This week we are returning to the women of the Cobbled Court Quilt Circle with the fifth book in Marie Bostwick’s wonderful Cobbled Court Quilt series. With Ties that Bind, we return to the quaint New England town of New Bern, Connecticut, to continue the stories of the characters we’ve grown to love over the first four books, plus make some new exciting acquaintances!
Synopsis (Story Details Below, But No Major Spoilers)
Ties That Bind opens in the heart of winter as the citizens of New Bern are preparing for Christmas. This is one of the most important times of year for the local church, but their pastor Reverend Tucker has gone on sabbatical. To cover the important work the church does during the Christmas season, they bring in an interim pastor: Philip A. Clarkson, son of a very well known and prominent pastor.
Much to their surprise, they discover that Philip is really Phillipa, daughter of the famous pastor. While some members of the congregation, such as Margot, welcome Phillipa with open arms and open hearts, other members of the church board are not as convinced that a woman can fill Reverend Tucker’s shoes.
Margot invites Phillipa to join their quilt circle, showing once again how the women of Cobbled Court quilts are always looking to befriend those in need. Margot herself is struggling with her 40th birthday, expressing sadness and regret as she reflects on her life and her single marital status. She finds as good a friend in Phillipa as Phillipa does her. This new friendship is a saving grace for Margot as she loses a close family member on Christmas day and is suddenly thrust into a new role as a mother of a badly injured child.
As Phillipa works to win over the congregation, Margot becomes entangled in an intense legal fight to protect the child she loves. Despite her own misgivings, Margot learns to stand up for herself and what she knows is right. The women of the Cobbled Court quilters band together to support Margot and Phillipa as they both face their own challenges and learn how to appreciate the things they have already accomplished in their lives so far.
My Review
I was really excited that this book gave Margot the chance to be one of the main characters! The chapters are written from her and Phillipa’s perspective, which makes for a fun comparison of their problems that are both so alike and so different at the same time. I also really appreciated the way Marie Bostwick’s plot had several twists and turns, leading to an excellent story line that wasn’t quite what I expected.
By this point in the series, I knew that the women of Cobbled Court quilts would again come together to support one of their founding members, and I enjoyed the way they welcomed Phillipa despite her lack of quilting skills. There wasn’t as much pure quilting as there was in the first book of the series (A Single Thread), but there was still enough that I enjoyed this book as a quilting fiction read.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve enjoyed the first four books of Marie Bostwick’s Cobbled Court Quilt series you’ll want to read this fifth novel. The characters are genuine and have a depth that is expressed through both their joys and their sorrows. This was another delightful read in the series.
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Ready to return to New Bern with Ties That Bind? Grab a copy on Amazon here!
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