Many successful authors started their careers by entering writing competitions. This handbook, written by an expert on both sides of the equation (he is both an award-win..
It’s been one year since Angel Walker divorced her intolerable husband, James, and one year since Jake Jordan lost his dear wife, Rosaline to a car accident. Now — twelve years since Angel and Jake last saw each other — Angel is returning to Nova Scotia to help out her aunt who’s just taken a fall. But running the Bed and Breakfast turns out to be an easier challenge than dealing with widower Jake and his adorable daughter Rachael. Living up to the saintly Rosaline takes courage. But it takes more courage still to accept that Jake is nothing like James.
Once bitten twice shy, Jake discovers Angel doesn’t trust easily. He’ll have to be careful with this one, if he doesn’t want her to slip away. But when Angel finally believes in Jake, she discovers she could have been wrong, and Jake might be using her, making him an even lower person than her ex.
An almost tragedy is avoided and long overdue explanations turn Angel’s challenge into a blessing.
Sequel: Angel's Retreat
Excerpt
“Woman,” he shouted. “Is there anything in that brain of yours at all? I don’t know why I even take you places. It’s embarrassing and humiliating.”
Angel heard a crash and peeked out through her fingers that were covering her face and trying to block out her husband James’ ranting.
“Now look what you made me do!”
Angel saw the vase smashed on the floor and knew he hadn’t knocked it off. Rather he had thrown in to the floor in his fury.
“Get up woman! Clean this mess up.”
James stomped out of the room, and Angel breathed a sigh of relief. She would be happy to clean up the broken pieces of the vase just as long as James would do as he normally did and leave the house until he calmed down.
Cleaning up the broken vase was easy, but putting together the broken pieces of their marriage was something she couldn’t seem to accomplish.
For years she had hoped he’d change. Sometimes it was just the little things she did, like cooking a simple meal. Today it had been playing golf. It was the first time he had taken her with him and she was thrilled that he wanted her to accompany him. Angel did her best but she had never played before and James had given her little instruction. Each time she played badly his face would turn red and he would yell at her. It didn’t matter if people were around. It even seemed that he enjoyed it all the more if people did hear. She didn’t want to remember the terrible words he had hurled at her, but they floated around her head anyway…stupid, idiot, clumsy, awkward.
Angle leaped from her hiding place behind the sofa, and got the broom and dustpan to clean up the mess that James had left behind.
If only she could, she thought. But this mess of a marriage had not even been salvaged with marriage counselling. They had tried after her insistence upon one occasion when James had been remorseful and said he would do anything if she would not leave him. But nothing changed, and they fell back into the same old pattern, him berating her and her taking it.
It's nice
It is nice to read a nice romance story without all of the grit some times. This is that kind of story. I really like the characters. Communication is the solution to most problems...so this story lets us know.
What a romance should be
"Angel's Blessing" is what a romance should be--sweet, gentle, and with a happy ending. Angel and Jake's relationship is beset with misunderstandings, but it all ends happily for everyone. A very pleasant read. I hope I can look forward to reading more about Angel in the future.
A very enjoyable read
I really liked this book. There was enough detail to make the characters compelling, but not so much that it drowned the story. There was not too much internal dialogue, especially of the variety that often plagues romance books; that being the angst ridden musings of the title characters. That kind of nattering repetition can absolutely ruin a book.
It seems to me that romance stories tend to follow a familiar pattern: title characters meeting (or getting reacquainted), stirrings of feelings, characters questioning those feelings, situations that deepen those feelings, the realization by the characters that they are falling in love, surrendering to love, a sudden conflict that threatens that love, and finally, the resolution and happy ending.
Some writers excel at the genre while others fall flat on their faces. In my opinion, Ms. Smith does a very good job with the above formula and the misunderstanding that confronts the title characters is not trite or tiresome. I found myself really wondering if Angel had been duped by Jake and if he was perhaps callous enough to use his own child to further his financial ambitions.
There were only two points that I found to be a bit lacking in this story and they were: 1) the time it took the characters to start wondering and cultivating a romance. A rushed story line is off putting.
2) The resolution of the conflict felt a little anticlimactic. I wish the author had let us be privy to Angel and Aunt May's discussion regarding the sale of the land. It would have made this part of the book flow a little better.
Thumbs up, however, for some really terrific characters (Aunt May and her friends being a personal favorite) and for treating the story's romance with respect instead of allowing it to dissolve into something smarmy.
"Be warned: do not start this novel if you anticipate any pressing obligations - a need to sleep, say - or without a handful of tissues within arms reach. Flaherty's Cros..
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