Thursday, May 18, 2017

A Love So True by Melissa Jagears #BookReview



Back Cover Blurb:
 Evelyn Wisely has a heart for the orphans of Teaville and works at a local mansion that rescues children out of the town’s red-light district and gives them a place to live. But her desire to help isn’t limited to orphans. The owner of the mansion, Nicholas Lowe, is willing to help her try to get the women working in prostitution out of the district as well–if she can gain the cooperation and support of local businessmen to go against the rest of the community.
David Kingsman has recently arrived in Teaville from Kansas City to help with one of his father’s companies in town. While he plans on staying only long enough to prove his business merit to his father, he’s shown interest in Evelyn’s work and is intrigued enough by her to lend his support to her cause.
They begin with the best of intentions, but soon the complications pile up and Evelyn and David’s dreams look more unattainable every day. When the revelation of a long-held secret creates a seemingly insurmountable rift between them, can they trust God still has a good plan for them despite all that is stacked against them?



The Main Characters:
Gotta love characters with quirks! From Evelyn's unhealthy penchant for wandering the bad side of town, alone, with a gun hidden on her person, to David's dear love of food and offense at one's leaving a piece of bacon uneaten, these characters gave me so much to look forward to while on this book-journey! Evelyn is a strong female character that carries a mysterious secret. I enjoyed getting to know her and related to her in her age, longing for children of her own, and her people-pleasing tendencies. But I actually related to David’s character the most in this story. Both David and Evelyn are people-pleasers to a fault, though from different angles. David wonders at Evelyn’s cool treatment of him and cannot abide the thought of someone disliking him without wanting to make it right. He is a unique hero and Evelyn complements his personality even as they clash because of her secret. Their interactions brought more than one giggle, and the more I read, the more reluctant I was to leave these characters.


The Secondary Characters:
We get to revisit our favorite characters from A Heart Most Certain, including Nicholas and Lydia Lowe, Caroline O’Connor, Henri Beauchamp, Sadie, and Charlie. Also, the orphanage children play major roles in this story. Comical scenes involving orphanage staff and the ever-crying baby help bring Evelyn’s goals to life, while struggles with the children and Evelyn’s aging parents ground this ministry in hard work.


The Romance:
David and Evelyn’s relationship grows from animosity to a tentative acquaintance, then slowly to friendship and love. The plot necessitates this slow discovering of character and personality, which builds a beautiful foundation for a lifetime of commitment.


The Pace:
This novel develops gradually, allowing many facets of the different characters to be explored. The gentle flow of the characters’ internal thoughts reveal relatable struggles and connect them with the reader.


The Faith Element:
Throughout this novel, the hero and heroine are required to make hard, life-altering decisions because of their faith. They are put through the refining fire of circumstances and the ending of the book shows us the results. I always enjoy the journey of the faith message in Melissa’s books, and this one tackles an especially difficult subject while making the reader think.


The Stakes:
Along with the lives of suffering orphans and women trapped in the red-light district, the desire for acceptance from others, including family, society, love interests, and God, is a strong influence in A Love So True. The lengths each character will go to keep or attain this acceptance is challenged on many levels and stretched until the climax of the story when the characters grow into the new truths they’ve learned.


The Author’s Trademarks:
Deep exploration of character emotions and reactions, strongly reminiscent of Lori Wick’s style, make Melissa Jagears books some of my favorite to sit and digest with a cup of tea. Her tackling of tough subjects with a gentle approach and her Biblical accuracy make every book a heart-journey for the reader.


The Overall Impression:
From chapter to chapter, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen to Evelyn, David, and their friends. The intrigue and dynamics of their gentle friendship kept me turning pages and wanting more time with the characters.


The More Factor:
I can’t wait to spend more time with these characters as they discover more about faith and their calling to help others.

15 comments:

  1. So excited to see a giveaway chance for "A Love So True" by Melissa Jagears. I have read her other series and loved it. I know I'll love this one. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
    Deanne
    Cnnamongirl at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your books Melissa and so looking forward to reading this! Thank you for the chance to win a copy.

    wfnren at aol dot com

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  3. Sounds like a good read. cheeththecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  4. It sounds great, I hope to get a chance to read it :)
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

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  5. Your review makes this book sound wonderful.

    bonnijean dot marley at gmail dot com

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  6. Another book to add to my to-read pile.

    Arletta

    tmkgrup2soon(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would love to win!
    gracelz1(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks so good.
    lorenalke@yahoo.com

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  9. This book sounds like a great one! Thanks for the review and giveaway. d[dot]brookmyer[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love Melissa Jagear's books! Thanks for the review and giveaway.

    mindyhoung(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Would love to read. Looks like an awesome read.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. cjmosley2002 at yahoo dot com

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  13. this is a wonderful review. another book added to my list.
    quilting(dash)lady(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the chance to win this book.
    DedeZoomsalot AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete

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