Return of the Song by Phyllis Clark Nichols – Review & Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Return of the Song by Phyllis Clark Nichols, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Return of the Song
Series: The Rockwater Suite #1
Author: Phyllis Clark Nichols
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

When Caroline lost her love, she lost the music too.

Caroline Carlyle’s dreams were crushed when her fiancé died six weeks before their wedding. For years she wrestled with aching loss and shattered faith, struggling to find the inspiration that once came so easily. Abandoning her half-finished piano compositions, Caroline trades her old ambitions for the comfort and familiarity of life as the town’s piano teacher.

But Caroline’s world turns upside down when a mysterious stranger enters her life. Filled with courage and fresh purpose, Caroline embarks on a quest to track down the beloved, rare piano she played as a child. Her search leads her to Rockwater, the Kentucky estate of a wealthy gentleman, where Caroline finds her heart may be composing a surprising new song.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Christian Book | Book Depository

IN MY OPINION

Stop! Before you read further, go back up to the description of the book and look at the category once again. Yes, there’s a hint of romance in Return of the Song but this book is ALL about Caroline Carlyle and her journey from the haze of mourning.

There is a lot happening in this book. It’s part introduction to the small Georgia town, part romance, part mystery, and part music. Some of the book gets bogged down in details and some of the scenes probably could have been left out but overall, it gives readers a good look into Caroline’s life. The one where she is going through the motions despite the people surrounding her.

Phyllis Clark Nichols touches on the power of music—how one can get lost in it whether listening or playing, how creatives thrive in it. She also offers readers a taste of life in the South—much of it occurring around the table.

This is a long read (400 pages) that sometimes drags through the minutia of everyday life as much of the book takes place over about three months. Sometime the characters come across as a little unbelievable but at the same time, Caroline’s gentle spirit and kindness toward others is something we should all aspire to.

There are unresolved issues at the end of Return of the Song (don’t fret, there’s another book coming next year) but Caroline’s new outlook on her life gives me hope for the things to come.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phyllis Clark Nichols’s character-driven Southern fiction explores profound human questions using the imagined residents of small town communities you just know you’ve visited before. With a strong faith and a love for nature, art, music, and ordinary people, she tells redemptive tales of loss and recovery, estrangement and connection, longing and fulfillment . . . often through surprisingly serendipitous events.

Phyllis grew up in the deep shade of magnolia trees in South Georgia. Born during a hurricane, she is no stranger to the winds of change: In addition to her life as a novelist, Phyllis is a seminary graduate, concert pianist, and cofounder of a national cable network with health- and disability-related programming. Regardless of the role she’s playing, Phyllis brings creativity and compelling storytelling.

She frequently appears at conventions, conferences, civic groups, and churches, performing half-hour musical monologues that express her faith, joy, and thoughts about life—all with the homespun humor and gentility of a true Southern woman.

Phyllis currently serves on several nonprofit boards. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her portrait-artist husband.

CONNECT WITH PHYLLIS: website | Facebook | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive (US only)

• a print copy of Christmas at Grey Sage
  
• a print copy of Return of the Song

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 12, 2018 and last through 11:59pm November 19, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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