Goldson hits all the marks for a feel-good romance brimming with Christian undertones. Gabby’s shelter director, Ms. Baptiste, is a gentle reminder that miracles still happen and never loses hope for Gabby’s life to turn around, even when Gabby’s given up on herself. Gabby’s pain over the loss of her family drives her every waking moment, but she’s reluctant to share it with Devin, despite the sparks that fly almost immediately between them. “As long as no one knew much, they couldn’t ask me questions about it,” she reflects, “I could go on living a semi-safe existence, masking my pain and accepting my pseudo reality.” That reality falls apart once Gabby realizes she’s needed again, this time to save Caleb from a crime he didn’t commit—and find her own redemption in the process.
Christian readers will appreciate the biblical messages Goldson infuses into this sweet narrative, and the theme of redemption carries serious weight throughout, cropping up not just for Gabby, but also for Devin, harboring hurt from his ex-fiancée, and Gabby’s father—an alcoholic who finally has an awakening late in the book. The happy ending is almost too neat, but readers will still fall for this refreshing couple.
Takeaway: Second-chance romance brimming with Christian messages of hope.
Comparable Titles: T.I. Lowe’s Lulu’s Cafe, DiAnn Mills’s Trace of Doubt.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
