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Review and giveaway: A Healing Heart

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A Healing Heart_Abingdon Press_cropped

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher to review. But as always, all opinions expressed here are 100 % my own. 

Review: A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach

Admittedly, this is not a book I would have picked up myself, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it. It’s a good story with believable characters I grew to love. This is especially true of the main character, Mara.

I immediately felt a kinship to her, as she finds herself – after the death of her husband – trying to do it all. Feeling overwhelmed, she’s running the small but growing business they started together and
raising their three kids.

In a state of raw grief all this becomes too much for her. A series of physical setbacks gives her some perspective and divine intervention brings the right person into her life at the exact right time. Will she regain her equilibrium? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Though written from the Christian faith, the author is never preachy or dogmatic. The text touches on universal themes that apply to those of any faith, such as why bad things happen to good people and forgiveness.

Giveaway: Enter to win a copy of this book

The publishers have generously given me a copy of the book, A Healing Heart, to give away to a lucky Craft Gossip reader. To get a chance to win a copy of this book, leave a comment on this post and tell me if you have ever ended up loving a book you didn’t expect to. If so, what was it?

Contest ends November 6, 2014. Only US and Canadian entrants are eligible due to shipping costs.

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Comments

  1. I wish it happened more often – I get too stuck in my favored genres! Also, I tend to have a pretty good sense about books so I can generally tell if I will like something or not – the only examples I can think of where I was wrong about a book were really promising ones that I ended up hating! Haha!

  2. The Harry Potter books ! I wasn’t sure about all that magical stuff… But it’s been a love story since the first lines. I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan 🙂

  3. I can’t think of the titles right off the top of my head, but it has happened and what a wonderful surprise.

  4. Kind of embarrassing but I loved twilight when I read it.. it just sucked me in! It doesn’t even come close to how much I love Harry Potter though!

  5. Well kinda every book. I actually can’t think of one I didn’t like or just hated. My most favorite book I read again and again is The Shack.

  6. The Twilight series – not into that type of book, but totally surprised and had to read all 3.

  8. I’d love to read this book. My all time favorite has been Beyond Heartache by Margaret Jhonson.

  11. I love to read. I was really liking the book “The Giver” and them the end left me hanging. Not fond of that. I’d love to read this book. Thanks

  12. the Twilight series being one of those I thought OH BOY another teenager book, by the 5th chapter I was totally hooked and had to go back to the store the next day to buy the next two books. It was very hard to wait for the last books to come out. I really enjoy finding a book that I pick up and can enjoy all the way to the end, especially one I wasn’t sure about to begin with.

  14. the traveling pants…i read them with my then teenage daughter…i love the bonding time discussing the books!

  16. I tend to pick up books I think I will enjoy so I guess I can’t say I’ve been surprised that I enjoyed them.

Have you read?

In the Garden Layer Cake – A Bloom-Filled Fabric Collection for Spring Sewing

Some fabric collections feel pretty, some feel useful, and then there are those rare ones that instantly spark a dozen ideas the moment you see them. The In the Garden Layer Cake from Fat Quarter Shop falls firmly into that last category. From the moment I opened the pack, it felt like stepping into a watercolor garden—soft, romantic, full of movement, and brimming with detail that invites you to slow down and really look.

This collection brings together an elegant mix of florals, garden motifs, and soothing color palettes that feel like they were created for spring quilting. Instead of loud novelty prints, the designer chose a gentle balance of botanical sketches, scattered blossoms, tiny seed patterns, and larger feature florals that work beautifully in both traditional and modern layouts.

What struck me most is how thoughtfully the color stories are arranged. Each print blends seamlessly into the next, giving you a spectrum that includes soft rose pinks, leafy greens, lavender tones, fresh sky blues, rich corals, and delicate neutrals. It’s the kind of palette that instantly feels “quilty” in the best way—inviting, calm, and incredibly easy to mix and match. You can tell the designer planned this for maximum versatility.

Layer cakes are one of the most beginner-friendly precuts, but this collection elevates them with a sense of sophistication. The prints are strong enough to shine in simple patterns, but subtle enough to support more complex designs. Whether you prefer classic half-square triangles, framed squares, modern grid quilts, or something scrappier, this fabric adapts beautifully. It’s also a wonderful choice for table runners, spring wall hangings, and even quilted bags or home décor projects.

One of the nicest surprises with this layer cake is how it manages to feel seasonal without becoming locked into one particular holiday or theme. While the palette is undeniably perfect for spring, the prints themselves are timeless enough to work year-round. A floral quilt made from this collection would look just as lovely on a summer sunroom sofa as it would draped over a guest bed in winter.

The fabric quality is exactly what you’d expect from Fat Quarter Shop—crisp, clean cuts, vibrant printing, and a smooth hand that makes piecing feel effortless. Nothing is too thin or too stiff, and the colors are even more beautiful in person than they appear online.

If you enjoy sewing projects that feel light, fresh, and inspired by nature, In the Garden is a collection worth adding to your stash. It has all the qualities quilters look for: balance, versatility, gentle movement, and that spark of creativity that makes you want to start a project immediately. Whether you’re planning a gift quilt, treating yourself to a new spring project, or simply building your fabric library with a set of prints that will play nicely with others, this layer cake is a thoughtful and inspiring choice.