Book & Cover Review of “a Love Surrendered” by Julie Lessman

Book Review

A Love Surrendered is Book three in a series started in 2010 by Julie Lessman. It had been so long since I had read book one that I had forgotten I had read it until I was well into the book. (Though once I did figure that out I realized that the cover was designed similarly, and I had recognized the author’s name when asked to review it by the publisher.) The book tackles some very tough topics for a Christian novel to handle, the biggest being sensuality. I don’t consider myself a prude, but even I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of sensuality in this novel. Beyond the attraction felt and resisted by the unmarried hero and heroine, there are several married couples – most of whom are the parents or brothers and sisters of the hero and have been featured in the earlier two books – and all seem to be trying to get pregnant or use their sensuality to manipulate their spouse in some fashion at some point in the book. I get that sensuality was a major theme being tackled in the book, but with so many couples it was a little much even for me. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it as suitable reading for teenagers.

However, the book is very well written and the characters are enjoyable. Additional insight is given to being a single person during the prohibition era.  I do feel you would want to read books one and two to get the best amount of enjoyment from the series. The number of characters was a little hard to keep track of since I hadn’t read book two and book one was read too long ago. If I’d read them back to back I feel it would have been easier to keep track of the many characters.

I would only recommend this book  to readers who aren’t overly sensitive to reading sensual situations. It will likely appeal more to female readers, though the issue is tackled from the male perspective in a few cases during the book.

Book Cover Review

They’ve done a great job at keeping the covers similar, but I will say the first book I read had a model on the cover with a bright blue dress on rather than this muted rose tone on the current cover. The blue color help to add some vibrancy to the cover and make it stand out on the shelf. The rose dress just it isn’t as eye-catching. I also have the same complaint about this cover as I had about the first one. Without reading the copy I have no idea that this is a historical novel. The textured brown backdrop, the clothing and the hair style really don’t give away what time period this novel is set in.

I didn’t mention it previously, but I also dislike that the title area is left of center and runs slightly off the page. This was done consistently on all three books, but I feel it would have been more balanced to center it on this particular design. I’m not sure the covers for this series are doing as good a job as they could have to draw in new readers for this author.

* Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book & Cover Review of "A Measure of Mercy; Home to Blessing Series #1" by Lauraine Snelling

Ever turn on your TV about 15 minutes too late to catch the beginning of what seems to be a great movie?  This book is very much like that.  You get the impression that Astrid Bjorklund was once more "spirited" and impulsive in her past … mostly through references regarding a smaller cousin, Inga, who keeps getting herself and another cousin into trouble – including a broken arm.  However, the Astrid of this book is very controlled and comes across as much older than the age of 18.

Astrid has unexplained feelings for a gentleman who has just returned to Blessing after being away for two years.  Not enough of the previous book is recapped for us to understand why Joshua feels the way he does for Astrid, or why Astrid seems to feel that way in return.  Just as the relationship starts to even seem like it could be a "relationship" Astrid leaves for medical training in Chicago and no declarations of care have ever been exchanged between the two.  So … Joshua hasn't really even dated her or spent much time with her, but starts building a house with marrying her in mind?  And Astrid thinks about him a lot, but doesn't really know anything about him or whether he really cares for her?

The real story of this book is not the relationship – which falls a little flat – but rather the struggle Astrid wages against continuing her medical studies despite a frustration with God that he would allow good people to die despite all their efforts and prayers.  After the death of two patients, a young man and a newborn, Astrid is angry with God and has an irrational fear of putting her hands inside someone to do surgery or delivery for fear they will die too. The realism of these observations, and the spiritual struggle they bring to a young medical student are heartfelt and well covered by Snelling in this novel.  She is too scared of letting down her family and community to back out of continuing her medical training in Chicago, but continues to be terrified even after her arrival.  Her years of experience and training kick in on multiple occasions and God grants her experiences in Chicago that verify that she will also save lives when He wills it to happen. Including a young boy who becomes her first experience with double amputation.  Astrid's strong heart shines through when she steps in to find Benny a home among friends in Blessing rather than leaving him on the streets of Chicago to struggle.

The additional turmoil Astrid experiences over deciding whether she is meant to spend time doing mission work in Africa, before returning to Blessing, adds even more emotional tension to this story.  There is some satisfaction when she decides to take God's lead, one day at a time, with the first step being to attend the missionary training.  But the copy on the back cover had eluded that we would find out in this very book if she would regret making that choice?  Apparently that was just a summary of the entire book and we won't really find that out until book two (or maybe three?)

What can we tell by the book's cover?

Well, the knotted blonde hair and blue eyes do hint at a possible
Norweigen background, but not blatantly.  The two-story white house,
wheat fields and the style of her dress (with the high collar) elude
that this is probably a historical book in a rural community.  Although
this cover is of an appealing design, it doesn't help you to understand
anything about Astrid.  I would have recommended that she at least have
a stethescope or medical bag in her hands … or show a scene with her
caring for a patient, rather than staring across a wheat field.  This
cover is beautiful, but possibly a little too generic to the genre to
stand out?

The copy on the back cover is misleading.  The romance is not as
clear cut as the back eludes … and disappears before the end of the
book, (not to be discussed again until the next book I assume?) And
I've already mentioned that the decision regarding Africa happens at the very end of the book.

Overall, this book is very well written, but is not a stand alone
piece.  Although marketed as Book #1 of a series – it is a continuation
of another Blessing series that needs to be read first to thoroughly
understand several of it's main characters.  I think this cover's copy
should have been less of a synopsis of the whole book and more of a
teaser to get the reader to pick it up off the shelf.  Too much of the
plot is given away by the back cover copy, and some of the questions it
brings to mind aren't answered in this book.

***Note: I was given this book to review by Bethany House. If you are a publisher and would like an honest review of one of your latest publications, please contact me at suzanne@suzannewesley.com for addressing.

Why review a book’s cover and its interior?

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover … ?
I think we all know this phrase doesn’t generally have anything to do with books when people use it. However, I find that there is a VERY good reason that phrase came into being …

Have you ever read an absolutely fantastic book – either loaned or recommended to you by someone else – whose cover design was so blah or ugly that you probably would have looked right past it on a shelf?

On the other hand, … have you ever felt suckered in by a book’s cover design – discovering after a few lost hours of invested reading that the writing inside wasn’t nearly as good as what was seemingly promised you by the book’s great cover art or text?

If so, “The Book and Cover Reviewer” blog is for you. I will analyze both the writing inside the book and all aspects of the books cover – noting areas that could be improved and areas that I think should be praised as is.

I promise to be honest, but also promise to not tear anyone down and leave them crying. Books take a LOT of behind-the-scenes work, and I’m a firm believer in adding a little sugar to the mix if some sour critiquing is overdue. I want to see the industry thrive and to encourage authors and cover designers to always do their best – and to keep the intended audience in mind!

And for readers, I hope that I can guide you to books that you will love to read – even ones that you might have overlooked before, because the cover happens to be a little … ‘off’.

Happy reading!

Note: The majority of the time this will be about books by Christian authors because that is my reading preference, however, occasionally I may review something on the best-seller list that is not necessarily written for a Christian audience. Whatever I’m reading will end up on the blog, … so if you are an author with a book released in the last 12 months that you want reviewed – mail me a copy! Reach me at suzanne@suzannewesley.com for mailing information.