Stray Affections Review and Giveaway

Welcome to the blog tour for Stray Affections!

September 20-26 is National Dog Week, so this book is a perfect way to celebrate our furry friends. Charlene is a dog-lover herself; in fact, her dog, Kornflake, sits at her feet as she writes, and he even makes an appearance in her “Dearest Dorothy” series. So celebrate man’s best friend by reading this book.

Publisher's Summary:

In Stray Affections, the last thing that Cassandra expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home—even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange—flurrious, as Cassie deems it—moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

“As a believer, I know the power of forgiveness and new beginnings, and of a God, and family and friends, who love me the way I am,” Charlene Ann Baumbich says. “The heartbeat of change flows through those wonderful gifts.”

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites readers to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

About the Author:

Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

Video Intro by the Author:

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On YouTube

Review:

This book is not what I really expected it to be. I suppose I thought it was about a woman who rescued dogs, since the tour is just before dog week; however, this is a much different story than I originally thought.

Cassie's journey of healing is long and roundabout, full of interesting encounters, twists and turns, and redemption coming from prayer, forgiveness long withheld, and yes, dogs.

Sometimes the passage of time, especially in the latter third of the novel, seems rushed. And while I understand the need for it, it's a little bit awkward as the book races on toward its conclusion.

I liked Cassandra. Cassie is a woman who would make a really good friend.

The town boasts a few quirky yet loveable characters as well. Burt and his Durves especially.

All in all, Stray Affections is a good book with a strong message of grace and a healthy sprinkling of dog adoption.

Giveaway:

I am a dog person; always have been. What about you? Are you a dog or a cat person? Bird or fish? Tell me in the comments and be registered to win a copy of this novel. Deadline is next Wednesday by 3 pm Central time.

Many thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for both review and giveaway copies of this novel!