“He is in the hallways of your life”

I can proudly say that I have read every single one of Melissa Tagg’s books and not once have I been disappointed. She draws you into each character’s life to a point that hone they hurt, you hurt just a bit. I guess you can say she reels in your emotions and then twists the hook. I love it. (Can you tell I have been doing some fishing lately?)

Now and Then and Always takes you on a fascinating and touching journey of the heart. A broken heart that feels betrayed and left lonely all who promised to love her. Her only respite is found in a run down bed and breakfast in Maple Valley. The love and care she finds there is a healing balm on her broken heart.

Mara’s journey to healing and God is both touching and thought provoking. “He is in the hallways of life” is a phrase that plays in her mind throughout the story. It is a gentle reminder that God is always with us, even in the ugly times. Even when we can’t see or feel Him.

In walks Marshall, well, more like blows in. His eagerness to chase away his own hurts only makes him more likable to Mara, and the reader. His pain is one that no one ever wants to feel and you can’t help but want to hold the man. As he begins to see a light at the end of the dark hole he is in, you begin to find yourself cheering him on. “You can do it, Marshall!”

Now and Then and Always is a great read to curl up in your air conditioned home with (Like I did becasue it is so hot out) as well as stretch out on the Back Porch or on the beach. Which ever is your favoirte place to read, you will not be sorry that you added this book to your collection.

***I was given this book by the author. These thoughts are entirely my own. The buy link is an affiliate link as well.

About the book

“It was just a house. Just a weathered old house in a hidden grove, shuttered and still . . . ”

Last year, after traumatic circumstances forced her from her job as a nanny, Mara Bristol finally found a place to belong—the winsome Everwood Bed & Breakfast at the edge of Maple Valley, Iowa. For months, she’s helped its owner, Lenora, maintain the ramshackle property despite their shortage of guests. But when Lenora fails to return from a month-long trip and the bank threatens foreclosure, Mara worries she’s once again alone . . . abandoned . . . about to lose the only true home she’s ever known.

Detective Marshall Hawkins is no closer to whole today than he was two years ago . . . the day his daughter died. Between his divorce, debilitating migraines, and a dependence on medication, his life is falling apart. And when a reckless decision on the job propels him into administrative leave, he has no other plan but to get in his truck and drive. A one-night stay at the Everwood was supposed to be just that. But there’s something about the old house—or maybe its intriguing caretaker—that pulls him in.

Together, Mara and Marshall set out to save the Everwood. But its secrets run deeper than they could’ve imagined. As they renovate the house and search for its missing owner, they’ll each confront the pain that brought them to the Everwood in the first place . . . and just maybe discover a faith and love to help them carry on.

About Melissa Tagg