Debbie Macomber's A Turn in the Road is the eighth book in her Blossom Street series, and, in my opinion, the best in the series since the first book. This time, she takes characters out of Blossom Street, injecting some new life into the series. Since Macomber and her husband drive from Washington to Florida every year, she took her characters on that same road trip.Bethanne Hamlin was introduced in A Good Yarn at the time her husband left her for a younger woman. Bethanne pulled her life back together, and built a successful party business, Parties, from scratch. She has five stores in the Seattle area, with possibilities for franchises in the future. She's quite content with her home, her business, and her friends in the community. She's helping her son plan his wedding, and her daughter, Annie, is one year away from her MBA. The only fly in the ointment is her ex-husband, Grant, who is now divorced from his second wife, and wants to get back together with Bethanne.
Bethanne still has a warm relationship with Ruth Hamlin, her ex-mother-in-law. When she sees her one day at a cafe, she stops to visit, only to learn Ruth has plans to drive across country to Florida for her 50th class reunion. Impulsively, Bethanne offers to drive with her, thinking she'll have time to ponder her relationship with Grant. When Annie's boyfriend unexpectedly leaves for Europe, she wants to escape, and offers to go too.
Each woman has a reason for going on this trip. Bethanne wants to think about Grant, and the possibility of a life with him again. Ruth hopes to meet up with a high school sweetheart, although, at the same time, she fears meeting him. And, Annie just hopes to leave thoughts of her old boyfriend behind, while encouraging her mother to reconsider life with Grant.
All plans are thrown out the window when Annie encourages them to visit Grant's hometown. It's there that Bethanne meets Max. He appears to be just another biker to Ruth and Annie, and they're terrified when he shows up later at a lake where they were stranded. But, there's more to Max than meets the eye, and Bethanne seems to understand that. So, how can she make a decision about Grant when she's enjoying her time with Max?
A Turn in the Road is a wonderful story of three women seeking answers. It contains all the humor and romance you'd expect from Macomber, along with the interesting road trip. Although I started out as a fan of Bethanne and Ruth, Bethanne thought, "Annie added spontaneity and adventure to the trip." She did, and, without Annie, this trip wouldn't have ended up the way it did. As I said before, this book is one of my favorite Macomber books. Bethanne Hamlin deserved happiness, and it was wonderful to see her happy ending.
Debbie Macomber's website is http://www.debbiemacomber.com/
A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber. MIRA. ©2011. ISBN 9780778329831 (hardcover), 336p.
*****
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