Having restored Michael Johnson’s ancestors’ house and apothecary shop and begun applying the lessons of family and forgiveness unearthed from the past, Jennifer Rushmore expects to complete her first preservation job with the simple relocation of a log home. But as soon as the 1790 cabin, home to the first Dunham doctor, is reconstructed on the property, a Colonial curse is released. All the … strange accidents in the past months are nothing beside this new malevolent presence. To crown the cornice, Jennifer’s trusted God and Michael with the pain of her past, but it appears Michael’s been keeping his own secrets.
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This book was an amazing ending to an awesome trilogy by a great author! All loose ends were tied up and the ending left me completely satisfied!
Witch by Denise Weimer is a fabulous conclusion to the Restoration Trilogy but can be read as a stand-alone. It is a Christian contemporary and historical romance which I really loved.
God is at the very heart. God is a God of restoration. “God’s healing triumphed brokenness.” God loves to take our broken lives and make them whole again. This love and care is mirrored in the restoring of the old house and buildings. The care and love that Jennifer lavishes on her restoration pales into insignificance when compared with the love and care God pours into us.
This links to the theme of healing. God sees our hurt and He restores us to full spiritual health.
The past and present collide in the novel as the eighteenth century diary mirrors present day. There are hurts that have defined characters but “the ordeal does not give identity, God Himself does.” Characters suffering from PTSD need God to heal them at a time when PTSD was not recognised. “The pull of the past is so strong.” The past must be faced and dealt with before one can progress into the future. “Let go of the past and let God work in the present.”
Life is more than we can see. Life is a spiritual battle. “Those voices told her she was second hand… the pastor… told her to replace those voices with the truth from God’s word.” We need to listen to the voice of God and “replace the lies with the truth.”
Within life there are good and bad people. “People get good at hiding the darkness inside.” Being a Christian does not make us immune to the bad in life. God does promise to walk beside us always and we need to keep our eyes fixed on Him.
There is the theme of forgiveness which may be hard to do but God can help us. “I don’t deserve forgivin’.” Jesus died for us all. We must not exclude ourselves from His love and grace. Sin is sin. There are no degrees of sin. The cross covers them all. No one deserves forgiveness but God’s grace means we can all receive it.
There is hope in the novel because of Jesus. Jesus heals and restores as the reader witnesses in the story.
Witch is written in both the first and third person from two different points of view, just over two centuries apart. As such the reader becomes intimately acquainted with the main characters, both of which have similar but different parallel lives that are easy to empathise with.
I have adored this Restoration trilogy. It has been a delight getting to know the past and present characters and sharing their highs and lows. For anyone not yet acquainted with this trilogy, you are missing out. It’s a fabulous story with warm characters and a great big loving God.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
Witch, book three in the Restoration Trilogy by Denise Weimer is a wonderful story that readers will enjoy. Along with a bit of suspense, readers will love the historical/contemporary intertwining within the story. This adds intriguing value to the story as readers contemplate and compare what is taking place in the past to what is taking place in the future. Weimer smoothly transitions between the past and the present, intensifying the story. Readers of both contemporary and historical fiction will love this much anticipated third book in the series. It is well written with plenty of danger and suspense to keep readers involved in the story and wondering what will happen next.
Series: The Restoration Trilogy
Genre: contemporary, historical, southern
Publisher: Canterbury House
Publication date: April 1, 2017
Number of pages: 215
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars
Other books in the series:
1-White
2-Widow
A review copy of this novel was provided by CelebrateLit.. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Past and present are a mirror…
I have been following this series from the first book, eagerly devouring each installment. As a history lover and an avid museum supporter, Denise Weimer grabbed me as soon as I saw the words “preservationist” and “restoration.” Through these books not only has fictional history been preserved but the heroine and her hero have been through a process of restoration in their lives.
Witch is the culmination of this wonderful series and I am very sorry to be saying goodbye to all of the characters that I’ve come to know and love. In this series, and Witch is no exception, Denise Weimer has really taken on some difficult and sometimes dark subjects; from prejudice to forgiveness, fidelity to grief. As Jennifer has grown and changed, Michael, too, for that matter, I’ve found myself by turns encouraged and convicted in my own life.
I will say that I was quite interested to see the mystery finally solved on just who was causing the strange ‘accidents’, I had guessed several different people but it wasn’t until the last book that I began to get an inkling, and even then it was still a bit of a surprise that I was right.
Denise Weimer has a real winner in Witch and the entire Restoration Trilogy and I hope to read more by this author.
(I received a copy of this book from publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)