MY REVIEW:
As usual Susan May Warren’s latest novel kept me totally enthralled from the beginning to the end. Featuring Grace, the Christiansen sister who is a homebody and who tends to view life from the sidelines. A surprise gift of a trip to Hawaii and her new friend Max Sharpe are the beginnings of major changes to her formerly safe existence. Pro hockey star Max shares Grace’s love of cooking and finds himself attracted to her beauty, determination, and courage but an uncertain future fuels his fear of falling in love.
Warren’s characters are both realistic and honest. Her plot is compelling and paced perfectly. The romance between Grace and Max was poignant with difficult decisions that defined the true meaning of love. Although the story was laced with Christian references, the message was gentle, encouraging, and never pushy. With a strong theme of finding out God’s plan for one’s life rather than following your own instincts, “When I Fall In Love” could be a good example for those struggling in that area.
“When I Fall In Love” also contained a side story involving her brother Casper that was not resolved to my personal satisfaction. I am hoping for a separate volume with the rest of his story in the future. I also look forward to Owen’s personal tale and hope to see him overcome his own demons.
“When I Fall In Love” totally lived up to the quality novel that I have come to expect from Susan May Warren. I highly recommend it as well as any other book in her collection.
This book was provided for review by The Tyndale Blog Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.
Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.
Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace’s faith will face its toughest test yet.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Susan May Warren is the bestselling, Christy and RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church.
Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives.
For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com.
