What Do You Do After You’ve Blown It?

Did you ever mess up your life so much you felt nothing could be done but retreat?  Have you ever been so fearful of failing that you were paralyzed from trying again?  That is the way the main character in this book, Amelia Christiansen, feels. 

After falling in love with handsome European, Roark St. John, while attending photography school in Prague, she is devastated to see him in the arms of another woman.  She flees Europe to return home to the small Minnesota town of Deep Haven, where her close-knit family has owned and run a lodge for generations.

To stay or not to stay, that is the question.

Amelia wants to convince herself she should be happy with this predictable, safe life she has returned to.  However, her dream has always been to explore the world, and capture it with her camera.  Additionally, her old flame from high school, Seth, is pressuring her to marry him.

Unexpectedly, Roark arrives in Deep Haven, determined to win her back despite the animosity he gets from Seth, the Christiansen family, and even Amelia.  Roark, dubbed 007 by the townspeople because of his cool British accent and suave good looks, brings with him a trunk full of secrets.

If Seth uncovers that information, will he expose Roark?  Will that be enough to keep Amelia in Deep Haven, and get her to marry him?  Or will Roark win her hand instead?  Perhaps Amelia will say goodbye to both men, along with her hometown, and set out for adventures one more time.  Before this story is finished, there is heartbreak, misunderstanding, discovery of a dead body, and the possibility that one of the Christiansen siblings might not survive.

You don’t have to read all the books to enjoy this one.

This is book five in the Christiansen Family Series.  Even though there are characters and story-lines from other books in The Wonder of You, it isn’t hard to get up to speed when reading this one–and this book can definitely stand on its own.

The author also weaves in the tale of another Christiansen sibling, Grace, and her fiancé, Max.  Their story explores the subjects of hereditary illness, the question of marriage under those circumstances, and adoption.

You mean this place doesn’t really exist?

The author does a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters along with the community of Deep Haven.  You will feel like you are reading about actual people in a real place–and wish it truly did exist.  All of this is written from a Christian point of view.  I highly recommend this 5-star story to anyone who enjoys well-written, clean fiction.

Thank you Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review.  All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal.  Despite my receiving this book free, it has not influenced my judgment.

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