"Another visit to the small town of Chatsworth!"

C. J. Carmichael writes the most emotionally charged books I've ever read. This one takes us back to the small town of Chatsworth, Saskatchewan. For those who are C. J. Carmichael fans, we first read about this lovely little town in her book, TOGETHER BY CHRISTMAS.

This is the story of Russell, Julie and Ben Matthew. They live in Vancouver and have a busy life with work and school. Their lives all change in the blink of an eye one morning. A drunk driver hit the van that Ben was riding in and threw Ben out of the vehicle. He was in a coma and when he finally woke up, he needed extensive physical therapy.

Russell takes it upon himself to quit his job and accept a job in his old hometown where his parents still live. He tells Julie that he thinks that's what the family needs in order for Ben to fully heal. Julie doesn't like it because she's a big city girl but she knows something just isn't right in their lives anymore. She's willing to give it a chance but will she be able to accept the life of a small-town girl?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and especially enjoyed visiting with characters from the previous book. It was fun to watch the town encompass Russell, Julie and Ben into their wide-open arms even though there were a few bumps in the road at first. I hope that C. J. Carmichael will visit Chatsworth a few more times as I think there are a few more stories to tell.

Reviewed by Kathy Boswell
Posted March 24, 2003

Summary

After her son is seriously injured in a car accident, Julie Matthew wants two things: for him to regain his health and for her family to return to normal. What a shock when she learns that Russell, her husband, sees normal as a rut. His solution? To move their family from Vancouver back to the tiny rural town in Saskatchewan where he grew up.

It's for the sake of their child, he claims, and a guilty conscience leads Julie, who loves big cities, to go along with his plan. But once in Chatsworth, she begins to suspect that Russell has his own interests at heart. Especially after she sees him and his former girlfriend together at the school where they'll both be teaching.

And that's not the only surprise her husband has for her!