!! Frank truly shines then! I also love that Naomi finds her second chance with Pastor Zach! This is a great redemption story!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, was not required to leave a review, and the opinion expressed is my own.
Naomi is a loosely retelling of the Bible story of Naomi in the book of Ruth however, it is happening in 1891. The fever had came through the town in Arizona and taken Naomi’s husband, and two sons. Her daughter in law Oprah took all the money they had between them to get back home to New York leaving Naomi and Ruth penniless. Ruth had already made a plan of how her and Naomi could get to her husband’s cousin in Idaho to live with him. Naomi and Ruth worked on the train as porters all the way to Idaho. Her cousin Frank is there to pick them up from the train. His protector in him kicks in and he sees they have not been eating enough and getting very little rest. But, even with the way they look he is smitten with Ruth. Ruth agrees to help Frank in the restaurant. She tells him she does not want to marry someone that doesn’t believe in God. Oh how love can change people.
This story closely mirrors the story of Naomi and Ruth in the Bible but with a modern twist. Ruth falls in love with Frank but is trouble by the fact that he does not believe in God. Then, he blows the ram’s horn. It’s a well written story ending on a note of hope.