Customer Reviews

Ready-Made Family (Wings of Refuge, Book 3) (Love Inspired #490)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading the first two books in this Wings of Refuge series I couldn't wait to delve into Ready-Made Family. I read it the same evening I got it in the mail.
Ben-li Dillinger is loading his purchases when he hears a young girl shouting for help for her mother. Spotting the car smashed into a light pole Ben rushes to help. This story deals with a lot of emotional issues. Ben's brother has Downs Syndrome and while Ben is a Christian he is not perfect. Amelia is trying to get to a new job to get away from an abusive past, prejudiced parents,and a town that has mainly ostracised her. There's even more things that Ben and Amelia have to deal with along their road to finding each other and Amelia's path to faith. Loved this book and can't wait to read the next one in this series coming out in June. Highly Recommended!!

Book Three in Cheryl Wyatt's Wings of Refuge series continues to carry out her winning ways. While all of her books are very family oriented, this one has all kinds of family situations that need resolution.

Amelia North is a proud young woman whose life was changed forever by one slip-up in high school, a slip-up that meant pregnancy and estrangement from her father. Her "mistake" brought about a precious little girl, though, who became the most important thing in her life. Amelia finds herself down and out with no money, poor health, and now her car is totaled. She's stuck in the little town of Refuge, on her way to St. Louis for a job she desperately needs.

Enter pararescue jumper Ben Dillinger to the rescue. His heart breaks over the sad state of Amelia and her little girl Reece, and he knows he needs to help them. He feels God nudging him. But Amelia has been let down and shunned so much, even by her own parents, that she is determined that she has to refuse any offers of help from anyone, including God. Besides, she doesn't believe that anyone could really be as nice as Ben or the other people she meets in Refuge. There must be a catch, right?

Cheryl Wyatt has created a novel that will bring tears to your eyes at times, but in the end it will leave you feeling good and praising God for His provisions. She says that her characters are based on people in her own church and on her own life, having been far from God herself until she was an adult. She credits the church she belongs to with being God's instrument to change her. There is a lot in the novel to make us realize how important it is for us to let Jesus and His love shine through us, how living out our salvation and showing real love to others can change lives.

The author has done a lot of research to learn about the pararescue jumpers, research which makes a difference in the authenticity of this tale. This is a special group of people who deserve our respect and admiration, in my opinion, and I'm glad that this series has shone a spotlight on them. I didn't think much about these heroes before, but I certainly do now.

I heartily recommend Ready-Made Family to readers in general, as well as the other books in the series. It is a romance but much more than that. A fairly easy and quick read, it's hard to put down until you're finished.

I loved this book! Cheryl Wyatt drew me in from the moment our hero, Ben, encountered a lost little girl (Reece) whose spirit-wounded mother desperately needs not only the hand of friendship, but God's love. So much of "romance" today delves into areas that I personally don't want to go. But Cheryl Wyatt's "Ready-Made Family" draws the reader into a small town, much like the town I live in, and into the hearts of her characters in a fast-paced, word-perfect way. A beautiful story of redemption and love, you will enjoy this wonderful read!

The thing I love about this book and all of Cheryl Wyatt's books is the story she tells. That may not make sense because aren't all fiction books about story?
Well, they are, but sometimes an author comes along with a very special gift. Wyatt draws me in hard, and holds me right to the end, with her fast paced writing and wonderful love story.
I'd looking forward to more Wings of Refuge...or whatever else Cheryl Wyatt wants to write.

Wow,if only guys considering marrying single moms would read this series first! These guys are amazing potential stepfathers.

Ready-Made Family was book #3 and as wonderful as the first 2 books in the 'Wings Of Refuge' series. I just discovered that there are 4 later books with most of these characters~
Jun 09 - A Soldier's
Oct 09 - Soldier Daddy
Jan 10 - A Soldier's Devotion
Jun 10 -Steadfast Soldier.

You can bet that I don't plan to miss reading about 4 more of these great guys!

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

When life is at its worst, God is always at His best.

Amelia North was at the end of her rope. She is on her way to a new city for a new job she desperately needs when she is stricken with the flu and wrecks her car in the small town of Refuge. Her young daughter, Reece, finds a man in the parking lot and asks him to come help her mommy. Fortunately for her, she picked the right man.

Pararescue jumper Ben Dillinger is surprised when the little girl comes to him asking for help but comes to their rescue none the less. Something about Amelia calls to the heart of him and he longs to show her God will always help, if only she will ask. As he spends more time with Amelia and Reece, Ben begins to realize his heart is on the line. However, he has his own struggles to deal with. He too needs to remember God will be his guide.

Amelia and Ben each have their own fears to conquer. Amelia has turned her back on God after the way those supposed Christians treated her when she most needed their help. Now she believes the worst of God and spirituality and is not quite sure what to make of Ben and the other townspeople of Refuge. Ben struggles in his relationship with his brother, Hutton, a handicapped young man. He tries so hard to be what Hutton needs so as to give their parents a chance for a break. Yet everything he tries backfires and he doesn't know how to reach Hutton.

Reece is a highlight of the story. Such a darling little princess who brings the simple gift of joy to everything she experiences. The relationship between Amelia and Reece is beautiful and they both have so much love to share in their lives. It is no wonder Ben finds himself falling in love with this Ready-Made Family. Family is an important theme here, be it a traditional family, the Christian family, or the created family. We are taken through an emotionally charged experience.

I love Ready-Made Family! Cheryl Wyatt is a master at really pulling your heartstrings and getting your emotions involved. She gives us just the right blend of faith, hope, and love to provide a beautiful story. Refuge is a wonderful town and I only wish it were a real place so I could go visit. The people there are so kind and generous, always willing to lend a hand, and provide spiritual guidance as needed. I look forward to my next trip to Refuge.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2009. All rights reserved.

This was another great book about the pararescue jumpers of Refuge, Illinois. I'm enjoying the series by Cheryl Wyatt who integrates racial differences in her stories as easily as personalities and careers. In this book, she not only introduced the bigotry that can occur between whites and Asians due to the Vietnam war, but also racism between so-called average and handicapped people, in this case, Mosaic Down's Syndrome.

Pararescue jumper Ben Dillinger is in a parking lot minding his own business when a little girl begs him to help rescue her mother from their crashed vehicle. As the mother recuperates in the hospital, Ben learns she is `between jobs and homes' and finds himself falling for her. He wants to help her get a job so she and her daughter will stay in Refuge and he can get to know them better. As he sees it, his biggest problem is his inability to admit he has a brother with special needs who will soon move in with him. He loves his brother and has grown out of his childhood embarrassment about his brother's special needs - at least he's sure has - it's just that he wants a bit more time before springing the news.

Amelia North is enroute a new job when she faints while driving and crashes. In the hospital, she's amazed when her normally introvert daughter acts like she's known Ben Dillinger forever. Although drawn to the tall Asian, he's too bossy for Amelia's liking. But as Ben shows himself to be a friend she can depend on and hints at becoming more, a heavy foreboding comes over her. She's trying to make peace with her estranged parents but if there's one thing her dad always said, it was not to hook up with an Asian or don't bother going back home.

Prejudice is an ugly thing and cannot be tolerated but if it came to choosing between Ben and her father, whom would she pick?

Heat Level: Affectionate

My Rating: Great (A Keeper)

The Wings of Refuge Series:
Book 1 - Jan 08 - A Soldier's Promise Love Inspired #430
Book 2 - Mar 08 - A Soldier's Family Love Inspired #438
Book 3 - Apr 09 - Ready-Made Family Love Inspired #490
Book 4 - Jun 09 - A Soldier's Reunion Love Inspired #496
Book 5 - Oct 09 - Soldier Daddy Love Inspired #520
Book 6 - Jan 10 - A Soldier's Devotion
Book 7 - Spring 2010 - Home Sweet Hero (tentative title)

What an enjoyable paperback!! From page 1 you enter the lives of the hero and heroine, each with their own personal struggles in life that affects their budding romance. With added color such as a special needs character, a young girl and her teddy, and some Interracial tension, you'll enjoy this book from cover to cover!

Amelia North is a woman in need of a fresh start. As a single mother, she has been rejected by her parents and her church. While on her way to start a new life and a new job, she is stranded in the small town of Refuge, Illinois after being in a car accident. Amelia is broke, alone and has a sweet little daughter, Reece to care for. From the moment Amelia arrives in Refuge, she is amazed at acceptance and help she receives from the people of this town, especially from Ben Dillinger.
Ben is a pararescue jumper who is immediately drawn to Amelia and Reece. Amelia is touched by the generosity and acceptance she receives from the people of Refuge and she finds herself finding a new love in Ben.

This book has a lot of elements that I like in a good story. I love the small town setting. A lot of the story takes place in a charming bed and breakfast, which makes for a relaxing and cozy setting. This book also has charming characters who will win your heart. I am not much of a "kid person", but I am finding that I really enjoy books that have children in them. I found Reece to be an adorable little girl. Another aspect of this book that I found appealing was that there was not a lot of tension. That was a refreshing change as too much tension makes for a stressful read. This book is fresh and sweet and charming. Overall, this is a very nice story with a happy ending.

Cheryl Wyatt's third effort in her encouraging and inspiring Wings of Refuge Series is a wonderful romance that deals with perseverance, faith, trust, and restoration of relationship. "Ready-Made Family" follows the relationship between Ben Dillinger, another Air Force pararescue jumper on Joel Montgomery's elite rescue team stationed in Refuge, Illinois, and Amelia North, a wounded woman with no place to go and a young daughter to care for.

It is absolutely beautiful to watch Amelia's character blossom and bloom through this story. Her daughter, Reece, is a breath of fresh air that will make every reader grin and laugh out loud at times. Ben is a man's man, a lauded military hero with his own issues that remind us of the character's humanity. This story addresses family issues and interracial relationship issues and God relationship issues with heartwarming grace. It is wonderful to revisit the quaint little town of Refuge and re-engage the men and women from Cheryl's two previous novels in this series ("A Soldier's Promise" and "A Soldier's Family"). And, although part of a series, this book reads easily on its own.