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The Ties That Bind: Family Ties - Book One Kindle Edition

by Jansen Schmidt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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Shiloh Ferguson returns to Twisted Fork, Arizona with one mission: bury her estranged father and get out of town as fast as possible. But nothing goes according to plan from the moment she crosses the state line. While her childhood home is as forlorn as she remembers, the arrival of Deputy Luke Wainwright is nothing at all like her teenage memory.

Luke Wainwright is doing his best as a single parent to provide a stable home for his special needs daughter. While patrolling the outskirts of town, he sees an unfamiliar car in the driveway of the recently uninhabited Ferguson Ranch. Expecting to thwart a robbery in progress, he enters the home and runs smack dab into a grown-up version of the adolescent rebel he'd unwittingly admired ten years earlier.

Before Shiloh can escape Twisted Fork, a shocking revelation about her father and a horrifying family secret come to light. An unexpected inheritance and a growing attraction to Luke, leave Shiloh emotionally conflicted about her family, her future, and whether or not to honor a dead man's bequest.
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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 2
    Family Ties
  2. Print length
    390 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    August 4, 2022
  6. File size
    1410 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

★★★★★ - A thrilling romance novel. - Literary Titan

"The Ties That Bind (Book One in the Family Ties series) by Jansen Schmidt is a thrilling romance novel that follows a woman on a journey that leads her to discover family, love, and self-acceptance. Shiloh Ferguson has a notorious reputation for getting into trouble with the law. She returns to her hometown of Twisted Fork, Arizona after leaving ten years ago. With a thief on the loose, and very few people willing to give her a chance at building a new name for herself, she finds herself having multiple encounters with a cop, Luke Wainwright, who used to bail her out of trouble a decade ago. Following the funeral of her estranged father, and the emotional tug-of-war with her sisters, Shiloh is reminded yet again why coming back home was not a good idea. After getting an inheritance she didn't know about, Shiloh is torn between saving the livelihoods of the people of Twisted Fork whom she believed hated her, or escaping the decade-long traumatic events the town kept reminding her of. But, a love she felt inadequate to receive found her, further conflicting her.

Author Jansen Schmidt has taken the everyday lives of regular people and gave them a unique allure that is bound to keep readers glued to the pages of this exhilarating love story. She skillfully balances seductive romance with action-packed scenes. This is the main reason why I kept coming back to this book time and time again. The sweet emotionality of some scenes juxtaposed with the suspenseful action made for a unique read.

The Ties That Bind takes readers through the emotional spectrum - anger, fear, frustration, joy, understanding, and excitement. It circles around some heavy subject matter such as abandonment and loss, but it's all handled with an authenticity that feels genuine and thoughtful. The development of well-rounded characters, beyond the hero and heroine, with their own motives jolts you back to reality and casts out the typical utopian universe that is characteristic of most romance novels. Also, the perceptive and positive manner in which Schmidt handled the subject of mental illness and tending to people with special needs is also quite insightful, even instructive.

Letting go of certain trauma is never easy. By artfully telling the story of Luke Wainwright and Shiloh Ferguson, Schmidt entertains while offering a way to find love and acceptance of self and others, even healing from your trauma like the heroine." - Literary Titan

About the Author

I write women's fiction, mystery and romance. I moved from the Sierra Nevada foothills to the enchanting town of Vicksburg, Mississippi where my husband and I are now innkeepers at our fabulous new home: the Baer House Inn. I am a Disney fanatic and lover of all things sparkly. I love reading all romance, thrillers, mysteries, biographies and anything else that's well written and captivating. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B761X8K7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ BookBaby; 1st edition (August 4, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 4, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1410 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 390 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

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Jansen Schmidt

Jansen Schmidt

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I am an award-winning author of women’s fiction and romance. My debut novel On Common Ground was a finalist in the Great Beginnings Contest sponsored by the Utah chapter of Romance Writers of America and earned a 5-Star Readers’ Favorite Award. The first two books in the Grounded Series garnered prestigious Readers' Crowned Heart Awards from InD’Tale Magazine and The Ties That Bind, Book One in the Family Ties Series, earned the Literary Titan Gold Award. My latest release, Broken Ties, the second installment of the Family Ties Series, also received a coveted 5-Star Readers' Favorite award.

My husband and I moved to historic Vicksburg, Mississippi in 2015, where we own and operate a lovely Victorian B&B. I never pass up a good meal or a good theater production. In my free time I enjoy cruising and trips to Disney World. I love reading romance, thrillers, mysteries, biographies and anything that’s well written and captivating.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
12 global ratings
Amazing Book! 10 out of 10!! Perfect gift for anyone!
5 Stars
Amazing Book! 10 out of 10!! Perfect gift for anyone!
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Top reviews from the United States

Authors Show Linda
5.0 out of 5 stars A very special story
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
The Ties That Bind is a heartfelt story that addresses a lot of social injustices without appearing preachy. Shiloh had a really traumatic childhood, losing both her mother and her twin brother in a car accident. Luke is raising a special needs daughter on his own and has been looking for just the "right" woman. He finds her in Shiloh, but it will take some convincing to convince to stay in her home town. This is not your run of the mill romance, rather a novel that explores the human condition - not all of it good. I loved book one of the new Family Ties series and am looking forward to reading more by this author.
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Zella
4.0 out of 5 stars Resilient Shiloh
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2023
This book took a few chapters for me to get hooked. The hauntingly beautiful story of healing and resilience was heartwarming.
Shiloh is a woman who has been emotionally abused and neglected through childhood, then suffered a tragic accident. She spends 10 years healing and comes home to face the ghosts of the past with the passing of her father.
Luke is a law enforcement office in Twisted Fork. He has always kept an eye on Shiloh, because she never let others see her kind heart.
This is a clean romance with a lot of family baggage (so relatable).
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B Gallagher
3.0 out of 5 stars Small town trouble and love
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2023
I was given a complementary copy by the author through Voracious Readers Only.
This was a sweet story of families, misunderstandings, loyalty and empathy. Luke, a single dad, raising a special needs daughter, befriends Shiloh and tries to help her fit into her old town. I loved the therapy horses and how much they helped Bailey, a troubled teen. A family was reunited and a new family started.
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Jan W
5.0 out of 5 stars Another winning book from great storyteller Jansen Schmidt!
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
The Ties That Bind will hit home for just about everyone. It seems that all families have their secrets and misunderstandings, and Jansen's character development will make the reader relate to at least one character in this exciting and suspenseful romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in this series.
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M. Lee Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed reading this book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022
Verified Purchase
I liked the sensitive way that Jansen handled the mental health and abuse issues in the first book of this series. I can't wait to read Bailey's story. Well done.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book! 10 out of 10!! Perfect gift for anyone!
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book! 10 out of 10!! Perfect gift for anyone!
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022
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Nancy C.
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that will make you want more
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2023
Jansen Schmidt has written a story that is multilayered and riveting. Her characters are believable and in the end you want to stay with them. It took me a chapter to get into it, but once I did, I had trouble putting it down. I learned a great deal about special needs therapy which was woven well into the story. I agree with another reviewer who said that there were social justice issues, but the reader doesn’t feel that it intrudes, but enhances the story. While it is a “romance story”, it is so much more in its characters and depth. It was a book that I will keep thinking about for some time. I highly recommend it.
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