If You Follow Me

The Dunbridge Chronicles #3

by Pam Rhodes

' These books move you to tears one minute, then have you laughing out loud the next.' Aled Jones, broadcaster and singer

In the parish of Dunbridge the news is out: Claire and Neil are engaged!

And yet, before the celebrations have really begun, Ben, the father of Claire's son, appears back on the scene. It quickly becomes clear that young Sam is not the only person Ben wants to win back.

As Neil reels in the face of Claire's confusion at spending time with her first love, Wendy always seems to be there to provide support and comfort. Little does he know of Wendy's involvement with Ben's reappearance: However, Neil has little chance to ponder his love life as the whole weight of running the church and parish descends upon his inexperienced shoulders.

Neil's time as a curate in Dunbridge is coming swiftly to an end. Where should he go next, and who will go with him?

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2014

About the author

Pam Rhodes for many years has presented the world’s numberone religious television program, Songs of Praise on BBC. She writes for the UK national newspaper, the Daily Mail, and is also a successful novelist—author of The Dunbridge Chronicles, With Hearts and Hymns and Voices, and four other novels, as well as a number of additional books.

Reviews

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at The Power of Words: http://tinyurl.com/mcyz27s

I greatly enjoy British fiction with small village settings populated by quirky characters, and I found If You Follow Me by Pam Rhodes a delightful read. I chose to read this book, knowing that it was contemporary fiction with a religious backdrop rather than Christian fiction, and that any theology contained would be similar to mainline churches and therefore somewhat liberal. But I read it from the standpoint of enjoying the small-village setting, quirky characters, and plot - and was pleasantly surprised by its moving spiritual beauty.

If You Follow Me, book #3 of the Dunbridge Chronicles, is set in the small, picturesque town of Dunbridge and the St. Stephens church where the young Neil Fisher takes up his first curacy. Reading the previous two books would have given me a greater familiarity with the cast, but I had no problem reading this as a standalone, although I definitely plan to complete the series.

Neil is a sensitive and compassionate leader who struggles with handling the responsibilities of St. Stephens while still in training. I wasn't sure what to think about his engagement to a non-believer, but I found Claire appealing and came to appreciate the qualities she and Neil had in common, as well as the way she supported his ministry. I can't help but believe that if there were more books in this series, we would see Claire grow spiritually.

As with similar stories to this, one of the strengths lies in the eclectic mix of characters, and Pam did a masterful job at depicting life in a small English parish. There's a sense of unity and belonging, conveyed through humanness, wit, and poignancy. Some situations are really humorous, such as a wedding scene where Neil officiates, while others are touching, like little Rosie seeing an angel during a fire.

But it was the story of Blanche and Ernie that I found especially moving. Married sixty-three years, they had learned to laugh together through life's hard times. I'd like to end with Neil's descriptive words: "They saw the positive in every experience, the best in each other, the best in the people they met, and God in everything around them. And one of the most wonderful of their many blessings was their love of laughter. They laughed at and with each other every day of their lives."

Pam Rhodes certainly has her finger on the pulse of village and church life, characterization, and the use of hymnody. Even if this series ends, I hope Pam will write more stories of a similar nature. I recommend If You Follow Me to all who enjoy cozy fiction.

Thank you to Kregel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Dunbridge Chronicles- which are easy reading romance set in a beautiful small town. Neil is a curate at St Stephen’s chuch and enjoys the challenges of the parish. He’s engaged to Claire and his mum has moved closer to give ‘support’ and advice. She tries to get too involved at times and whilst Neil is so busy with the church work his fiancé needs reassurance that he is still keen to get married to her.

We get to know the other parishoners and there are many heartwarming exchanges. Claire’s ex turns up in this story and hopes to pick their relationship back up! Neil also needs to decide where his career path takes him next- will he stay in Dunbridge or will he move on?

This made a lovely weekend read and I’d love to thank the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of the book.

[Jo Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the third instalment in the Dunbridge series following the fortunes and misfortunes of Rev Neil Fisher. This was like the other 2 an easy read and lacked a lot of depth in parts whilst grossly overplaying declarations of love. I would have liked to have seen Neil and Claire’s relationship develop rather than find them suddenly madly in love ( although I was pleased they were!) As the action fits around the church calendar at times some of the scenes seemed a bit pointless and just there to add filler, however despite all this I still thoroughly enjoyed these books and couldn’t put this one down. I cried buckets again at various bits and loved all the characters. But for me the best part was the reality. Churches are filled with Wendy’s who claim they are better than others because they are Christians and then behave appallingly in very unchristian like ways. I was so pleased that this was acknowledged alongside the nice people. Audrey and Pauline had me reaching for the tissues more than once. So well done Pam Rhodes for showing us the church in all its glory warts and all.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil continues to struggle with pastoring the church by himself without Margaret. Wendy continues trying to disrupt his relationship with Claire. But Neil is growing. His mother decides to move to Dunbridge to live. He dreads it at first, but she is changing and seems satisfied now with his choice of vocation. He is also trying to decide what he wants to do when his curacy ends - where does he want to go? He loves St Stephens where he knows everyone and is fond of almost every one of them and is trying to help all who need guidance or assistance.

[Dee Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in a series of 4 really lovely books. This one did feel a bit more gappy than the others. Although lovely to see my name used for a character, this book actually mentions two Delias but because two characters have the same name and assumed one and the same person, I was confused by this at first - maybe using another name would be better but they're only mentioned briefly so it's a tiny little niggle. Now onto book 4!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was another really good book. The characters are very believable and the stories are true to life.

[Denita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Dunbridge Chronicles. I have enjoyed this series immensely and I look forward to Book 4.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still enjoyable, but more predictable than the first 2 books in the series

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve read my blog you’ll know that I really enjoyed the first book, Fisher of Men, but then in the second book, Casting the Net I had a few concerns so I guess I was hoping that the third book would be more like the first but I’d have to say the third was even more shocking especially since I was under the impression it was supposed to be Christian fiction, but as I look at the Lion Hudson website they list it as “modern and contemporary fiction”. I must admit to enjoying following Neil’s story as he really has to delve into parish life and even though he’s still a curate (still in training) he’s basically acting as the full time vicar all while planning his wedding to Claire who still makes clear she can’t fully embrace his Christianity. While I did enjoy the overall story, reading how Neil is getting on and has actually matured somewhat was refreshing as that was one issue I had with book two.

However, my concerns with this one was the use of “b****” by Claire who is engaged to Neil towards Neil’s ex-girlfriend who would like to rekindle her romance with him, I understand anger but it didn’t need to be expressed so vulgarly. Also as Neil and Claire are discussing their upcoming marriage he is telling her what he thinks are good qualities in a minister’s wife and she tells him, “That I’m also your idea of s** on legs, and you fancy me madly?”. I may sound like a prude or old fashioned but honestly I was just sort of taken aback no matter how attractive one finds their soon-to-be spouse I just don’t think it needed put into words. Of course there was also the issue of homosexuality, which I know is something that is in our faces today and I guess I prefer to avoid it when I’m escaping into a book but the fact that no one counsels the young man in what God’s Word says and everyone is just okay with it left me a bit dumbfounded, also his suicide attempt seemed to be glossed over by just taking him and putting him a group home with other boys like himself.

As I said, I did enjoy the overall story and seeing some lose ends from the last book tied up and completed gave me a sense of happiness but again I still had concerns. I know that there are friends who wouldn’t mind this book but there are others who will appreciate the heads up. That said the author does live in the United Kingdom where things do tend to lean toward the more liberal ideologies even in their churches and while some words here are vulgar and not normally used in proper company those same words are not seen as vulgar over there. I’d love to continue reading The Dunbridge Chronicles should there be more but I will approach with caution in the future.

**I was provided a copy of this book from Kregel in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.

[Victor Gentile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pam Rhodes in her new book, “If You Follow Me” Book Three in The Dunbridge Chronicles series published by Lion Fiction continues the story of Neil Fisher.

From the back cover: In the parish of Dunbridge, the news is out–Claire and Neil are engaged! And yet, almost before the celebrations have begun, Ben, the father of Claire’s son, appears back on the scene–keen to pick up where he and Claire left off.

It quickly becomes clear that young Sam is not the only person Ben wants to win back. As Neil reels in the face of Claire’s confusion at spending time with her first love, Wendy always seems to be there to provide support and comfort. Little does he know of Wendy’s involvement in Ben’s reappearance . . .

However, Neil has little chance to ponder his love life as the whole weight of running the church and parish descends upon his inexperienced shoulders. His mother, Iris, who has never hesitated to share her opinions, has just moved to be near him and

Neil’s time as a curate in Dunbridge is coming swiftly to an end. Where should he go next, and just who will go with him?

When others in our lives want to return to the past they seriously hinder our living in the present and advancing into the future. Neil Fisher returns and he is definitely has his hands full with some of the people he serves in the little town of Dunbridge needs him and he needs to people of Dunbridge. There is a lot going on in conflicts, the actions of two old loves and families in crisis are just some of what Neil has to contend with. This story is the kind that plays out best in a small town in an English countryside. The people who live there are varied and interesting and life, while it has its ups and downs, is slow and easy.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Mary-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the back of the book:
In the parish of Dunbridge, the news is out--Claire and Neil are engaged! And yet, almost before the celebrations have begun, Ben, the father of Claire's son, appears back on the scene--keen to pick up where he and Claire left off.
As Neil reels in the face of Claire's confusion, Wendy always seems to be there to provide support and comfort. Little does he know of Wendy's involvement in Ben's reappearance . . .
However, Neil has little chance to ponder his love life as the whole weight of running the church and parish descends upon his inexperienced shoulders. His mother, Iris, who has never hesitated to share her opinions, has just moved to be near him and Neil's time as a curate in Dunbridge is coming swiftly to an end. Where should he go next, and just who will go with him?

This is a well written story that invites us into the life of Neil, a young curator, kept very busy, as he has been thrown into full time duties following the resignation of the full time vicar. We are introduced to many characters, Neil's mother, the congregation of St. Stephens, and his past love and his new love Claire.

There is one main theme, the love triangle, and many sub plots within. You will fall in love with many of the characters. This story will make you laugh and cry... it will put your emotions on a "roller coaster" ride; and keep you wondering what next?

The only thing that disturbed me was, a clergy was engaged to an unbeliever. The Bible tells us not to yolk ourselves with unbelievers, and not to "missionary date" 2 Cor. 6:14.

Other than that, I think one will enjoy this novel.

received this book free from the publisher http://www.kregel.com . I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[David Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If You Follow Me, by Pam Rhodes, is my one hundred eighth book that I have received and read from Goodreads. This book I found to be a really interesting book to read. When reading the story it had you laughing and the next few minutes it had you feeling sad.
The story takes place in England. A young man by the name of Neil Fisher is the curate at St. Stephens church. The former rector of the church husband passed away, and left, leaving Neil in charge.
Neil has been dating Claire, she has a young son by the name of Sam. Neil and Claire finally get engaged and have a engagement party and Ben shows up at the party. Ben is Sam's father. Ben has never seen nor been in Sam's life. When Ben found out that Claire was pregnant, he left England and went back to Australia where his parents were, leaving Claire to have and raise Sam on her own. Ben appears back on the scene not only to get to know Sam, but to try and win Claire back.
Then their is Wendy Lambert, Neil and Wendy use to date. Wendy always thought that Neil would marry her. Wendy is the one who contacted Ben to come back from Australia, to get him to get back with Claire. Neil has no idea what Wendy is up to.
Neil has no time to worry about his love life because the whole weight of running the church and parrish falls upon his inexperienced shoulders.
You are going to have to read the story to see what happens. Really enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend this book to all adults. Would read more books from this author.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of BBC shows (Vicar of Dibley, Hetty Wainthrop, etc) and quaint country life should most definitely pick up this series! Inspirational fiction isn't usually known for its tongue in cheek humor or awkward hilarity, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that this had both. Author, Pam Rhodes, does an excellent job of bringing the Dunbridge parish to life and making its good humored and overworked curate supremely lovable. Neil, the curate, and the Church's gardener (a nonbeliever of all things!), Claire, are engaged to be wed. All is well with the world until, Claire's son's father unexpectedly comes back onto the scene. Between his busy work schedule and Claire's former flame, Neil is all a flutter. But there is no rest for the wicked! Parish life is demanding, there is a local talent show, dissent between the flower ladies, a young mother fleeing from her abusive husband and much more to be dealt with. It's laugh out loud funny, and surprisingly sentimental at times. If more inspirational fiction were like this, realistic, humorous, and honest, it would definitely attract a larger following.

I received this book for free from Kregel Publishing in return for my honest, unbiased review.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this series, and although I was looking forward to this book coming out, I was also sad to see the series end. The books on the Christian fiction market that have a male protagonist as the main character, are rare, especially when written by a woman, and that is one reason I enjoyed this series so much.

In this book, Neil, the priest in training, is still on his own, trying to do his job, make everyone happy, and plan a wedding. This was the most interesting of the three books, and a lot happened in it. It is not a suspense novel, but I couldn't put it down and read far later than I should have last night to finish it, and I loved it.

These books do have a very liberal theology, so after reading two books already, I was used to overlooking a preacher at the bar drinking ale and a few other things, but this book had a few things that bothered me:

1) The preacher married a non-Christian, something the Bible teaches against.
2) There was a use of the bad word used for women that aren't so nice
3) The book gave approval of homosexuality as a lifestyle.

This book, and the other two, are well written and entertaining, if one can overlook a few things like I mentioned above.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a fun read and enjoyed the Characters a lot. They where so interesting and real. They could be your neighbors.

It was and easy and fast read. Very well written. It is the first time I have read anything by Pam Rhodes. This was the 3rd in a series "The Dunbridge Chronicles" but the book could be read alone. Do wish I had read the first two and will try and read the others.

We meet Neil who is the curate in Dunbridge working to become a priest and get his own parish. These day he seems is charring the weight of the world on his shoulder since the priest has left. He feels that he is not ready for this and has no confidence that he can do the job. He is trying to meet the needs of everyone around him and has just become engaged on top of things. He does not realize the strength he has and his faith will help carry him through and will make him strong.

At times I found myself cheering him on and others I just shuck my head wondering if he realized he need to take a stand for himself.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as a FirstRead.

Neil, the curate at St. Stephen's, and Claire, the gardener at St. Stephens but not a Christian, are hosting their engagement party when Ben, Claire's ex and father of her son, turns up from Australia, wanting a second chance. Claire and Neil work at their relationship, around Ben's desire to rekindle a relationship with Claire and Neil's job, which is busier than usual after the sudden retirement of the parish's rector. There are also side story lines of issues various church members are facing.

This is the third book of the series, but I had no trouble following along without having read the first two. The church members were a mix you would expect to find in any real church. The story remained light even when heavy issues were brought up. There are a few things in the book I could see fundamental Christians objecting to, but overall, it is a good Christian read.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this charming tale of parish life in Dunbridge, Neil’s time there is coming to a close. He has some hard decisions to make. Deeply in love with Claire, she nevertheless seems like an unlikely choice to be a pastor’s wife. Not yet embracing the faith which means everything to Neil, she is still drawn to him. But is that enough to join their lives together forever? Just when things seem to be falling in place, a sly move by Wendy brings Ben – the father of Clair’s son Sam – back into her life. Wendy has secret ulterior motives – she wants Neil for herself! Ahh, there is never a dull moment in this quiet village. Author Pam Rhodes writes an engaging tale and this series just keeps getting better. With real-life characters placed in a lovely setting, this story is entertaining as well as captivating. As Neil moves on to a new chapter in his life, we readers will have trouble waiting for the next installment to see where it takes him.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, when I opened the book and saw that the author had listed the numerous characters with descriptions, I looked at my husband and said, "This isn't good." Then, I found the book a little difficult to get into, but once I got started, I slowly became immersed in the story and enjoyed it. The long list of characters no longer mattered as I got to know each one.

The book reminded me a little of the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. As with the Mitford Series, I think beginning with Book 1 would be advantageous, although not necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The writing was good and I enjoyed the little bits of deviousness and conflict sprinkled throughout an otherwise sedate story. I am giving the book 4 stars.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third book in Pam Rhodes', The Dunbridge Chronicles, is a delightful and heart-warming story of a young curate of a British village parish, the care of which now falls squarely on his shoulders. With the sudden departure of former rector, Reverend Margaret Prowse, young Reverend Neil Fisher struggles internally with his own lack of confidence to shepherd a flock full of varied and sometimes difficult characters. But to all counts, he handles every challenge deftly and his instincts are spot on. As young Neil approaches the end of his curacy, he is staring at a crossroads - certainly regarding his career and, quite possibly, his own heart. Fans eagerly await the next installment in the lives of Reverend Neil Fisher and of all those he holds dear.

[John Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free via Goodreads First Reads.

This was another book I have had for a while and I had started once before. As always not starting a series on book 1 can be difficult but at the second attempt I got into this book and I feel it works as a stand-alone novel.

Church life is not something that interests me as a rule but I did find the characters in this book were so well written and varied that they carried the story. I did notice how the author dealt with prejudice of both atheists and homosexuals which I think she handled well.

The writing is excellent, emotional and thoughtful throughout. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I would recommend the book to any reader and will read more from the same author. A pleasant surprise!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a great setting and fun characters. This is the first book I have read by this author and while I enjoyed the complexities of the story line, it was a bit slow for me. There is drama and there is sweetness but it didn't always draw me in. I liked Neil's character and running the church I did like this part of the book. I like how the book ended and while slow, it was still a decent read with a hometown feel. This book reminded me a lot of Jan Karon's books so I know this series will be well liked by others!













"I received this book from Kregel for free in exchange for an honest review."

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series. Neil has been trying to make his way as curate. Over the three books, he has grown into his ministry. And he has found love. I think the best part of the book is all of the characters. There are quirky ones and everyday ones. There are people who serve the parish selfishly and others who need recognition. There are sweet ones and grouchy ones. In other words, just like in every church. There is a mom escaping from an abusive husband and a little girl who sees an angel. The book is a delight to read.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1zeK4KB.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The new curate in a cosy English parish tries to secure his engagement and settle in to the job without offending any flower arrangers.

We get some moral dilemmas when his fiancée's past boyfriend returns, having dumped her and left her to bring up their child. Another issue is the Reverend counselling a battered wife and nearly getting her killed by telling her, sure it will be okay.

I found the tale a little tame and without much in the way of nods to modern life, even the cheeky calendar being old hat at this stage. Still, you could buy the book for your granny.

[Beth Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the 3rd in the Dunbridge Chronicles series. Again, I continue to be delighted by the people of the parish of St. Stephens that I have come to know and love over these three books. All things work out just fine in the end, but in between, there is life and death, laughter and tears, heartache and rejoicing, just as it is in a real life church. Another good read - I look forward to reading the fourth one when it comes!

[Keith Beasley-Topliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pam Rhodes brings the story of Neil Fisher, CofE curate, to a satisfying conclusion with most loose ends tied up nicely. A number of sub-stories of forgiveness and redemption that seemed a little too easy and some of the resolutions had been telegraphed way ahead. But it was fun to look at someone else's parish problems (and make many of my own seem small).

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WIN.

Enid Blyton for grown-ups - that peculiar combination of quaint, anodyne, and moralistic, which I find gets dull rather quickly.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Bindee · Rating 3 out of 5]

refreshing and easy read. made me feel like I wanted to be a part of the parish.

[Suzanne]

The end of the Dunbrisge trilogy - nothing heavy, just delightful, easy reading