Wow! I literally could not put this book down! I read it in 3 days. It's a great book! ( )

When Beth Thatcher returns to Coal Valley, she has much to be excited about. She anticipates Jarrick's proposal of marriage and perhaps a spring wedding. The mine is expanding, and there are more schoolchildren than ever.

I have greatly enjoyed this series and was excited to see another sequel! After a long visit with her wealthy family Beth Thatcher excitedly returns to rural Coal Valley, the place that has stolen her heart and to her beloved teaching job with the miner’s children. She loves the simplicity, never missing the prosperous life she grew up with. She is in for a surprise! Nothing looks the same! Not only has the small town grown, but the beautiful trees have all been cut down to make way for more homes. She feels sick and hates the hideous stumps that dot the land.
If that isn’t bad enough, she has found they have hired another teacher to help with the increased number of children. Being accustomed to being in control and having the school to herself, Becky is upset to say the least. But that isn’t the worst of it. She also learns she will not be able to stay at her beloved Molly’s boarding house, the woman that is like a mother to her. There isn’t room plus somehow there is the assumption that she and her Mountie boyfriend, Jarrick, are going to be married! She must stay in the upstairs apartment the Grant’s used to inhabit. The family brings back so many bad memories. Their abusive attitudes, the husbands arrest and the wife’s attempted suicide there. The quarters are cramped, dingy, and cold! She has no idea how to cook or care for a household, plus she has never stayed alone! Poor Becky
Some sequels begin to fizzle out as they are added but this one did not. The plot is full of surprises and wonderful characters. Becky has always been one to jump to conclusions and think the worst of people and situations. God works on her in a big way to wait on Him and learn to trust His choices for her. She grows in leaps and bounds in her spiritual maturity and abilities. I hope there is another sequel after this one!
I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. ( )

I have really enjoyed this series and as a teacher enjoy seeing how teaching was in the past. I cannot imagine teaching that many different levels. I would not know how to respond also to having to do a type of team teaching, especially if it were such a different philosophy than mine.
I too would not know how to respond to her situation with Jarrick and if I could allow him to do what he felt was right even if I did not feel that it would really work in the long run.
I received a copy of this book to read and review from the publisher. ( )

Where Hope Prevails by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan is the final book in the Return to the Canadian West series. Elizabeth “Beth” Thatcher is returning to Coal Valley after being away for the summer. Beth is expecting everything and everyone to be the same, but she is in for a shock. There have been many changes to the town. Trees have been cut down to make way for new buildings. Abigail has taken over the bar for a tea house and the school will now have its own building. There are two big changes that Beth was not prepared for at all. Beth will now be staying in her own apartment over Abigail’s Tea House. Beth loved her room at Molly’s and is very sad to move. But with all the new miners and the construction boom, Molly needs Beth’s room. Plus, there is going to be a second teacher. The school board came through and so how many children were going to be attending school (several new families in town). They have hired Mr. Robert Harris Hughes, and he will be taking over Beth’s room at Molly’s boarding house. Beth has a hard time adjusting to all the changes. But there is one more change for Beth. Jack Thornton proposes to Beth (finally). They have decisions to make regarding their future. Join Beth, Molly, Marnie, Abigail, Frank, Jack and the others for another year in Coal Valley in Where Hope Prevails.

Where Hope Prevails is a lovely nice and a good conclusion to the series. Beth got on my nerves a little in this book with her doubts, skittishness, afraid to speak up, and her dislike of change. It did not seem to go with her character. Where Hope Prevails is well-written (as are all of Janette Oke’s books) and enjoyable to read. I do suggest that you read the previous books in the series (or at least have watched the show on Hallmark) prior to reading Where Hope Prevails. Otherwise, you will not understand everything that is happening. I give Where Hope Prevails 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The ending is sweet and will make you give a little sigh (of pleasure) when you close the book (or e-reader). The book has a good moral message. It emphasizes the importance of prayer, relying on God, how we are all flawed, and how God has a plan for us and he will nudge us in the right direction if we listen.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review of the book. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own. ( )