A SWEET HAVEN HOMECOMING is the second book in a trilogy, and I loved this book. Courtney Walsh has written a heartfelt story of five friends and the summer they spend in the small town of Sweethaven. Courtney Walsh creates these characters in such a way, you feel that your in the story right along side of them.

Meghan is a country music star and a recovering alcoholic who heads home to Sweethaven when she suspects that her ex- husband is trying to gain full custody of their children. Although, Meghan still carries the heavy weight of shame and guilt from her past in Sweethaven, she must make piece with not only herself, but her children whom she left behind.

Sometimes she feels the best way to protect her kids is to stay away from them because she is such a bad mother in her eyes. Her best friend hasn't spoken to her in six years, and won't forgive Meghan for the past. Can anyone love her just as she is?

Campbell is a young woman who comes back to Sweethaven filled with dreams of the perfect summer of spending time with her boyfriend, Luke, who is also Meghan's brother. Campbell's mom had passed away a few months back, so Campbell has become very close to her mom's friends. They will continue scrapbooking together as her mom had done many years ago.

When she arrives in Sweethaven,she finds Luke to be very distant to her and the hurt and doubts start to get to her. After her last visit to Sweethaven, she met a father she never knew, and she wants to spend more time with him, but things are not turning out the way she had expected them to. Will she be able to build a relationship with her grandfather, who disowned his daughter when she became pregnant with Campbell out of wedlock? Why is Luke so preoccupied and not spending any time with her? Does she have a future in Sweethaven?

Adele is Meghan's mother and has been good friends with Campbell's mother. She and her daughter have a very strained relationship. Adele wants to repair that relationship, but seems to always say just the thing to push her daughter further away. She does begin to build a close relationship with Meghan's two children, and begins to repair her relationship with Meghan's ex-husband, who has the kids full-time. She finally asks God to heal their relationship as she has been unable to do it on her own.

In Lila's last visit to Sweethaven, she had some very shocking news of a very tender secret her husband never told her about. She's hurt, broken hearted by this, but she goes back to town for a visit to see her friends and to start scrapbooking again. Her husband Tom does not know it yet, but Lila has filed for divorce. Lila does not feel that she will ever trust Tom again, the hurt is too deep. There is no forgiveness in the future as she sees it. But Tom tries his best to woo her once again. Will she forgive him? Can they reconcile?

Jane is married to a pastor. She is best friends with Meghan, but that relationship is destroyed when her son drowns and she blames it on Meghan. Can she find it in her heart to forgive Meghan? Will they ever be friends again? Jane begins a Bible study with scrapbooking/journaling/prayer books as part of healing or working through emotions. Will her students see through her façade of having it all together? Can she ever forgive Meghan or will she hang on to her bitterness?

Most of these characters deal with issues of guilt, shame, regret, bitterness, mercy, love, forgiveness, and other emotions. Thank you Courtney Walsh for giving readers another one of your great works.