A Grandmother's Last Wish!

   "Quilted by Christmas"

          By Jodie Bailey

About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. TheQuilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

About the book: 

A grandmother's last wish is to communicate God's love through an Irish chain quilt.

Taryn McKenna believes she's easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree---something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches.

When Taryn's grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project---an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have?

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

My Thoughts:

This is a story of second chances, something we all hope we have, especially when our life experiences don't always turn out to be what we had hoped. Every book in this "Quilts of Love Series" has been such a joy to read. Each has its own message, however a common theme shines through all of them ! There is always hope, forgiveness, love, if only we give God a chance to lead us in our trudge through our daily challenges. This book, by Jodie Bailey, was no disappointment. It involves a very special quilt, as do all the books in the series, but is unique in how the author uses it as a focal point . 

The main characters were well developed and full of personality. You could easily picture them in your mind as you read about their fears, challenges, joys and yes, even failures. These characters had a depth to them so that you could become part of them. They came alive!  Taryn and Justin had a "relationship" full of complications and unanswered questions. Their personal struggles were described in such detail and so realistically that you wanted to step into the story and give some advice and even a few hugs. Secrets in the past stepped out to haunt Taryn. The feisty nature of Jemma came through loud and clear.


The plot moves quickly and has just the right number of twists and turns to keep the reader entranced.  A hand stitched Irish chain quilt holds the message of healing that Taryn desperately needs, but will she let the present , new, uplifting events heal her past and form her future????  As I moved through the story, I would just think that I had figured out the purpose of the quilt, when a new challenge would appear and change my focus!!  

This is a great read and the strong message shines through. You cannot change the past however you can use it to improve the present and indeed , even the future!! God has an answer for all of us. Will Taryn listen to that small quiet voice????

About the Author:  Jodie Bailey is Tarheel born and bred. After 15 years as a military spouse, she settled with her family back in North Carolina. She is the author of the military suspense novel Freefall and is a contributor to a devotional for military families, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home. While not working on her next novel, she teaches middle-schoolers to love writing as much as she does. Connect with Jodie: website, Facebook, Twitter This book was supplied by Litfuse in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To read more reviews of this book : http://litfusegroup.com/author/jbailey

This book was supplied by Litfuse in exchange for a fair and honest review.