Softly and Tenderly (A Songbird Novel) [Hardcover]

Sara Evans (Author), Rachel Hauck (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2011 | Series: A Songbird Novel

Maybe in the wide-open country she can learn to breathe again.

Happily married and owner of two successful boutiques, Jade longs to begin a family with her husband, Max. But when she discovers that Max has an illegitimate son-who he wants her to help raise-Jade's life is turned upside down.

She flees to her childhood home, a rambling Iowa farmhouse, with enough room to breathe. There- while her mother's health grows fragile, and the tug of her first love grows stronger-Jade begins to question everything she thought she knew about family, love, and motherhood. In the wide-open landscape, Jade begins to see a future that doesn't rest on the power of her past, but in the goodness of God's tender mercies.

"Exquisitely written, an achingly beautiful story about lost and found relationships that made me ponder my own. This story is not to be missed."

-Susan May Warren, RITA award-winning, best-selling author of Nightingale

"Hang on for an emotional ride as a woman who 'married into a Southern soap opera' learns to forgive and trust again."

-Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Everyone has a cross to bear, but Jade Benson’s is so heavy it seems to be made of solid lead. Her attorney husband, Max, is a recovering addict. Her sister faces danger on a daily basis in Guatemala. Her mother, a former hippie with terminal cancer, wants to leave Jade’s home in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, to go home to die. Jade and her mother-in-law walk in on her father-in-law and another woman. A freak car crash destroys the entire front of Jade’s store, and infertility is a dark cloud over her head. Then comes the final, crushing blow. Her friend Rice dies in a solo plane crash, leaving a little son behind, and the father is none other than Max, who wants Jade to raise the boy as their own. Popular country singer–writer Evans (A Little Bit Stronger) and talented Christian fiction author Hauck have teamed up to pen this second installment in Jade’s journey (The Sweet By and By, 2010). Hang on for an emotional ride as a woman who married into a Southern soap opera learns to forgive and trust again. --Shelley Mosley

Review

The second collaborative effort between Evans and Hauck is realistic and touching. The characters' motivations and reactions to situations will cause readers to think and examine their own hearts. --Romantic Times

This second collaboration (after The Sweet By and By) between country singer Evans and CF author Hauck (Dining with Joy) will appeal to the authors' fans. --Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544909
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544902
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Softly and Tenderly, January 5, 2011

By 

Courtney Matisko "Courtney M" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Softly and Tenderly (A Songbird Novel) (Hardcover)

Who knew that country singer Sara Evans was also a writer?! When I received this book, I knew that the name sounded familiar, but I didn't put two and two together until about halfway through! I have to say - she did a great job!

This story is about Jade, a woman whose marriage is thrown a curveball when her husband announces that he has a son and would like to raise him in their home. Confused - as anyone would be - by this big announcement and not sure where to go from here, Jade turns to the one place she can go to find solace: home. But there she struggles to take care of her sick mother, confront her fears about her marriage and deal with memories of her first love. Luckily, the best remedy for figuring things out is right in front of her: friends, family and God in all of his mercy and tenderness.

I read this novel without reading Sara's first book and still loved it. The language is very simple and easy to read and connect with. As most fiction stories are, some things are a little over-the-top, but it all connects well and leaves the reader feeling satisfied in the end. A good, easy read for anyone looking for a dramatic story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kritters Ramblings, November 6, 2011

By 

Kristin Durham "Kristin @ Kritters Ramblings" (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Softly and Tenderly (A Songbird Novel) (Hardcover)

A wonderful sequel that lives up to the first book and even more! After reading the first book, I was hestitant because I loved it in so many ways - can the second live up to how much I loved the first. It did and even more, it made me excited that there are rumored to be two more books in this series.

As the first book centers solely around Jade, the main character, I think the strong suit for this book was to share the central focus on Jade, her mother and her mother-in-law. Each of these three women had a journey in this book and there were similarities in each of their struggles. The reader was able to get to go both mother figures in a deeper way - some of the story was even told from their perspective.

A wonderfully heartfelt book that made me cry as I journeyed through the days with all three women. I am calling this the perfect series to curl up with this winter. The third book will be arriving early after the new year, I will definitely be looking for it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Softly and Tenderly, February 26, 2011

By 

Michelle C - See all my reviews

This review is from: Softly and Tenderly (A Songbird Novel) (Kindle Edition)

When I started reading this book, I didnt realize it was the second book in a series, so understand that I am writing this review from a "stand-alone" perspective.

The characters are all very interesting and completely realized. There is plenty of witty and clever dialog between these women in this story and I absolutely loved the way the heroine, Jade interacts with her mother.

Although Jade does indeed have alot on her plate to deal with emotionally, I was impressed with how well she held herself together.

While I'm normally not a fan of Christian literature, I liked this because it is a book about faith, without being "preachy". I will need to get the first book in this series to see what I missed out on.