Lonestar Homecoming [Paperback]

Lonestar Homecoming is the third book of a trilogy. The book centers on Gracie Lister and her young daughter, Hope. On the day of Gracie's wedding, she's suddenly confronted by the FBI about her fiance and realizes she's been lied to. Desperate and afraid, Gracie does what she has always done - she runs.

Not having time to pack, eat, or anything else, she takes off in her wedding dress with her 5-year-old daughter, five dollars, and a train ticket to western Texas. Once there, she meets Lieutenant Michael Wayne, a single father headed home to take care of his two children who just lost their mother. With Michael in need of someone to care for his kids while he's at work and Gracie in need of a home and a job, he hires her.

But Gracie's problems (a secret from her past, her fiance's dealings, and her instinct to run) are far from over - and combined with Michael's issues (a price on his head and his brother's murder) peace seems far away.

I have read many books by Collen Coble. Some I fall in love with (ie, Alaskan Twilight), others, I don't really care for. This book falls into the latter category.

While this book is the 3rd in the trilogy, it's not directly connected with the other two, so you don't need to worry about reading them in order. I had read Lonestar Sanctuary, but not the second one, Lonestar Secrets.

Lonestar Homecoming is very similar to Lonestar Sanctuary, and I found that I was able to accurately predict what would come next. These books are all about young women with young daughters who find themselves in what could end up being deadly trouble. They all meet wonderful men who agree to marry them to get them out of that trouble, but of course, with "separate bedrooms." They all inevitably end up falling in love and the mystery is resolved nicely at the end of the book.

Collen Coble is a masterful storyteller. Her descriptions are vivid and make you feel like you're right there in the room with the characters. However, some of the language she uses makes it feel as thought the story is not modern-day. In fact, when I read the first chapter of Lonestar Homecoming, I thought it was set back 50 years ago or so. Nevertheless, her stories are very enjoyable.

While I enjoyed the mystery of the novel, I felt that it was not the prominent aspect. The romance was. And to be honest, it was a little over the top for me. The two main charachters who are married begin by not sleeping together, since it's supposed to be just a legal contract, not necessarily a "real" marriage - however, they quickly find themselves attracted to each other and kissing ensues several times, and eventually they "head back to the bedroom" -and while that's all well and good (since they are married), I didn't feel it was very appropriate, at least for me. It made me uncomfortable. I prefer that a Christian book doesn't focus so heavily on the romance aspect of a story, because too much romance can lead my mind astray.

Another thing I did not like was the religious part of the book. It was scattered here and there, but didn't come across as a prominent point. Again, I prefer Christian books be upfront about God and their character's relationship with Him. While Gracie did cry out to God near the end of the book, it didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the story, since there had not been much to lead up to it.

The mystery was definitely a mystery, and it twisted wonderfully. However, some things seemed a little forced. Not the best mystery ever, but not entirely predictable or boring. Just a little confusing. Like this review probably is at this point... ;)

Overall, I'd say the book is one of those books that are good to read if you just want to lose yourself for a little while. It's not very deep, not very dark, and easy to read (I finished it in less than two days). But if you're looking for something containing a strong message, strong Christianity, and a stong plot, this isn't necessarily the book for you.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I was first introduced to the writing of Colleen Coble when I ordered another of her books through Amazon Vine. As soon as I finished that book, I wanted to read more of her work. So when I was offered the chance to review this book for Amazon Vine, I jumped at the chance.

Colleen Coble sure knows how to write a great book. No matter what type of book you enjoy reading, there is something here you will like. There is romance, suspense, adventure, action. Coble has a knack for writing interesting, believable characters. The story is quick moving and engaging. This book caught my interest very early on and I didn't want to stop reading until it was over. Coble is one of my new favorite Christian authors.

Gracie struggles with things that a lot of people will be able to identify with. She has a tendency to run away from her problems rather than deal with him, she is often paralyzed by fear, and she struggles with feelings of guilt and low self-worth. She used to have a relationship with God, but now feels that she no longer deserves His Love and has no right to ask Him for anything. She wants to be free, but she believes that she has gone too far, and made too many bad decisions. She believes that her relationship with God can never be restored. She believes He won't forgive her, mainly because she can't forgive herself.

I highly recommend this book and any other by this author.

I'm a Colleen Coble fan and have been for years, but Lonestar Homecoming has hit a new high mark, even for her. This book has the marriage of convenience, the strong hero with a good head on his shoulders, and the woman in jeopardy with a tender heart and willingness to put her life on the line for those she loves. Throw in lovable children as well as a dog and horses, and you've got a winner. Colleen has the exceptional talent to weave all these aspects into one wonderfully readable novel that takes it to the next level.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 46 reviews  4.4 out of 5 stars