Wynter has been through some trauma that never goes away. It was interesting to discover her past as the story unfolds, and all the secrets that are revealed. Sanctuary sounds idyllic, but it's also the perfect place to hide. Rueben sees the good sides of the people in his community, and is very protective of them. The varying degrees of Mennonite made it difficult to know who would be open for an interview and photography, and Reuben was an invaluable help to Wynter's journalism. There was such a focus on the plot and Wynter's search for her brother, that the romance between her and Reuben seemed like an afterthought, and there were little to no descriptions of her feelings for him, which was disappointing. The story of finding her brother and healing her complicated family dynamics was full of unexpected twists, and culminated in a suspenseful resolution. Adoption is close to my heart so it's devastating to think about the painful ways it goes wrong due to mistakes or selfish plans, when its ultimate purpose is to be a loving solution.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

One of the things that I love about going through my backlog of books to read is when I find one that is timeless and so appropriate to the modern era we are living in. This year, I have spent a lot of time listening to news media sources and making discernment on good anchors versus politically motivated ones. I have also been reading more about the efforts of official sources in attempts to quell the horrible business of human trafficking. Both of these topics were touched on in this novel as well as a general desire to melt away from all the noise and live a daily life. Nancy Mehl writes really good escapist mysteries to my taste and I have liked every one that I have read even when the going was tough to get through the rough spots. I originally received this book through Netgalley, but it was not until later with my Kindle eBook purchase that I actually read it. I would definitely continue to read Nancy's books and more in the series. I own a Kindle eBook.