I definitely enjoyed reading Julie Lessman's newest novel, Love At Any Cost. This is the first in her new series, The Heart of San Francisco. I am not sure that I exactly loved it more than A Passion Most Pure, the first Lessman novel I ever read. But I definitely enjoyed it more than her more recent historical romances. Lessman's romance style is something. Readers will either love, love, love it or find it not exactly to their tastes. Not that one's reaction has to be either love or hate. (Few books merit those extremes!)
In Love At Any Cost, readers are introduced to Cassidy McClare a former heiress with a big broken heart. Her broken heart and embittered attitude towards men in general and handsome men in particular make her practically immune to the charming attentions of an oh-so-handsome young man, Jamie McKenna. But. For him, it is L-O-V-E at first sight. (But is it really?) He wants her, and the more she protests the more he wants her. Eventually, Cassie allows a friendship to grow between them. But both know that he wants more and that she may even need more herself. But she does not know how to trust in any man. Jamie has trust issues of his own. Oh, he hasn't any problems trusting his heart and mind, and he doesn't Cassie for an instant. But Jamie does NOT trust in God...at all. Perhaps doubting God's existence at all, but at the very least doubting God's goodness. This is NOT good news for their romance, for Cassie will NOT go to extra lengths to trust her heart to someone who is an unbeliever. She might be willing to trust God with both their hearts, with their love story, but otherwise she feels she has to play it smart and ignore the incredibly intense attraction.
It would perhaps be easy to take sides and focus on either her brokenness OR his brokenness. (I haven't really explained his in this review. But trust me, he's flawed.) But. I think the message of this one--if indeed there is a "message" is that we are all flawed and broken and have made mistakes in the past and are perhaps struggling with making the "right" decision in the present. The hero and heroine have more in common than you might at first suspect. Both need God to heal them. I liked that these were "weak" characters that did need God in order to strengthen them and make them whole. It wasn't human effort or more willpower that was needed, but God.
I would recommend this one.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
1 comment:
BECKY -- YAY!!! I'm glad I could win you back a bit with this new series, which is definitely lighter than my other series. You're a tough nut to crack, I'll give you that, which is why this very nice review means more than you know. :)
Hugs!
Julie
Post a Comment