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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Why Finding Love Surprised and Delighted Me

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

The other day, someone asked me if I knew of a good, quick read or three she could take on a summer trip. Her criteria? “It needs to be a quick read—preferably with a realistic romance. But not just a clean romance. I want some solid faith in there, too.”
She doesn’t ask for much, right?

Look, it’s kind of funny, if you think about it. I’m not a big romancy kind of gal. However, I do have a couple of authors I really enjoyed, despite the sap and mentioned them. Then I remembered that I’d asked to review Toni Shiloh’s Finding Love and had been given a copy by CelebrateLit. And that’s when I knew it was the perfect choice.

Why did a confirmed non-romantic opt to red and review a contemporary romance? Have I gone soft?

No, not really. But you see, I read Toni’s first book, Buying Love, and I liked it. I could see huge potential in it. I suspected I’d like the next even more.

What an understatement.

Why Finding Love Surprised and Delighted Me

Links in this post may be affiliate links that provide a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Why Finding Love Surprised and Delighted Me

Finding Love did not disappoint. So, I thought I’d do another review like I did of the first one using my quick and dirty guide to book reviews. There’s something to be said for consistency. But first, this book surprised me because I really thought it would be even better than the first, but I had no idea how much! And that fact?  THAT is what delighted me.

What I liked:

First off, the characterization in this book—delightful. Delaney Jones and Luke Robinson are neither too perfect or excessively flawed. In fact, Ms. Shiloh did a fabulous job of creating people with personal demons that affect their lives but she didn’t make them overblown and obnoxious. Each character in this book is realistic and engaging—appealing in unique ways that prevent a cookie-cutter feel.

I also loved the writing. All of the issues I complained about in book one—gone. The writing balanced description and dialogue perfectly. And not once did I feel like it rushed or dragged.

What I didn’t like:

Well, I’m sure there’s something… Right? Oh, I know. Since I’m a confessed non-romantic, the mushy bits weren’t my cuppa, but come on. It’s a romance! It’s gonna be mushy. And at least there was none of that sticking your head in the freezer thing. Thank you, Ms. Shiloh!

What made me laugh:

Well, the antics of Delaney’s children. You can tell that Ms. Shiloh has boy or two of her own. She’d have to in order to write such realistic and adorable kids.

Ma Williams. I loved her in the first book and she kept me chuckling in this one, too. Odd that a character I hated at first (loved to hate, really) became one I just loved period!

What made me cry:

Well, I’m not a crier, but if I was, I suspect I would have cried for Luke Robinson. Carrying that burden around had to be difficult—heartbreaking, even. I would have cried for Delaney and having to deal with all of it. Not to mention her family. They went through it all once. And sometimes healing requires reopening wounds to get them properly cleaned.

Then there was the maple bacon cheesecake. Now, I know many people adore that kind of thing, but I couldn’t help but wince. I tend to be an um… purist, if you will. Don’t adulterate my bacon with anything sweet. Hee hee. But, I suspect that those who adore this stuff will, if you give them half a chance, beg for the recipe.

And do I recommend Finding Love?

Absolutely. Finding Love has depth and richness that make for a great read. Perfect for lovers of romance and Southern cooking, this book is also fabulous for suckers for a great Army guy and for books including fun, realistic children. If you love faith woven through your fiction naturally, you’ll love this book.

 

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, New Release

Previous Post: « What Is the Best way to Choose a Genre?
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Comments

  1. Ava says

    July 2, 2017 at 7:03 pm

    Is the recipe in the book? I would try Maple Bacon Cheesecake! (Not a big fan of cheesecake , but I love bacon!) Maple Bacon donuts aren’t too bad. Looks like a great book. I ordered the first one since it’s free. I’ll add this one to my Buy Later list.

    Reply
    • Toni Shiloh says

      July 2, 2017 at 7:20 pm

      Hi, Ava! The recipe isn’t in the book, but I have one on my Pinterest board.

      Reply
  2. Susan (DE) says

    June 30, 2017 at 6:20 am

    Yes, I read the guest post, and I liked it, too! Thank you! This one sounds interesting as well.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 30, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      Excellent. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s just a wonderful story.

      Reply
  3. Toni Shiloh says

    June 30, 2017 at 5:56 am

    Chautona, best review to date!!! It means a lot coming from you.
    And you may have turned my heart into a pile of mush. 😉

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 30, 2017 at 6:06 am

      You really did do a fabulous job. I cared a lot about these characters. I can’t wait to see what you do with Nikki.

      Reply
      • Toni Shiloh says

        June 30, 2017 at 10:27 am

        Nikki woke me up last night to tell me the first chapter. 🙂 It’s about time too!

        Reply
        • Chautona Havig says

          June 30, 2017 at 2:32 pm

          I think Nikki took pity on you. She knows what a nag I am. Cathe Swanson and Anne E. Phillips will attest to as much.

          Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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