"Dandelions on the Wind" by Mona Hodgson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Maren Jensen took a job on Elsa Brantenberg’s St. Charles, Missouri farm, she never expected to call the place her home. As she grows to love Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, Maren is transformed from a lonely mail-order bride-without-a-groom to a beloved member of the Brantenberg household. But when Gabi’s father, Rutherford “Wooly” Wainwright, returns to the farm unexpectedly, everything changes for Maren. Despite the failing eyesight that caused her suitor to reject her, she can see that Wooly desperately needs to reconnect with the family he abandoned when his grief sent him running toward the army—and into the Civil War. She also senses there could be something more between the widower and herself, if either can move beyond their past hurts.

Comforted and counseled by the wisdom of the women in her beloved quilting circle, Maren begins to discover the cost such decisions demand of her heart. Are her choices in obedience to God, or is she running from His plan? Is it too late for love to be stitched into the fabric of her life?

I was really disappointed to find this a novella. This could be fleshed out into a full-size novel easily, and I think the story would be better for it. It seemed to skim over the top of the characters and not dig down deep, and that kept most of the characters feeling more two dimensional. I've only read one other of Mona Hodgson's books, and I loved it. This one just felt lacking to me.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.