Hope Springs By: Kim Cash Tate

Hope Springs is the epitome of small-town life-a place filled with quiet streets where families have been friends for generations, a place where not a lot changes . . . until now.

Janelle Evans hasn't gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn't long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened.

Becca Anderson is finally on the trajectory she's longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she's been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women's conference. But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father's church in Hope Springs. Will small-town living affect her big ministry dreams?

Stephanie London is married to a doctor in St. Louis and living an ideal life. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels compelled to do the same. It's a decision that will forever change her.

As these women come together, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches that have long been divided along racial lines. God's plan for them in Hope Springs-and for Hope Springs itself-is bigger than they ever imagined.

"Kim Cash Tate draws us into a world where the dreams, desires, missteps, and matters of the heart we discover mirror our own. She is a master at crafting characters who make you forget you're reading fiction. By the end of "Hope Springs," you'll feel as if you're cheering on members of your extended family." -Stacy Hawkins Adams, bestselling author of "Coming Home" and "The Someday List"

"Tate expertly crafts an intriguing narrative that explores unrequited love, true faith, and the complicated politics of change in the Christian church . . . an] affecting tale about forgiveness and following God's call." -"Publishers Weekly"

Goodreads Summary

Members of the Sanders family typically get together for Christmas and family reunions, but distant homes, jobs, and in-laws have kept some of the family members away. When their aunts and parents tell them that Grandma Geri hasn’t been feeling well, some of the younger Sanders decide to make a trip to Hope Springs, North Carolina for Christmas. Newly widowed granddaughter Janelle travels there with her two young children; missing her husband, Christmas hasn’t been special for a couple of years. Granddaughter Stephanie has been praying for ways to put meaning in her life, to be a servant somehow; she and her husband join the family for Christmas too. The death of her father-in-law, Jim Dillon, brings Becca, a promising writer and new speaker for a Christian women’s conference, to Hope Springs. As these women come together with their aunts, cousins, old friends, neighbors, and memories, relationships heal.
I felt like the first few pages were speaking to me when Stephanie and her husband talk about how she is trying to be more of a “servant”, to give more. I’ve often thought that I prefer the “servant” roles in my life, but I know there are ways to do more. Even though my own church looks 98% like me, it surprised me (hypocrite?) that two churches could stand so close to one another and be separated entirely along racial lines. I could somewhat relate to the career type story of Becca and her husband Todd, but their out of the ordinary aspirations to be a pastor and faith inspiration speaker made their story less engaging for me. Thank you Ms. Cash Tate for including the family tree – if not for that, I think I would have been confused at first about family connections.
The pain of cancer and moral issues are addressed with eloquence. Even better than the light romance in the book, I just loved some of these characters! I wish I had a Grandma Geri to tell me to “come here baby” and “let your family love on you”. I hope I become a Geri someday – she and some of the other women characters have so much heart and such a sense of doing right. Even Libby, who sometimes seems to ignore the Sanders’ moral code, thinks that there’s “no way you could grow up in the Sanders clan and not know right from wrong”. This story invites readers to reflect on their own lives and relationships.

Four and a Half Stars

*Reviewed by Kristin*



This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.


Kindle Fire Giveaway and More! Save the Date - 7/1-!

Celebrate the release of Hope Springs with Kim Cash Tate by coming to her Author Chat Party on Facebook. Find out what readers are saying here. Grab your copy of Hope Springs and join me for an Author Chat Party on July 10th at 8:00 PM EST (that's 7:00 Central, 6:00 MST, & 5:00 PST)! During the evening Kim will be sharing the story behind her new book, posting book club questions, testing your trivia skills, and of course, there will be plenty of chatting and fun giveaways - books, gift certificates and (I'm so excited about this) - a Kindle Fire! But, wait there's more – she’ll also be giving you a sneak peak of her next book too! RSVP today and then come back on the 10th ... and bring your friends!