BOOK REVIEW:  Rekindled 

 

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About Tamara Alexander

by: Vickie McDonough

Dancing Word Reviewer

 

Title: Rekindled (Fountain Creek Chronicles, Book One) 

Author: Tamera Alexander

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 0-7642-0108-5

Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Fiction

Kathryn Jennings loves her husband, but his overt jealousy wears her down. She can't even hold a conversation with another man without Larson glaring at them or worse, rudely butting in and making her leave. If only she could convince him that he's the only man who holds a place in her heart.

Larson Jennings knows he's failed his wife. Though he's provided her with a decent home on their ranch in the Colorado Territory, in their ten years of marriage, he's been unable to give her the child she desperately wants. His difficult upbringing makes it hard for him to trust Kathryn, especially with other men, and he has trouble expressing his love for her.

When Kathryn wakes up on Christmas morning and finds a note from Larson saying he's gone away on a business trip, she's devastated. The days turn into weeks, and she fears for her husband's life. Though Larson expertly knows his way around the area, the winter weather is severe.

When she discovers an important secret Larson kept from her, Kathryn's grief is magnified, and yet she feels God's arms surrounding her. Matthew, Larson's main ranch hand, is a tremendous help to her, and Kathryn finds herself looking forward to seeing him each day. Will Larson ever return? Or has God provided Kathryn with a way to escape her troubled marriage and to start over?

I found Rekindled to be a truly heart-tugging and inspiring story. In her first novel, Tamera Alexander does an excellent job creating three-dimensional characters that seem like real people and settings that are easy to visualize. Rekindled is a story of love, loss, and second chances. Readers will ache for both Larson and Kathryn and wish they could find a way to express their true feelings for one another. They'll also feel for Kathryn and the difficult time she faces after Larson leaves.

The secondary characters are just as compelling, and I suspect some of them will end up with their own stories down the road. Rekindled has suspense, action, romance, and an inspiring message about what's truly important in life. Don’t miss out on Tamera Alexander's debut novel, and the first story in the Fountain Creek Chronicles. (298 pages/ $12.99)