Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren (Book Cover Bingo - Book)

Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren. Tyndale House, 2007. 384p. (9781414313832) Series: Deep Haven, #1

Up until Christmas break I had never read one of Susan May Warren’s books but the covers and descriptions kept calling me so while in the States I borrowed the first two books of the Deep Haven series. Now I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Goodreads Summary:

A bookstore in a Victorian house on the shores of beautiful Lake Superior. Mona Reynolds can’t think of a better storybook setting for a happy ending. Until someone starts to sabotage her plans. Could it be the drifter handyman she hired to help her? Just what will it take to make her dreams come true?

My Review:

I really enjoyed watching Mona pursue her dream of establishing a bookstore in the scenic town of Deep Haven. Her friends were great encouragers even as she struggled with very believable problems and kept changing her mind about the men in her life.

Which at times that got to be a bit too much. Basing an opinion of someone on outward appearances is something we all do but Mona was very prone to it. The characters struggled with very believable problems and I enjoyed how the author walked each character through the learning, accepting, forgiving process.

Some reviewers on Amazon really disliked the use of Bible verses but that was one aspect that really drew me into the story and made it make sense. The Word of God is powerful and it gives a believable reason for a change of heart in someone. Plus it also serves as an encouragement and reminder to the reader.  

One thing that doesn’t seem very believable though is that a bookstore can survive financially in a vacation town like Deep Haven. I’ve read a number of news stories recently of book stores closing and to me Mona’s business venture doesn’t seem like it will last. But maybe I just don’t have a good grasp of the population of the town.

If you enjoy clean, contemporary Christian romance with a dash of mystery and danger, and characters struggling to overcome their past and make sense of the present then this is a great book for you.  

Really 4.5 stars

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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