BOOK REVIEW: Willows on the Windrush by Doris Elaine Fell

If you prefer your romances so steamy that the pages blister your fingers, then read no further. If you enjoy being preached at (which seems to be the norm in inspirational fiction), then keep surfing. Willows on the Windrush performs neither function.
 
Thank God.

Thirty-year-old Sydney Barrington possesses everything: beauty, intelligence, wealth, suitors lined up around the block, and a promising career as CEO of her late father's defense contracting corporation. Yet the father-shaped hole in her heart silently mocks her worldly success.

The unexpected inheritance of Broadshire Manor in England's picturesque Cotswolds district jars Syd from her routine. But something seems decidedly amiss when the executor insists that the manor must be sold to settle the deceased's debts, and that Syd need not trouble herself to travel to England to effect the transaction.

The lawyer may as well have unfurled a scarlet hanky. The indomitable Sydney bulls her way across the Pond to investigate the matter firsthand. She arrives to find the quaint hamlet of Stow-on-the-Woodland, over which Broadshire Manor presides, deceptively quiet. The shady solicitor and his tourism plans for Broadshire drop to the bottom of Syd's priorities as she discovers war orphans, elderly invalids, a convoluted line of succession for the manor and a nest of IRA sympathizers.

To say nothing of the dashing but anguished English Harrier pilot, who must overcome his personal demons before he can even contemplate bestowing his affections on anyone else.

Does "love conquer all" in Willows on the Windrush? Well, not exactly -- and that's exactly why I like this book. Sure, the guy gets the girl. No spoiler there; it wouldn't be a romance otherwise. But their path to happiness lurches through plenty of thorny issues and ambiguities. In that respect, Fell's work comes closer to portraying real life than many romance authors. For that, I enthusiastically applaud her.

From a technical standpoint, I thought some of the flashbacks could have been handled a bit more smoothly, especially since the book set off some -- but not all -- of the flashbacks in italics. Also, I would have preferred a clearer explanation of how Sydney became the designated heiress, since the inheritance doesn't make sense once all the facts come to light. 

However, if your definition of a good read includes intrigue and drama, with well-drawn characters whose faith -- or lack thereof -- drives their actions and decisions without being preachy, then I invite you to spread your picnic blanket under the Willows on the Windrush for a pleasant diversion.

(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

BOOK REVIEW: Mother's Day Miracle by Lois Richer

Mother's Day Miracle by Lois Richer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The inspirational romance Mother's Day Miracle centers on a contemporary marriage of convenience between a lonely, thirty-something spinster and a Cree Indian with legal guardianship of his late sister's school-age children. But in spite of the characters' intriguing situation, I consider the true miracle to be the fact that I managed to finish the book.

Left at the altar years before, mild-mannered librarian Clarissa Cartwright finds her emotional scars re-opened by a friend's wedding. Back at the library, Clarissa prays for a husband and children to love. No sooner does the prayer leave her mouth than in strides the dashing Wade Featherhawk, looking for a book for his bird-loving "son."

Seeking to make a new start, Wade and his four rambunctious charges moved into town in Clarissa's absence. But that didn't stop the well-intentioned busybodies of their tiny Michigan town from matchmaking. Predictably, Wade wants no part in the process. But rather than clamming up or avoiding Clarissa once she introduces herself, he broadsides her with a verbal barrage designed to convince her he doesn't need a wife.

Wade's behavior in the opening scene seemed so contrary to my understanding of the Male Animal that I bounced it off my live-in expert. He concurred. Most men in similar circumstances wouldn't behave this way no matter how much pent-up frustration and anger they harbor. Realizing that it sometimes takes an author a few scenes to hit stride with a character, I kept reading, hoping to see improvement. I never did. Clarissa's friends and her internal monologue paint Wade as "the strong, silent type," but he never acts the part. Richer also fails to provide any description of his Cree heritage other than vague references to "the reservation." Richer could've just as easily labeled him a Sioux or Cherokee, for all the difference it would have made to the story.

Clarissa's portrayal doesn't fare much better. Aside from a nice scene where she "stands by her man," her actions and reactions feel less like a real person's than a puppet's. Clarissa and Wade intrepidly cross the threshold of matrimony to prevent the town's Chief Busybody from filing a petition to put Wade's nieces and nephews into foster care. But the couple's subsequent attempts to heal their wounded pasts and make the marriage work never quite ring true. Usually, it takes years to develop the depth of mutual trust necessary for a strong marriage, but Wade and Clarissa accomplish this feat in mere weeks. Maybe that's the miracle, but I didn't find it too believable.

I give Richer a point for her depiction of the children as unique and endearing individuals without having them steal the show, as sometimes happens with blended-family romances. Another half-point goes for technical skill in handling the characters' viewpoints, even though I didn't agree with their psychological makeup. All things considered, I've endured far worse tortures in recent weeks. Just check the archives.

(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

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BOOK REVIEW: Blue Mist on the Danube by Doris Elaine Fell

Blue Mist on the Danube by Doris Elaine Fell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vienna, Bosnia, Los Angeles.
The past, the present, the future.
Alabama, Prague, London.
One-two-three, one-two-three. The author waltzes between the glamorous and the mundane and the uplifting like the cadence of a favorite Strauss piece, and most of the time just as quickly.

Hardly a straightforward "boy meets girl" type of romance, halfway through the book I found myself wondering why the publisher labeled it a romance at all, let alone an inspirational one. The central plot concerns two middle-aged women, one a world-renowned Czeckoslovakian concert violinist and the other the American wife of a successful pastor, united by the gifted young man they both call "son."

Through a quirk of fate, the young man isn't the only thing they share. Both women harbor devastating secrets. In fact, everyone involved with this unlikely threesome hides something. Clandestine affairs, aborted babies, terminal illness, stolen art masterpieces, undisclosed occupations, unrequited love, guilt, shame, despair -- a veritable transcontinental Peyton Place.

The very human tendency to refuse to come to grips with past mistakes serves as the villain of Blue Mist on the Danube. We tend to be our own worst critics, and forgiveness -- of others as well as self -- comprises this unusual novel's orchestrated refrain. The unique way in which each character vanquishes this intangible villain I leave you to discover.

True to the tradition of 20th century romantic fiction, the final stanza features a happy, if bittersweet ending. But don't forget a comfortable pair of dancing shoes. As Fell whirls you from the present to the past, and flashbacks within flashbacks, to spin back out to the present and beyond, it makes for a blistering read without them.

(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

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BOOK REVIEW: Brides and Blessings by Molly Noble Bull

Brides and Blessings by Molly Bull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes opposites attract and sometimes they don't. Author Molly Noble Bull treats us to a glimpse of both realities in the inspirational romance Brides and Blessings. Identical twin sisters, separated since birth, discover life to be anything but a Patty Duke episode when they reunite and decide to switch places for six months in this engaging romp through Hollywood and a rural Texas town.

Mild-mannered, born-again Holly Harmon only has her sister's spiritual welfare in mind when she proposes the madcap switch. Holly senses the notoriously worldly Suzann Condry will benefit from time spent away from unforgiving cameras and sundry Tinsel Town temptations. Although understandably nervous about stepping into the designer shoes of a world-renowned actress, Holly finds an unlikely ally in Suzann's agent's brother, Dr. Shawn McDowell. And Holly discovers to her delight that not every Hollywood denizen is a callous phony who considers the concept of love as transient as a movie set. Shawn's love becomes Holly's lifeline in opening galas, hospital rooms, commercial shoots, and everywhere else those expensive borrowed shoes take her.

For sophisticated, glamorous Suzann, her role as the mousy church librarian promises to be her greatest challenge ever. However, little does Suzann realize the "script" also includes a devastatingly handsome "co-star" in the form of the church's newly hired youth pastor, Josh Gallagher.

Suzann struggles with her burgeoning feelings for this man, fighting deep-seated beliefs that God does not exist and that no one can possibly be as authentic as they appear. Besides, how can the wholesome, gentlemanly Josh continue to love her after Suzann confesses her deception? The process of coming to terms with this turmoil, further fueled by anxiety over a close escape from a mugger, propels Suzann closer to developing trust in Josh and other church members and, ultimately, in God.

Even though the ending for both sisters feels somewhat rushed, it proves a happy one on all accounts: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I only regret the book didn't afford a longer escape from the pressures of daily life.

(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

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BOOK REVIEW: Daddy's Home by Deb Kastner

Daddy's Home by Deb Kastner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What do you get when you cross a lady doctor with her dying sister, sister's newborn infant and estranged husband (to whom the doctor had been engaged) and subject the result to the merciless scrutiny of Smalltown, USA? You get the inspirational romance Daddy's Home, an exercise in the adage that appearances certainly can deceive.

Dr. Jasmine Enderlin once loved Christopher Jordan wholeheartedly. But he betrayed her by marrying her sister, then abandoning his pregnant bride. Nevertheless, Jasmine forgives her sister's role in the betrayal, and when her sister dies, Jasmine embraces the opportunity to act as her nephew's guardian.

However, Christopher's actions, past as well as present, force Jasmine to question her faith and emotions when the prodigal daddy returns to claim his three-month-old son. Christopher wants to explain his actions, but Jasmine's grief-fueled anger erects a wall that only love can destroy. As discoveries about Christopher's and his late wife's pasts chip away at Jasmine's emotional prison, she learns that the truth can, indeed, set one free.

As with most romances, the characters and their relationships prove the long suit of Daddy's Home. Jasmine, the virginal but tough heroine, struggles to balance the escalating demands of career and motherhood against her crises of grief, faith, and the startling revelation that her love for Christopher never died. Christopher plays the gallant but misunderstood hero who does the wrong things for the right reasons. And, like most romances, this novel is all but devoid of plot. Yet Daddy's Home doesn't require a world-saving plot to be engaging, thought provoking and entertaining.

Sometimes the world needs a gentle reminder that it can indeed be saved one infant -- and one family -- at a time.


(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

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BOOK REVIEW: Never Lie to an Angel by Kate Welsh

Never Lie to an Angel by Kate Welsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had the privilege of judging this book for a contest shortly after it was published, and it is the most outstanding example of Christian fiction I have read to date. Excellent action, well-drawn characters, and a good message without being preachy. That last point, in fact, is the make-or-break with me in this genre.

My original review, published in Crescent Blues and reprinted here with permission, read as follows:

Author Kate Welsh accomplished two things with this inspirational romance: she shattered my inherent dislike of contemporary crime stories and kept me up way past my bedtime. Each one deserves a hearty round of applause. To achieve both in one novel is nothing short of miraculous.

Angelica DeVoe sacrificed the good wishes of her socially elite family to minister to the destitute flooding the North Riverside Mission. Appalled by her life choices and personal commitment to the hungry, Angelica's parents conspire to deprive Angelica of the fortune willed to her by her beloved grandmother -- a fortune earmarked for the mission.

Undercover cop Greg Peterson vowed to avenge the deaths of his brother and partner by doing everything in his power to rid Riverside of drug traffic. Greg bears a burden of guilt heavy enough for any six human beings.

The paths of cop and "Angel" converge during Greg's investigation to determine whether the "Angel of North Riverside" is in fact the local drug kingpin. Greg establishes Angelica's innocence quickly, realizing her zeal to save their corner of Pennsylvania burns as fervently as his. As kindred spirits united in a common cause, they cannot deny their growing physical attraction for each another. But neither innocence nor love can shield them from the drug-spun web of violence and corruption ensnaring local residents, gang members, police and beyond.

Often in romances, the plot would dry up and blow away if the hero and heroine ever sat down and talked with each other at the outset. Not so with Never Lie to an Angel. Greg cannot blow his cover, even with his Angel, and, knowing how deeply she despises lies, he despises himself for perpetuating the deceit. Angelica tries to draw him out, and he divulges what he can, but those snippets are, at best, half-truths. And the flip side of every half-truth is half a lie.

Welsh pulls no punches with her stunning portrayal of real people battling real issues of violence, deception, betrayal, failure, guilt, temptation, forgiveness, faith, hope and love. The main characters' riveting outer and inner battles hit painfully close to home. Nothing comes easily, even for those choosing to make life-transforming decisions. Never does Welsh rely upon the fairy-tale platitude of "love conquers all." All too often, love needs a generous dose of courage to look beyond the ugliness around us, in each other, and within ourselves. Thank you, Kate Welsh, for reminding us the ugliness can be dealt with in a decisive, practical and ultimately redeeming manner.

(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

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BOOK REVIEW: The Dad Next Door by Virginia Myers

The Dad Next Door by Virginia Myers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it" describes the theme of this offering in the Love Inspired line of inspirational romances.

Kate Graham, the plain-jane widow and mother of two elementary-age children, draws 12-year-old Raymond, son of "the dad next door," under her wing. Raymond suffers from the break-up of his parents' marriage at the instigation of his self-absorbed mother, and Kate resolves to give the sensitive boy some semblance of stability. Raymond's dashing dad, Ian McAllister, deeply appreciates Kate's assistance, since his job takes him out of town far more often than he likes. In typical male fashion, Ian has no clue that he has stolen Kate's heart.

Enter Raymond's mother, Marsha, and her new husband, who possesses "half the money on the planet," to contest the custody agreement that placed Raymond into his father's care. A child of a dysfunctional family himself, Ian recognizes his ex's manipulations and the risks she imposes upon his son's emotional well-being, and he vows not to let her win.

Oblivious to Ian's plight, Kate revamps her image to compete with the beautiful Marsha and attract Ian's notice. Much to Kate's surprise, Ian proposes, and she quickly agrees. But upon returning from their idyllic Hawaiian honeymoon, Kate learns that her husband tricked her into a marriage of convenience to block Marsha's counter-suit and protect the interests of his son. Kate must learn to deal with her heartbreak and help create a loving home for Raymond and her own children.

I don't much care to read about a victim-heroine who spends half the book wallowing in self-pity before deciding to grow a backbone. In fact, only the drama of the custody battle kept me turning the pages, even though I knew that, by definition, Kate and Ian would live happily ever after. If you blink, you'll miss the romance elements altogether. However, I do applaud the author's subtle blending in of the inspirational elements to avoid being preachy.

If you like your romantic fiction extra-mild, with a super-sized order of adolescent pathos on the side, this book just might be for you.

(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)

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