What do you think?
Rate this book
Finding Her Courage
Can she overcome her fears,
to bring peace to her little girl?
Camille Bellamy’s six-year-old daughter hasn’t spoken since her father died in a plane crash. To provide for Evie, Camille has to convince Ty Spencer to sell the ranch they both inherited, but she fears spending time with the pilot could be a painful reminder. Yet surprisingly, her little girl forms a bond with Ty, forcing Camille to face her own fear—risking her heart again.
From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
to bring peace to her little girl?
Camille Bellamy’s six-year-old daughter hasn’t spoken since her father died in a plane crash. To provide for Evie, Camille has to convince Ty Spencer to sell the ranch they both inherited, but she fears spending time with the pilot could be a painful reminder. Yet surprisingly, her little girl forms a bond with Ty, forcing Camille to face her own fear—risking her heart again.
From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
- GenresLove Inspired
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2021
8 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 29, 2022
The author's story is endearing: ex-waitress turned writer. And I'm assuming this is her first book? But MAN... honey, you have a *L.O.N.G.* way to go. This was... like a parody of a 'Love Inspired'. And I should know - I've got 1,106 of them (and counting). This is NOT a good book.
Camille (Like C.R.) is from Chicago - an event planner who apparently can just pick up and go out to Nebraska FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH whenever she likes, even though she's in foreclosure and needs all the weekend jobs she can get, one would think. She's inherited a ranch (the SWEET dreams ranch) in SWEETheart, Nebraska. Because SWEETie is apparently a thing with Chicagoans? Not sure. Like I said... parody of a LI book.
Only nobody told Camille (not even her lawyer) that the will says she's co-owner of the ranch she wants to sell to get herself out of foreclosure. Which... no, alternative wills don't pop up weeks after a death. Sorry. Especially when she was there with the man when he died, and he was of completely sound mind, hello. BAD writing.
The co-owner is Ty, who *fortuitously* is the first person they meet - at a gas station, where he DOESN'T work, but can get parts and fix her car for her. He's 29, and a retired Blue Angels pilot - which by the way doesn't work. You don't even have the college, flight school, officers school, time in the service, and hours in piloting for that - the Blue Angels are all in their 30s.
She also says he's a RETIRED Navy pilot. Author needs to do a little research. It's twenty years to retirement in the military - so even if he went in at 18 (which he couldn't, if he's an officer - they have to have a degree to be commissioned)... the youngest you can retire is 38. NOT well researched. Or try not at *ALL* researched.
Anyhoo... Camille's husband died in the Air Force as a pilot, so she hates planes. Her daughter - who was likely five at the time of the death - now no longer speaks. But we don't know why, really... it's not like she was 1) in the crash, 2) watched the crash, 3) understood AT FIVE what happened besides "Daddy died and can't come home"... which, with a military pilot for a dad, the kid would be USED his absences (12yr Air Force brat, speaking). The plausibility is stupid.
Worse, the 'doctors have given up hope' on the kid. Say *WHAT*?!!?!?! It's emotional trauma, kids bounce better than anyone else, hello. You'd be lucky if a doctor would touch this - it's stuff a shrink would deal with, not 'doctors'... which... medical bills for the kid are the reason Camille is in foreclosure. NONE of this jives.
Camille's car (Buffy) is belching smoke, lost a hose, is falling apart, but the author assures us it just 'needs a rest, and will be fine tomorrow'. WHAT the what?!
She also apparently has never seen a wild rabbit. Even along the public trails in my town, when a rabbit comes out and sees a human, it either freezes and then darts away as fast as possible, or skips the freezing bit and just runs for it. And that's a place where wildlife is somewhat acclimated to humans. In Christine Raymond world, apparently bunnies hop closer for a better look, and wiggle their noses at people. ?!?!?! I. Can't. Even.
Anyhow, Ty lives next door on a ranch that rehabilitates military veterans. This is an overdone LI literary plot - pretty much every author has at least one book with a ranch that rehabs vets. Because why would they rehab at a facility with physical therapists, medicines, qualified medical staff when they can rehab via cows, planes, and weddings? (((sigh.)))
Camille goes over to talk to Ty, her kid disappears, they form a search party of vets, Ty gets out a horse and somehow LIFTS Camille into the saddle. You do realize this is physically impossible, right? And WHY would he take a horse with a woman who's never been on one? This makes NO sense, whatsoever. Talk about potential for injury/liability with someone who doesn't even *LIKE* him. He wouldn't. Ever. Dumb writing.
It gets worse: "He was surprised by the feel of something so soft pressing so close. Mia used to hold him like that." If Mia used to hold him on horseback, it's not a surprise how it feels, hello. "...it only brought more painful memories. Jon. The Crash. Mia's back as she turned away..." ((sings, *DRAMA!!!!*)) Oi my vey.
A movie star who grew up in Sweetie-land is back and wants her wedding there, and she sees the cow on Ty's ranch and says, "SOOOO much better than the CGI cows in the space-abduction movie!" Really. Space cows... that's whatcha got. (((SIGH.))) Did I mention parody of an LI book?
Evie visits the ranch again with Camille, draws a picture of a horse, and Ty says, "Let's let her go off with people you don't know to see big animals, shall we?" And WITHOUT EVEN ASKING EVIE, Camille makes the decision for her daughter. Just because she draws a horse doesn't mean she is okay getting up close and personal with one, hello! More, why are you not TALKING TO YOUR KID?!?!?!? GAH!!!!
Nikki (Camille's sister) shows up at the ranch, says, "Oooh! Hot pilot. You like him?" Camille denies it... but Nikki makes NO MOVE to claim him for herself? Talk about author manipulation - because if a sister isn't interested, it makes him free game for the one who IS, hello. (((*SIGH.*))
Camille says, "Sorry, I'm a little tired, today," as she's reviewing his venue's possibilities when she agrees to decorate for the celebrity wedding there. Then the book says, "It was easy to read Ty's expression. Crossed eyes, head tilted to the side, slight frown." WHAT IS THAT?! Other than 1) rude to someone he barely knows, 2) unnecessary, 3) the *DEAD* wrong reaction to a tired woman.
"A couple HOURS later", she was done looking over the barns and ready for the stables. YOU ARE *KIDDING* me. HOURS to look over a few barns?! Seriously?!?! For an initial walk-thru of a venue. I have NEVER...!!!!
And I'm only barely a THIRD into the book. At which point I realized this is a colossal waste of my time and is just aggravating the ever-lovin' HECK out of me... and that I have 1,105 other books to read, yet...
DNF. Page 85. I... do not need this. Not when there's already another pilot-next-door book ('The Bachelor's Unexpected Family' by Lisa Carter Cox) done by 'Love, Inspired' that got a four-star rating out of me.
Read THAT one, instead. I promise, it's WAY better.
Camille (Like C.R.) is from Chicago - an event planner who apparently can just pick up and go out to Nebraska FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH whenever she likes, even though she's in foreclosure and needs all the weekend jobs she can get, one would think. She's inherited a ranch (the SWEET dreams ranch) in SWEETheart, Nebraska. Because SWEETie is apparently a thing with Chicagoans? Not sure. Like I said... parody of a LI book.
Only nobody told Camille (not even her lawyer) that the will says she's co-owner of the ranch she wants to sell to get herself out of foreclosure. Which... no, alternative wills don't pop up weeks after a death. Sorry. Especially when she was there with the man when he died, and he was of completely sound mind, hello. BAD writing.
The co-owner is Ty, who *fortuitously* is the first person they meet - at a gas station, where he DOESN'T work, but can get parts and fix her car for her. He's 29, and a retired Blue Angels pilot - which by the way doesn't work. You don't even have the college, flight school, officers school, time in the service, and hours in piloting for that - the Blue Angels are all in their 30s.
She also says he's a RETIRED Navy pilot. Author needs to do a little research. It's twenty years to retirement in the military - so even if he went in at 18 (which he couldn't, if he's an officer - they have to have a degree to be commissioned)... the youngest you can retire is 38. NOT well researched. Or try not at *ALL* researched.
Anyhoo... Camille's husband died in the Air Force as a pilot, so she hates planes. Her daughter - who was likely five at the time of the death - now no longer speaks. But we don't know why, really... it's not like she was 1) in the crash, 2) watched the crash, 3) understood AT FIVE what happened besides "Daddy died and can't come home"... which, with a military pilot for a dad, the kid would be USED his absences (12yr Air Force brat, speaking). The plausibility is stupid.
Worse, the 'doctors have given up hope' on the kid. Say *WHAT*?!!?!?! It's emotional trauma, kids bounce better than anyone else, hello. You'd be lucky if a doctor would touch this - it's stuff a shrink would deal with, not 'doctors'... which... medical bills for the kid are the reason Camille is in foreclosure. NONE of this jives.
Camille's car (Buffy) is belching smoke, lost a hose, is falling apart, but the author assures us it just 'needs a rest, and will be fine tomorrow'. WHAT the what?!
She also apparently has never seen a wild rabbit. Even along the public trails in my town, when a rabbit comes out and sees a human, it either freezes and then darts away as fast as possible, or skips the freezing bit and just runs for it. And that's a place where wildlife is somewhat acclimated to humans. In Christine Raymond world, apparently bunnies hop closer for a better look, and wiggle their noses at people. ?!?!?! I. Can't. Even.
Anyhow, Ty lives next door on a ranch that rehabilitates military veterans. This is an overdone LI literary plot - pretty much every author has at least one book with a ranch that rehabs vets. Because why would they rehab at a facility with physical therapists, medicines, qualified medical staff when they can rehab via cows, planes, and weddings? (((sigh.)))
Camille goes over to talk to Ty, her kid disappears, they form a search party of vets, Ty gets out a horse and somehow LIFTS Camille into the saddle. You do realize this is physically impossible, right? And WHY would he take a horse with a woman who's never been on one? This makes NO sense, whatsoever. Talk about potential for injury/liability with someone who doesn't even *LIKE* him. He wouldn't. Ever. Dumb writing.
It gets worse: "He was surprised by the feel of something so soft pressing so close. Mia used to hold him like that." If Mia used to hold him on horseback, it's not a surprise how it feels, hello. "...it only brought more painful memories. Jon. The Crash. Mia's back as she turned away..." ((sings, *DRAMA!!!!*)) Oi my vey.
A movie star who grew up in Sweetie-land is back and wants her wedding there, and she sees the cow on Ty's ranch and says, "SOOOO much better than the CGI cows in the space-abduction movie!" Really. Space cows... that's whatcha got. (((SIGH.))) Did I mention parody of an LI book?
Evie visits the ranch again with Camille, draws a picture of a horse, and Ty says, "Let's let her go off with people you don't know to see big animals, shall we?" And WITHOUT EVEN ASKING EVIE, Camille makes the decision for her daughter. Just because she draws a horse doesn't mean she is okay getting up close and personal with one, hello! More, why are you not TALKING TO YOUR KID?!?!?!? GAH!!!!
Nikki (Camille's sister) shows up at the ranch, says, "Oooh! Hot pilot. You like him?" Camille denies it... but Nikki makes NO MOVE to claim him for herself? Talk about author manipulation - because if a sister isn't interested, it makes him free game for the one who IS, hello. (((*SIGH.*))
Camille says, "Sorry, I'm a little tired, today," as she's reviewing his venue's possibilities when she agrees to decorate for the celebrity wedding there. Then the book says, "It was easy to read Ty's expression. Crossed eyes, head tilted to the side, slight frown." WHAT IS THAT?! Other than 1) rude to someone he barely knows, 2) unnecessary, 3) the *DEAD* wrong reaction to a tired woman.
"A couple HOURS later", she was done looking over the barns and ready for the stables. YOU ARE *KIDDING* me. HOURS to look over a few barns?! Seriously?!?! For an initial walk-thru of a venue. I have NEVER...!!!!
And I'm only barely a THIRD into the book. At which point I realized this is a colossal waste of my time and is just aggravating the ever-lovin' HECK out of me... and that I have 1,105 other books to read, yet...
DNF. Page 85. I... do not need this. Not when there's already another pilot-next-door book ('The Bachelor's Unexpected Family' by Lisa Carter Cox) done by 'Love, Inspired' that got a four-star rating out of me.
Read THAT one, instead. I promise, it's WAY better.
September 8, 2021
Christine Raymond is a new author to me, but I hope to continue to find more books by her. She wrote a heartwarming story of facing one’s fears. Camille Bellamy is a widow with a 6yr old daughter. She leaves Chicago and heads to Nebraska to her late father-in-law’s ranch, hoping to sell it to pay for her Chicago house. However, she meets Ty Spencer, a former Blue Angel. He just happens to own the land to her ranch. She is afraid of flying and living again. Can he change her mind?
August 3, 2021
I loved the story and how hard it is to let go of fears
February 22, 2022
Can she overcome her fears to bring peace to her little girl? Camille Bellamy's six-year old daughter has not spoken since her father died in a plane crash.
June 10, 2022
I loved this book!! Great story!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews