Warm & Wonderful

Anyone But You by Rachel Hauck is a most charming contemporary Christian novel that I adored. It is the second book in the Home To Hearts Bend series but can be read as a stand-alone.

I am a huge Rachel Hauck fan, and it is lovely to have characters from her previous novels popping up in Hearts Bend. It adds an air of familiarity.

This is a book about love and loss; grief and life; faith and God.

A character has returned home to Hearts Bend as a young widow. Her heart is broken. She fears loving again because “the men I love, die” – but “love was worth it. Even if it could also be painful.” We need to take a chance on love as we were never meant to live in isolation.

Grief has seen a character pull away from God. “Ever since Daddy had died, she’d wondered if He was a good God at all.” In contrast, her mother has run towards God. “You want to know what I did to get through those dark days… I grabbed hold of the hand the Lord offered me and never let go.” We need to keep our eyes on God who will help us through our grief journey. “Grief comes in waves and stages.” Grief is different for everyone.

The quaint village of “Hearts Bend was home, and home was where she’d learned to love baking.” Every bake is made with love. It has always been her dream to own her own café.

We all have dreams. Sometimes life intervenes and our dreams have to change.

Forgiveness is important. Without it, we risk becoming bitter. “Lecturing him to forgive…To let go of the grudge he’d been holding on to for over a decade.” Others can spot the damage we are doing to ourselves when we do not forgive.

We all need God at the centre of our lives. “Keep God at the centre and never give up.” We need to know that “we have to believe and trust or our faith is useless.” Through all of life, we must keep our eyes and heart fixed on God.

Prayer is important. “Ruby prayed loud, rigorous prayers… Laura Kate… her lips moving with whispers only she and God heard.” God hears us whether we shout or whisper. From our lips to God’s ears.

We learn about true riches. “Family, people, relationships, now those are life’s real trophies.” We need to build our lives with those we love.

I thoroughly enjoyed Anyone But You. It was such a warm and wonderful read. 

JULIA WILSON