Love's Stormy Gale

by Lynette Sowell

THE BRIDE'S SECOND CHANCE Two years ago, Olivia Shea was trying on her wedding gown, dreaming of marriage and motherhood. But her fisherman fiance was lost at sea and Olivia fled, unable to stay in the New England fishing village. Now she's back in Fairport, determined to face her fears by working on a whale boat tour. But the charter's captain is the sole survivor of her fiance's ill-fated voyage-a man of danger and memories.

Jonathan Barrotta's scars from the night he nearly died run as deep as the vast Atlantic. To prove himself and to honor his friend's memory, he vows to fulfill his dream of piloting his own boat. But a life at sea means a life without Olivia-the woman he's always secretly loved. How can he ask her to be a fisherman's wife? Only with the Lord guiding their way will Jonathan and Olivia chart a course toward home-together.

Genres: Romance, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Christian Romance, Christian, Contemporary Romance

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Lynette Sowell is an award-winning author with New England roots, but she makes her home on the doorstep of the Texas Hill Country with her husband and a herd of five cats. When she’s not writing, she edits medical reports and chases down stories for the local newspaper.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, even better than I expected. It had a great message of trusting God no matter what.

[Krista Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved seeing how things happened between Jonathan and Olivia. Both had a lot of hurt to work through and they relied on their friends as well as their faith.

Ms. Sowell writes well thought out books. The ups and downs were perfectly timed. It didn't seem to be overdone. I loved how the characters kept going to God for help. Definitely an author I will look into to read more of her work.

[Kathy Rae]

Learning to Trust the Lord Can Be Difficult

The story had reality intertwined when Olivia learned to forgive someone who has left during her childhood, allowing that person to teach her how to trust the Lord. It was a worthwhile read.

[MaryEllen]

This Christian story features realistic characters in realistic situations. Most of the characters are Christians but still struggle, realistically, with forgiveness, faith, and letting go of control.

I love that the characters speak Bible verses to each other.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really reading the books

I Love how it ca.e together with both Luv and Jonathan and how it involved a biblical stance in the story .

[Beverly Whitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet love story. Olivia has to battle her own demons before she can give her and Jonathan a chance to find their home harbor.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story.

content: clean

[Gabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews at My Full Bookshelf Reviews

2.5 stars

This book was...a book. (I know, I'm a genius.) There was nothing that made me want to turn the page, other than the desire to finish it so I could go on to another more exciting story. Harsh? Yes. But true. So why am I giving it the average rating? Because I have read books that made me want to chuck my iPad across the room, and this one didn't do that. I was able to read without getting mad at the book. But I was a tad bored.

Don't worry, I am not going to be completely brutal on this one. It's not a terrible book at all; don't get me wrong. But, adult romance isn't exactly my favorite genre. If you enjoy this genre, though, you may love this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea--no, take that back. It wasn't my cup of hot cocoa. I'm not a fan of tea.

Anyway, I found it cheesy. That's to be expected, of course-this is a Harlequin Romance for Christians, basically- but it's still not excusable.

Secondly, I was at times forcing myself not to skim, because honestly, I found Olivia to be very unlikeable. We get it; your to-be-husband died the day before your wedding. That is tragic; I am sorry for you. But that doesn't mean every single fisherman boyfriend is going to die like that, and it's not a good reason to refuse to date Jonathan. What happened was a freak accident. I got really mad that she was refusing to date him because of this, because it is obvious that they like each other a lot.

If you absolutely adore Christian romance, ignore this review, buy Love's Stormy Gale, and read to your heart's content. If not, take caution; this book may not be for you.

This review can be found on:

http://myfullbookshelfreviews.blogspo...

[Kristina Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, reading it from cover to cover in less than 48 hours. It is a story of redemption, forgiveness and overcoming fears as you learn to trust God in EVERY situation. What I (ended up) loving about this book was that the characters, Olivia and Jonathan, loved each other and both of them admit waaay before the end of the book - but they still struggled with making that love work for both of them when faced with their fears - Olivia's that she would lose another man to the treacherous life of a fisherman in a New England fishing community; Jonathan's fear that he was not worthy enough to be the man in her life.

The author strays from the "typical" boy-meets-girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after path of most romance novels. The book is realistically truthful about the true ebb and flow of romantic entanglements and the knowledge that sometimes in relationships, one person is "ready" when the other isn't (and vice versa), but with faith, commitment and perseverance, obstacles to true love don't stand a chance.

[Gina Hott · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the going got tough – Olivia ran.
Olivia’s always thought that she trusted in God not man, but when her man didn’t return from a fishing excursion her faith faltered, and she ran. Now, she’s returned to her hometown and is trying to begin again without picking at old scabs.
Jonathan has loved Olivia forever and he’s done waiting. He was patient while she was engaged to his best friend. He gave her time to grieve. She’s back and it’s time to take action – if God approves, that is.

Hott Review:
What I liked: This is a very sweet romance of enduring love – not just man-woman love but God-person love. It’s a great reminder to trust in the Almighty and allow Him to guide your path instead of you showing Him which way is best.
What I didn’t like: There were times it was a bit slow and uneventful for me.

More…
Author: Lynette Sowell
Source: Kindle Free Read on Apri l19, 2013
Grade: B
Ages: 16+
Steam: YA
Setting:
Series: Heartsong Presents Series #1048

[Catherine Richmond]

The profession of fishing seemed theoretical to me until we lived on Nantucket one winter. Wow, people really fish for a living and it's dangerous and hard work. Author Lynette Sowell takes us to Cape Ann, north of Boston, where people still try to make their living on the sea. Whale researcher Olivia had lost her fiancé in a fishing accident. Can she find happiness with another fisherman, the sole survivor of the accident?

Realistic details of a New England fishing community show this story was well researched.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes we think we can do a better job of being God than He can. Olivia Shea lost her fiance to the sea and two years later when she returns home to care for her father, she has to face it all again. Now she finds herself working with another of her best friends who also wants to spend his life at sea. She can't go through it again, so she sends him on his merry way. But they both love each other too much to let go.

A very good story about forgiveness and learning to let go and let God.

[Danica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I thought the characters were really relatable and seemed like the kind of people I would know and see around town. I was a little bothered by the heroine giving up on the hero so easily due to her fear, but I also understand why. I think I was on the side of her friends, who wanted her to move on faster than I guess she was ready.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good. not my favorite but good. I liked the hero and heroine - i liked her crusty ole' father. I related to her backstory of fear. A little too "churchy" sometimes for me (felt a little forced) but otherwise a sweet story.

[Cary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got it free from Amazon on the Kindle. It was a bit too preachy for me. I am not sure if there was a single page in the entire book that did NOT have the word "prayer" on it! Wow! It was clean though and sort of sugary.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this as a free ebook. It's pretty cute. I wasn't a fan of the main character Olivia, but I like the others. I liked the setting (fishing village in New England), which is a culture I am unfamiliar with.

[Marren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read for 2014, I know,hold the knives! (Grins). It is an amazing story of how two people, guided by God,submitted to love, eradicating barriers of fear and stubbornness to conquer their doubts, in the end. It is a heartwarming read for cold weather!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A birthday gift, this small book was my constant companion on a hectic bus to work this past two days and a very nice one at that. I solid redemption/trust tale set against the backdrop of a small fishing town.

[Skeeter Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked every aspect of this book. A good Christian story.

[Amber Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this bookm but even though I am a christian, I felt like Sowell was layering the religion on a bit to much.

[Cindy]

Not for me. I just couldn't connect with the characters and didn't really care what happened next.

[Mya · Rating 3 out of 5]

plott good

so many errors and cunfusion

could have been written more nice i guess

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, good storyline. Christian harlequin...sounds like an oxymoron but wasn't that bad.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. it is about strong faith.

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just like awwwww! Through the entire book a really great read

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. Predictable with a few twists and turns to keep it interesting.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, good read. I liked it.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained a wonderful message of trusting in God and the power of prayer, faith, and the importance of forgiveness.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was well written, but I honestly didn't get into the story and didn't feel connected at all to any of the characters.

[Cici · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting slice of life story. There are a lot of regrets from several characters. There is happiness in the end.