Wow, Lara Van Hulzen’s writing just keeps getting better and better! Have you checked out her books? I thoroughly enjoyed her Men of Honor series, but Loving Kate, the second book in the Silver Bay series, is definitely my favorite book of hers so far. And don’t you just adore that cover? 🙂 Continue reading
inspirational romance
Excited about Reading: A Reluctant Melody by Sandra Ardoin
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A Reluctant Melody has been on my TBR list since it released in January. But my reading has downshifted significantly lately, and I just found it on my kindle again. Yay! If you enjoy inspirational historical romances with a thread of intrigue, you’re in for a treat! But you might want to read The Yuletide Angel first. Not that it’s a requirement to enjoy A Reluctant Melody, but Angel gives you insight into Kit. And who doesn’t love a glimmer of Christmas in the middle of summer? Just sayin’. 🙂
Here’s a little about the book first.
The Cover Story~
Kit Barnes’ drinking ruined more lives than his own. Now sober, he wants to make amends by opening a mission for drunkards. The most suitable location belongs to Joanna Cranston Stewart, a love from his sordid past and the one person he hurt the most.
A pariah among her peers, Joanna is all too eager to sell her property and flee the rumors that she sent her late husband to an early grave. But she will let the gossips talk and the walls of her rundown property crumble around her before she’ll allow Kit back into her life.
When a blackmailer threatens to reveal her long-held secret, she must choose between trusting Kit or seeing her best friend trapped in an abusive marriage.
Will Joanna risk another betrayal? Or will she find a way through the pain of the past to love and trust again?
Let’s Chat~
Joanna Stewart finds solace playing the piano. Kit Barnes used to find comfort in a bottle, but now his faith guides his life and work. Along with a pastor partner, Kit plans to buy and renovate a house to accommodate other recovering alcoholics. Joanna’s house is perfect for their mission, and Kit might have convinced Joanna to sell her property, except for this…
She would pay into eternity for her lapse in judgment, for loving a man who used her and tossed her aside. Hadn’t her father said as much before he cast her out of his house? If Papa were her this minute, he would remind her again of the sin she’d committed, and the mercy she would never find from the almighty and judgment-prone Creator.
Whoa! You can imagine Joanna’s reaction upon seeing Kit again and the conflict that oozed from the pages! With a benefactor holding a ticking clock, though, Kit had no choice but to convince Joanna to sell. Her continued refusals made him wonder if he hadn’t ran ahead of the Lord’s will. Often, I worry the same thing in my own life.
Favorite quote: “God doesn’t demand perfection from us first, Jo. He perfects us through our faith in Christ.”
A sprinkling of historical tidbits, a trail of intrigue, and the abundance of spiritual nuggets pulled me in every chance I got to read. While I suspected some elements, a few twists surprised me. I appreciated the real battle Kit waged over his addiction, even after being saved, and how his struggle wasn’t easy or glossed over. I generally prefer more sizzle in my romance reads, but because of their disastrous past and the constraints of the time period, I understand the restraint. Overall, though, A Reluctant Melody is a book I will keep in my library, just  to reread and savor those spiritual goodies all over again.
TO PONDER:Â When someone I know struggles with consequences of poor choices, do I extend grace or judgment? Do I offer a listening ear or a cold heart? Am I a help or a hindrance?Â
Disclaimer: I purchased my own copy of AÂ Reluctant Melody. This review is my fair and unbiased opinion, and I was in no way compensated.
Excited about Reading: Her One and Only by Becky Wade
It’s been a year since I devoured a Becky Wade book, so I was excited about reading Her One and Only, the 4th book in the Porter Family series. Here’s a little about the book then let’s chat. 🙂
The Cover Story~
Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, is being pursued by a stalker, so his team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, an agent assigned to him, he’s indignant. How can an attractive young female half his size possibly protect him?
But Dru’s a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt. She’s also ferociously determined to uncover the identity of Gray’s stalker. And she’s just as determined to avoid any kind of romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past. But the closer they get to finding the stalker, the closer they grow to each other. As the danger rises, can Dru and Gray entrust their hearts–and their lives–to one another?
Let’s Chat~
So, let me just start off saying I’m not a huge fan of prologues or books that begin with “3 months earlier” and this book had both. Once I got dates/characters/details situated in my head and waded through a somewhat slow beginning, the quick, witty and sarcastic dialog moved things along at a much faster clip. I laughed out loud at some of Dru’s zingers. Don’t give up!
Although ten years separate Dru from the youngest of her three brothers, she’s determined to prove that she can be as good or better than her siblings. A former Marine (just like them) now an Executive Protective Agent (bodyguard), she’s assigned to protect Gray, the “big football player.” A female bodyguard protecting a big, brawny hero. Quite the twist, don’t you think? Tough and not-at-all-girly, Dru adores her family and spends a lot of time with her quirky elderly neighbor, which makes her totally likable in my opinion.
What’s the last book you read with a twist on the heroine’s profession? What was the twist and did you like it?
NFL star Gray Fowler prefers his dates to be agreeable and warm, totally opposite prickly and disagreeable Dru. But since he’s not keen on his teammates razzing him about being protected by a female, he passes Dru off as his girlfriend. Soon, his thoughts revolve mostly around her, rather than football, and he discovers he likes feisty, strong-willed and direct much more than hero worship. But, Gray…that bet? What were you thinking?? lol.
Because of childhood issues, Gray steers clear of long lasting relationships. When he’s forced to confront his demons, he reveals his “hidden parts” to Dru, definitely a turning point for him. Dru didn’t judge, didn’t think or call him weak; rather, she offered something he needed desperately…all-in protection. Who’d have guessed that a big, hunky football player’s deepest need was protection? But her fierce protectiveness birthed trust.
Dru’s quirky neighbor reinforced and expanded the theme of letting go of your past by forgiving and moving forward. We’re reintroduced to the entire Porter clan and Bo and Meg confront a paralyzing fear. The birth of a foal conveys a subtle faith message.
He (God) wasn’t taking her concerns away. Rather, He was holding her up through them.
The faith element wasn’t in your face, but not bashful, either. Dru struggles with dating a man with questionable faith. Gray drinks and mows through girlfriends, but feels he behaves better than most of his friends. Real (believable) change takes place in both characters throughout the story. Overall, I really enjoyed Her One and Only and I’m looking forward to reading the next book by Wade.
TO PONDER:Â What we show to the world, whether it’s fierceness or confidence or rebellion, often hides deep wounds and/or ferocious fears. When someone reveals those soft spots, doesn’t it almost always change our feelings toward them? What do you think?
Weaving a Legacy of Grace 