|
BOOK REVIEW: The Marriage Wish
|
||
|
Click cover to purchase book
|
by: Laura V. Hilton Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: The Marriage Wish Author: Dee Henderson Publisher: Steeple Hill ISBN: 0-373-78519-1 Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary Fiction
On Scott William’s thirty-eighth birthday, he realizes that something is missing. It doesn’t take much to figure out what. Even though he is successful, blessed with friends, and has a rich faith, he has no one with whom to share his life. No one to come home to every night. No family to love. So when he blows out his birthday candles, he has only one wish. He wants to meet his future wife.
Jennifer St. James is walking the beach on the anniversary of her husband’s death. When Scott approaches her, she is initially afraid, and doesn’t try to encourage this unknown man. Scott is afraid Jennifer is in an abusive relationship. She’s wearing a wedding ring, and has a nasty bruise on her face, which Jennifer claims she got when she walked into a door. Concerned for Jennifer’s safety, Scott isn’t easily rebuffed and is determined to help her.
When Jennifer explains to Scott that she is widowed and that she really did walk into a door, he is relieved and feels free to ask her out on a date. Even though Jennifer is still mourning the death of her husband and child, she agrees to date the kind, caring, compassionate man. Scott quickly falls in love, but Jennifer has some serious issues to work through. Will she ever be truly capable of loving another man?
As a serious fan of Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Series and True Heroes Series, I was looking forward to reading The Marriage Wish. I was disappointed to realize that it’s a reprint of her first novel and not a new book. The Marriage Wish isn’t quite the quality of Ms. Henderson’s later books, but it is still a sweet romance and I enjoyed rereading it.
Jennifer and Scott were both realistic characters. Scott is almost desperately searching for a wife and is quite pushy in establishing a relationship between them. Jennifer is equally scared of a relationship, especially once she realizes that Scott will want to have children. She doesn’t want to go through the pain of loving and losing another child—or husband.
Written in Ms. Henderson’s unique style, readers will be able to easily recognize the author’s voice. While not as exciting as Ms. Henderson’s other series, The Marriage Wish is an endearing book and is not easily put down. If you want to revisit Ms. Henderson’s classic first romance, The Marriage Wish is the book for you. | |
