Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

When Cardinals Appear by Katie Eagan Schenck is a good, old-fashioned love story that will tug at readers’ heartstrings. Lanie McAllister is struggling to deal with her mother’s early death from cancer. She’d moved away from their hometown of Cedar Haven to Seattle, to study teaching emotionally and educationally challenged children. The move had resulted in the breakup of her and her high school sweetheart, Nate, but she had since moved on, entering a long-term relationship with James. Now that she had her Master’s degree, she and James planned to live together in California, where Lanie had accepted a job teaching in a school that specialized in children with difficulties and James had transferred from his company’s Seattle office. But now she was back in Cedar Haven. Named by her mother to be the executor of the estate, Lanie must organize the selling of their family home and other possessions. Can Lanie cope with the deep emotional trauma of losing her mother, as well as the likelihood of running into Nate again in this small town?

When Cardinals Appear is an absolute joy to read. I do love a good love story, especially one that has a myriad of backstories and character development and this book fits the bill perfectly. Author Katie Eagan Schenck has created a multifaceted character in Lanie who has strength, depth, and courage which is equally balanced by her vulnerability, uncertainty, and seeming inability to control her destiny. I particularly appreciated her doubts as well as frustrations with the realization that all the people she loved in life seemed determined to control her future and direction, without any regard to what she truly wanted. The irony was, of course, that she didn’t know what she truly wanted because she had been following her mother’s exhortations to get away from Cedar Haven and never settle for less than she deserved. What I found so refreshing, despite it being an oft-told tale, was Lanie’s willingness to embrace her feelings once she finally permitted herself to have legitimate feelings, desires, and aspirations of her own. Everyone, it seemed had an opinion on what was best for Lanie, except for Lanie herself and this was perfectly expressed in the character of her father who struggled to understand why a life in Cedar Haven shouldn’t be good enough for anyone. Every so often, we need a bit of lightness, happiness, and love in our reading and this book fills that need exceptionally well. I loved this book and highly recommend it.