Stray Affections

"Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice," Charlene starts her book out quoting Psalm 51:6-8 and begins to bring some of that scripture to life inside the pages of this book. This story is nestled in the middle of a quaint town where you discover friends and their families you'll just adore. I loved how Carlene shows the funny, honest and serious side of family relationships and how they can work together. I believe it's only by the grace of God that we can bloom and grow where we are planted. It takes courage to face your fears and let God have his way in your life, and in the lives of the people you are in relationship with. The main character Cassandra heads out to a Collectors' Convention alone. Her best friend Margaret cancels at the last minute. Her husband Ken encourages her to go anyway. He's got the kids, she needs take a break from lifes routine; go out and have fun. Little did she know how that little trip would change her life? Are we ever ready for when God intercedes on our behalf to put us on the path He would have us be on? Letting go and letting God be in control is not something any of us feel comfortable doing. Cassandra soon learns this on her trip. Will Ken and Cassandra trust God to work all things out for His glory and their good? You'll want to read this story and join in the mystery and fun as the author weaves a tale of healing, unconditional love, and second chances. You'll want to read Charlene Ann Baumbich's Dearest Dorothy series, with quirky, close-knot Midwestern small-town feel characters you'll grow fond of just like the ones in this book. Thanks to publisher for a review copy of this book. Finding Hope Through Fiction

Cassandra Higgins needs some mental time away from her spouse and their four sons. She looks at a snow globe and muses about her childhood while staring at the three dogs and the little girl inside. Cassandra thinks back to beloved Grandpa Wonky and her dysfunctional relationship with her mother Bad Betty Kamrowski; she also recalls her love of helping injured animals that drove her closer to her Grandpa and away from her mom. Her husband assumes Cassandra is going through some sort of inexplicable female nonsense while her sons wonder what is going on with their mom; her best friends are worried that she is heading into a deep depression. However, none of those concerned about Cassandra's mental health understand the magic of this snow globe. Soon she and her loved ones will learn of dreams as they take a "flurrious" journey accompanied by a remarkable snow globe. This is an intriguing family drama with a strong cast including the snow globe in which the mom seems to be losing it starting with broiling cookies. As she regains her lost dreams and ergo her equilibrium, her husband, kids, and neighbors become concerned with her mental state; that is until the trek. Whimsical in a sort of Brigadoon way, STRAY AFFECTIONS makes a strong case that no matter how old you are follow your dreams instead of discarding them with regret. Harriet Klausner

I found "Stray Affections" by Charlene Ann Baumbich to be captivating, magical, tender and even healing. This is a story of love and loss, struggle and triumph, and releasing the old and embracing the new. The characters are memorable, the story is gripping, the pace is quick and the ending is very satisfying. The power of love and forgiveness are a threaded throughout, while hope and the excitement of new beginnings come together neatly in the end, like a lovely bow encircling a beautiful package. On a personal note, this story hit on all of my sore spots - rough childhood, estrangement from mother, no father, love of animals and infertility, but it was more like balm to a wound than salt, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Cassandra Higgins has decided to go to the Collectors' Convention on her own this year since her best friend Margaret can't make. There she finds a snowglobe containing the figures of three dogs and a little girl. Although it is a bit on the expensive side, she decides that she must have it since it reminds her of when she was a young girl and one of the dogs resembles her own pet when she was young. She can't resist purchasing this unique globe - even if means wrestling another shopper for it! But after a strange- "flurrious" as Cassie deems it- moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, through flashbacks Cassie is reminded of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her relationship with her mother, "Bad Betty" Kamrowski. This was a unique and very enjoyable story. Ms. Baumbich definitely has a talent for bringing small town and its inhabits to life. This is a story about relationships, about coming to terms with the past and making the best of the present, but mostly it's about healing. All the characters were well-written and even the more unsympathetic ones were likeable in the end. It did take me a while to get into it, but once I was in, I didn't put it down until I finished it. It was a bit on the predictable side but that still did not take away from the charm of it. This was a very light and quick read and although this is categorized as Christian Fiction, it was not preachy and can definitely be enjoyed by everyone.

This author writes with genuine affection for her characters, even for Bad Betty, the mom of main character Cassie, and takes readers on a journey as the main character and her mom grow and find second chances. A mysterious snowglobe and stray dogs needing homes play important roles in this touching and upbeat novel. I enjoy Charlene Ann Baumbich's Dearest Dorothy novels for their sense of humor since a giggle or a laugh is a great gift to provoke from a reader. Her new book "Stray Affections" tugs at heart strings, and gives readers plenty of smiles. This novel begins with Cassandra buying a mysterious snow globe. A happy touch is that "Bad Betty" charmingly begins to mellow. After a strange-flurrious, as Cassie calls it-moment happens with the snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled journey. With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich's Dearest Dorothy novels so dear, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances, along with a few emotional tears as you relate to the characters.