When life is as chaotic as mine has been lately there is nothing like a calmer read to ground you, and that's one thing I loved about reading The Widower's Bride. There is not a lot of drama, just realistic "points of contention" that gave this mild story the perfect tension. Your heart breaks for Jed as you can almost tangibly feel the pain and frustration he is going through trying to keep his life together after the sudden death of his wife. Raising three children under the age of five as a single father is hard enough, but also running an entire farm by yourself with no help from anyone, would make even the strongest of men go crazy.

That's where Grace comes in, who is aptly named, as she pours grace into this father and his beautiful family. One thing I really admired about Grace's character was that she wasn't perfect, battling an ailment that she refuses to let herself be hindered by.

There were parts that frustrated me about Jed's words and attitude towards Grace but I also loved reading the transformations of the characters as the story unfolded. I especially fell in love with the children! Their cuteness and sweetness just leapt off the page and really added to the charm of this story.

Though not fast paced, this was an incredibly sweet read that does tug on your heartstrings. ( )