I am a personal friend of the author, Marilyn Lathrop and I have seen drafts of portions of this book before publishing. Even-so, I would still give this book a good review. In the world of Christian fiction, writers often force their characters to bend to particular perfection of “good” Christian folk. Marilyn does not do that, so the book is fresh and genuine, the characters are believable and they suffer in unique human ways. They also enjoy the grace of God.
Here is an excerpt from the back of the book, Give Her the Stars:
Elise Ramos, divorced mother of two-year old Max, flees her stifling apartment after a distressing confrontation with her controlling ex-husband, Gabriel. In the sweltering July sun, on the sidewalk outside a store, she meets a handsome foreigner, Lendar Marl. When Lendar brings her home after their first date, Elise warns him of Gabriel’s violent ways. Lendar assures her that he knows how to deal with brutes. Outside hr apartment, Lendar easily defeats the drunken Gabriel and Elise begins to believe Lendar might be the man she’s been praying for.I connected with Elise immediately as she trudged past shop windows dreaming of a time when she may afford their goods. Elise is the starving artist, but she also is starving for love. Romance enters quickly, but like the goods in the shop windows, Elise fears she cannot have love either. Of course any good romance needs conflict, so enter the ex, and he’s a doozy. A fabulous villain, he stalks Elise and threatens her every move, filling the edges of the book for the reader and taking the roller coaster ride to new twists and turns.
The book has minor characters that play well also, Bruce, Jaizem and Retief. They are memorable and bring a smile as I write this review. My favorite minor character is Elise’s son, Max. If you read for characters as I do, don’t miss this well drawn, lovable child.
The end of the book satisfied me with a clean finish and thoughtful address of faith as well as love and its importance in our lives. The shops finally opened and new adventures played out in my mind, like a great dessert after a great meal. Thank you Marilyn Lathrop. I can’t wait to read Love from the Stars, with a whole new cast and some more memorable characters.
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