Two women fighting for their dreams—one who’s long lost hers—are united by tragedy and a long-held secret.Pregnant with her first child, Emily Hayes is eager to help her mother finish transforming an estate into the Willow Inn and write a novel about Willow Falls’ colorful history. A tragic event threatens her parents’ plans to refurbish an abandoned hotel and transform the obscure Georgia … obscure Georgia setting into a tourist destination.
Sadie Lyles left Willow Falls a murderer who’d killed the town hero. She returns as a despised felon and seeks solace in the town’s café. Emily struggles to unite the close-knit community and becomes Sadie’s biggest advocate. She strives to uncover the truth about the crime and save her town from dying.
To appease her father, Rachel, a VP in his Atlanta real-estate-development firm, relegates her acting dream to secret performances for imaginary audiences. After meeting charming, flirtatious Charlie Bricker, manager for Willow Falls’ future vineyard, she vows to break free from her father’s control.
The tragedy and Willow Inn’s secret past launch Emily and Rachel on a collision course with destiny and truth.
General Content (G) (I): Contains little or no; sexual dialogue or situations, violence, or strong language. May also contain content of an inspirational/religious nature.more
I really enjoyed this book! The story is well written, the characters well developed. It kept me guessing right until the end. There are so many unexpected twists! I hated to put it down. I’m hoping there will be more books to come!
The story held my interest. The plot was very believable and I felt like the town was real.
There’s definitely a lot to like about this first book in “The Falls” series! Having been to Georgia myself, I could easily picture many of the places referenced (though ATL has certainly changed since I was there last).
The characters are interesting and quirky. I enjoyed watching Rachel grow in particular.
I did feel like her dad, post-climax, turned on a dime a bit. Can’t say I’m completely convinced (but maybe he’ll show up in a sequel and we will see more character development). I’m also not completely sold on Charlie. But, it’s only book 1!
Sadie is a fascinating character, and I trust we’ll get to see more of her, as well as other Willow Falls residents.
Definitely recommended. The book sets up the series well and creates an intriguing setting for subsequent installments.
I received a copy of the book from JustRead Publicity Tours. All opinions are my own.
Really good book! The characters are quite interesting and so is the town!! Be prepared to get involved!
Very enjoyable read! Lovely novel, beautiful setting, interesting characters, and a twist that totally took me by surprise. I am looking forward to more Willow Falls stories.
Dealing with a controversial subject, It does have a theme of faith and forgiveness, but is not heavy handed with its message. I recommend this book to adult readers who like a good drama. It is designed to be the first in a series, but it stands alone quite well. I thought it was an excellent read!
As the story develops, you can sometimes visualize where it might be going, but it still has a surprise slam bang finish. The story was a bit slow to develop at times but did not die. This gave some realism to Emily’s grief or Rachel and Charlie’s relationship and heightened my anticipation for the next development.
I did have difficulty reconciling Rachel’s playing hooky from work without repercussions with the characterization of the boss, even if he was her father. Otherwise, the characters were very believable and relatable. This makes me want to continue with the series.
I absolutely loved this book! The Secret of Willow Inn by Pat Nichols is a story that I won’t soon forget. I only have one problem…book 2 does not come out until January 2020, the third book is still under construction. Knowing it is a laborious process to bring a book to market, I’ve followed Pat Nichols on Amazon, BookBub, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so I won’t miss the release announcement.
Emily Hayes is expecting her first child and has taken on the project of refurbish an estate into Willow Inn, turning it into something that will draw tourists to the slowly dying town of Willow Falls. With her parents, Rachel hopes to open Willow in as a bed-&-breakfast, plus if that isn’t quite enough, refurbish the abandoned hotel as well!
To the north, in Atlanta, Rachel works hard and excels as a Vice President in her father’s real estate firm. Despite her success, Rachel is not a happy woman; when an opportunity arises to accompany Charlie Bricker, the manager for the vineyard his father plans to open in Willow Falls, she takes a chance and heads off for a weekend trip to Willow Falls.
Willow Falls is a small, southern town where everyone knows everything, almost, about everyone. It is a close knit town full of a variety of people the reader will come to love. Even Sadie Lyles, who has just been released from prison for the murder of the town hero. Very few are willing to accept Sadie back into the good graces of the town, but the local cafe’ owner hires her on as a waitress. Emily does her very best to advocate for Sadie and for the dying town.
Emily’s desire to rejuvenate her beloved town doesn’t come without sacrifice nor is the town without it’s secrets…secrets that will be discovered before Willow Falls can begin growing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Just Read Tours and am not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own.
Not just any old business meeting!
This book is just full of secrets and twists it will keep you glued to your seat. The author has brought life to her characters and their small town. I will say this book had a bit of everything in it tragedy, suspense, humor, and romance, but faith is there too. It was a great blending of emotions just like real life. I am looking forward to the next book to see what goodies the author will bring to her audience. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I selected this book at first because I loved the cover. By the time I finished the first chapter, I knew I was reading something special.
This story is so good. There’s everything to love in this small-town, family oriented drama. The story is told through the viewpoints of Emily and Rachel. Emily has grown up in Willow Falls; Rachel in Atlanta. Their lives are very different, but an accidental meeting between the two in Willow Falls changes their lives forever. There’s a great cast of small town characters that support the drama in this story. Emily and Rachel face more than one tragedy, and they each have much to forgive. There’s love, faith, redemption, and healing in this storyline and by the time I reached the last chapter, I knew that I wanted to visit Willow Falls again.
This is a sweet, clean story with no foul language or embarrassing scenes. There’s a very small amount of social drinking while dining, so be aware of that if it’s an issue that bothers you.
This was my first book to read by this author, and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The Secret of Willow Inn is a gem and I am thrilled to find writing of this quality in the Christian fiction genre. This story beautifully combines elements of relationship drama and women’s fiction in a character-driven narrative that is hard to put down. A favorite of mine, for sure!
The vividly-conveyed setting of Willow Falls is a typical north Georgia town, and that this story takes place in my state is an added bonus. Locations and places of business, from Atlanta to outlying areas, convey a cozy sense of place. And as in any small town, you can expect to find some gossip, financial worries, tragedy, and mystery – as well as a romance, caring, and coming together when the situation demands it.
A strong ensemble cast adds richness and depth, and makes me long for more stories in this series. Emily and Rachel might come from totally different places – rural vs. big city – but they have a lot in common, unfulfilled dreams being one example. Suspense builds around a 30-year old crime as Emily’s friend, Pepper, hires the ex-con Sadie to work in her café.
The Secret of Willow Inn is well written and heartwarming, with some unexpected elements added along the way. I highly recommend this story and am eager for the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Emily is pregnant with her first child, living in a small town, helping her parents restore an old estate into a charming hotel when a tragedy hits. Rachel is a businesswoman, next in line to run her father’s large real estate business and wanting a totally different life Sadie who just returned from 30 years in prison (she refuses to tell anyone why she shot her stepdad) and needs a home and a job. These three don’t know a Willow Falls secret ties them together in a very strange way. This makes for a very surprising novel and shows Gods way of working things out.
I received this as ARC from LPC Books and this is an honest review. I started to look at it this afternoon to see if I was interested and the next thing I knew I had finished it. I think it is very, very good and I was totally surprised by the ending.
I can’t wait for the 2nd in the series to be published to see the inn finished and Emily’s children, and if Rachel gets a career she desires or finds a man to love – maybe even get the career and man. Will Sadie make a good life for herself after 30 years in prison-will she possibly meet someone special.
If you remember, I spotlighted this book last fall (the end of October to be exact). I chose to do that because the synopsis intrigued me. You aren’t going to hook me by a pretty cover, I might look a second time but that’s not what draws me to a book. You are going to hook me with an engaging synopsis. Bonus points, and faster to the checkout with it, if there’s mystery and intrigue. Romance is just a sidebar, build me a story that I can engage in and romance is just a sidebar. I’m not a bodice ripper type reader. My local bestie? Her go to. I tried to pull her to the plot side, I really did. The synopsis of this book hits all the high notes. Small town (everybody literally knows everybody), big goals, bigger dreams, and something hiding in the backdrop. A secret, a mystery, intrigue. Take my money!
I feel like anything I want to share about how much I love this book will just give away vital plot points. I need you to be as taken as I was by this book, and to be surprised as I was (more than once!). Kudos to an author that can catch me off guard, especially multiple times in the same book. I tend to pride myself on figuring things out long before I’m meant to. Not this time. Pat Nichols pulled one over on me twice. Twice! Perhaps, because it has been a minute since I finished reading this book, but I have nothing of which to not gush about. Seriously, I have nothing of which to pick at. Well, let me backtrack that and really nitpick. . . in not a bad way. First, I can’t imagine how the people in Willow Falls had no idea that someone was looking at the property that would become the vineyard until it was put in the paper. I think, in a town this desperate to bring in revenue that would have been a thing. Secondly, Pepper is seriously a whirlwind! Just a smidge of a spoiler for ya here, why on earth would she choose to completely revamp the menu to a high end over the top deal for one night. I felt like they were so desperate that they were willing to set their country roots, their small town charm, to the curb just to attract money. Be who you are, m’kay?
For a town with a lot of history, a lot of heartache, they hold on to promise like a toddler with anything that they aren’t allowed to have. Perhaps that’s not the best analogy but I’m going to stick with it. They’ve overcome the shadow of murder, even with the accused out of prison and back in their midst. They’ve overcome the loss of Emily’s parents, their hope for the hotel that was going to be a huge step to saving their town. They’ve even overcome themselves, their bitterness and grudges. With a little help from Rachel, an outsider, they can overcome so much more. Rachel is the key to the vineyard and even the hotel getting back on track. Rachel, who is trying to shed the shackles of her overbearing father, the corporate world he wants to steep her in, and figure out what her own future holds – not the one he has for her. Honestly, ‘The Secret of Willow Inn’ is as much about secrets as it is redemption and of finding self. Everybody needs that now and then. A bit of redemption and a lot of finding self.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Just Read. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
This book is an enjoyable read. It has some suspense, but not the kind that will keep you up nights. Rachel and Emily are two very different people, but so very much alike. Rachel is a high roller business woman in the big city, and Emily is a small town girl chasing her dream of becoming a novelist. You will get caught up in the small town issues of survival, gossip, and revelations. You may think you have the story figured out, but the author throws a couple of curve balls in at the end. The author has you rooting for the underdog. You will feel a sense of peace when things come full circle. I really liked this author’s style of writing and will look for more of her books.
I received an ARC from the author and publisher for an honest review.
A wonderful small town saga! This book has romance, mystery, murder, tragedy and lots of hope. The characters are awesome and I love the Willow Falls old-timers. They are quite a hoot! I really hope that there will be more Willow Falls books.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
This is a really good read. And a new author for me! Emily Hayes finally get the answers to her childhood prayers, though she is now an adult, and having a sister isn’t possible. But having twin girls is more than awesome because they will each have a sister from the beginning. While at the same time, Sadie Lyles lost her dreams 30 years ago when she was jailed for killings her dad. But did she really kill him? Sadie seems to be holding on to a secret that she’s never going to tell. Then Emily is forced to deal with a tragedy she certainly doesn’t want to face, finish projects she doesn’t want to finish. But since she has no choice, she starts working with Sadie, which has the whole town talking. Can Sadie and Emily put their horrific situations to rest and build a life of trust and faith?
Rachel strives as VP of her father’s company just to please him. This job is sure not the job she has dreamed about since she was a child, but she can’t let her father down after all he has done for her. But when Rachel meets the manager of the soon to be Willow Falls Winery, Charlie Bricker, Rachel is more determined than ever to break away from her father and his real estate company.
Three ladies, their stories different, but woven together in this small town of Willow Falls. Will the secret surrounding the Willows Inn finally be discovered? Can this small town finally find healing after so many years?
Pat Nichols does a fantastic job of creating characters everyone is sure to fall in love with, a town that knows everyone’s business and has plenty of gossip to share, and a love for their community that will have you both laughing and crying. With the three different stories going in here about three different ladies, you may think it’s a bit confusing, but Ms. Nichols does a really good job of weaving it all together and writing a story that will warm your hearts. I love the small town setting, even though everyone knows your name and all about your life, Willow Falls is a neat little town, kind of like the one I grew up in. I highly recommend The Secret of Willow Inn, to anyone wanting a heartwarming story to read. You are sure to enjoy this one.
I received this book from JustReads Tours to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.