The Wishing Tree Series Books 1 - 7 ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

The Wishing Tree series is a new series of twelve books all based on people in Lindin Falls, Vermont, and written by different authors.  Lindin Falls is famous for its huge Linden tree that everyone calls the wishing tree.  The belief is that if you hang a wish on the tree, it will come true.  There are lots of skeptics but many others have had their wishes come true so people come from miles around to put their wishes on the tree.  Love, forgiveness, and other happily ever afters are all made possible when someone takes a chance and hangs a wish from a branch.   

Wishes in branches tied with string. Someone's hopes. Another's dreams.

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The Wishing Tree by Kay Bratt,  Amanda Prowse,  Tammy L. Grace,  Camille Di Maio, Barbara Hinske, Ashley Farley

February 2022; Red Thread; 978-1736351468
ebook, print (110 pages); women's fiction

The first book is a prequel to the series and gives the background of the town and some of the major characters.  The Linden tree in the town square of Linden Falls, Vermont is thought to be at least 150 years old.  The folklore about the tree granting wishes has been passed down from one generation to the next.  Neva, the oldest person in town and the owner of the B&B is considered to be the curator of wishes.  She protects the small papers that people have written their wishes on and brings them to her house if there is a storm.  She is a firm believer that the tree grants wishes - not by magic but by making sure the right people find and grant the wishes of others - often with her help.

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I Wish...  by Amanda Prowse

February 2022; Lionhead Media; 978-1915400000
ebook, print (146 pages); women's fiction

Verity and her husband Sonny own a restaurant in London and Sonny is becoming a well-known chef.  When Verity finds out that he is cheating on her with a food critic, she and her teenage daughter, Sophie, decide to disappear from London and spend three months in the US and end up in Linden Falls.  Verity's goal is to spend time with her daughter and recover  from her husband's infidelity.  But as she starts to meet the people in Linden Falls, she begins to enjoy herself.  Her neighbor, Jack, becomes a good friend and there is a romantic spark between them but they both know that she'll be leaving. Will she go back to London or stay in Vermont where she has made some great friends?  Will she follow her heart or her head??

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Wish You Were Here by Kay Bratt

March 2022; Red Thread; 978-1736351444
ebook, print (196 pages); women's fiction

Henry and his wife Greta have been married for 60 years.  She has dementia and he is taking care of her by himself and refuses any help that is offered by friends in Linden Falls.  Greta and Neva used to be friends but cut ties with each other years earlier.  She decides that helping with Greta is more important than holding on to long-term bad feelings. During the same time, Neva hires help for her B&B - Janie and her two daughters.  She knows that they have a secret but is happy with their help and their friendship and offers them a permanent place to stay.  

Neva is the character that ties all the books in the series together.  She is a well-written, believable character who cares about the town and the people who live there.

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Wish Again by Tammy L. Grace

March 2022; Lone Mountain; 978-1945591297
ebook, print (164 pages); women's fiction

Paige lived in Boston with her husband.  After he died in an accident she moves back to Linden Falls to live with her mom and help her at the bookstore she owns.  Paige is looking forward to future plans with her mom and is devastated when her mom died unexpectedly.  At first, she isn't sure what to do but decides to stay in town to take care of her mother's bookshop.  She thinks that the Wishing Tree is only  folklore but when she finds one of the wishes in her dog's wet fur, she decides to do what she can to grant the wish.    When the local nursing home calls, Paige finds out that her mom had been going there weekly with her service dog to spend time with the residents.  She decides to try it one time with plans not to go back but is so thrilled with the residents' love for the dog, she decides to continue going weekly in memory of her mom.

Paige is a fantastic character and this book brought me to tears several times.  It's a story of love lost and found and a story of finding happiness by helping other people.  It's a great addition to this series.

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Workout Wishes & Valentine Kisses by Barbara Hinske

Pam and Steve are childhood friends and now they work at the same gym as personal trainers.  They've both had messy divorces and decide to make a pact not to date anyone.  A couple that they both train as well as lots of people in town think that they belong together and with the help of the Wishing Tree, they all know that they can be successful - at least everyone but Pam and Steve.

Pam's mom and friends convince her to try online dating after her ex-husband visits Linden Falls with his new girlfriend.  She's reluctant but agrees to try it for 30 days.  She meets some real losers on some very humorous dates and is glad when the 30 days are over.  Will the Wishing Tree and the people in town get their wish of seeing Pam and Steve end up together?

I enjoyed both of the main characters in this story.  No tears in this one but some laughs over Pam's disastrous dates.  

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A Parade of Wishes by Camille Di Maio

March 2022; Dandelion; 979-8425663504
ebook, print (116 pages); women's fiction

Liz is a popular New York artist who is burned out from all of the attention and decides to spend the summer in Bar Harbor to decide what her next step is.  She stops in Linden Falls to deliver a painting that was done for Neva at the Bed and Breakfast.  When she arrives, Neva gives her a room for the night and they have a picnic under the Wishing Tree.  Liz is very skeptical over Neva's belief in the tree but agrees to take a wish from the tree.  When she reads the wish -- Help me Find a Mom, she knows that this isn't a wish that she can make happen.  As she is leaving, Neva asks her to return a wallet to one of her previous guests since it's on the way. She meets Mark and his son Cameron there and decides to spend more time with them instead of going to Bar Harbor.  When she finds out that Cameron wrote the wish she took from the tree, she wonders if she'll be able to grant him his wish.

This is a great story -- Mark is too good to be true and Cameron is a loving little boy.  Will they help Liz determine what direction she wants her life to go?

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Careful What You Wish by Ashley Farley

April 2022; AHF Publishing; 978-1956684032
ebook, print (118 pages); women's fiction 

Mary May is in trouble.  She works for a rich woman as a maid and covets her lifestyle.  Mary is about to lose her home and has been fired from being caught trying on her employer's clothes and jewelry.  She doesn't like her life and wishes for a husband and children, friends, and a better life than she's living now.  She ties a wish to the Wishing Tree that changes her life.  When she wakes up in the morning, her yard is full of money - lots of money that have fallen from her maple tree.  This continues day after day.  She rakes the money up and uses it to do renovations on her house, buys better clothes and a car, and hopes to be accepted by the richer people in town.  But the money does not make her happy and she tries to discover what her tree wants her to do with her new riches.  However, when other people find out about her new riches, she is arrested for stealing from her previous employer.  Will she go to jail or will she learn the importance of sharing her money with people less fortunate?

Ashley Farley always writes books with great characters and Mary May is a wonderful, caring character who is learning valuable lessons in her life.  This is a great story about friendship and sharing.

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Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina with her husband of over 50 years.  She grew up in Michigan but now calls North Carolina home. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

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