Personal Chef Jessica is turning a page in her life. Starting over in the small town of Winsome Lake, as a live-in cook after losing her job to a horrible misunderstanding. But when she arrives she finds that her employer had a stroke and is recuperating in rehab, but instead of being alone she finds herself surrounded by a community of people that welcome her into their lives.

A heartwarming, feel-good story about a small town community, faith, love and finding home. I liked how this book followed both Elaine and Jess, as they make the most of their situations finding friendship and a chance at love along the way. Jess was reluctant at first, but as people kept coming to her, she found the right things to say or do to give them comfort. Jess had a rough upbringing, and I liked how that gave her compassion for those around her. Elaine is a strong woman of faith, and I loved how she found a home among her friends in Winsome Lake. Plus her and Matthew were super adorable.

Overall, this was a heartwarming read with wonderful characters, friendship and faith. I loved how Jess connected with Christopher and Sienna helping them and giving them confidence. This is such an enjoyable read, and definitely recommend it to someone looking for a faith filled feel-good romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A sweet, cozy story with a touch of Christian love.

Perfect for fall reading; Professional chef Jess is hired to take care of elderly Elaine who's rehabbing after a stroke. Make sure to have snacks available because you will get hungry.

What a heartwarming book! Jess has been fired from her previous job so she hopes things go better in her new job. Her client is in the hospital when Jess arrives but Jess slowly makes herself at home. She meets the local citizens and it’s a wonderful cast of characters. This is truly a lovely book about finding what is important in life

I really enjoyed this women’s Christian small town, feel-good romance. Sometimes you are just in the mood for that idyllic uplifting story and the cast of characters in this one did that for me!

Jess Keaton stops in a small town in Wisconsin as almost a last resort. She works as a live-in cook and housekeeper for Elaine, and as she does so she begins to let her guard down and meet the townspeople.

Throw in some great cooking on Jess’s part, and some sweet romance, and this is just an adorable little read of redemptive growth.

The Gathering Table by Kathryn Springer is a heartwarming story about hope, faith, and friendships. It is set in an idyllic small town that I’d move to in a heartbeat! I really liked all of the main characters and the secondary characters really added to this story.

Jessica was very guarded at first and I loved how the townspeople slowly slipped past her defenses as they completely embraced her. I felt like her and Nick’s relationship grew at the perfect pace for the situation Jessica came from. I also really loved the secondary romance and would totally love for Elaine and Matthew to get their own full story!

What really made The Gathering Table special for me though was the way people helped each other and the friendships that grew throughout the story. I loved how everyone helped everyone and accepted them for who they were.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is light.

Thank you for sending this one over but, unfortunately I had to DNF at 40%. I found it difficult to connect to the main character and it's on the slower paced side for my liking.

The Gathering Table is a wholesome small-town romance. Kathryn Springer gives readers a good look at the impact a community can have when you need it the most.

Jess is a chef who was just fired from her dream job. This leads her to an opportunity with a new job in the small town of Winsome Lake. She is going to work for a woman who is in rehab after having a stroke. This isn’t exactly what Jess had in mind but it may be exactly what she needs.

This is a heartfelt story about faith, hope, and love. It’s great to see the community come together and show Jess what family truly means.

I give The Gathering Table 4 stars. I think the small town is the heart and soul of the book. They really bring it all together. It is also great to see the characters development and see the positive that comes. Touching story with heart and faith!

It took me a few chapters to get into the book, but I was so eager to learn more about Jess and her story that I ended up finishing in two days! When Jess and Elaine’s paths cross for Jess to help Elaine keep up cleaning and cooking after her stroke, you just know the two are destined to help each other heal. Jess, growing up with absentee parents, craved the affection of people and a place that felt like home even when she didn’t realize. Elaine had her own heartbreaks and healing to do and Jess was the piece of the healing puzzle that was missing.

I love fiction set in small towns and this small town did not disappoint. The people rallied around one another in so many ways to create the true meanings of belonging and family and it was such a heartwarming read.

I enjoy reading Love Inspired stories, and The Gathering Table is a great one! Sweet town, charming characters, animals, an adorable hero, and a girl looking for purpose make this book one that won’t be soon forgotten. I like reading about characters like Jess. She has this past she’d like to leave there – in the past. But sometimes you have to face a few things before you can truly move on. Jess’s character grew throughout this book, and I liked seeing her come into her element. And her interactions with Violet (cat) were fun. You also see a softer side to Jess, that I don’t want to discuss too much to avoid spoilers, but it involves a secondary character that I really enjoyed reading about.

Winsome Lake, Wisconsin, is a town I’d love to visit. And thankfully I can any time I want because I have this book lol. But I think readers will find this story is just what they need to settle into the fall season, or any season for that matter. So grab a cup of hot cider, a cozy blanket, and a copy of this book. You’ll thank me later.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Winsome Lane, a street that any small town would love to have. Representing a community that embodies all the charm and love that you'd hope for in a town, is the beautiful setting for this lovely book, The Gathering Table.

We are introduced to a lovely town Winsome, WI. This is the type of place that you'd hope all small towns would be like. The people look out for each other. Everyone knows one another but most important, everyone supports and loves each other. This is something Jessica Keaton was not used to at all.

Jessica Keaton, just left what seemed to be the dream of a lifetime. She was working for someone who she thought was what she aspired to be. In her eyes, working for this dream client presented a life that she thought was the greatest thing that could've happened. Sadly when an unfortunate situation presented itself involving someone close to her boss, she found herself unemployed, shamed and uncertain of her future. In an attempt to pick up the pieces and put the past behind her, Jessica was presented with a job opportunity that unbeknownst to her would change her life in more ways than she would know.

Winsome Lake was just the place for Jessica to escape to. No one knew her or her former boss, so staying under the radar was just what she was looking for. However, in town like this, it's hard to hide. With her new boss, Elaine Haviland, to be currently in rehab for an accident, she is left alone to find her way around and get settled in. Little did she know she wouldn't be alone for too long. The scrappy ladies as they are known to be called, make sure to bring the sunshine and the welcome wagon. Just trying to make her feel welcome and support their friend Elaine, Jessica is smothered with love and support leaving her feeling unlike she'd ever felt before.

Then comes the unexpected, her neighbor Nick. Helping out with Elaine's garden, he is everything that you'd expect from a nice guy in a small town such as this. He's handsome, community oriented and loved by everyone. The problem is, Jessica is not having anything of this. She is here to do a job and as times goes on she finds herself getting interested in more than cooking. Will Nick's small town charm be the secret ingredient missing in Jessica's recipe?

Elaine Haviland, knows all to well the feelings of be shamed and an the uncertainty of her future. When Elaine set to advertise for someone to cook and help out around the house, little did she know that it would change her life as well. Upon having a medical setback, Elaine found herself temporarily in rehab. Not knowing what she would experience when she returned, while turning to her faith and the strength of friends, she knew she had nothing to worry about. As she doesn't believe in coincidences, Elaine's intuition upon meeting Jessica gave her the confirmation that people are brought into each other's lives for a reason and through their experiences they find an invaluable friendship that changes both their lives and those around them forever.

With the fall approaching, this is the perfect read to get snuggled up on the couch. One of the best parts of the book that I loved was the friendships and support of community. I love the generational gap friendships because there is such value and depth to what they bring into each other's lives that make you more invested in them. These were the type of characters that invite you in and the more you read the book you want to love them more. This journey through their lives leaves such a sweet, fulfilled experience. With beautiful characters that you will fall in love with blended with friendship, love, hope and second chances, The Gathering Table is one place where everyone would want to pull up a seat. I'd recommend adding this one to the reading list.

Small town Winsome Lake is the setting for this gentle read. Jessica Keaton, a chef, finds herself working for Elaine Haviland as her housekeeper., and finds the small town and its citizens are just what she didn't know she needed. This book will appeal to readers of Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr. Just a sweet story.

There is just something about a small town story that I absolutely love, and The Gathering Table certainly has all the small town feels that I so very much enjoy. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and this place, and found this story to be so full of heart. I was immediately drawn into the story, and found myself wanting to read on.

I will say that there were some formatting issues with the ARC that I received, which happens on occasion and I try not to mention these issues as I know these are fixed before final copies... however, in this particular case it was to a point that made it harder to get into the flow of the story at first and I do think I'd have enjoyed it more had that not been an issue for me... still, regardless of that, the story was good enough that it kept me wanting to push through those issues nonetheless. In the end, I found it to be a really enjoyable read and those who enjoy heartwarming story set in a small town are sure to want to add this to their TBR.

** I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

I Loved this small-town book.
It was interesting, had a compelling story, and made me feel a part of it.

I enjoyed the wholesome feel to it all, and how Kathryn Springer, portrayed her characters. This second chance story held a world of truth in it.

Plus… THE FOOD… Ah… Sign me up for a trip to Winsome Lake please!

This is the first book I have read by Kathryn Springer, but it won't be the last. This was such a great story, with wonderful characters, a Christian theme as well as one about friendship, community and taking a chance. Chef, Jessica Keaton, had taken a job in a private home in Winsome Lake, Wisconsin for Elaine Haviland. She was fired from her dream job and this is her last chance. When she arrives, she finds out that Elaine is in a rehab centre following a stroke and a fall. She is looking forward to some time alone to lick her wounds, but that doesn't happen in this close knit community. A teenager who practises on the piano, a group of woman who are friends and a handsome and caring football coach are in and out of the house, pulling Jessica out into the world of the living.

I enjoyed this story very much. Jessica was a character that grew on me. I didn't like her much at first. She was a bit sullen and felt sorry for herself, but she eventually realized that everyone has things going on in their lives and she found out that she had the power to help others. The characters in this book ranged from older, quirky ladies to a sad teenager trying to find her way. They were all relatable and realistic. So many of the characters had baggage, and it was seeing the residents rally around to support one another. The love interest, Coach Nick, was a sweetie, who also had some secrets in his background. This book has a lot of themes that I love. Friendship, Community, Family Drama, Forgiveness, Taking Chances and Moving Forward are all in this story. It is emotional, especially when I read about teenage Sienna, but it is also uplifting. I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy Uplit and Women's Fiction

The Gathering Table is a fantastic small town, close friends, romance. Being from a small town in Wisconsin myself, I really appreciated the way Winsome Lake was described, The friendships, the weather, the Friday night fish fries! When Jess needs a job, and sees an ad in a newspaper for a live-in helper, she jumps at the opportunity. I loved the way the author weaved Jess' story in throughout the story. And as she became friends with the neighbors. The secondary characters are wonderful as well. Each of the neighbors has their own story and they're told in a way that draws you in and makes you love them all. There is so much to love about this book, I think it'll win over the hearts and minds of many, many readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Such a cute story of second chances and starting over. Loved how there were different age groups. Young, mid age and old. The food aspect made me hungry in a good way

This was the cutest, sweetest, small town feel-good story ever. I loved everything about it. Jess who’s had dreams that her previous employer almost crashed. Then there’s Elaine, who’s got secrets of her own—or so she thinks, because little does she know her secret is the best known secret that no one talks about. Let me not forget about the Scrappy Ladies, oh goodness, I absolutely loved those women. Christopher and Sienna are just perfect. And now let’s talk about Nick… he’s pretty close to perfect.
If this was made into a movie, I would be all over it. I love the importance of family and friendship that this book centers on, and how masterfully the author executed everyone’s role.

This is a women's Christian small-town romance. It's filled with lots of wonderful characters and a great storyline. The main character is Jessica, a chef who lost her job, must get over past tragedy, and learn to trust again. She takes a job as a house keeper-cook for Elaine. Elaine recently had a stroke and ends up in rehab. She will need assistance when she heads home. Elaine's neighborhood is filled with all her friends and they quickly welcome Jessica. She doesn't know what to think of that and must work through all of her past issues and come to terms with starting a new life or going back to the old one.

I loved the storyline it was filled with hope and blossoming friendships. I cried a few times so keep the tissues handy. I highly recommend it.

From the small town atmosphere, to the loveable characters, to the story itself, there is so much to love about The Gathering Table.

Jessica Keaton was fired from her job as a personal chef and has moved to Winsome Lake to start over as a housekeeper and cook for Elaine Haviland after she had a stroke. Jess meets most of the townsfolk before even meeting Elaine who is still in rehab when Jess gets to town. She soon realizes that Elaine is beloved in the small town, and upon meeting her, she finally discovers why.

After being offered what could be her dream job, Jess must decide if she can let Winsome Lake really welcome her in or if she should move on and not look back.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Love Inspired Publishers for a gifted copy of this book and Harlequin Audio for an ALC.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin and TLC book tours for the gifted copy.

Overall a very positive and uplifting read about a young chef escaping to a small Wisconsin town after a rough experience at her previous job. I enjoyed the characters and the charming small town setting.