The Spin I'm In
by Kate Bowman
Series: For the Love of Fiber #1
Series Rating:
Publication Date August 26, 2019
Genres: Woman's Fiction, Romance
Setting: Wisconsin Contemporary
Main Character Ages: 35-60
Written for: Adults
Pages: 293
Synopsis:
A determined widow faces the challenge of a new life to regain the confidence and independence of her youth, but finds that life, unlike knitting, doesn’t always follow a pattern.
After twenty-five years of being the perfect wife and mother, Martha LeBeau finds herself unexpectedly widowed and shocked to discover her husband had been living a double life, leaving her penniless and in debt. Determined to regain her lost confidence and independence, she sells her suburban Chicago home and moves to the Wisconsin countryside to forge a new life away from cheating men and smothering children. There she meets the Wool Gatherers, a group of fiber artists who teach her the art of spinning wool and raising sheep. Along with one determined Border Collie, she begins on the path to self-growth and healing.
Riley O’Connor is the single father of a child with Asperger Syndrome. The child’s mother walked out on them because she found that life too difficult to handle. Since then, he has dedicated himself to protecting his son from any further emotional damage.
Meeting Riley and his son through her new job brings love and challenges to Martha’s newly found independence. Romance blooms like a finely knit cable, entwining their lives.
Can either of them learn to trust again?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
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Kate Bowman is a new author for me and so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The story was intriguing, not only due to the older main character but also for the spinning aspect.
The Spin I’m In is an interesting story knitting elements of Woman’s Fiction, mystery, and romance together. It was quite fascinating to read about the process of spinning – something I’ve always been curious about but have never done. And as Martha acquired sheep and a Border Collie, neither of which she had any idea how to care for, I also learned a few things about them. And I’m a huge fan of learning new things through fiction.
I liked Martha and Riley and loved his son, Jake! Riley’s love and care for his son touched my heart. I also enjoyed Martha’s love for Jake and the gentle way she was able to help Riley see how to better deal with the issues related to his Asperger Syndrome.
The community was described in enough detail that I could picture it; the closely-knit women who loved fiber, the the farmer neighbors who brought her meals and laughed at Martha’s attempts at caring for her lambs.
I was surprised at the mild swearing throughout the story as I did not seen any content warnings. This took away from my enjoyment of the book. There are also Martha’s (and her friend’s) lustful thoughts toward Riley and a closed-door sex scene. It is clear that the characters do not have any qualms about sex outside of marriage.
If you enjoy Woman’s Fiction and are not opposed to these things, you may want to give the For the Love of Fiber series a read.
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About Kate Bowman
Born in Wisconsin to an original Brady Bunch, I had the dubious honor of being #14 in the family. As a result, I’ll never run out of characters. The early years of my marriage were spent moving around the country with my engineer husband, collecting interesting stories and characters along the way. I picked up my first romance after a particularly stressful shift at a suburban Chicago hospital where I worked as an RN. Hours later, bleary-eyed and exhausted, but able to sleep because the story affirmed that good things can happen to good people, I was hooked.
After seventeen years in the Chicago suburbs we returned to Wisconsin and a new life of country living. After a local class in spinning, I decided it would be fun to have my own source of wool. Several years and many animals later, I found a new source of humor for my stories. I’ve always loved animals and you’ll find many of them populate my books. My stories are about real people trying to make it in this crazy, sometimes funny, sometimes sad world—but always with an ending that will renew your faith in love and life.
When I’m not writing, you’ll find me with my family or out walking in my fields, spinning wool, knitting or weaving, but always listening to the interesting stories of those characters living in my head.
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