The Renewal: Midlands Building

Project Restoration #2

by Terri Kraus

Newly divorced Leslie Ruskin moves into her new home with her five-year-old daughter, but the old place needs a lot of work, and her master carpenter battles past failures and a drinking problem.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian

384 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little long, but loved the dairy entrys of the great, great, great, grandmother that gave council, guidance, and someone for Leslie to identify with. Leslie is a single, divorced mother of a 5 year old girl, who is trying to make a fresh start from her controlling, demeaning ex-husband. She is trying to overcome her thought weakness with panic attacks and in doing so has come to learn to trust in God and his faithfulness. She buys the Midland building, 3 apartments and a lower level storage area and hires a contractor, Jack Kenyon, you is also starting over in a new job pursuit and well as life after the deaths of his wife and daughter. They both work through their problems and come together to start over as he renovates the building and they renovate their lives.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real characters with real life struggles. Jack is struggling to overcome something big in his life. He thinks he can do it on his own. Leslie has her own personal conflicts. She is unsure of herself and learns to ask questions. They are not your six-figure income individuals with power careers. Neither of them are folks who have it all together, making this a fantastic story. I can't believe how great these two books are! Not only are buildings being restored but also lives. I'm looking forward to the next "Project Restoration" novel. I like this, the 2nd in the series, more even than the first.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good read, entertaining. More layers than most Christian romantic fiction that I usually read, which made it more engaging. I liked the correlation that the author used of the spiritual rehabilitation taking place even as the building was restored. And I liked the feeling of reality that the author was able to give her characters--one a recovering alcoholic and the other a victim of panic attacks. Overall, I think this is one of the better Christian fictions I've read in the past few months.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I've read this book, but I remember enjoying it. I liked the first & second book of this series much better than the third.

[SUE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Leslie's great,great,great,grandmother owned a house in Butler and it turns out that Leslie bought the house not knowing that it was in the family so many years ago. She owns a diary form the grandmother and in doing restorations on the old house Leslie finds a bible from the 4 generation grandmother.

[reneeNaDaCherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Renewal: Midlands Building (A Project Restoration #2)

Truly relatable and an enjoyable read. Being a lover of history helped me to imagine my great-great-great grandmother and what her life could have been like. I highly recommend the three 📚 in this series. I gave it a 4**** rating.

[Scott Jongsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Restoration of lives

The story intertwined the restoration of a building with the restoration of two lives. Close to a 4. Showed there need to let go and let God take control of their lives. Enjoyed the book.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author had you wondering which direction she would go.

Was there going to be a court battle, would she play it safe? I like the fact i could not predict the ending. I enjoyed t he ending also.

[Linda Timmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

This book had it all. Romance, courage, God and the healing that He offers to all of us. I loved the suspense of the old door and what might be behind it.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean Reading

Great story; wonderful characters; realistic look at life's struggles and the way God answers prayer and carries our burdens giving us strength to overcome.

[Kerry van der Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story of renewal

A story with real characters that grow and mature as their stories are told. Throughly enjoyable and pleasant story to read.

[Daisy Muriro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read.


Great read. It's a lovely,clean ,easy to read book. One you can read in one day. I enjoyed reading it.

[Heidi Matheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. The weaving of the old diary entries with the modern world works really well. Looking forward to book 3.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a series. I love these small-town romances where the characters are in need of healing and finding the courage to move forward.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book in the series! I struggled through the first one, but had all three and wanted to at least give the other two a chance. I accidentally read the third one next (and frankly felt like the main character was either in the wrong century or had some mental deficiencies), and half-heartedly decided to read the first chapter in this one.

THIS is proof that Ms. Kraus can tell a wonderful story with well-developed characters. I love that it's a Christian novel - and even has elements of romance - but the characters are dealing with real world issues, such as divorce, custody disputes, alcoholism and panic attacks. Yes, there are elements of faith present, but not in a clunky, preachy way. The mystery element is very weak - the locked room isn't all that interesting, and I felt the ending was a bit rushed, which is why I can't give it 5 stars.

Overall, though, this is a great book, and honestly the only one in this trilogy that I would recommend (and it works fine as a stand-alone).

[Afton Rorvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series, and the one I enjoyed the most. Author Terri Kraus has a keen eye for detail and a sharp wit. I underlined several sentences just because I enjoyed the way the words connected. I've never read a novel with such a vivid description of a woman suffering from panic attacks. My heart ached as I read of Leslie's struggles. And I had to keep reading to see how she navigated her challenging life.

[Deb Brammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this entire book, but never got more than slightly interested in it. Heavy description weighs it down, and the letters from her grandmother don't really add anything. I feel the salvation experiences are weak too. In spite of that, it's a pleasant read about a mother fighting to keep her child and a man struggling with addiction to alcohol.

[Dona R. Gant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired reading!

A great story line with enough description to make you feel as if you are there with the characters. Sound truths are as real today as when they were first ordained. A great read with an uplifting story line.

[Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between 3-4 stars.

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the interweaving of the restoration of their spiritual lives with the restoration of the building, and I enjoyed the connection with a previous generation through the diary and Bible.