Review: Romance Among The Pines!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2011
In Carrie Turansky's lovely novel, Surrendered Hearts, I was immediately drawn to the hometown atmosphere of this beautiful, lush Vermont setting; with its small shops, fireworks in the park, wildflowers and pine trees, and small townsfolk camaraderie!Our heroine, Jennifer Evans, a city girl, arrives in the small town of Tipton, Vermont, to attend the wedding of her brother, Wes, with little more than a duffle bag and the clothes on her back. Jennifer is loaded with alot of inside baggage, however...a low self esteem from being raised by relatives who showed her no love, and a body covered with scars to match the ones she carries inside. Jennifer, the victim of a fire that claimed the life of her beloved dog, and left her with nothing, feels that God has abandoned her, just as her ex-fiance did when he took one look at her scarred body in the hospital.Bill Morgan, her brother's roommate, sees past the scars to the lovely lady inside, but holds back because she doesn't share his faith in God. Jenn is drawn to Bill and the beautiful small town where she finds love and acceptance, but can she learn to love and accept herself? When Bill is offered a job in NC, will he accept the position, knowing the way things stand with Jenn, and her refusal to accept healing that comes only from God? And when Jenn's ex-fiance shows up, will she accept his proposal of marriage?I loved this touching story, and that's saying alot coming from this historical fiction addict! This was a quick, relaxing read, but Ms. Turansky tastefully dealt with some heavy issues...pregnancy as a result of a date rape, low self esteem stemming from childhood neglect, and low body self image, to name a few. I loved her use of imagery in describing the setting in Vermont, and her realistic characters with human flaws. With a VERY strong spiritual thread throughout, and a satisfying ending, I knew I had become a new Carrie Turansky fan!