Ties That Bind by Marie Bostwick~ review

Publication Date: April 24, 2012 | Series: Cobbled Court Quilts

Margot Matthews loves her job at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and the life and friendships she's made in New Bern, Connecticut; she just never thought she'd still be single on her fortieth birthday. And Margot's friend, Abigail, is trying to match-make even though Margot has all but given up on romance. When Philippa, a new female pastor arrives in town, truth be told not everyone is happy about it. Yet despite a rocky start, Philippa begins to settle in - finding ways to ease the townspeople's burdens, joining the quilting circle, and forging a fast friendship with Margot. When tragedy threatens to tear Margot's family apart, Philippa's friendship - and the help of the quilting sisterhood - will prove a saving grace. And while she untangles her feelings for another new arrival in town, Margot realizes that it is the surprising detours woven into life's fabric that provide its richest hues...

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (April 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758269285
• ISBN-13: 978-0758269287
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My take on this book:
Margot Matthews thought she would be married and have children by the time  she turned forty,but now that the birthday has come she realizes that she may always be single, Overall her life is actually pretty good, she has  a job at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop in the tiny town of New Bern,does plenty of volunteer  work at church and  has plenty of friends that she can count on, but figures that she might never meet Mr. Right, and wonders if she should settle for Mr.So So.When the church needs to hire a temporary pastor they think they have hired a man, but instead get Phillippa, who is fresh out of seminary school. While some of the church members aren't happy, Phillippa hopes to win them over with hard work. When Phillippa needs some help with the teen group she decides to do a bit of matchmaking and pairs Margot together with the Paul, who recently moved to town with his son James. Meanwhile tragedy strikes Margot's family threatening to tear them apart at the seams. 

"Ties That Bind" is actually the fifth book in the Cobbled Court Quilts series,which initially had me wondering if I would feel lost because I hadn't read any of the other books in the series,but I had no problems jumping right into the story. By the time I finished the book I felt like the characters had become friends. As the story unfolds the author writes the complications of life very realistically. From Margot dealing with a family tragedy,one that should pull her and her parents together,but does the opposite, to Phillippa who  questions her abilities, but ultimately finds that God has a plan in store for her. As the story unfolded I couldn't help but wonder about Margot's sister Mare, but by the end  of the story learned how her life had changed. A story about life, love,friends, relationships with a small town setting. The inspirational messages woven into  the story are well done and certainly remind  us of "The Ties That Bind." Overall while this is my first foray into The Cobbled Court Quilt series it certainly won't be my last, I plan on going back and reading the first four books in the series. Highly recommended!


A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:
I was born and raised in the Northwest. However, as an adult, I've had eighteen addresses in eight US states and two cities in Mexico. Now I live in rural Connecticut, in a town very similar to the fictional village of New Bern, the setting of the popular Cobbled Court Quilt novels. So far, I've written ten books, five in the Cobbled Court Quilt series. A quilter myself for twenty-five years, I enjoy dabbling in all quilting styles but work mostly in traditional and foundation piecing. When not home writing, I can often be found speaking at national quilt shows and quilt guilds around the country.