Shelter from the Storm

Yesterday I read Cheryl Wolverton's Shelter from the Storm. After reading my last inspirational romance, I wanted to find one about someone regaining rather than finding faith. This book certainly meets that criterion--in this case, it's the hero's journey. Unfortunately the characters are rather flat. The result is that Shelter from the Storm rates 2.5 out of 5.

Lilly has been working at Joshua's security firm for several months when he discovers that she has a secret. She's on the run from a violent ex-boyfriend. Though Joshua was burned in the past when a woman he loved didn't trust him, he vows to ensure Lilly's safety.

Although I read 248 pages about Lilly, Joshua, and others at the security firm, I can't tell you much about them. They are characteristics--devout, noble, etc.--rather than real people. The partners were essentially interchangeable.

In addition, some of the dialogue is very unrealistic, such as this section from one of the partners at the firm:

"Hurricanes always pose a threat to wherever they hit when they come inland. The worst threat will be the storm surge, which is the water that is pushed inland before the storm actually makes landfall--or the eye crosses onto land. Therefore, New Orleans, right now, with the incoming tide, is looking at a twenty-foot storm surge at least. They've been evacuating since 6:00 a.m. They weren't expecting any more than ten to twelve inches of rain for the next two or three days. Instead, it looks like they're going to catch the brunt of it. However, because the storm is so huge and moving so fast, it's not going to lose power very quickly. That means we'll still get 140 mile per hour winds up here in Baton Rouge--something we're not used to at all."

This is hurricane 101, not realistic conversation. There's got to be a better way to give readers this information than through a long chunk of dialogue. Plus, when it's recited in this manner, it doesn't evoke much feeling in me as a reader. There are stronger ways to make a reader see how dangerous the situation is.

As for the villain, he's appropriately evil and all that, but he's not very multidimensional either. That makes it rather difficult to understand why Lilly was with him in the first place when he was so obviously a crazy cult leader.

In any case, I'll keep trying inspirational romances when I go to the used bookstore, but I'm not sure my select-a-book-based-on-the-back-cover approach is working for me.

Alyssa

Finding Hope

It's been a while since I read an inspirational romance. I am a spiritual and religious person, but these qualities are so personal for everyone, even people who don't consider themselves to be spiritual or religious. It must be challenging to write a story that doesn't sound preachy.

The inspirational romances I read several years ago had much the same theme: one person (often a woman) converts another (often a man). This is one reason I stopped reading inspirationals; in many of them the settings changed, but several other aspects seemed similar. Perhaps I chose the wrong books.

I finished Brenda Coulter's Finding Hope. It was interesting and very readable, but the heroine was almost too perfect: 3 out of 5.

Hope is a 22-year-old woman with strong faith in God. She runs into Charles's car--literally--on the way to the hospital. She's going to visit a man who has been like a grandfather to her. Charles is a trauma doctor at the hospital, and he was having a difficult day even before Hope hit his car.

Charles sees himself as unfeeling and cynical. He and Hope begin to spend time together, and he finds himself enjoying her company and attending Bible study classes. But he doesn't believe that he can love anyone.

I like Hope at times, but she often seems too perfect. She has a wonderful background. Her family is devout; in fact, her parents are missionaries in Africa. Hope herself is bubbly, persistant, and endlessly optimistic. She also speaks five languages. This makes her an interesting character to read about, but not one I really relate to.

The section I most enjoyed is one where Charles goes to Pastor Bill to talk about his spiritual struggle. Their conversation is moving, but I would like to have seen more of Charles's thoughts to make his conversion more believable. His decision to marry Hope happens very quickly, too.

In any case, Finding Hope was interesting but not much different from others I've read. The next time I read an inspirational, I'll look for one with a different plot. I'd love to find a story about someone regaining faith, for example. Any suggestions?

Alyssa