1865
Windmill Point, Michigan
Can She Forgive the Hurting Man Who Costs Her the Role She Loves?
After her father’s death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren’t supposed to have such roles, so it’s only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper–even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.
Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He’s secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation–the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He’s not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who’s angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he’s in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he’s unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope…and possibly love?
Review
Jody Hedlund is a wonderful romance author. My thoughts:
What worked:
This book (like the other in the series) is about a couple that has to work together to take care of a lighthouse. If you are looking for a straightforward romance, that for the most part is light and fluffy than this is for you.
That is not to say that there aren’t any dark parts to this book. As a civil war veteran, Ryan is struggling to get through each day, there is someone in town is set out on destroying Caroline, Caroline has an annoying relative who is incredibly selfish. And yet, the novel still manages to convey lightheartedness.
I did like that even though I thought the entire book would be predictable at around the 70% mark I was very surprised. That is all.
I liked the spiritual theme (one of them) that God is there every minute, every second, but we just have to remember to turn to Him with our spiritual needs.
What didn’t work:
I believe the theme of this book (or at least one of them) is that God can use our weaknesses and we can grow for them. And so, Ryan having ‘weaknesses’ was almost fundamental to this book. The problem is though, that he was so needy and had so many problems that I had a hard time finding him desirable as a romantic partner. Personally, there was nothing about him that I would have wanted. I felt like in time, he would be wonderful, but for the purposes of this novel, I was confused as to why Caroline even wanted to be with Ryan. Yes, he had redeeming qualities, but to me he was on the level of a teenager…one day he would be great.
And therefore, the romance didn’t work for me. Caroline was so much more mature than Ryan. There were issues surrounding her life, but I always had the feeling that she could handle it. I was always felt like Ryan was going to fall to pieces at any moment.
On a different note, I did feel like the book was, to a degree predictable, and I found myself skimming a portion of it.
Romantic Scale: 7.5
Overall, this book was just okay for me. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t necessarily memorable. I think, to a certain degree, having a light house as a center point has kind of failed to draw me in. But this is just a personal preference.
**I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**
remaininhislove 