The Ties That Bind (Kristen McKendry)

After losing both parents at a young age, Daniel McDonald grew up disconnected from his family history. Now, as he approaches the birth of his first child, he feels deeply unsettled about his severed familial bonds. Before Daniel can feel ready to be a father himself, he knows he must unravel the painful mystery of his past and make peace with what he finds.
This quest begins as Daniel discovers the story of his grandmother, a woman of great faith who wanted nothing more than to have her family sealed together eternally, but whose untimely death led to the scattering of her offspring. Daniel’s journey of understanding unfolds as he forms new connections with relatives he never knew he had and gains long-lost insight about the difficult circumstances that entangled his family tree. From a past riddled by abuse, abandonment, and alcoholism, Daniel comes to see himself and his future in a promising new light.
Inspired by actual people and events, this novel poignantly imparts unforgettable lessons about love and loss, choice and accountability, and the everlasting ties that bind generations.

This is another quick read. I loved it because it compared the life story of a guy living in this decade to his grandparents living in harder times. I love the family history story behind this book.

Promise of Spring (Kristen McKendry)

Melinda Keith was never a "farm person." She grew up in Albuquerque with electric lights, gas heating, and two cares in the driveway. But after a painful divorce, she decides that life on an isolated farm in the Texas Panhandle is exactly what she needs. Fiercely independent, Melinda is determined to live completely off the land and keep other people at a distance.

But then Ryan Delaney, a handsome widower with a two-year-old son, moves in next door. He insists on helping Melinda with her farming chores and is stubborn enough to make Melinda's carefully built walls of self-isolation begin to crumble.

Meanwhile, sinister acts of vandlism make it clear that not everyone is happy about Ryan Delaney's arrival. Whoever is behind them wants him gone- and is willing to resort to just about anything. Will Ryan and Melinda's blossoming relationship be able to withstand the storms?

A very sweet and simple story.