ON THE WAY TO US by bestselling author Carolyn Brown is actually two reissued stories combined into one book. Each story has somewhat similar plot lines: the search for that one special person selflessly gives and at the end of the day is trustworthy. Trust is a big issue when you have suffered and dealt with nothing but lies. The heart knows what it wants. The brain needs to be convinced. And in ON THE WAY TO US, it is the sense of leaving yourself vulnerable to someone who is not trustworthy that makes it just easier to build a wall around your heart.

The two main characters are Hunter and Mercy, both left with emotional scars that make them wary of relationships. So to protect themselves, they block anything even remotely resembling relationships except with a few close friends. Mercy has aligned herself with a young woman she met in school. Jenny is following a path that has brought her remarkably close to the church as a missionary. It has also given her a partner, Kyle, who is following the same career. Mercy has more or less given control to Jenny with regards to her personal life but now conflicts are arising between these two best friends.

Mercy has many insecurities, most attained by listening to folks who are not kindhearted. Her first meeting with Hunter was less than friendly but these two have quite a bit in common. Where Mercy sees herself as a woman who is too tall and ungraceful to attract many men, especially a good-looking one, Hunter seems to see her in a vastly different light. As he tries to protect Mercy, he sees her as a strong self-confident woman, questioning why she allows folk to demean her.

The second story is also about second chances. The lead characters are reluctant to give love another try. And yet there is no denying that for some reason their lives crossed leaving them to decide if it is not fate. Both need to realize their future is in their hands if only they take a chance.

Fans of Carolyn Brown will certainly enjoy these two tales and for good measure, there is an excerpt for still another of her works. Good old country sense and sensibility abound in ON THE WAY TO US. Add in a bit of faith and tradition and these stories remind us that community is so very vital. No author creates better communities than Carolyn Brown. This author truly writes from her heart and her fans are simply devoted to her.