Friday, July 6, 2018

"The Hope of Azure Springs" by Rachel Fordham - a tender story of love and loss

The Hope of Azure SpringsFound half-dead after her guardian is murdered, Em is thankful to be taken in and cared for by a kind family, but her heart yearns to find her sister, separated on the orphan train seven years before. Sheriff Caleb Reynolds hates a puzzle he can't solve, and Em is one. With her help, he plans to track down the murderers, but not even he can anticipate the effect the strange young woman will have on his heart.

One of the best (and worst) things about reading a book by a new author is that you have no idea what to expect. There was more danger and excitement than I would have pegged from reading the back cover copy, with sprinkles of humor and fun, but my overall impression is one of overwhelming tenderness. There is a lot of loss in the book (though most happen before the story actually takes place), and grief to go with those losses. But, most important, there is healing.

I really enjoyed Em and came to love Caleb more as he learned to appreciate her. I still sometimes wanted to wallop him over the head for being slow, but I loved the message that he receives--that beauty is not dependent on outward appearance. And how we perceive outward appearance can change based on how we feel about the person inside. The ending was more bittersweet than I expected, but it was good--quite possibly better for it. I will gladly read more books by this author in future!

Thank you Revell for the free book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

No comments:

Post a Comment