About
the book:
This
novel is a continuation of the Christiansen family saga. In When I Fall in Love, Casper and his brother Owen had a physical confrontation.
Owen left for parts unknown. Casper, an aspiring archaeologist, took
a job “treasure hunting” in Honduras. All during that time he
could not get Raina out of his mind. He returns to Minnesota to face
his feelings for her but when he does, he is shocked. Raina is
pregnant with someone else's baby.
Casper
concentrates on helping his older brother, Darek, prepare for the
reopening of their family's resort (which was damaged greatly from a
forest fire in Take a Chance on Me.) But he keeps on running
into Raina and his feelings will just not go away. They establish a
tentative friendship as they both investigate a mystery in the
history of the area. Casper's life gets unbearably complex when Raina
begins dating a man Casper dislikes and Darek is on edge due to
costly repairs from the harsh Minnesota winter.
My
review:
Warren's
novels are always so much more than a simple romance. She deals with
complicated issues and this novel is full of them, concentrating on
Casper. He must deal with his anger toward his absent brother for his
involvement in Raina's life. He has to face his own feelings for
Raina when she seems to be shunning him. He has to face Darek's wrath
as the resort struggles financially. We are able to get into Casper's
mind as Warren shares much of his inner struggles.
We
also share some of Darek's struggles in running the resort while his
parents are away (a vacation planned in Evergreen). His wife
is about to give birth and Darek is overwhelmed with the pressures he
feels.
This
is not a nice, tidy Christian romance. Raina struggles with the
mistake she made, the impossible task of being a single parent, and
the recurring thoughts that God does not love her. Casper struggles
with forgiveness and his own feelings of failure. Darek is convinced
he will be the ruin of the family resort. Each of these three must
overcome mistakes to be the people God has designed them to be.
This
novel is a bit longer than most Christian novels. Much of that is
getting in the mind of the characters. Readers who like to be privy
to the mental struggles of individuals will enjoy this novel.
For
me, the most rewarding aspect of this novel is the family
relationship. The family members are loyal to each other, each
helping the others in their time of need. Even though some have
married and are away from the resort, when a need arises, they are
right there. The only one not benefiting from this family loyalty is
Owen. I am sure that is fuel for a future novel.
While
this is part of a series about the Christiansen family, Warren
provides enough background information throughout the book that I
think one could enjoyably read it without having read the previous
novels.
Susan
May Warren is the bestselling, Christy and RITA Award-winning
author of more than forty novels. She served with her husband and
their four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years. She
now writes full time as her husband runs a resort on Lake Superior in
northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. Find out more at
www.susanmaywarren.com.
Tyndale
House, 400 pages.
Others
in the series:
Take
a Chance on Me
Evergreen
(novella)
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for
the purpose of an independent and honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment