On the Way to Us is a nuanced story by Carolyn Brown. It is the story of Mercy Spenser as she discovers her place in the world. While doing missionary work she feels she was tricked into doing by her friend and roommate in a steamy west Texas town, she is already hot, tired, and not in a good mood when the jukebox music got so loud in the neighboring cantina that the hymns couldn’t be heard in the little adjacent church. Incensed, Mercy went into the cantina to demand the music be turned down only to encounter a tall, sexy cowboy behind the bar. Although taken by this quite tall man, even taller than her almost 6 foot height, Mercy still takes him on over the noise, but to no avail.

Once back home from her miserable ‘vacation’, Mercy barely gives the tall man a thought. Unexpectedly she runs in to Hunter Wilson in her own hometown. This is where the story truly takes off, both in her split from judgmental best friend Jenny and ever increasing attraction to Hunter.

This story is told with heart and humor. I very much enjoyed this story.

This book also includes Ms. Brown’s lovely novella Love Struck Cafe, the story of two floundering folks, Flint Walker, a displaced rancher, and Jasmine Thurman, current owner of a little cafe that she was soon selling to her cousin. These two cross paths at her cafe in the super small town of Ringgold, Texas, and the rest is a lovely story of right time right place.

I very much enjoyed both of these stories and do recommend this book!

Nope this book just wasn’t for me. I got bored but I kept listening. I didn’t know it was more like Christian fiction and this just isn’t my cup of tea kind of reading.

Mercy has been living her life for everyone except herself. First under the thumb of her older sister and then that of her repressed, uptight and seriously judgmental roommate from college. When she doesn’t dance to said roommates very strict demands, she comes home to an empty apartment and a truly snarky note. That was the beginning of so much falling apart so she heads to her mothers to regroup. Then her mother turns out to be just a as pushy and obnoxious as her roommate. Yes, everything ultimately works out for Mercy, but this book seems to have jumped back decades in time. The verbiage, expectations and antiquated ways of thinking was a somewhat off-putting. Additionally, this book should be classified as Christian romance as that is the main theme that it all revolves around.
The second/bonus novella included was a nice listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was just not for me at all. Kind of far fetched with everything being based around the church and rules. Jenny was a horrid character. Mercy was interesting but a bit out there.
Narration was ok.
Book just wasn’t what I was expecting from the description and previous books from this author.
I DNF.

Well. This book absolutely needs to be classified as Christian Fiction, to give at least some fair warning about just how packed-to-the-gills with Jesus, the Bible, and frightfully regressive gender dynamics this book actually is. Likely a perfect story for anyone celebrating the end of Roe. For me, it was a DNF after a painfully cringy 20%.

Thank you Carolyn Brown, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the two short novellas about Fate putting together two people in unexpected places , love is in the air !

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. This book was just so cringe. I likely am not the right audience given the Christianity aspect and typical male and female roles. When sex was discussed, it was awkward and cringe worthy. Should have DNF'd for my sanity.

"I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out" - this is what the MMC says he did after he found his ex-wife cheating on him. His ex-wife is a caricature of a wicked woman (wanton, gold-digging, materialistic, unrepentant, etc.) but WAIT. We're supposed to like him for physical abuse?

Yes, he should have divorced her (as he did). No, he did not have the right to inflict bodily harm (there's no way to drag a human through a house BY THEIR HAIR without really hurting them). Ugh gross, DNF right there.

This is sexist, this is violent, this is appalling.

It was a gifted ARC, but I cannot read domestic violence chalked up as healthy masculinity. Blech, where's the eye bleach.