"On Love's Gentle Shore" Book Review

"On Love's Gentle Shore" was a lovely tale of a woman forced to return to her childhood haunts because her fiance surprised her with wedding plans in the town of her youth. Little does he know this town seems to hold nothing but bad memories. Fortunately, along with way, truth is revealed. The dark secrets seem darker but the bright spots are brighter. Plus, she now needs to decide whether to marry her safe fiance or recommit to the beau of her youth. One she left on very bad terms I might add.

Okay, admittedly there are a number of parts of this book that are hardly believable - like a fiance being dense enough to not see that he's essentially handing over his girl to a better man.  Or that a town would hold a grudge towards a young girl for over a decade. But all in all, I enjoyed reading this book.  Maybe it's because I too was born and raised in the Maritimes but I could easily relate to the heroine soaking in the healing salty air.

There was nothing about this book that a reader would need to be wary of, no smut, profanity etc.  Just a good old fashioned romance story about two young loves who parted ways over a misunderstanding. Oh and who also find themselves in the process.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"A Name Unknown" Book Review

Christian writers, editors, and publishers I beg you please stop!  How many Christian romances have  the most godly person around fall in love with a non-believer? Someone that dedicated to following the Lord would not, or at least should not, be getting involved with someone who doesn't share their faith. Yet over and over 'missionary dating' all works out in these novels. Occasionally it does in real life too but I've seen enough heartache to know that it's not the normal outcome of such relationships.  Unfortunately "A Name Unknown" by Roseanna M. White followed the same outline. Godly man + ungodly woman = happily ever after.

Now to be fair, the woman in this book, Rosemary, has had a brutal life and wants to believe. Plus the godly man, Peter, writes her many letters explaining God's love before getting involved romantically. However, the issue remains.

As for the book itself, it took me a couple of chapters to care about any of the characters and even decide whether it was worthwhile to finish it. I'm glad I did though. I didn't see the ending coming. Well, parts of it. And the further along the book went, the better it got. Although to be truthful, it almost seemed like the author only had so many pages and used up too many at the beginning. All the action was jammed into the last few pages. It felt like the climax could have been expanded and the beginning condensed. I wouldn't let this shy you away from reading "A Name Unknown". It was enjoyable and the ending left me satisfied.

One aspect about this book that I loved was how the author used it as a platform to help the reader see the world through the eyes of the destitute. How do people end up on the streets or working as pickpockets at an early age? I have often said, "No one hopes to be a prostitute when they are 5. Something happens." and we should all try to find a little more compassion and understanding in our hearts towards those who have had a far harder go of it than ourselves. I applaud you Ms. White for using your public platform to make a difference.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

"Under the Summer Sky" Book Review

It's going to be hard to write a review on "Under a Summer Sky" without almost giving away the ending. I'll try my best but if you really don't want to know anything other than whether I liked it, I'll give you the short answer here so that you can stop reading.  I liked it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Oh man! The villian in this book had me on edge! Every time author Melody Carlson brought antagonist Amyra into the story, I could feel my own stress levels rise. I could also feel myself getting far more emotionally involved than I normally do when I read a novel and that's likely because the characters were so well written. I cared about their well-being. (kind of silly when you stop and think about it)  Over and over it seems like Amyra is going to destroy everything our heroine, Nicole, has worked for. And yet over and over, (warning - potential spoiler alert) nothing bad happens. It's like everything Nicole touches turns to gold. It certainly played with my emotions to repeatedly come to the precipice only to have it dissolve into a happy world of blessings.

I appreciated how the author didn't let any of the character's poor behavior pass without further exploration of the 'why' behind the 'what'. There's always something motivating mean or erratic people. Understanding why they do what they do makes for an interesting read.

I was left with a number of questions: Why was Nicole given so much responsibility in the first place? What happened after her boss's return? Did the brother she didn't chose find love?

"Under the Summer Sky" was a fun read. It should be noted that while there is no ghosts or supernatural occurrences in the story, because the setting is Savannah, Georgia, ghosts and haunted houses are frequently mentioned.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.