Title: Sounds Like a Plan: Stories of Change and the God Who Doesn’t
Author: Lorna Seilstad, Eleanor Bertin, Sara Davison, Brenda S. Anderson, Stacy Monson
Series: Mosaic Collection, book 10
Major Themes: Anthologies, Collections, Canada
Synopsis: Five novellas all share different lessons that God taught people as they lived their lives.
The Mosaic Collection has published several anthologies, each with five or more novellas by a variety of authors. I haven’t read all of them, but have really enjoyed the ones I have read. For that reason, when they were asking for reviewers for their new summer 2024 anthology, I signed up. I ended up really liking all five of the novellas in Sounds Like a Plan, and I will definitely be interested in reading more of these collections!
Publisher’s description:
What happens when the perfect plans you have for your life fall apart?
A Baby in the Mix by Lorna Seilstad
Not By Chance by Eleanor Bertin
Five Things You Know About Me by Sara Davison
Mercy’s Detour by Brenda S. Anderson
Piper’s Sweet Dream by Stacy Monson
What Reviewers Are Saying About The Mosaic Collection Anthologies:
Each is a picture of God’s grace working in the hearts of hurting people through individual writing styles.
Each author has her own voice, yet somehow they all fit perfectly together.
The stories are just the right length to relax with at the end of a long day.
I love these Mosaic author anthologies. These are stories about real people with real problems and emotions.
Such beautifully written, inspirational short stories with themes of grace, forgiveness, love, and peace.
Uplifting stories of ordinary people dealing with their faith and life’s struggles.
Thank you to all the Mosaic Collection authors for giving us more lovely stories to remind us that we will never be alone as God is always with us.
Each of these faith-based fiction stories in Sounds Like a Plan is uniquely and beautifully written with believable characters sustained by the amazing grace of God. Memorable, touching, inspiring, and a true reading pleasure. May you be blessed by this collection.
My thoughts:
A Baby in the Mix by Lorna Seilstad: This was a new-to-me author. She tells the story of Aimee Winslow, who has filled her life with almost too many things already, with a new business, coaching, and planning her wedding—and then she is asked to take in her cousin’s newborn baby! Will she be able to continue juggling everything, or will she have to let something go? I loved the idea of her business and the way people rallied around her to help her do what God wanted her to do.
Not by Chance by Eleanor Bertin: Lily finally found herself free from her obligations to care for other people and ready to take the cruise she had always wanted to. Then, a random car crash followed by a chance meeting with a stranger threatened to change her plans. I have enjoyed all of this author’s books that I have read, but I wondered for awhile with this one where it would be going. It seemed like Lily might end up in a relationship with a married man—but I was relieved that that did not happen.
Five Things You Know About Me by Sara Davison: Andrea Garcia is a successful bomb squad technician in Toronto, making a point not to think about how her carefully planned life had been blasted to pieces twelve years ago. Now, suddenly, her past has exploded into her present with no warning. Can she figure out how to defuse the anger and bitterness she still carries from what happened back then? At first, I thought this story would be a typical romance—but it wasn’t! I loved the way God worked in Andrea’s life through the person from her past that she bumped into unexpectedly. And, as a side note, I loved two words that were used in this story, one meaning something like “the half-dozen books lying on your bed half-read” and the other meaning “the smell of old books.”
Mercy’s Detour by Brenda S. Anderson: Paige is ready to finally take off on the road trip around the United States that she has been dreaming of for years—but before she pulls out of the parking lot, a phone call sends her on a detour. When buried secrets start coming to light, she’s not sure she can handle the painful results. I had to chuckle at this story. The road trip was supposed to be a mid-life crisis trip, because Paige had just turned 45. I was startled, when I really thought about the concept, that she was several years younger than I am. Then, I remembered what I was doing when I turned 45: cuddling and caring for a newborn baby, my youngest! No mid-life crisis here, yet, anyway. I liked the ending of the story, and loved the brief appearance of two authors who live in Minnesota in one scene.
Piper’s Sweet Dream by Stacy Monson: I remember hearing this author’s name several years ago, but she pretty much vanished from the scene before I ever read any books by her. Now that she is writing again, I had the chance to read this fun story. Yes, I enjoyed the story of how Piper was working at building up her business, Pip’s Divine Chocolates. The story rang true, and I liked watching her and Finn learning to know each other and work together.
If you enjoy collections of novellas with characters who feel real, with light or no romance, try out Sounds Like a Plan. I am looking forward to reading the next anthology put out by the Mosaic Collection.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the authors, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: There is a kiss near the end of Five Things I Know About You. The word gosh is used once in Piper’s Sweet Dream.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
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