Colleen Coble
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction, Faith, Romance, Music
Released: January 10th, 2017
{GoodReads}
Alanna has been plagued by tragedy. So it should come as no surprise that in the beauty that surrounds Charleston, all is not as it seems.
When her husband is killed by a car bomb while their band is on tour in Charleston, Alanna doesn’t know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but the one thing she knows for sure is that she can’t lose the last piece of Liam she has left.
Their manager offers her a marriage of convenience to gain her U.S. citizenship and allow her to escape her father-in-law’s control. It seems like the perfect solution . . . but her doubts begin almost as soon as she arrives at Barry’s family home, a decaying mansion surrounded by swamp.
To make matters worse, Liam’s best friend survived the car bomb. She’s never really liked Jesse and now she can’t seem to get away from him. When he takes Liam’s place in their band, it’s almost more than she can bear.
But then things start happening. Things that could easily cost Alanna her life—or the life of her unborn child. Are they merely coincidences? Or is there something much more sinister at work?
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WARNING: Possible Spoilers
Also, please understand that these are my opinions and mine alone! While I did not care for this particular story, someone else may absolutely love it, and all joy to them! :]
{The Basics}
Alanna is married to the love of her life. Her Irish band, Ceol, is advancing in the eyes of fans and they have a big tour coming up. And she's pregnant! What more could she want? Her life is finally looking up compared to her upbringing. . . until a car bomb goes off under the sports car of her husband's friend, Jesse. Her love, Liam, is killed instantly, and Jesse is seriously injured, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
Liam's parents, her wealthy in-laws, threaten to take away her baby--the only piece of Liam she has left--and so, in desparation, Alanna enters into a marriage of convenience to her band's manager, Barry. He's done more than enough for her during this tragedy and promises to care for her and her baby.
{Positives}
Alanna and Liam have something sweet. It's obvious they love one another and that their relationship is strong. She is also very close to the other band members and they seem almost as sisters to her. She is more than grateful for their encouragement and support, and listens to their advice, even if it's not exactly what she wishes to hear.
{Negatives}
A character turns out to be way more than he seems. . . There are lies, deceptions, intentional dangers, and manipulation abounding. But not exactly where you expect. One character has a "pet" alligator who lives on his family's estate, which he feeds marshmallows to. . . At one point, Alanna realizes he also gives the gator reptiles and snakes he has caught. And she's horrified to discover he threw a kitten to it (she rescues it! and is nearly eaten herself--but isn't).
A woman is attacked and her shirt torn off, but she escapes.
{Spiritual Content}
Alanna's faith rests in God. But after Liam's death, she falls away. She drifts and cannot seem to find the willingness to speak to Him, even though He's proven so faithful during her many trials. Eventually, of course, she comes around and her faith is restored.
After the tragedy, Jesse tries to recover his memory and finds that Liam lingers in his mind. He almost comes to believe that Liam's spirit possessed him and contemplates an exorcism. . . (Definite red flag in my mind! I did not enjoy these scenes. . . And SPOILER! but you learn why he was feeling so and it's way more believable.)
{Violence}
Car bomb kills one man and majorly injures another. A woman is missing and it's later discovered that she was killed. An unknown figure pushes Alanna down a steep bank, intentionally trying to injure her or make her miscarry. [SPOILER!] A coral snake bites her foot in bed (she survives!), and it's discovered that it was planted there.
A man dies of a heart attack. A woman is killed by a stray bullet. Another man is stabbed to the chest with a knife. Another is stabbed and shot, then killed by the gator. . . Characters sustain cuts and wounds, bruises, scrapes, etc. During a hurricane, one man is swept away by a current.
{Language, Alcohol & Drugs}
"Ninny" is used a time or two to describe a character's self. "Dope," also. "Whore" is used once, along with "witch."
I don't recall any alcohol. . . An antivenom is mentioned.
{Love-y-ness}
Again, it's obvious Liam and Alanna were deep in love. Liam wrote a song for her to a tune she remembered from her rough childhood. After his death, she admits a growing attraction toward Barry, but Liam is still fresh in her mind and she decides she just can't let him go just yet.
{Conclusion}
Overall, it was an interesting story, and I loved the Irish aspect of it. But I simply couldn't get into as I would've liked. There didn't seem to be much character development, things kept happening to Alanna, one after the other and I got to the point where I was thinking, "Really? AGAIN?" It was intriguing in some areas and rather mysterious, but alas, I can only give it three stars.
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Recommended ages: 16-18+
I agree - this wasn't one of Coble's best stories. I kept wondering what was WRONG with Alanna. It was hard to chalk it up to preggo hormones!
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