Review: A story of Forgiveness and Redemption
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 2, 2012
"You need to grab happiness whenever you can in life because you never know how much time you have. Make the most of it."RECAP:Farrin grew up to be a completely different version of the girl she used to be. She's hardworking, work oriented, rich and has avoided her childhood home and the people in it. When Farrin is forced to go back things don't turn out as bad as she thought. People have grown up along with her and Oak Valley isn't a scary place anymore. In one weekend her life will change forever.Childhood friendship is reconnected, old love resurfaces, enemies aren't enemies anymore, and a town becomes home.As Farrin begins to become attached to Oak Valley she is faced with tough decisions. Her life is in New York City not in the country. But Oak Valley continues to call her back home. Will she finally be able to let go of the past and finally find a home? Or will Farrin continue to run?MY TAKE:The first things that caught my attention with this book was the beautiful cover. The bride running in a field was just exquisite and quickly intrigued me. When I read the synopsis I thought this book would be a quick, light read and I was right with one thing. It was a quick read but light it wasn't.Although I initially thought this book would be chuck full of romance it really wasn't. There was a romance but the focus of the book was forgiveness and the ability to let go of the past.I understood the dread and sadness in Farrin and why she didn't want to relive her past. It truly is a "rags to riches" story but one that shows you the difficulty in finally letting go of the past. There are many lessons in this book and that is what made me love it so much. Farrin must learn to forgive the people from her past and to move on and accept that people change as they grow.I also loved all of the secondary characters in this book.Dara and Jason were just to freaking adorable. Dara was one smart little girl and you instantly fall in love with her. Faye and Tammie were incredible friends/family to Farrin and I liked that they were her backbone throughout. Drew was as sweet as pie and you instantly adore him and forgive him for his past transgressions.The person that really pulls at your strings is Janie. Although you instantly want to hate her as much as Farrin, you just can't. Farrin isn't the only one that had a transformation. But unlike Farrin thinks, Janie's life hasn't always been as picture perfect as she thought.If you haven't read this book you are missing out on a cute story or love, forgiveness and yes some romance. The only reason this got 4 stars was because the romance was minor and because I wanted more! It's a quick read and something to curl up and read, or on the beach, or read during a road trip.I look forward to reading more from this author.