Tower of Strength by Annette Lyon

Tower of Strength
by Annette Lyon

LDS Historical Romance
336 pages, softcover
Target Reader: LDS Adult

Covenant
978-1598116948
Release Date: April, 2009



From the publisher:

It was 1877 when Tabitha Hall Chadwick left Manti as a young bride. Now, nearly seven years later, she returns as a widow with her young son to make a new beginning.

Tabitha's strained relationship with her mother–in–law adds more difficulty to her life as a single working mother. Yet with a stroke of courage, Tabitha makes two purchases that become her passions: the local newspaper and a traumatized horse.

As she struggles to meet the challenges of her new roles, Tabitha welcomes the friendship of Samuel, a recently widowed British immigrant. Working together to train the abused horse, the two discover a second chance at love. But when Samuel is critically injured during the construction of the Manti Temple, Tabitha faces the pain of old wounds and the risk of new ones.

Weaving themes of loss and renewal, this poignant tale explores a vital choice each of us must make: to seek safety in isolation or to embrace the painful yet beautiful complexities of life and love.

Read the first two chapters here.

View book trailer here.

I’m not a big romance fan. Neither am I a huge historical fiction fan. It’s not that I hate those genres, it’s just that there are other genres that I like so much more.

So why am I reviewing another historical romance by Annette Lyon?

Because it was that good.

What I don’t like about traditional romances is the implausibility of the relationship between the helpless female and the irresistible rogue—yuk, gag, puke. Even though Tabitha fell apart when her young husband died in an explosion, she was not and is not helpless. She struggled to get an education and to provide for herself and her child. The woman that returns to Manti is strong and courageous, willing to stick to her convictions and do what is right, even though it may put her livelihood and her reputation in danger.

As for historicals, many of them remind me of high school—dull and boring, with the story line as an excuse to shove the history lesson down out throats. Yawn. But this is not a problem in this book. The history is the backdrop to the story, not the main point. We get enough to make it realistic and believable but it’s not a rehearsal of dates and facts.

I could appreciate Tabitha’s struggle when she began to have feelings for Samuel. On the one hand, this could develop into a deep and abiding love for a good man. On the other hand, it would open her heart up to pain again. I also enjoyed watching Samuel grow and change from a man who hated working with animals, to someone who allowed himself to be taught by and learn from a woman. These were two people with admirable qualities and great strength of character. It was easy to see how they would be attracted to each other.

I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance and a well-written story.

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Content Ratings

Language: No swearing.

Violence: There are mining disasters and injuries. Burglary. No overt violence.

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality:

Values/Themes: An LDS book with themes on courage, overcoming grief, and forgiveness.

Age Appropriate: For LDS adults.

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© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Just One Wish
by Janette Rallison

YA Romance
272 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: 12-16

Putnam Juvenile
978-0399246180
Release Date: March 5, 2009



From the publisher:

Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it’s all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika’s plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

When Annika's little brother faces the prospect of surgery, she is determined that he will pull through successfully. A firm believer in the power of positive thinking, she convinces Jeremy that she has a magic lamp that will grant him a successful surgery and his greatest desire—which she believes is a Teen Robin Hood action character. Jeremy upsets her well-made plans when he wishes instead to meet the "real" Teen Robin Hood, an actor from his favorite TV show.

Annika sets off to make Jeremy's wish come true by taking an extended road trip from Nevada to LA with her best friend Madison. They sneak onto a closed studio where Teen Robin Hood is filmed and stalk Steve Raleigh, the actor who plays the part. Through a series of ridiculous situations, Annika and Steve end up making the return trip to Arizona together, stopping by his home first. It's crazy, funny, and at times unbelievable, but this is a teenage girl's dream come true and girls will love this bit of wish fulfillment.

There are some parts that stretch credulity a bit, like the aforementioned sneaking into a closed set. It seems a bit too easy. Also, that she catches the heart of the handsome TV star and generates feelings in such as short time. And that he would actually come home with her. But still, the "it could happen" scenario is part of what drives a light-hearted romance and I'm willing to believe it for the fun of the story.

The best part of the book, however, is the relationship between Annika and her brother. It is sweet, tender and heart-tugging. I like that they're close, where so many teen books these days have siblings at each others' throats.

I love Janette Rallison. Her books are clever funny, with clean romance that I'm not embarrassed to let me teenagers read. (Not that I have any teenagers anymore, but Janette's been writing for a few years.) Janette's usual humor shows up in this book, even though it deals with a serious, and often sad, topic. There were places where I laughed out loud at Annika's antics. The romance was sweet and clean with just a bit of kissing. I recommend it to teen girls who like light-hearted romance.

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Content Ratings

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Immorality: Light kissing.

Values/Themes: I like the strong family unit. Might want to discuss other choices Annika could have made instead of taking off to LA without permission.

Age Appropriate:

Writing Mechanics: Pretty good.


© 2010 It's a Book Affair