Mornings on Main was an absolute treat and a lovely read! Like many of Jodi Thomas' novels, the novel is set in a small Texas town with wonderful characters and a lot of heart.

Jillian James was a drifter who grew up moving from place to place. She and her father never stayed any place for long nor did he carry much with him, but he always kept a record of the places he stayed.



Papa's rule: Never stay in town any longer than you need to.

She was never able to put down roots; if she had any other family, she wasn't aware and her father disappeared when she went to college. For all the wandering, Jillian might have seen herself a free spirit, but instead, I saw her as haunted and abandoned, unable to trust anyone but herself. (Thanks, dad.)

She wasn't the only character who was a bit untethered in the story, and I liked the parallels between them. Eugenia Larady owns the quilt shop Jillian comes to work in, and it's soon obvious that Eugenia's Alzheimers is progressing. She is losing her connection to the present, and at times finds herself in the past.

Eugenia's teenage granddaughter Sunnie is the third character who is at loose ends. She is rebellious and the front she shows people is in direct contrast to her name - she dresses in black, eyes heavily lined, hair bleached pale, and is as sullen as she is not "sunny". Three years prior she lost her mother, and while she is close to her grandmother, she's close to losing her (at least as she knows her) too.

Lastly, there is Connor, who gave up his dreams of exploring the world and is the person that everyone in town counts on. He feels the weight of the legacy he's been left in the form of derelict buildings that kill him in taxes; he writes books that no one sees, and a weekly paper that he's not sure if anyone reads. He feels his mother and his daughter slipping away.

Eugenia is lost to the past, Jillian searches for her past, and Sunnie is acting out against her losses, while Connor is overwhelmed trying to hold everything together (and not think about all he is losing and has lost).

With that, I will say that this is not a sad novel, although Jodi Thomas WILL wrap her words around your heart and tug at it, in not so much an emotional roller-coaster, but more a trip down a river that ebbs and flows. Her character development is simply lovely, and I fell in love with the town and its inhabitants. Like Jillian, and Eugenia's son Connor, even the town is a little lost and tired. And through the course of the novel, everyone (and everything) comes a bit back to life.

Woven throughout the novel were the stories behind the quilts that Jillian was photographing and cataloging for Eugenia, and the quilts themselves became characters of sorts, telling their own stories and sharing memories and secrets.

What I loved about this story is despite the secrets and the hopes and dreams that Connor and Jillian keep from each other, they are drawn to each other. You will root for Jillian to finally make a home and lay down roots - but will she? It's the opposite of everything she has ever known, and her boundaries keep her safe.

This is a story about finding yourself, and finding home - in a person and a place. I think it's about self-acceptance, too. Give Jodi Thomas' Mornings on Main a read and escape for a bit to Laurel Springs, Texas. You'll be glad you did.

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Mornings on Main by Jodi Thomas is a heartwarming homespun romance that will delight readers of small town contemporary love stories.

Jillian James is trying to reconnect with her nomadic father who abandoned her years earlier. Going off a decades old notation in his travels, her search takes her to the close-knit community of Laurel Springs, TX. Hoping someone in town will have information about her dad, she begins working at local the quilt shop, A Stitch in Time. Hired by local businessman, mayor and deeply rooted Connor Laraday, Jillian surprised by how much she enjoys spending time with Connor, his unhappy sixteen year old daughter Sunnie and his delightful grandmother Eugenia aka Gram. As she becomes more enmeshed in the lives of the Laraday's and the rest of the townspeople, will Jillian leave in a few months as planned? Or, for the first time in her life, will she finally take a chance on love and set down roots?

Despite his abandonment, Jillian has spent the last several years retracing her father's steps in an effort to find out more information on him and the mother she never met. Although she has not seen him since he unexpectedly vanished several years earlier, she takes her father's advice to heart as she settle into her new job at the quilt shop. While Jillian is charmed by Gram, Connor, Sunnie and the rest of people she meets, she does not deviate from her plan to leave in just a few months. Will her budding romance with Connor convince her to change her mind?

Connor is steadfast, dependable and always does what is expected of him. He gladly returned home to take up the reins of his family's newspaper business after his parents' deaths. A widower, he is a devoted father who has no intention of become involved in a serious relationship. So, needless to say, Connor is quite surprised when he discovers how much he enjoys spending time with Jillian. Will he ignore his unexpected feelings for her? Or will Connor decide that to risk his heart and ask Jillian to stay?

With a cast of incredibly delightful characters, a picturesque setting and a slow burning yet heartfelt romance, Mornings on Main is a captivating love story. Jillian's character undergoes the biggest transformation as she tries to decide whether or not to give up her rootless existence. Connor makes a few discoveries about himself as he grows closer to Jillian but will he act on this newfound knowledge? Gram's story arc is very poignant and Jodi Thomas deftly and accurately portrays the heartrending impact of Alzheimer's on the person affected and their loved ones. I highly recommend this touching novel of love and friendship to readers of small town contemporary romances. ( )

One of my favorite authors, Jodi Thomas, has a special way of telling a story: She layers characterizations, builds her settings and story lines, and then adds moments that you don't see coming. With "Mornings on Main", she has written a sweetly poignant contemporary romance that once again reminds us to expect that life will never be exactly what is expected. It's either less than we hoped, or more than we imagined. Jillian James finds herself in small town Laurel Springs, Texas with little more than a whisper of hope to discover information about her complicated family history. Helping single dad Connor Larady close out his grandmother Eugenia's quilt shop in a proper manner becomes more complex with each passing day. Connor is dealing with the onset of Eugenia's Alzheimer's Disease and the troubles of his teen-aged daughter, Sunnie. He is also the mayor and runs the local newspaper. He takes care of others more than he takes care of himself, but something about Jillian makes him want more of everything for himself. Jillian hadn't planned on staying, but day-by-day, she is becoming more a part of three generations of the Larady family. Family is what she has always wanted, but is this a dream she can grasp--or will it stay just out of her reach? "Mornings on Main" is a lovely, touching romantic tale from wonderful writer Jodi Thomas.

Book Copy Gratis HQN ( )

Mornings on Main by Jodi Thomas
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Jillian James has always lived by her father’s rules: don’t stay too long in one place, don’t get involved, never draw attention to yourself, and pack only the essentials when you leave. Jillian has never known another type of life, never wanted another type of life, until recently.

For the last ten years, since her father abandoned her, Jillian has been completely alone. In the first few years, Jillian relished the freedom, the ability to pack up and move on a whim, to go where the winds would take her, to enjoy her brief stay in each new location. In recent years, however, Jillian has felt more alone than ever before and has begun to retrace her father’s steps in an effort to learn more about the man who raised her only to callously abandon her.

As with every other town, the moment Jillian arrives in Laurel Springs, Texas, she checks into inexpensive accommodations and begins her search for temporary employment. Wandering along Main street seems to be her best bet for employment and isn’t long before Jillian finds what she’s been looking for, a help wanted sign. Within minutes, Jillian has negotiated a solid salary for the completion of a project in the local quilting shop. During her tenure, Jillian is to help Eugenia Larady, proprietress of the local quilt shop, catalogue and photograph all her quilts so they may be transferred to the county museum as a part of a permanent installation.

Little does Jillian know, her time with Eugenia will change her life in the most profound ways . . . .

Connor Larady has spent his life in the service of others. As a member of one of Laurel Springs’ oldest families, Connor’s roots run deep. He and his family own most of the land in the area, they own several businesses, and Connor serves as mayor. When he isn’t working, Connor cares for his teenage daughter, Sunnie, and his beloved grandmother, Eugenia. Of late, Eugenia has needed more looking after than in previous years as her memory isn’t what it used to be. It is for precisely this reason Connor intends to see the cataloging of the quilts completed. With Jillian on board, he’s confident the completion of the project will happen in short order.

Little does Connor know, his time with Jillian will change his life in the most profound ways . . . .

Though neither can explain the attraction, Jillian and Connor are drawn to one another. Though their time together each day is brief, that time is the most cherished of each’s respective day. Through Eugenia and Connor, Jillian learns about the history of Laurel Springs, her people, their lives, and the stories the small town has been built upon. For the first time in her life, Jillian begins to understand what it is to belong somewhere, to be important to the people around her, and to want to stay put, establish roots. Unfortunately, the idea of staying is completely foreign to Jillian and she insists, from the very beginning she will be leaving town.

The Bottom Line: Mornings on Main quite took me surprise and once I got involved, I simply couldn’t put this book down. This isn’t just a book about a small town, a community of friends and family, but a narrative about love, friendship, the spirit of community, of history. Jillian is such a lost soul and though she doesn’t immediately recognize it, Laurel Springs is exactly what she’s been missing for the entirety of her life. In Laurel Springs, Jillian finds answers about her past, a family who willingly and lovingly welcomes her into their fold, and a place where she can finally settle, stop wandering. Though Connor plays a huge part in Jillian’s life, Eugenia is really the focal point of the story. It is through Eugenia that several characters, including Jillian and Connor find closure, recall some of their most important life moments, both happy and sad, and understand the importance of their role in both the history and future of Laurel Springs. There isn’t any great threat or big bad in this read, no hugely climactic moment. What Mornings on Main is, is a wonderfully written tale of a family, a small town, and the past crashing into the present in the most wonderful of ways. ( )

Title: Mornings on Main
Author: Jodi Thomas
Publisher: J. T.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Mornings on Main" by Jodi Thomas

My Thoughts....

This was a rather interesting read that I found rather sad in some ways. I felt rather sorry for the heroine Jillian James who had lost faith in family due to what had happened to her. I was so glad when she was able to finally meets someone that seemed to care for her. As Jillian slowly comes into this town where she was looking her father and lucked upon a meeting with Connor Larady, his daughter, grandmother, a few interesting town people and getting a job [working for A Stitch In Time] will give the read some attention. Even though Jillian gave out 'no strings' attachment because I will be leaving in a few months I did feel that she really did start to like these town people and seemed to be a interest in Connor. But it seemed she kept in her mine that her primary goal was to be looking for her father who had dropped her off at college ten years ago and simply had disappeared completely out of her life. So, will Jillian be able to find any of her family history here in [sleepy] Laurel Springs, Texas? Will Jillian and Connor become a item? With Connor grandmother who was dealing with her failing memory loss [Alzheimer] what will she say to Jillian during one of her episode that will give light to Jillian situation about her parents? Will Jillian's search for her pass finally come to a end and not keep following in her fathers footsteps but maybe putting down some roots and able all be willing to take a chance at love with Connor? To get all of these questions answered you will just have to pick up "Morning on Main" to see how this story will all come out. ( )