Deep in the rolling hills of North Carolina lay the idyllic town of Rose Creek. Home to the Walker clan for generations, the family farmhouse was the ideal place to grow up. And for Kate, orphaned at age six, the home her mother grew up in was a haven of healing and love. But as the future beckoned, Kate slowly pulled away from her family and her home, never to return. Until now. 

Beautiful career woman Kate Sinclair has built a successful life for herself, even as she’s haunted by the decisions that led to her estrangement from those once so dear to her. When tragedy strikes her family, Kate realizes the time has come to return home. Awaiting her is an animosity she expected, as well as a shock she never could have anticipated: her family’s home is in danger of being destroyed. 

Despite her reservations, Kate makes the decision to stay in Rose Creek for a time to help her family. As she slowly begins to reestablish her roots in the close-knit community, she finds herself increasingly attached to Andrew, a man with charm, charisma—and a secret.

And when Kate discovers the diary of an early family member who has immigrated to the United States, she finds strength in his belief in God as she explores her new relationship with Andrew and works to rebuild ties within her family. But when the pressures of the house problems and the disdain from family members gets too tough, the lure of the city calls, and Kate is forced to make an impossible decision: will she return to the life she worked so hard to build in the city or risk everything for an unknown future in Rose Creek?

 

Here’s my review, as posted on Goodreads and Amazon:

I finished reading this today, and loved it. The writing is very well done, and the main characters are attractive and real. The secondary characters add to the story in just the right way. Kate’s growth is natural, without being preachy or long-suffering. The setting is lovely and I was able to really see the house and the farm, even wished I could go there and visit.
The theme of family- present, past and future- was inspiring and achieved effortlessly, weaving all the characters and their relationships, and involving the reader as well.
The romance parts, although not very prominent, were perfect, and Andrew was an awesome love interest.
Highly recommend.

Although it’s LDS fiction, this is a novel that I recommend to anyone, and especially to non-LDS readers, since the LDS/Mormon characters and elements of the story are presented gradually and naturally. It brought back memories of when I was learning about the LDS church.
The House at Rose Creek is Jenny Proctor’s début novel, and what I most liked about it was the theme of it, the way it weaves the past, the present, and the future in the relationships between the characters. The setting of the house farm in North Carolina was a treat, and I look forward to reading more from this author.