Book Review: Love Everlasting

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Review by Marianne

Title: Love Everlasting

Author: Tracie Peterson

Rating: 2/5

Note: I did not finish this book so I can only give my opinion on the part that I read.

Plot: Growing up in a Seattle bridal finishing school never prepared Abrianna Cunningham to become one of the brides, but now Wade Ackerman, who has always been the reliable boy next door, is indicating he wants to be more than friends. And even the people closest to Abrianna believe Wade is the man she should marry. So why is she having such a hard time choosing between Wade Ackerman and Priam Welby? 

         Watching Welby's relentless pursuit of Abrianna is making Wade's blood boil. Welby can offer her wealth and security, but what about character and integrity? Surely Abrianna can see past Welby's smooth tongue and fine clothes. Can't she? Caught between the devil and the boy next door, either choice she makes will change Abrianna's life forever.
(Copied from cover of Love Everlasting)

         Usually, I don't go for books in which the only focus is romance. I tend to gravitate towards an adventure novel with a side of romance, or vice versa, so when I picked this one, I knew I was taking a bit of a risk. But I had high hopes considering I have read books by this author before and enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. I read over half of the book, but it felt like the story just wasn't going anywhere. I was reading the same things over and over and the author was so repetitive that I just couldn't get interested. Nothing new ever happened. I was just reading about this young woman's pre-wedding jitters for hours. Also, the plot synopsis suggested that this was to be a sort of "love-triangle." However, one of the men involved, Abrianna had absolutely no interest in. She wasn't "torn between them." She knew which one she loved she just was too scared to marry him. 

Characters: Abrianna was very easy to relate and connect to for me considering how her personality was similar to mine, and I read well over 100 pages of her inner-struggles. However, aside from her, I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. There was very little development and I wasn't able to understand them or their feelings very well.  

Emotions: Sadly, the only thoughts going through my head as I was reading this book were, at first: "C'mon, surely this will pick up soon." And then: I'll give it a few more chapters..." And finally: "Last chance, if this doesn't get going, I'll just stop." As you can tell, it never picked up.

My Thoughts: Unfortunately, this book got to the point where it felt like a chore. It wasn't enjoyable, and I had to force myself to read it. There are a million other books on my reading list, and I felt like this one was a waste of my time. Again, I was very disappointed because I knew this author to be a good one, but she has written over 100 novels, so I guess they couldn't all be to my liking.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of  Love Everlasting for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions expressed above are my own.

Book Review: The Miner's Lady

Title: The Miner's Lady (Land of Shining Water Series)

Author: Tracie Peterson

Rating: 5/5
Age Recommendation: 12+

Plot: Chantel Panetta returns home from a year long trip to Italy, to find her younger sister, Isabella, in love. This should be thrilling news, but it's not. Isabella is in love with a Calarco. The Calarcos and Panettas have been enemies for years. When Isabella asks Chantel not only to keep the knowledge of her growing affection for Orlando Calarco a secret, but also to help her continue their secret meetings, Chantel is very reluctant. However, she soon meets Orlando's older brother, Dante Calarco, and finds herself feeling unexpected emotions for him. But how could the two blossoming relationships continue to grow as long as the families keep feuding?

I thought this book was great! I had never read any of Tracie Peterson's books before, but I knew she had a ton. I can't wait to read more of her work and will certainly keep my eye out for more of the Land of Shining Water Series!

Characters: Where do I begin? The characters were beautifully crafted and portrayed in a way that you felt like you'd known them forever without having pages and pages to read about their looks and personalities. It was clear from the start that Isabella was a sweet, cheerful young woman, and Chantel was sensible and kind-hearted. Both young ladies loved the Lord, and did their best to please Him. Orlando was a very passionate man who stood up for what he believed in, no matter the price, while Dante was rather stubborn and gruff but had a soft-spot very few got to see.

Emotions: This book was awesome! It may sort of sound like a Romeo & Juliet re-make, but while there are some similarities, it's not directly a re-telling. There were a few times that this book make me laugh out loud!  Most of the time, the person I found humorous was Dante, as he was so stubborn, grouchy, and serious about some things that it was just kind of funny!

My Thoughts: Ok. I bought the book on Monday and finished it on Thursday. I didn't read it at all on Wednesday because we were so busy. That's how quickly I devoured it! Like I said, I can't wait to read more of Tracie Peterson's books. The romance level is p e r f e c t. It's sweet and romantic, but not over the top and silly. The reasons for my age recommendation are as follows:
-There are a few scenes in a bar.
-In two of those scenes a man is injured.
-Two men are killed and one of the scenes gets slightly descriptive. Not too descriptive, but it lets you know how the dude died and it's kind of gruesome.

I felt those scenes were mostly necessary to the story and those were really the only kinda inappropriate parts. Anyway I would definitely recommend this book to any Christian Fiction fan! I simply loved how much the Lord was talked about and glorified in The Miner's Lady!

Favorite Quote:

"Stay close to God, Orlando. If you draw near Him and Issy does likewise, you will find that you draw closer to each other, as well."