This handsome firefighter makes a living coming to the rescue, but Gin doesn’t need a man to fight her battles.
After Raine’s dad walked out, Ginevieve Lightly never lived in one place too long, a rambling lifestyle that defined her daughter’s youth. When their car dies in Banister Falls, Wisconsin, Gin promises Raine they can stay until she finishes her senior year of high school. Gin will do anything to make sure her daughter has a bright future . . . a future that’s compromised when Raine reveals she’s pregnant.
Dan Moretti has only ever called Banister Falls home. After losing his best friend in a tragic accident, Dan devoted himself to responding to fires, rescuing the helpless, and guiding Cody Bennett, his best friend’s son, through life. With Cody being the epitome of the good kid, it was an easy job. Until he says four little words: “The baby is mine.”
Knowing gossip of Raine’s pregnancy will erupt sooner or later in the small town, Gin’s reflex is to grab the suitcase and escape to a new city, a new life. But with each passing day, Gin’s feet stay rooted in Banister Falls, and she falls a little more for this local firefighter who shows her not all men abandon women at the first sign of smoke.
As Gin and Dan do the best they can to guide the two teenagers through their early entry into adulthood, they discover together that romance can bloom in the rockiest of situations. And God can turn the pieces of a broken past into a beautiful new beginning.
Kathryn Springer is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in northern Wisconsin, where her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child she spent many hours sitting at her mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories, and credits her parents for instilling in her a love of books – which eventually turned into a desire to tell stories of her own. Kathryn has written nineteen books with close to two million copies sold. She lives with her husband and three children in Marinette, Wisconsin.
My Impressions:
I am somewhat ambivalent about romance novels. If they don’t have that something special, that something extra, that speaks to me on a deeper level, then I would just rather give them a pass. I need a romance with real life situations, real life emotions and real life hopes and dreams. I want more than fluff! Well, I got want I wanted and more in Kathryn Springers contemporary novel, The Dandelion Field. Part happily-ever-after romance and part coming of age story, this novel was a treat to read and left me longing for the rest of the story. This is one I will not hesitate to recommend.
Gin Lightly and her daughter Raine have been running from disappointment for 18 years. When their car breaks down in Bannister Falls, Raine, who longs for a place to call home, convinces Gin to stay longer than it takes to get the car fixed. When Raine becomes pregnant with the fair-haired town favorite, Gin’s first instinct is to run. But God has other plans.
I think the strength of The Dandelion Field is in its characters. Main characters Dan, Gin, Raine, Cody and Evie are complex and act and react in realistic ways. They are certainly not perfect — but are easy to relate to. They struggle with trust, feeling not quite good enough, guilt and grief. Minor characters are well-drawn as well, and I am hoping some will make their way into future books. The novel takes place over a few months and this allows the story to unfold naturally. I never felt the relationship between Dan and Gin was rushed or forced. The issue of teenage pregnancy was also handled realistically with disappointment, lost dreams and uncertain futures giving way to trust and dependence on God. All the characters grow, giving the book a feeling of hope in the face of difficulties. Springer has a light hand and her plotting is inventive. Smiles and chuckles accompanied the more serious parts of the book.
All in all, I give The Dandelion Field a two-thumbs-up, 5 star rating. It is certainly one of the best romances I have read in a long time.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to LitFuse and Zondervan for my review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
To purchase this book, click HERE.
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