Review: A Christian romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 20, 2013
This book was well written, had pleasant characters and a good plot. There were a few editing problems, but nothing significant. Musician Christine goes to stay with  friends of her mother's in their lakeside home in Northern Minnesota for the summer. She has some problems that she needs to think about, and a few months by the lakes and forests seems like a good place to unwind and contemplate. She's recently lost her older sister to cancer and her father is dying of Alzheimer's and heart disease. She's been caring for her sister's children, ages 5 and 7, every day before and after school until bedtime, when their father gets out of work. Now, her brother-in-law has told her that he wants her to marry him for the good of the children, and if she doesn't, he won't let her or her mother see them any more.He's given her the summer, while the children are with his parents, to think about his "proposal". Christine is torn between her love for her niece and nephew and her loathing of entering into a loveless marriage with her brother-in-law. She is desperately trying to make the right choice and seeking clarity and some distance to do so.While she's staying in the family's home, she meets the whole tribe; dad, mom, two sons, who live on their own but come around daily, and twin high school senior daughters. Everyone is very nice, but Christine is especially attracted to the oldest son, Cal, who is a game warden with the DNR. The attraction is mutual. The family is stunned to see taciturn Cal actually having conversations with a woman and inviting her out to lunch. They go canoeing, swimming, fishing and hiking also. When Cal is shot by an angry poacher, and has to stay home for a few days, he even goes to the theatre with his whole family for Christine's birthday, and the whole town is shocked.*******************SPOILER ALERT***************************************SPOILER ALERT***********************************Tragedy strikes when the poacher that shot Cal comes after him again, this time with a baseball bat and reinforcements. Cal is seriously injured with brain trauma and is blind for weeks. When he has terrible nightmares and can't be soothed, the only thing that calms him is Chris playing on her cello. Derek comes, demanding an answer, and shoves Cal into a table reinjuring his head just as he starts to get his vision back. Chris and Cal acknowledge that they love each other, but she goes back to Minneapolis for the start of the children's school year, still putting her brother-in-law, Derek off about a decision. Finally, Christine's mother overhears him threatening her with the loss of the children. She urges Christine to choose with her heart because an unhappy marriage would be terrible for the children. With a little meddling from both mothers, Cal and Christine come back together and plan their wedding date. Derek relents on her not seeing the children, because they ask for her all the time.**************END SPOILER ALERT**************************END SPOILER ALERT*************************************I liked the way the protagonists interacted with each other and with their families in fun times and in adversity. The dialogue was good.I do like to know if I'm getting a Christian romance vs historical vs erotica, etc.... so I appreciate when that is mentioned (which I don't believe it was). This is a very clean book, no sex or profanity.Heat factor mild.