What Hope Remembers by Johnnie Alexander is book 3 in the Misty Willow series. In this book, Amy Somers comes back home after losing her job as a lobbyist. But coming home isn't easy since she burned a lot of bridges and has amends to make. She reconnects with Gabe Kendall, her first love. I thought this was a good book but it was really slow at times and hard to get into. I'm not sure if that was because I had not read the previous books. I think it would be best read after reading the other books. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

Johnnie Alexander is still a pretty new author to me. This is the second book of hers that I have read. After enjoying the second book in this series, I decided to give this one a try. What Hope Remembers is the third book in Johnnie Alexander’s Misty Willow series. I think it would have been helpful to have read the first book in this series, as I had mentioned in my last review, but the story was still good.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is the matchup of characters. We have Amy who was a lobbyist and loses her job and Gabe who was a Marine. Both have pasts of regret that they have to work through in this book.

Amy and Gabe also have a previous romance in common. Gabe was Amy’s first crush and her first kiss. He returns to Misty Willow to work on his aunt’s farm and he ends up riding a buckskin mare back into Amy’s life.

Once again Johnnie developed characters with real life issues. I enjoyed the small town setting, something I’m a sucker for. I’m looking forward to what is next from Johnnie.

Johnnie Alexander's third book in her Misty Willow series, What Hope Remembers, is a wonderful story full of interpersonal conflict, tension, and hard fought resolution. However, I do recommend reading the previous books before delving into this one. Unfortunately I did not go this route, and struggled to catch all the nuances of the story, which most likely would have deepened the story's message.
In spite of this, I did enjoy the tale Alexander wove together. The main characters held very real challenges I could identify with and were set amid a plot that kept me entertained until the end. I enjoyed the interplay between the cast as well as the tension Alexander created within her storyline. The theme of reconciliation and new beginnings was also refreshing. Now I just need to go back and read the first two books to fill in some holes
Overall this was an enjoyable read that will be sure to entertain and encourage readers.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars
I began this book by not liking Amy at all. She has stirrings of conscience, though. Very slowly, she begins to awaken out of her selfishness. She's been driven by a desire for power and control, and even now her reputation is good enough that she has a good bit of political clout. But she's come to the country to be near her brother, who is now living a summer idyll of a life with his new wife, his restored faith, and his newly discovered son.

Amy's not very likable for the entire first half of the book, and it does rely heavily on having known about Amy from other books. I did really like Gabe! He's a former Marine and a soft-hearted man, hoping to overcome the events of the past few years and some consequences of another's actions.

As to the second half, major spoilers:
<spoiler> I felt like the last 100 pages was SO rushed! I wanted a lot more. I wanted to see a more realistic final arc for the conspirators; Gabe's father seemed to come out of nowhere and start being nice; I was mad about Tess's arc; I wanted to see Amy actually trust God. What happened with her decision of how much to tell Gabe of her past? What happened with dietary issues, which were originally a huge part of the story, but evaporated in the second half? </spoiler>
...basically, it was like we started skimming over events to get the story done. Just when I really began to like Amy and to want to spend time with her, events snowballed and then were...done! With a more rounded, deeper ending, I'd have easily given a full four stars rating.

I loved the epilogue! But I did want one for AJ and Brett as well. ;)

I received a free copy from NetGalley for review.

What Hope Remembers, the third novel in the Misty Willow series, was fantastic! I hadn't read the first two novels in the series, so the setting was new to me. It's a stand-alone book, so I didn't have anything to really get caught up on, thankfully.

Amy is a former lobbyist who gets back to her roots in the country. Joining her brother and cousin, she has to find her way back to the simple life, a little begrudgingly. A recovering anorexic, Amy struggles with her past and struggles to move beyond those demons.

When she reconnects with Gabe, her teenage sweetheart, Amy pretends to not remember him. It's easier that way, because now she is not the same person that she was then. And she really doesn't want him to know the present Amy.

On the flipside, Gabe wants to take right off where he and Amy left off. A former Marine who also is an ex-con, Gabe has returned to Aunt Tess and her horse farm to start over. Like Amy, Gabe has a past he'd like to forget, too. He's put his faith and trust in God to help him move forward in his life. Hesitant to tell her about his time since they last parted, Gabe instead focuses on being friends and helping keep Aunt Tess's property going when a developer threatens her hand.

I thoroughly enjoyed What Hope Remembers. Johnnie Alexander is not afraid to make her characters realistic and have character flaws. Ms. Alexander finds just the right amount of flaw without it becoming overwhelming or seem fake. Character flaw and character strength are nicely balanced in a true-to-life feel.

The setting and circumstances are smoothly told. I appreciated the story unfolding bit by bit. Ms. Alexander did that beautifully and seamlessly.

The secondary characters all hold relevance to the story, and no unnecessary backstories drew me away from Amy and Gabe's story.

This is a novel that I would highly recommend to individuals who love a really clean and inspiring love story that is well written and entertaining.

Another winner by Ms Alexander...I always enjoy her work.

What Hope Remembers is a fantastic book. Amy is a nob, she walks all over people, she can be verbally abusive. She leaves that life - the only life she's known - and goes to Misty Willow - back home - why? Well because - nah - you have to read the book ...but it is an incredibly good reason. While there she sees Gabe, an old beau. He is also hurting from things in his past. Is there things in his past? Is there any electricity between them or is it just spaghetti rope? Do they deal with the pain from their pasts or do they keep it inside like they always do? Do they see each other can she heal or will she stay the same awful self?

"It's about expectations. And perhaps figuring out what's really important in life."

If you're like me, then you hope to get a little more from a book than just an escape for a few blessed minutes. Though, that is one great perk. I usually look for something specific to take away. Lately my life has felt a little clouded, and I've done a lot of soul searching. I do feel like most of how we view this life is based around experiences, and our expectations. With that, we make decisions in our heads about other people's choices & behaviours and try to second guess it. That seemed to be a major theme of this book. The author claims that she never intended to write Amy's story, but I'm glad she did. I didn't read book 1 in this series, only book 2. I didn't even realize the connection until I was a couple chapters in and the names and locations started ringing a bell!

I find Johnnie Alexander to write a well thought out and unhurried story about far more than just two major characters. Though the focus is mainly around Gabe & Amy, there is so much more here. I found the dialogue of Tess to be a rich addition. She brought so much to the back story, with the financial struggles she faced, and in helping us to understand the difficult family history for Gabe and Amy. She was honest and real, and while I was frustrated often by the inability to share with others when help was needed, I did feel she was pretty spot on, most people would probably react the same way. Even the ruthless and calculating Logan was a needed inclusion to make this story great.

I'm not really a fan of the cover, which, is a minor thing I suppose. I read the book before looking at it, and I just felt like the characters are a little more older & wiser - and that the plot is more intense and darker than the bright cheery cover suggests.

Fantastic story, not always easy to read when difficult subjects are tackled. But it felt honest, and that is refreshing. Along the same quality as book 2, I'm thinking I'm going to go right back to the beginning and read about AJ & Shelby, though I'm getting the feeling I'm not going to like Amy too much if I do that!!

As for figuring out what really matters in life, that's one constant I never have a question about. God & family. Always.

Thank you to Netgalley & Revell for the eARC. This is my honest review.

Thoughts:

WHAT HOPE REMEMBERS (Misty Willow Book 3) by Johnnie Alexander begins with two people escaping their past by coming home to better memories, but their problems are easy to find as we fall into their stories while they run from the pain!

Gabe Kendall’s life in the Marine Corps didn’t end well. In fact, it ends with a prison term. While he is most comfortable keeping that time in life a mystery to others, it wouldn’t take long for facts to come out, and he is the one to do it. Burying his record is not possible, and to begin again, he must be up-front.

However, his return greets him with good and bad that comes with Misty Willow.

The ranch is in sad shape, and his good memories are being distorted by a special but forgotten time in life, as Gabe stands at the spot where it happened long ago….

Does he want something that can never begin again?

Meanwhile, Amy Somers is in Misty Willow after her time of power went wrong inside the political hub. In a world where power gives, even more, power, Amy lost herself while picking up issues along the way. From lies to cheats and thievery, the eye of a camera will see every flaw while Amy’s body pays a price far greater than it all. In almost gaining something important, she nearly lost her heart. There is still one person with whom her memories evoke emotions strong enough to topple her, but he no longer lives here.

We’ll feel the pain and enter the problems as they come to the surface, but those years old mistakes may still keep us wondering. Can two people renew themselves and pick up a healthy relationship at the same time? Alternatively, does their past keep them from pain by pulling them far away from love?

Is a haunting past ever truly buried?

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

In WHAT HOPE REMEMBERS Misty Willow Book 3 by Johnnie Alexander, Amy Somers loses her lobbyist position, the power it came with, and the heart of stone she gained as she moves to Misty Willow. A brother’s love and her almost withering away will bring a transformed character to a place where she tried to use destruction to suit her.

Amy is attempting to heal the situations and her body. However, is she ever far from the pain that she wears and the problems that she left behind?

Gabe Kendall is an ex-Marine who did not commit a crime, but he did a prison sentence that he did not deserve. With a family divided, he goes back to Misty Willow to heal and gain a life. Prison is still in his personality sans the locked doors, and he needs to find a purpose despite his shame. However, he looks around the ranch, and he sees all that is wrong since he’s been gone.

It’s a vibrant place now scarred with decay from his neglect. Once he sees Amy, his situation goes from hope to heartache in a matter of minutes!

"What Hope Remembers" is book #3 in Johnnie Alexander's Misty Willow series and another excellent story!  Amy moves back to be near her brother Brett and she is seeking to find the peace that Gran had at Misty Willow.  This is a place that has turned Brett and AJ's lives around; however Amy has her doubts, especially when Gabe shows up on the scene as well.  Gabe has served his time for being in the wrong place at the wrong time; however this continues to hang over him and he cannot seem to shake his past. 


Johnnie does such an incredible job of bringing the characters to life, I loved both Gabe and Amy, plus all of the other characters.  It felt like coming home to spend time with the characters once again from the first two books.  Misty Willow is such a homey setting as well that it even more so feels like a return to home and an escape from the busyness of everyday life when I sat down to read this book.  The themes of returning home, new beginnings, and forgiveness were all nicely portrayed in this story and I am eager to see what Johnnie writes next!

It always makes for an interesting read when a character who’s been something of a villain in the series gets the chance to tell their story. A hard-nosed, high-powered lobbyist, Amy Somers sued her cousin AJ for the rights to Misty Willow so that she could develop the land into an upscale retreat—a plan that would further both her personal and her professional ambitions. Those plans collapsed with her body on the floor of a nightclub and, after undergoing treatment for an eating disorder, she’s come to live at the family cottage. She’s feeling more abandoned and alone than ever, despite having both AJ and Brett (and their families) nearby, and she’s hoping that she will somehow find the same peace her Gran found in that little cottage. But there are two problems: Gabe Kendall and Logan Cassidy.

Gabe has returned to Glade County to find his feet and help his Aunt Tess with Whisper Lane Stables. The place has steadily declined since his uncle’s death and he’s determined to help her get the farm back up and running again. But Gabe isn’t aware of the extent of the financial debt his aunt is in, or of the pressure she is under to sell to property developer Dylan Tapley—Amy’s former client. He's surprised and a little hurt that Amy claims not to remember him, but it'll take more than that to discourage him.

Fellow lobbyist Logan Cassidy was often Amy’s confidential sounding-board during her lobbying days, not to mention an obliging plus-one when she needed an escort. Dylan Tapley is his client now, but when he arranges to meet with Amy to discuss Dylan’s plans, it becomes clear he has more than just business on his mind.

Like the other novels in this series, there’s a gentle pace to the story, but there were some definite surprises toward the end. Amy’s a tough nut to crack—she’s defensive, and often goes on the offensive to avoid being hurt—but Gabe’s constant friendship and the memory of the way he reached out to her after her parents’ death gradually soften her towards him. I couldn’t help feeling the story wrapped up a little quickly in the final pages, but the collision of ambition, hope, and regrets made for a strong conclusion to the Misty Willow series.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This author is one that I forget how amazing their books are until I'm lost within the pages of the next book. But I'm glad that I keep coming back because she has yet to disappoint!
I'll be honest, I didn't like Amy at all in the previous two books. She was cold, calculating, manipulative, and in general not a pleasant person. There are few authors who can redeem a disliked character and thankfully Johnnie is one of them. After a wake-up call regarding her health Amy really begins to reevaluate her life, and not really liking the person she's become, decides to start to make changes. It was nice to get into her head and see the emotions she was experiencing when she did the things she did. While it didn't excuse them it helped to see that her actions came more from a place of hurt than malice. Amy was such a real character. She wasn't just suddenly perfect, the journey from who she was to who she wanted to become was slow and difficult and mistakes were made along the way. But I admired how she never gave up. The author handled the issue of her eating disorder with grace while also showing the very real struggles that those suffering from conditions like Amy's face. My heart broke for all the pain she'd endured in her life and I loved watching her rise from the ashes of it all.
Heath was awesome. As someone who was sentenced for a crime he didn't commit he could have been bitter and angry but instead he saw the way God used that time for good and was determined to make the most of his life. I loved the way he cared for his aunt, and their close relationship was beautiful. I also loved the way he interacted with Amy, being there for her when needed but never pushing her beyond what she was comfortable with. Their relationship blossomed slowly but beautifully and it was a joy to watch it unfold.
It was great to catch up with AJ and Shelby, and Brett and Dani, as well as the kids. I had a wonderful time getting to know this family and I'm sad to see this series end!

Lovely conclusion to the Misty Willow Series.

Readers of this series know that Amy was not a warm or kind person in the first two books. As can happen, she has a life event that alters her world. Amy returns to Misty Willow to take a break from the only life she knew as an adult. Life in the fast lane. A life of using others for her own upward progress.

At the same time, Gabe returns to spend time with his aunt Tess. He is also mending wounds from his past.

It was a joy to watch their love blossom among the backdrop of each of them working through their own struggles as well as work together to save Tess's stables. Having AJ and Brett from the first books in the series and their families be a part of the story added to novel.

Misty Willow was a well done contemporary fiction series. I recommend it to fans of Becky Wade and Robin Lee Hatcher.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 is the opening quote for this Christian romance novel and sums up the journey for the main characters. What Hope Remembers is book number three in the Misty Willow series from Johnnie Alexander. I thoroughly enjoyed book number 2, When Love Arrives (read my review here) and this one doesn’t disappoint. These characters are as multilayered and interesting. Amy and Gabe have both suffered hugely and their growth during the novel is uplifting and encouraging. The insidious characters and the mystery to be solved keep up the pace and it is a swift read. I enjoyed the biblical truths tucked throughout! I give it a 4 out of 5 on the en-JOY-ment scale.

A warning to the sensitive reader: horses do die in this novel, personally I hate it when animals die, people I can cope with.

The third installment in the Misty Willow books brings the heat and is a pleasant addition to the charming series.

Gabe Kendall has decided to try and make a fresh start at his aunt’s horse ranch. Having just been released from prison, he is skeptical of being found trustworthy anywhere he goes. As he goes for a ride one day, he bumps into a face from the past, Amy Somers. He has been in love with her since he was a teenager, but fell out of contact for many years. He doesn’t think she will ever want to be with him after finding out about his past. The thing Gabe doesn’t know is that Amy has a past and secrets of her own, some she isn’t proud of either. Can these two let go of what has been holding them back and find a way to move forward? Or are they going to be stuck in their own self-made prisons?

What Hope Remembers is a nice addition to the Misty Willow books. The nice thing is you don’t have to read them all to enjoy each one individually. It has been a while since I read the previous in the series and didn’t remember a whole lot going into this one, but that didn’t keep me from connecting with the characters and enjoying the story. I did think that both Gabe and Amy were a little too hard on themselves at times. Yes, they made mistakes, and yes, they had things in the past neither was proud of, but that was all they seemed to think about for most of the book. The last quarter of the book was the best, the suspense kicked in and made the pages fly. I think fans of the series, and the author, will really enjoy this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

To say I was excited to read this book would be a massive understatement. I have loved both books in the Misty Willow series so far and the books just keep getting better, so I knew What Hope Remembers was going to be awesome. I was right - it is certainly a beautiful story. Amy and Gabe are characters who both have so many issues to overcome and their story of reconnection is founded in the sweet love of their adolescence.

Gabe has returned to his Aunt's farm after many years away, first deployed overseas and then in prison. The farm is now rundown and vastly different from that of his childhood memories. But his aunt's love remains the same and the community is far more welcoming than he ever dreamed. But the biggest surprise comes when he learns that Amy, his first love and the woman who has always held a place in his heart, has also returned to Misty Willow. Amy has decided to leave her old life behind. She is ashamed of who she has become and yet doesn't know what to do to turn her life around. Rebuilding the relationships with her brother and cousin and their wives seems a good place to start. As Amy and Gabe reconnect they have many secrets and fears to face, while an outside threat attempts to keep them from rekindling their childhood romance.

We got the first glimpse of Amy's story in the previous two books in this series, particularly in When Love Arrives, when Amy collapses and is abandoned by her boyfriend, a married senator. Amy is fighting an eating disorder, as well as the grief and fears of her childhood that she has long-buried beneath a cold exterior and battling for success in the corporate world. Her choices have distanced her from her family, when being abandoned is what she fears most. Coming face-to-face with Gabe Kendell is certainly unexpected, as is the sudden rush of emotions she feels. She isn't sure someone like Gabe would ever want a woman with her past, while Gabe has the exact same reaction.

What Hope Remembers was an unexpected story and took many unexpected turns. I enjoyed the majority of it, but I was a little disappointed with the ending. There were so many issues the characters faced in the story and while the big one was resolved it was the little, but I think more important, ones that were overlooked. For example, Amy spends the majority of the book hiding her recent past from Gabe, which prevents her from pursuing a relationship with him and yet it seems that by the end of the story she never actually has that important conversation with him. There were also other discussions they had about freedom and taking the time to decide what they both wanted to do in their lives and yet by the end they seem to have fallen into something and it's not discussed again. But while I would have loved more of an ending, the book did conclude with a sweet simplicity that attests to the enduring nature of Amy and Gabe's relationship.

The charm of Amy and Gabe's romance rests in their history. A childhood connection, a first kiss, and a friendship rooted in pain and the solace found in each other's company. It was enjoyable to see their friendship rekindled, and it was lovely to return to Misty Willow and reconnect with Brett, Dani, AJ, and Shelby.

Summer picnics, childhood memories, sweet romance, fears faced, heartbreak, horses, family, and even a good dose of suspense combine in this contemporary novel.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

A well written romance all about second chances. I loved it and must read the previous books in this series.

Emotional story of forgiveness, acceptance and moving forward. Gabe is fresh from prison looking to start anew. and Amy fighting a ruthless reputation all come home to Willow Creek. Greed of a one leads to a series of events that cast doubt on Gabe. All the while Amy and Gabe are drawn to one another and a long kiss and summer they shared.

Love can conquer all-

A beautiful tale of broken people who find restoration in Jesus Christ and second chances. The characters of the previous books were interwoven into this story but not enough to detract from Amy's story. Highly recommended to all, especially hose who loved the first two installments of the Misty Willow series.