Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich

Cassandra Higgins has decided to go to the Collectors’ Convention on her own this year since her best friend Margaret can't make. There she finds a snowglobe containing the figures of three dogs and a little girl. Although it is a bit on the expensive side, she decides that she must have it since it reminds her of when she was a young girl and one of the dogs resembles her own pet when she was young. She can’t resist purchasing this unique globe - even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

But after a strange– “flurrious” as Cassie deems it– moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, through flashbacks Cassie is reminded of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski.

This was a unique and very enjoyable story. Ms. Baumbich definitely has a talent for bringing small town and its inhabits to life. This is a story about relationships, about coming to terms with the past and making the best of the present, but mostly it's about healing. All the characters were well-written and even the more unsympathetic ones were likeable in the end. It did take me a while to get into it, but once I was in, I didn't put it down until I finished it. It was a bit on the predictable side but that still did not take away from the charm of it. This was a very light and quick read and although this is categorized as Christian Fiction, it was not preachy and can definitely be enjoyed by everyone.

GIVEAWAY: I have 2 copies of Stray Affections to giveaway.

As allways, leave a comment for one entry. If you'd like extra entries just say so in your comment (extra entries for follwers, Twitter, sidebars, facebook, etc.).

Rules: This contest is open internationally. Winners will be drawn Friday, September 18.