Absolutely delightful story that I wish I had read sooner. Great author, characters and plot. Really recommend.

What a fantastic book !! I read it in one day !!
The mystery in the book was pretty easy for me to solve.
I really do hope that there is a sequel to this book !!

The perfect read for the holiday season. Very well-written. It was so easy to root for Sophie as she began her new life. Make sure you have plenty of tissues handy when you read this one!

I really liked this story. Even though it was a little unrealistic it had a wonderful Christian outlook and some special Christmas miracles. Sophie and her friend Sue are both victims of domestic violence and when Sophie wins a huge settlement in her divorce case they both decide to start over in Holly Berry Ridge. Sophie has some personal issues to work through but with help of her new friends and neighbors she becomes a new woman who can accept herself and what God has given her.

Wow, this book was utterly amazing. My heart went from being broken to hopeful while reading this story. As a woman that has suffered multiple miscarriages including a late one at 18 weeks this story tugged at my soul and broke my heart but it beautifully put the pieces back together again.

What an awesome book. I absolutely loved The Wishing Cradle. Great, story, characters and setting. I anticipate reading many more books by this author.

I immediately fell in love with Sophie in this story and wanted her to come out on the winning end of everything. Sophie when we meet her had been living the life of luxury, except things are not always what they seem and as people say the grass is not always greener on the other side. Sophie is trying to figure out how she is going to get away from her abusive husband and horrible mother in law when things take a turn for the worst and Sophie doesn't have to worry about that anymore. When Sophie is presented with a way out of her situation, she takes the offer and never looks back.

Sophie has reconnected with her long lost friend who has also gone through a rough time herself as well. Sophie presents Sue with an offer she can't resist either and the two women set of to make a new start for themselves in Holly Berry Ridge. On the way to their destination, the women get stuck in a snow storm and Sophie ends up seeing a man that captures her attention from the moment she lays eyes on him. There is just something about Parker that Sophie wants to get to know better. Sophie knows it is crazy because they are just in this town long enough to let the storm pass over.

Sophie and Sue get to Holly Berry Ridge and immediately start looking for places to buy as their own and trying to decide what they want to do with their lives now. Sophie knows that she wants to get back into Antiques like shushed to be before her marriage took that all away from her Sophie find two properties that she likes and ends up getting both of the. Sue has been talking to the owner of the B&B they are staying in and an opportunity has been brought up to her as well.

Sophie ends up reconnecting with the man she saw when they were stopped for the snow storm, Parker, and he lives in this town as well. Well, you can guess how things end up going for these two probably but it is not exactly how you would think!! They have their back and forth's and their soul searching issues to work through as well. Sophie ends up falling in love with a cradle that Parker has made and says a prayer on it each day before she leaves her store. You will get so lost in Sophie and Parkers story that you will wonder where the time has gone. I was so upset when this one was finished but it was such a good read!! I will definitely be on the lookout for more stories from Donna Walo Clancy!!

Sophie endured a disastrous marriage, which brought abuse by her husband and his overbearing, class obsessed mother, along with a series of miscarriages that left Sophie, who really wanted a child, devastated. Finally, Sophie, with the help of another well-to-do family who recognized her tragic circumstances, escaped and moved on to a new life in a small town, Holly Berry Ridge. There she opened an antiques store, while also sharing space with townsfolk who had items they wished to sell to the tourist public. One of them was Parker, who crafted exquisite furniture and worked in his family’s mill, which was close by. Sophie is taken by Parker almost from the start. However, this mysteriously attractive man had secrets of his own and is as reluctant to share them as Sophie is of her own disastrous marriage and miscarriages. Sophie becomes attracted to a cradle in her store, which becomes her “wishing cradle”, on which she wishes and hopes every day for the child she wants and so desperately pines for. What she does not realize is that her desire for a child has overtaken her life and is blocking just about everything else. How does this caring woman figure out what to do? Through a series of events and conversations with the other towns people (her new friends), her old friend Sue and, of course, Parker, and his elderly uncle, Sophie realizes the folly of her ever-present desire for a child. However, can she overcome this, and can she and Parker ever realize their destiny together, as well as how she can satisfy the deep want/need for the child she so desperately wants and how/if Parker can likewise figure out where he fits in all this and how he can help Sophie.

This is a great story, for the holiday season and any other time (the holiday setting is not overpowering.). I found the two main characters, Sophie and Parker, both interesting and well-developed. I also found young Riley perfect, endearing in every move or event he was included in, and I think he added a fantastic dimension to the tale. I also found Sophie’s main friends, Sue and her manager Marie, very likeable additions to the cast. The author even added a bit of mystery to the story, with the stalking of Sophie, which, though not overwhelming, only added to my interest in the tale. This is a story I will not soon forget. There were moments for tears and moments for smiles. I do not know if this is the start of a series, but it could well be, as there are plenty of other stories inside this one that can be fleshed out. I highly recommend this one. I would give it more than five stars if I could. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

An enjoyable fairly light romance, a little bit of mystery and some soul searching.

Lovely book to read. Very true to life issues. Great to see a happy ending with a nice festive read. Loved the writes style of writing and it flowed very nice.

I strongly enjoyed the beginning of this book, however towards the end, I found it a bit dragging.

This book started well and gathered pace as Sofie was in a very abusive marriage suffering miscarriages. The story itself was a really good story but I felt as if I was reading the first notes the author jotted down while developing the story. Not very good writing for me I'm afraid

I quickly got pulled into this book. A great book to read on a cold night. Loved it

After an abusive marriage that caused miscarriages Sophie is ready for a fresh start. Throwing a dart at a map she goes where it lands, a small Pennsylvania town. Reconnecting with a previous best friend from school they renew their friendship. With money from her divorce settlement she buys a house for herself and opens a profitable business. She is obsessed with having a child especially after her last miscarriage. The book was emotional, so get the tissues ready. The romance aspect of the book was really meh! In my opinion the romance could have been developed so much better but it just stagnated. Sophie and Parker have secrets from each other and they don't trust each other for it. That is no way to start or even keep a relationship. Secrets will do you in, they will eventually come out and no one will trust you! I didn't like how she handled the stress with her excessive binge drinking either. I just could not relate to that! Overall the book had a good base but the story could have been developed in a different manner and would have been a lot stronger!
Pub Date 09 Dec 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Summer Prescott Books for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely adored this beautiful story. It has love, mystery, family and faith.
There were times when I anxiously waited to make sure the character's were ok. I loved Sophie and Riley from the first page and as the chapters moved on, learned to love Parker as well.
It's a novel you will enjoy over and over and especially at Christmas!

I received an arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of it. I have to say that the book started off good but by the middle of the book I was so tired of Sophie whining about wanting a baby.

A fair story, with a romance of Sophie and Parker, but felt a lot was not detailed in this book. For example, a lot of lies and cover ups, that didn't make sense. For example, when he hides that he has a 3 year old son. And also the cancer seemed like an after thought too. Also, expected more with Christmas than was here too. I also didn't like that she was basically a drunk too. Not needed for the book, or at least should have been part of her therapy. I also didn't see a lot of spark between them, and honestly do not see why they were together half the time. Maybe just me, but would have been more interested in her friend Sue and her story with Charlie. All in all though, I was interested enough to read to the ending, and would recommend this book if you want another quick romance. The story had potential, and there were more parts I liked then disliked, but could have been better.

Sophie Greenberg is in an abusive and loveless marriage. Her husband and his family are rich snobs who constantly make Sophie feel as if she is worthless and a nobody. Not only is she emotionally abused, Sophie is also physically abused by her husband. Everything comes to a head during a Thanksgiving event where Sophie finally finds her voice, determined to get away from her abusers. Things take a turn for the worst at the hands of her husband which lands Sophie in the hospital to face another tragic event. Left broken and damaged, Sophie has no one to turn to until a guardian angel, who witnessed Sophie's abuse, offers her a way out and a new start on life. What follows is Sophie's personal and emotional journey in rediscovering herself and accepting the fact that having faith will lead you down the right path.

Sophie has been through a lot of heart ache in her young life. Many women can relate to being in an abusive marriage and may find themselves with no way out because they have no money, no friends, and no kind of support system. I always remember my mother telling me that you should have a career and make your own money in this world, this way if you are married and want to leave, you can. No woman should ever feel like they are stuck with a man who abuses them, regardless if it is emotional or physical, abuse is still abuse. What Sophie went through in her marriage really had an impact on me because I have seen marriages like this before and it is always heartbreaking to see how much the wife suffers because she feels like she has no other option.

Now that Sophie is finally on her own after leaving her husband, she is able to open a quaint little shop in the small town of Holly Berry Ridge, where she moves to after her divorce. Sophie has always had a love of antiques and opening a consignment shop is a way for her to pay it forward and help other people sell their crafts and make some money in the process. One of her shop renters is Parker O'Brien. He is a local woodworker who catches Sophie's eye and one of his designs, a cradle, has captured her attention. All Sophie has ever wanted was a child of her own and the cradle reminds her of the fact that she is still childless after having multiple miscarriages. Sophie would wish upon the cradle every night for the child she so desperately craves.

Many women want children of their own and some are not able to conceive for a number of reasons. You don't need to be a biological parent to be a good mother or to give love to a child or to feel that a child is yours regardless if you didn't give birth to them. Sophie is obsessed with having a baby, it is all she can think of and it winds up consuming her, but fate always has a way of stepping in and shows Sophie that all she ever wants and needs is right in front of her. She just needs to open her eyes and her heart and accept what life has put in her path.

THE WISHING CRADLE by Donna Walo Clancy is such a heartwarming and inspirational story that almost every woman can relate to. The story incorporates so many things, such as, hope, love, forgiveness, and faith. Although there are secondary characters, the story is all about Sophie. I followed along in her journey of self discovery where she learns how to accept herself for who she is and learns to accept what life has put in front of her. I can highly recommend that every woman should pick up a copy of this story and just listen to the powerful message that is weaved throughout the pages. You surely will not be disappointed.

The Wishing Cradle started well. I felt sympathetic toward Sophie in her bad marriage. Despite being apparently cowed by her witch of a mother-in-law, however, she didn’t hesitate to get involved in a shout-fest at the family’s dinner party.
The pace picked up, which at first seemed a good thing, but the story bounced from point to point without really developing. Sophie gets a huge divorce settlement and starts handing out $500 tips and whisking an old friend off to Pennsylvania. She meets a great-looking guy and goes after him. She’s a whiz at purchasing property and starting a business.
She gets to know Parker, but they both have secrets, and when the secrets come out, they both act like immature fools. Predictably, they get together at the end, but it’s not a solid relationship.
By the end, I didn’t care for Sophie.

This is a great story of second chances at love and motherhood. Sophie and Parker were meant to be together but it took the kidnapping of Parker's son Riley for them to realize how much they loved each other and for Sophie to realize she was meant to be the mother to Riley.