Sea Rose Lane by Irene Hannon

This is a delightful novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the opening intersection of two lives going in different directions. How they responded and how their lives changed forever, well, that's the fascinating plot of the novel.

Eric was back in Hope Harbor, his home town. He was there to lick his wounds and regroup. His drive to become a partner in a Portland law firm had come to a screeching halt because of “downsizing.” He had planned to take a few weeks to process this change and prepare to move on.

But his distracted driving caused him to crash into an older pickup, literally. The truck's owner, a female building contractor, was not happy. BJ bristled at Eric's apology. Eric registered the tension coming from her but he couldn't ignore the spark he felt inside. He was later surprised to run into BJ again, this time because she was the contractor on his dad's remodel.

It was fun to see how the lives of Eric and BJ intersected. Eric had to face the possibility of altering his life course. It was the course he had chosen fourteen years ago when he entered law school. BJ had serious hurts from her past she had to overcome to accept the possibility of love again.

Eric and BJ are not the only ones who steal the show. I loved Eleanor, an eighty-eight year old woman who has a giving heart. I loved Charley, the taco vendor who just may be an angel. His insight and advice match the supernatural events that seem to swirl around him. And I really liked Eric's dad. Long a widower, he was having the family home made into a B&B, finally fulfilling a youthful dream in his retirement years.

Although I did not see a discussion guide in the galley I read, there would be much to discuss. A serious issue is the relationship of career and quality of life. Is a high paying job better or is life in a small and serene coastal town? How does one know when altering one's life course is a good decision? When is a relationship more valuable than one's career?

I highly recommend this rewarding Christian romance. It is a great example of people finding meaning in life through what really matters. It is also an example of how God might use the loss of a job to redirect a person toward the life they had really wanted.

This is the second novel about Hope Harbor. You can read my review of the first one here. This novel reads well on its own but why miss the pleasure of reading the first one?

Food for thought: “...to get the things we want most, we sometimes have to let go of things that aren't as important.”

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award winning author of more than fifty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. She has a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism. She juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position to write full time. She and her husband live in Missouri. You can find out more at www.irenehannon.com.

Revell, 368 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.