Book Recommendations: Cobbled Court Quilts Novels

I read about the Cobbled Court Quilts Novels by Marie Bostwick on another blog and was eager to try them out. As someone who loves quilting and good fiction, I'm always on the lookout for leisure reading that combines the two. I started the series at book three. That wasn't intentional - it just happened to be the one that came in first on the library holds. I was able to pick up the series with no problem. While the books do go in chronological order, each one is a self-contained story with the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and quilting as part of the story and can be picked up without having read the others.

The first two books in the series are A Single Thread and A Thread of Truth - Once again, I haven't read these two, but judging by the rest of the series, I have no reason to not think they would be great.

In A Thread So Thin , Liza is an adult orphan, whose Aunt Abigail has taken on the role of her guardian. is very rich and very used to getting her own way. Liza is a senior in college who has become engaged to Garrett, but she has also been given a once-in-a-lifetime job offer. Meanwhile, Abigail has taken over her wedding, planning every detail. Liza's always been a strong woman, but now she doesn't have a clue what she wants out of life. Can she figure it out before it's too late?

Tessa and Madelyn were best friends as children, but they had a huge fight and their lives went in radically different directions. Four decades later, they are both back in their hometown trying to start new businesses and new lives. Can they repair the damage from all the years before and find a way to move forward? Threading the Needle is all about the power of female friendship.

Ties That Bind centers on Margot, a forty year old woman who has been searching for a man to complete her for as long as she can remember with no luck. Now, she has made the decision that she doesn't need one. Plus, there are much bigger matters for her to contend with. Her estranged sister died in a car accident and left her six-year old daughter Olivia to Margot. Olivia's grandparents are contesting the last minute will, but Margot is determined to carry out her sister's wishes, even if an angry Olivia isn't talking to her.



In addition, there are two newcomers to town. Phillippa is the new minister who isn't at all what the board of the Church expected and Paul is a single father all the unmarried ladies now have their eyes on. This book is all about letting go of one's plans and accepting God's.

(Please note: this book does feature artificial insemination)

In Apart at the Seams (Cobbled Court Quilts), Gayla accidentally finds a memo on her husband's computer saying that he had an affair and wants to divorce her after 26 years of marriage. She flees their New York home and heads to New Bern, CT where they have a much-neglected vacation home. There she encounters the Cobbled Court women and starts to rebuild her life. Meanwhile, her husband, who assures her that he is incredibly sorry for the short-lived affair and that he had deleted the memo, sets out to win her back.



 The other major story line features Ivy who is facing the bad news that her abusive ex-husband is getting out of prison and wants to have visits with their children. She also has a new love interest and is trying to figure out what to do about her education, or lack thereof. This book's theme is forgiveness.

Between Heaven and Texas (Cobbled Court Quilts)
 is a prequel to the Cobbled Court Quilt Series. Fans of the books will recognize Mary Dell as a big-time quilt instructor from Texas who is friends with Evelyn, owner of Cobbled Court Quilts, but you don't need to know that or to have read any of those books to enjoy this one. It follows Mary Dell as she grows up in Texas on a huge ranch in a town called Too Much.  She faces her share of adversity, but she is a woman with pluck, personality and fashion sense as big as the state she calls home. You can't help but want her to succeed. This is a great book to read when you feel like life is giving you too much to handle. It's theme is making the best of what you got and the importance of sisterhood.