Lake Surrender by Carol Grace Stratton

March 15, 2015July 16, 20228 Comments

Women's Fiction

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

5 Stars

Lake Surrender by Carol Grace Stratton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a brief look over the blurb, I expected author Carol Grace Stratton’s debut novel, Lake Surrender, would be a nice enough story, and for much of the book, I did indeed think the story was nice—divorced, laid-off, single mother Ally trying to get her life together during a relocation to Michigan—but somewhere around the last third of the book or so, it started getting amazing to me.

Not only is the novel’s romance and suspense well-paced but so are the gradual changes in Ally’s outlook and desires. Oh, how I empathized with Ally’s urge to slap her preteen daughter Kylie during a stormy argument, and it would’ve been easy for the author to make the girl nothing more than an adolescent brat, but instead, Kylie’s heart and wits play some key roles in the novel’s plot and message of forgiveness.

Also, given that Ally’s six-year-old son Benjie is autistic, again, it would’ve been easy to make a reader pity him for his struggles and excuse all of his outbursts, perhaps a little harder to touch on a reader’s compassion for him, but to make Benjie an admirable character, someone to really root for, is something else. Benjie got me so pumped, I had to step away from the book for a few minutes and box with the air like Rocky Balboa. And what’s more, the way Stratton takes the novel’s theme of forgiveness further than pat or surface answers is challenging and beautiful.

I don’t usually praise the publisher in my reviews, but having read three novels to date from LPC (including Chasing the Butterfly and Under the Silk Hibiscus) and finding something not-so-run-of-the-mill about them, I’ll understate my thoughts by saying that somebody at that publishing house knows what they’re doing.

Juliette and the Monday ManDates by Becky Doughty

September 22, 2014June 25, 2022Leave a comment

Romance Book

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars

Juliette and the Monday ManDates by Becky Doughty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had my share of giggles while reading Juliette and the Monday ManDates. Juliette is a quirky character, and her G-FOURce meetings with her sisters have familial elements that I, considering myself and my own siblings, fully understand. I mean, a group of four grown women, all saying “Oogy-boogy” to one another to confirm their agreement on a motion? What? I love it!

Along with the protagonist’s quirkiness and the humor of her blind ManDates on Mondays comes Becky Doughty’s knack for dealing with grave issues that real people have to face, when there aren’t quick fixes for heartbreak or disappointments.

As the book has such a catchy and singular title, I was surprised that the title’s theme lasted for maybe a little less than half the novel, the rather early switch away from the theme giving the plot a “wandering” feel in the middle that put a hitch in my interest. Also, Juliette’s thoughts on desired romance seem rather one-dimensional, mostly about what she wants a mate to be and to do on her behalf and not much about what she wants to be and to do on her mate’s behalf. Granted, in light of the particular biblical metaphor centrally used in this story, growing Juliette from her place of need to a place of readiness to give more in a romantic relationship may not be this book’s aim.

The message of forgiveness that shines through is a timely one, and women who are well-acquainted with their own quirks can get a kick out of this novel.

See my review of the next book in the series, Renata and the Fall from Grace.

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

August 7, 2014December 20, 20241 Comment

Romance Book

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

4 Stars

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“All too often sorrow and joy come skipping into your life holding hands.” Isn’t that the truth?

Reading Sarah Loudin Thomas’s Miracle in a Dry Season was an experience reminiscent of reading Janette Oke, one of my favorite authors, as there was a sweetness and simplicity to this novel that I found refreshing. I was surprised that most of the story is told from Casewell’s side as he has to examine the condition of his heart and his character–not always the prettiest task to undertake, not even for people who consider themselves to be decent and upstanding. Perla’s balking at her own gift at times is quite human and understandable, and her courage to use the gift anyway when it’s inconvenient for her is admirable.

Considering the book’s title, the corresponding theme didn’t extend to as much of the book, length-wise, as I thought it would. It seemed that the story could have then wrapped up after that in fewer pages than it did, and the definite sense of the story going somewhere didn’t seem as tight after the town’s dry season. I also would have liked to be let in on more of Perla’s personal thoughts after what must have been her turning point, as other characters expressed to her how their views had changed, but I didn’t quite see if her views toward herself conclusively changed or not.

Yet, the novel ends with an overall sense of warmth and peace, and I’m looking forward to what will come next in Thomas’s Appalachian Blessings series.