Book Review: When I fall in love

 

From the Book Jacket:  Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace’s faith will face its toughest test yet.

 

 

My Review:  Each Summer, I find book (or three!) to toss in my bag and read at the beach or pool.  When I Fall in Love  by Susan May Warren is just that delightful book!  From the moment I opened the first page, Grace and Maxwell captured my heart and I just had to read on until the wee hours of the night!

This book is my first novel by Susan Warren but I will be scooping up the other two after reading this one!

 

Both characters are so detailed and richly written, they soon become like old friends.  The mystery of their meeting and consequences of them ending up in the same place and time makes you feel for the art of destiny.  As most people that meet or are 'thrown together under circumstance', both Grace and Max have a past, baggage, fears and uncertainties that they bring to the table.  As

an avid cook in the kitchen, the added flair of the cooking competition where they truly learned to master falling in love - both with cooking and one another - is written beautifully.  I honeymooned in Hawaii and I can tell you, the author's writing style and descriptions were so spot on, I felt transported back!

 

Thing is, God is ever present in so many of our situations.  Max was a man who struggled with a past and brought it to the pages of this book.  But Warren does an amazing job of keeping the pace and reminding us that in all things, God gives us strength.  Flawless, delightful, and a must read for those that love contemporary Christian romance with all that's good and nothing that's bad!  *5 Stars!*

 

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated.

 

 

 

About the Author: Susan May Warren is the bestselling, Christy and RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church.

Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives.

For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com.

 

Binding:

Softcover

ISBN:

978-1-4143-7843-5

List Price:

$14.99

Release Date:

July 2014

Page Count:

400

Trim Size:

5 1/2 x 8 1/4