Book Review: A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean

A Curve in the Road

By Julianne MacLean

Genres: Women’s Fiction, Modern Romance, Adult Fiction

__________________________________

Abbie MacIntyre thinks she has the perfect life: a husband she adores and who adores her, a son about to graduate high school, a close relationship with her mother, and a career she loves. It all unexpectedly unravels one night on her way home from visiting her mother when a drunk driver shatters the illusion. Her quest for answers leads her down a path that darkens before it brightens again, but along the way, she finds true strength in‌ forgiveness. A Curve in the Road is an emotional journey of self-discovery and healing. 

My Rating:

A Curve in the Road is an enjoyable read, though it is highly predictable to anyone remotely familiar with some popular drama tropes. The secrets revealed as Abbie rebuilds her life are comparable to a soap opera drama storyline. However, there is one plot twist near the end of the story that I did not see coming, but in hindsight, I probably should have. One last shakeup to smooth out a loose end in the plot. 

But even as I expected certain plot points, I still found Abbie to be a relatable character. As a mother, her constant worry about her son’s best interests is a universal behavior. The fear of questioning her grip on reality before realizing it is a medical condition is something thousands of people experience. As she struggles to rebuild her life, she discovers new ways to share her passions and talents with others. Whether it is through divorce or death, many real-life stories follow a similar journey of self-discovery as the one that Abbie went on. Oh, and then there is the dog. Every animal lover will relate to the deep concern she has for her dog’s well-being, too. How could I be any different? I can’t help but wish her a happy ever after. 

Overall, this is a good book. Plus, it’s a quick read. I recommend it.  This is the first book I have read by this author, and I will be reading more of her books in the future.

 To purchase a copy of this book click here.  

When you purchase a copy of this book from this link, I earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund

Unending Devotion

By Jody Hedlund

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance

_____________________________________

Set in 1883 in a Michigan lumber town, Unending Devotion paints a picture of what the lumber era was like around the turn of the century, a time when lumber was a booming industry fraught with danger and immorality. The danger was not only in the very nature of the profession. The plethora of saloons and brothels in lumber towns encouraged immorality. These vices provide the backdrop of the love story between headstrong Lily Young and complacent Connell McCormick. As the two discover each other, they also discover that they have some growing to do as individuals before their love can fully bloom. What makes the tale even more compelling is knowing that true events inspired some characters.

The opening scene in Unending Devotion thrusts the reader directly into action as Lily rescues an unwilling participant from a brothel in the early hours of the morning just before sunrise. Soon after, Oren, the father figure in Lily’s life, is introduced as he whisks the women off to certain safety.

Orphaned a young age, Oren is the closest thing to a father Lily has ever known, even though they have only known one another for about a year, introduced when Lily was hired to be the caretaker of his wife while she was dying so that he could take care of his photography business without worrying about his wife’s safety. They grew close while she was living in their home, so it seemed natural after his wife died for Oren to take Lily with him as his assistant in the lumber camps. Lily uses the opportunity to look for her missing sister, whom she is certain also needs to be rescued from a life of prostitution.

It is evident how much Oren thinks of her like family when he steps in to protect Lily from Connell, and it is during this comedic meet-cute scene that Lily’s impulsive courage is on full display as she stomps on the foot of the man who had held her captive in his grip. When Connell comes to assist the inn owner, who has her spoon ready to hit someone on behalf of Lily, Lily and Connell somehow end up tripping. They tumble over one another until they get caught in the clothesline where the men hung their wet socks. All tangled in the line, the two fall onto a chair with Lily landing in his lap. Oren busts in the room just in time to see the compromising situation his “daughter” appears to be in, and threatens Connell by holding the rifle to his head. As it turns out, though, Lily does not need protection from him but rather the other lusty shanty boys that fill the room. Nonetheless, Oren watches over their impending courtship the way that a father would protect his daughter’s honor.

As the story unfolds, both Lily and Connell must learn how to control their weaknesses, use them to their benefit, and grow spiritually. Lily, whose identity has always been wrapped up in her sister’s, must also find out who she is on her own. And Connell discovers that although he likes the self-identity he has found within his family business, he can also leave his own mark on it with his ideas and aspirations for making not only his family business better but also the entire industry.

With the help of some friends from town, the two of them also face their toughest adversary. He just so happens to be the owner of the stockade up on Deadman’s Hill, aptly named for the violence used to control both his patriots and the women who worked for him. Lily dares to fight him any way she can after she discovers that he is luring women to work for him by promising them jobs as respectable hotel maidens and instead subjecting them to a life of prostitution. It doesn’t take long for them to learn that he is an enemy they did not want to make. Nonetheless, at the end of this battle of good versus evil, good prevails.

My Rating:

Unending Devotion is very well written, and I consider it one of the better books I've read. Stylistically, it is easy to follow. However, it does offer opposing character points of view in the same chapter. This is not necessarily a bad thing, except that I personally found that it detracted from the overall experience in a couple of passages. This is because those passages did not have any separation or break between switching from one point of view to another.

On a better note, I love that the book features such strong characters, especially the female characters involved in Lily’s personal life. Hedlund does an excellent job with character growth. They subtly learn from one another in order to become the person that they are meant to be, making them easy to relate to.

Lastly, Hedlund includes important notes about her research for this story at the end of her novel. It is quite interesting to learn of the little-known history of life during the lumber boom. It’s also a little disheartening to know that such evil as that on Deadman’s Hill really did exist. Thank goodness Hedlund is able to also show the hopeful side of life. She leaves the reader with an ending that is not only satisfying but inspiring as well.

To purchase a copy of this book, click here.

I receive a small commission on items purchased from this link. Thank you for your support!

Book Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

The Cabin

By Natasha Preston

Genres: Thriller, Mystery,  Suspense, Young Adult

_____________________________________

To paraphrase a summary on Goodreads, only one person is guilty of murder, but none of them are innocent.

The Cabin is about five teenagers who get together for a weekend trip sometime following the death of two of the group’s closest friends in an automobile accident in which they were all involved. Thanks to the synopsis on the back of the book, it’s no secret that the meat of this story starts when two of the five at the cabin turn up dead. The police believe one of them is the killer and let the group know from the start that it’s only a matter of which one.

Unable to believe the killer can possibly be anyone she knows and desperate to clear their names, the plot unfolds in the first-person point of view of Makenzie as she tries to figure out who killed her friends. Along the way, she learns she does not know her friends as well as she thought she did. Every one of them, including herself, has secrets that could very well have been a motive for murder. She eventually has to accept that one of them is indeed a murderer. It is a book that keeps you guessing until the end.

My Rating: 

The Cabin reads like more of a mystery than a suspense or thriller. The strongest thing about the plot is that, as the story progresses, it reveals that each person at the cabin had a motive to kill Courtney or Josh. However, there isn't much action to add more suspense to the mystery. Instead, there is a detective on the case who seems more concerned with playing cat-and-mouse with the suspects while revealing as little as possible about his findings. As a result, Makenzie decides to enlist the help of Blake to do her own investigation. She learns various secrets from each of her friends, but still, there is little action because, thinking she is being a good friend, Makenzie is reluctant to share the potentially incriminating information with the detective about her friends.

There is also an insta-romance between Makenzie and Blake that is a distraction from the focus of the book. Blake is the brother of Josh, who is a person no one but Courtney likes. In addition, Blake is not a part of the circle of friends who went to the cabin. He was a last-minute addition, claiming he decided to come along to spend more time with his brother. At first, it seems most likely that Blake is the murderer, given that he is an outsider and the rest of the group grew up knowing one another fairly well. The romance between Makenzie and Blake reveals early on that he also has a motive to kill his brother, but other than that, it does not do a lot to move the mystery forward. In fact, it somewhat weakens the plot, thanks to the distraction from the action it provides.

In the end, the detective was of no use, and neither was Makenzie’s investigation. There’s a bit of a plot twist just before a major plot twist at the conclusion. That is where most of the action occurs. It’s a shame since there was ample opportunity to insert more action and to create more suspense in the main part of the story. Even the plot twist was not as much of a surprise as it could have been. As far as murder mysteries go, it’s a little cliché, but not enough that it is abundantly obvious who the killer is all along.

Though it is not the best book I have ever read, and I would not say that I love it, I would recommend the book for anyone looking for a decent book to relax with. It is geared toward young adults. Perhaps they would be more engrossed in the plotline as it is, distraction and all.

One last word of advice: if you do not like cliffhanger endings, do not read this book.

To purchase a copy of this book, click here.

I earn a small commission from items purchased from this link. Thank you for your support!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin