The Dressmaker, Bookish Thoughts, and Jane Eyre

Hello, friends! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! Can you believe it is already October? The year has flown by for me, but I'm looking forward to cooler weather, autumn leaves, and curling up with a good book and a blanket :)

I have one important announcement for today. The second book in my Ladies of Roderick Glen series, The Dressmaker, releases on Nov. 2, exactly one month from today!!! I am a wee bit excited, if you couldn't tell ;) Marigold is one of my favorite characters in the series and I can't wait for you to read her story! The ebook is up for preorder now on Amazon and it will also be available on Kindle Unlimited and paperback after release. I hope you'll check it out!

I also hope you've been reading some fabulous books lately! Do you read one book at a time, or do you like to juggle several at once? I used to read only one at a time, but the last year or so I have begun to read three, four, or sometimes even five at a time. I like doing this because it helps me get through more books at a faster pace. Also, if I get bored with one genre, I can just pick up one of my other current reads and switch to a different one. Mostly, I love reading several books at once because it allows me to reread old favorites. I never had time to reread before, because I was always focused on a book I hadn't yet read.

Anyway, all that to say, I have been rereading Jane Eyre the past couple of weeks. It's the first time in probably a decade that I've read it, but I still love it as much as I did before. In fact, I think I love it even more.

Maybe it's because I'm older now and understand some things I didn't before, but I identify with Jane in a lot of ways. And Mr. Rochester! Need I say more? He is described as a physically ugly man, but that hardly seems to matter. He sees Jane for who she really is and loves her unconditionally. She, in turn, does the same for him. In my opinion, that is the most beautiful type of love story, the kind where each person accepts and loves each other regardless of flaws and imperfections.

It reminds me of another love story, one that can be ours if we will only choose to accept it. We may feel like Jane Eyre--unwanted, unloved, and abused. We may feel like Mr. Rochester--haunted by the mistakes of our past and the ugliness that stains our souls. The beauty in this story is that we don't have to stay that way. No matter our faults or what we have done, God loves us, anyway. He will never abandon us. He will never let us down. And no matter our circumstances, He can and will give us the strength to get through any situation.

This has been a difficult year, and if you're feeling lost and alone, please know that you're not.

God sees you for who you are, and He loves you unconditionally.

All you have to do is accept His gift and you'll experience more love and acceptance than you've ever dreamed.

And that is a story even better than Jane Eyre.