A Home for Her Family

by Virginia Carmichael

Never in a hundred years does Sabrina Martinez expect to meet someone like handsome millionaire Jack Thorne— let alone find him volunteering at the Denver mission where she works. She's grown up in a humble home and is surprised an heir to a fortune could have such a kind and generous heart. But Sabrina can't let anything distract her—not even love. She's battling for custody of her nieces and there's nothing more important than that. Jack wants to help, but the divide between him and Sabrina seems impossibly wide. Can they learn to see past their differences, and give themselves a chance at true love—and a real family?

Genres: Love Inspired, Romance, Christian Fiction, Christian

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Virginia was born near the Rocky Mountains and although she has traveled around the world, the wilds of Colorado run in her veins. A big fan of the wide open sky and all four seasons, she believes in embracing the small moments of everyday life. A home schooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes, those moments usually involve a lot of noise, a lot of mess, or a whole bunch of warm cookies. Virginia holds degrees in Linguistics and Religious Studies from the University of Oregon. She lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Virginia thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book.

Fair warning: I read everything! Well, maybe not erotica and horror, but I do read widely and often. I don't usually review every book I read (more often, I don't review) but my reviews cover everything from children's lit to Christian romance to YA to women's fiction to crime procedurals to mysteries to... you get the idea!

Reviews

[Sam B]

This is a really sweet little romance novel.

I really loved the way the author portrayed the characters. Jack and Sabrina are complete opposites; they come from very different background and family.I love those kind of stories where the characters learn to put their differences aside to pursue a relationship.

Also this book tackles some difficult subjects such as slave labor and single parenting. The way the characters overcome the difficulties they encounter is very inspiring.

Overall a great book and a recommended read!

[Kav]

An eye-opening reality check of a read. Carmichael has created a memorable setting in the Downtown Denver Mission. It creates lots of scope for thought provoking plots dealing with real issues like poverty and prejudice and how they affect families. But the Mission holds a lot of hope too -- in the people who live and work and volunteer there. This is the third book in the series and I loved catching up with characters from the first and second books. No need to have read the other two though, A Home for Her Family is a standalone read. I just get a kick out of catching a glimpse of old friends from previous books.

Jack meets his match when Sabrina walks into his life. They have a great opening scene. Fireworks and laughter. Absolutely perfect. But Jack is a bit too brash, too eager to leap in and fix everything. Sabrina's a whole lot wary and definitely prickly. If she were an animal she'd be a porcupine. Jack would be a cuddly ol' bear. So you can see how a romance between the two might be a wee bit complicated. :-) Luckily I like a healthy does of angst with my romance and that's what the author delivers in this heartwarming love story.

[Stacy]

In addition to the expected personal issues that had to be overcome, there were lots of social issues addressed, which I don't really want in a book that is an "escape" book. It was heavy with social injustice, prejudice, slave labor gangs, homelessness etc. Also, with no epilogue, the story felt incomplete.

[Harlequin Books]

"Sabrina’s commitment to her nieces is inspiring, and having a female mechanic as a heroine is a welcome twist. Prejudices and discrimination are handled deftly" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).

[Lspinkrose]

This book is okay. Sabrina is frustrating, making bad choices that don’t make sense, putting herself in predicaments that she could have easily avoided. Like going with Pancho after she finds out what’s going on or giving her sister her debit card info, even though the author had already established through her POV that her sister is unreliable. Her ungrateful attitude toward Jack when he got her the apartment is also annoying. Another problem with the book is the stereotypes with Hispanic people. Not every Hispanic in the United States is poor, uneducated, undocumented or trapped in slave labor. Look around. There are many of us who are successful, and live here legally.

[Marilyn]

realistic story of how social economic status makes a difference in how individuals are treated by some. Jack and Sabrina’s tale gave way to realizing that the heart is more important and learning from others.

[Barbara Campbell]

Sweet story about a hardworking woman caring for her nieces and a man who has never truly had to work in his life. They are brough together through a local homeless shelter and both learn that certain preconceived notions are not as true as they believed. Can they move pst their differences and focus on what truly important in life?

[Emma]

A Home for Her Family by Virginia Carmichael
The Millionaire and the Mechanic
Never in a hundred years does Sabrina Martinez expect to volunteer at the Downtown Denver Mission with someone like handsome businessman Jack Thorne--let alone become friends with him. She's grown up in a broken home and is even more surprised to discover an heir to a fortune is interested in a girl like her. But Sabrina can't let anything distract her--not even love. She's battling for custody of her nieces and there's nothing more important than that. Jack wants to help, but the divide between him and Sabrina seems impossibly wide. Can they learn to see past their differences, and give themselves a chance at true love--and a real family?
What kind of job does Sabrina have?
what place does Sabrina Martinez volunteer at?‌
how did Sabrina Martinez and Jack Thorne meet ?
Can Sabrina and Jack learn to see past their differences, and give themselves a chance at true love--and a real family?
will Sabrina Martinez and Jack Thorne be more than friends?
who is your favorite character in this story?
And why?
A Home for Her Family by Virginia Carmichael is a wonderful well written 5 stars book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Virginia Carmichael.
I was given a copy of this book by Virginia Carmichael for an honest review.
more books by Virginia Carmichael
Purple Like the West (Colors of Faith) (Volume 2) by Virginia Carmichael
Season of Hope (Love Inspired) by Virginia Carmichael
Leaving Liberty by Virginia Carmichael
Timeless: Historical Romance Through the Ages by Virginia Carmichael, Keta Diablo, Aileen Fish and Linda Ford
Season of Joy
Season of Hope

[Daphne Self]

A 2 star isn't bad. It means it was ok. And the story was ok.
I became a little peeved with how things were handled. I know both spectrum: poverty and wealth.
With the story, Jack seemed more devout in his faith, learning and growing. Sabrina seemed lukewarm. She would pray, but never turn to God for answers, never truly growing.
That is what made this book only ok. The character arc for Sabrina happened at the end of the story. Not the climax of the plot, but her growth.
There were a few more inconsistencies that bothered me, but they are truly trivial.

The writing was sound in some aspects, but it had too much repetition in the first few chapters.
I found myself speed reading through most of the first chapters before I finally settled down to read the middle, and then sped read the last few.

It's an ok book and an ok story, which does stick with for a while after reading.

[Kate]

This was a really quick read for me. I felt connected with the characters quickly, especially with Sabrina, who was trying to make sure her nieces did not have the disordered upbringing that she and her sister had had. I liked how both Jack and Sabrina learned from each other and became better people because of the influence of the other.

[Harlequin Books]

received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews