~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE HER ONLY WISH ~

 ~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~

--  'HER ONLY WISH'  --

AUTHOR SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

 

The time for playing it safe is over . . .

Sheltered yet adventurous, Betsy Detweiler is on a mission to get out of Kentucky and experience new things in life. She's got a list--a life list. What better place to start than with her friends in beautiful Pinecraft, Florida?

From the moment Betsy walks onto the Snow Bird Golf Course to sign up for lessons, August Troyer is mesmerized. Betsy is a mass of contradictions--beautiful yet awkward, outgoing yet unsure, joyful yet hesitant. She's like no one he's ever met before, and as the only child of missionary parents, he's met a lot of people.

As Betsy and August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest, they'll encounter several reasons to back off and live small. But life--and love--require risk.

Praise for 'Her Heart's Desire':

"Fans of Amish fiction will be hooked on page one!"--Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Building a Future

"Full of endearing characters, this entertaining tale of repaired friendships and kindled romances will delight readers."--Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of A Season on the Wind

"Destined to delight."--Kelly Irvin, bestselling author of Love's Dwelling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books, including Her Heart's Desire and Her Only Wish. Two-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and a Carol Award finalist, Gray lives in Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail. Learn more at www.shelleyshepardgray.com.

LINK TO EXCERPT COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER

MY REVIEW:

This book is the author's second installment in her 'A Season in Pinecraft' series. Many of the characters in the first book, 'Her Heart's Desire,' appear in this story. I enjoyed reconnecting with the main character's small group of Pinecraft friends. The beach setting of Pinecraft, Florida, is fun and interesting.

Betsy Detweiler lives in Kentucky with her overprotective parents. She has travelled to Pinecraft to stay with her friend Mary and Mary's husband, Jayson, for a month in the summer.

Betsy suffers from severe asthma, and she is tired of allowing the disease to shape her activities and her life. She has created a 'life list' of things that she wants to accomplish that she believes will make her feel as if she is finally living. The first item on the list is to take golf lessons and then play eighteen holes of golf. She signs up for lessons with August Troyer at the Snow Bird Golf Course.

Since her mother would not allow her to be physically active as a child and teen, Betsy is uncoordinated and unsure of herself when trying anything new in this area of her life. However, her desire to learn to play golf overshadows her physical weaknesses, and she eventually gets the hang of the sport well enough to play a complete round.

Her relationship with August reaches beyond the golf course as the pair is attracted to each other's kindness, and over time they build a sweet friendship. August is by her side through thick and thin, and as the story progresses he reveals his own hurts and traumas. They develop a strong bond fairly quickly.

Another item of Betsy's life list is to learn how to swim. Her friendship with two sisters, Danielle and Annie, was one of my favorite parts of the story. These sisters are struggling with their own relationship issues, and they are different than Betsy in that they are not Amish. As the sisters work with Betsy on her swimming skills, all three of the women learn some valuable lessons about themselves and life.

While Betsy's parents were overly-protective of their daughter due to her health, they love their daughter and want her to be happy in her life. On the other hand,  August's parents are unkind and judgmental about everything their son did and said. Frankly, I found Mr. and Mrs. Troyer's poor treatment of their only child to be abysmal. Fortunately, August had an excellent relationship with his Uncle Gideon and Aunt Diane who owned the golf course where he worked. This couple had a profoundly positive influence on their nephew's life in Pinecraft.

The faith element in the book was subtle; the story is completely clean in language and content.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through their Revell Reads Blogger Program. All of my thoughts and opinions shared here are solely my own.