Agg, I forgot how much I loved this book!!!!! ( )

Book 1 of 2

5 main characters. All dealing with childhood trauma. Now hurting adults. And someone it out for revenge. Some is try to kill one of the main characters. ( )

I admit I read The Patchwork Family series out of order. I learned about the Hamilton family in More Than Words Can Say which features oldest brother Zach. I found the book charming, so I was eager to learn more about this patched together family. More Than Meets The Eye, book 1 in the series, starts with the main characters as children riding an orphan train to find new families. They are not successful for a number of reasons, and tragedy and a promise cause them to form a family of their own. The book follows Zach, Seth, and Evangeline in their early adulthood. Although they are prospering, they still haven’t found a place in the surrounding community. Differences seen and unseen from the townspeople of Pecan Gap keep the siblings aloof. Two strangers enter their circle, and the dynamics change quickly. I really liked all of the characters in the book. Each has a unique story that many can identify with. The plot moves at a brisk pace, and besides romance, there is mystery and suspense. I loved how God changed hearts and minds as well.

If you are a fan of historical romance set in the western America, I think you will really enjoy More Than Meets The Eye. I found it to be a great way to keep on track with my morning walks.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Logan Fowler has returned to Pecan Gap, Texas with one goal mind: to regain his family farm from the cardsharp who won it from Logan's father several years ago. What Logan doesn't expect to encounter is the trio of adopted siblings he finds living in his home. Particularly the lovely Evangeline Hamilton whose mismatched eyes are only a small sign of the unique personality within. As he gets closer to Evangeline, Logan must face whether the plan he's crafted for so long is worth following.

A perfectly charming historical inspirational romance. Witemeyer is one of my go to authors in this genre and this one did not disappoint. ( )

This fantastic Christian historical fiction story by Karen Witemeyer is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. More Than Meets the Eye will pull on your heartstrings as you realize the pain Evie goes through all her life because of her miss-matched eyes. People can be so cruel, not just back then, but even now, when others are different from themselves, in a way they don’t understand.

I loved the way the orphans joined together to form a formidable, unshakable bond they considered family. They learned how to deal with each others’ needs in order to create the strongest possibility for each to survive.

Both Logan and Zach need to learn that the future is not theirs to shape, no matter how desperate they are they retain their tenuous hold on the future. “...control was an illusion. No man controlled fate. God alone claimed that honor.”

Healing from brokenness is a big theme in the book. At first reading, it seems obvious who has the biggest holes in their hearts and who may have transgressed the most. However, broken people heal best when they and those who may stand in judgment all realize that we are all broken somewhere. “People might try to hide their broken places and pretend to be whole, but the truth is that we all have failings. That is why we need each other.” We all need to work together to forgive and forge a new path.

I highly recommend this book. I both bought a copy and received a complimentary copy from Bethany House. This in no way affected my opinions, which are freely given and for which I am solely responsible. ( )