Cutoffs and Mary Janes

Straw Hats and Old Lace Book Three

A woman reads to her daughter, and a fireman walks away, all on the cover of Cutoffs and Mary Janes

She burned some bridges…

Laurel was the club member who got away, leaving town at graduation with a whole lot of anger behind her. Now, eight years later, she’s back with her little daughter, hoping for forgiveness, because she has nowhere else to go. Her friends take her back, but she’s waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Byron is the straightlaced town librarian as well as a reckless volunteer fireman. He’s suspicious of the attentions of lovely single mom Laurel, especially since she prefers his firefighter persona over his boring librarian self. What happens when she tires of the man who loves books and raises chickens and lives a quiet life?

When she offers to help him plan some fundraisers for the library, they discover they might not see themselves—or one another—clearly, and God might have some work ahead to reach their hearts and souls. Unfortunately, a few dangerous fires, related to the murder at their friends’ inn, might destroy everything before it begins.

Book three of Straw Hats and Old Lace, a series of contemporary Christian romance and mystery novellas.

Jill's Notes

  • Laurel was fun to write because she’s nothing like me. I got to pretend to be a bold, brash, speaks-her-mind kind of person. Then I got to dig into her softer parts.
  • Byron has chickens in his backyard. A few years ago, I did, too. I loved fresh eggs and just the comfort of living things around, but I don’t miss going out in the freezing cold to feed them.
  • I got to research firefighting for this book. I am not brave enough to be a firefighter, for sure. I was barely brave enough to read about it.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story... Ps. 107:2a NIV