The three most important parts of a book are: a well constructed plot, compelling characters, and a satisfying conclusion.

Friday, January 10, 2014

A PROMISE KEPT By Robin Lee Hatcher

A Promise Kept by Robin Lee HatcherPublisher:  Thomas Nelson
Release Date:  January 7, 2014
Pages:  304
Genre:  Christian Fiction

About the Book - God was going to save her marriage, Allison was sure of it.
But neither her husband nor her marriage had been saved.

What had become of His promise?

Tony Kavanagh had been Allison’s dream-come-true. They were in love within days, engaged within weeks, married and pregnant within a year. Her cup bubbled over with joy . . . but years later, that joy had been extinguished by unexpected trials.

The day Allison issued her husband an ultimatum, she thought it might save him. She never expected he would actually leave. She was certain God had promised to heal; it was clear that she’d misunderstood.

Now living in the quiet mountain cabin she inherited from her single, self-reliant Great Aunt Emma, Allison must come to terms with her grief and figure out how to adapt to small town life. But when she finds a wedding dress and a collection of journals in Emma’s attic, a portrait of her aunt emerges that takes Allison completely by surprise: a portrait of a heartbroken woman surprisingly like herself.

As Allison reads the incredible story of Emma’s life in the 1920s and 1930s, she is forced to ask a difficult question: Does she really surrender every piece of her life to the Lord? For a woman accustomed to being someone else’s savior, that will be even harder than it sounds.

Drawing from her own heart-wrenching story of redemption, A Promise Kept is Robin Lee Hatcher’s emotionally charged thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers—in His own time and His own ways.

Wanda's Thoughts - This is a story of family love, heartaches, forgiveness, and grace. The author did a beautiful job shaping the story while weaving together two different story lines. There is also a strong spiritual aspect of the book that is touching. 

Allison Kavanaugh is a likable character who is struggling to cope with the difficult realities of divorce. She had been married to Tony Kavanaugh and she didn't still love him, but loved the memories they had shared together. Now she carried sad thoughts about her failed marriage and she carried resentment for years of hurts, embarrassments, and destroyed dreams. 

Emma Carter, a warm character with a lot of depth, had always called Allison her favorite. She was a sister of Allison's grandmother, Elizabeth. She always had a way of answering Allison without mincing words. Aunt Emma had fallen in love with Alexander when she was 15 years old, but he'd always had eyes for Elizabeth. Emma's life is not an easy one, with many disappointments to deal with throughout her life. 

Family secrets surface as Emma's life is revealed through journals left behind and the two story lines converge. And Allison had been so sure God had made a promise to her, a promise that had gone unfulfilled. She knew there was still a plan and purpose for her life. And the story unfolds ---

The author has a gentle style and natural grace as a storyteller. The book had a strong storyline, with a good ending, although rather predictable. If you're in the mood for just a nice relaxed read, you will enjoy A Promise Kept. 4 stars. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:  Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award and numerous other awards and recognitions, Robin is the author of 70 novels/novellas. Her books have been translated into Dutch, French, and Chinese (to name a few).

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She and her husband make their home outside of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon and Pinky the feline terror. Join her on her Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/robinleehatcher) and/or Twitter and/or her website & blog.

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