About the Book
Their whirlwind romance takes the hard road toward happily-ever-after as disaster tests their love and their faith in God’s goodness.
Sophie Shultz smiles at her future even when she doesn’t feel like it. After a lifetime of fearing she’d never fit in anywhere, she’s found a place to belong in the small town of Big Prairie. When a country drive leaves this city girl stranded in the mud, the cowboy who stops to help gives her plenty to smile about. For real. Lance Carson is tall, handsome, and kind, if a little on the quiet side—not to mention the owner of Big Prairie’s celebrated vineyard. Her adopted hometown keeps getting better…
Lance has always preferred solitude, but when he rescues Sophie, he develops a new appreciation for companionship. It doesn’t take long for him to lose his heart as she fills the aching void life’s disappointments have left behind. But a feud with his wild brother has put him in a hard spot, pushing him to a decision that will ruin his relationship with many of Big Prairie’s citizens—and devastate Sophie. Before he can figure out how to tell her, someone tattles on his plans.
As their relationship is put to the test, conflict presses in from every side. Can this rapidly grown romance sink its roots deep enough to weather the storms, or will Lance and Sophie lose their way?
Excerpt
“Hey there.” She tipped her chin up to look at him. “Thanks for not hitting me.”
“Interesting place to park.”
“Isn’t it? I thought it would be a nice spot for a nap.”
The corner of his mouth flickered. Maybe a miniscule grin? “Ah. I see. Here I thought you’d gotten yourself stuck.”
Sophie made a who me? sort of face.
“Very well, then. Carry on with the napping.” He bumped the hood of her car with the side of his fist.
“Whoa there, cowboy. That was not the truth.” She reached a hand out of the car and smacked the door as if that should make him stop his slow retreat. “I am definitely stuck, and I can’t get ahold of the person I thought could come help me.”
“I see.” His top lip curled a smidge—not as a leer, but in amusement. “So you’re in need of assistance?”
“I’m in need of not being stuck here. I’m not fond of coyotes.”
“They’re mostly harmless.”
“Perhaps. But they creep me out.”
“Not from around here, are you?”
Sophie chuckled. “Clearly not. But I’m curious. What gave me away?”
He made a slow inspection of her car, the mud slurping her tires, the road they’d traveled from the highway, and then finally her.
Green eyes.
That was what she thought when his survey stopped on her. Not, Help, please. Or, What’s your name? Or, perhaps more important than any of those options, Can I trust you? No. The first words scrolling through her quickly muddling brain were green eyes. And that was quickly followed with a deliciously buzzing sensation that started in her shoulders, sank through her chest, and then exploded in her belly, sending a charge of heated electricity through her body.
Sophie blinked, then looked toward her dash. Neither did much of anything to clear her head or stop the warmth creeping into her face. How juvenile was she that when she simply needed help out of a dumb situation she’d landed herself in, all she could think of in that moment was how mesmerizing those green eyes were?
No. Not all. He’s tall, and a little gorgeous in that hat too.
Good heavens, she was a ninny.
“It was your shoes.”
When she jolted her attention back to him, she found he had braced a palm on the roof of her car and leaned toward her.
“What?” What on earth was he talking about with her shoes? And sheesh, her heart was misbehaving.
“You’re wearing white Converse tennis shoes while driving on a muddy road.”
She lifted her left foot as if she needed to confirm his observation. “My shoes?” Lips parted, she looked back up at him.
He smiled. A whole, gorgeous, make-her-mind-numb smile. “That’s how I knew you’re not from around here.”
Review
My heart is too full for words right now. This story…just, wow. I don’t even know where to start. I was in love with it from the first chapter, but little did I know just how much more I would love it by the last. It presents such a rich, panoramic view of the love between a man and a woman, from the heady mix of euphoria and uncertainty that comes with instant mutual attraction right through to the deliberate, purposeful, unconditional love that weathers disappointments and rides out the tough stuff.
But what ultimately set this book apart for me was the central role of the characters’ faith. Rodewald has an amazing ability to plumb the depths of her characters’ weaknesses and struggles—the kind of weaknesses and struggles that so often lead to clichéd romantic plot developments—and take her stories in a completely different direction as a result of her characters’ spiritual journeys. Far from being perfect, her characters are somehow MORE beautiful, more loveable, for their imperfections precisely because it’s the only canvas upon which you can paint a picture of grace. And what a picture of grace this story paints.
One of the other things Rodewald does well in this book is capture the way romantic love matures over time. The romantic tension in the first third of this book is off the charts as Sophie and Lance recognise and explore their mutual attraction, but what I particularly love about the way Rodewald does this is that she never loses sight of the awkwardness and uncertainty that accompanies new love. The tension is in all the ways these two are yet to get to know one another—their insecurities, their likes and dislikes, their dreams—and in the way they will handle adversity when it comes. And as their relationship is tested and matures, so does the way they express their love for one another. To be honest, I felt a little drunk on the beauty of that love by the time I finished this book!
In short, for all the above reasons and more, this story is now listed among my favourite contemporary romances of all time.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Previous Books in the Series
Read my review for When I Come Home Again.
About the Author
Jennifer Rodewald/J. Rodes lives on the wide plains somewhere near the middle of Nowhere. A coffee addict, pickleball enthusiast, and storyteller, she also wears the hats of mom, teacher, and friend. Mostly, she loves Jesus and wants to see others fall in love with Him too.
Connect with Jen: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Ahhh, Katie! Thank you so much for this beautiful review! I’m so glad that you loved Lance and Sophie’s story, and you’ve blessed me with this!