When Love Arrives (Misty Willow Book #2) by Johnnie Alexander
Published by Revell on September 20th 2016
Genres: Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
An Unlikely Couple Struggles to Reconcile the Burdens of Their Past.
Dani Prescott came to the children’s hospital to spy on Brett Somers–so how did she end up on a date with him? Weeks earlier she’d seen an interview in which he blamed her mother for the plane crash that had killed his parents. But the crash had killed her mother as well, so Dani can’t believe the story Brett’s trying to sell to the media.Vowing to find a way to discredit the privileged–and maddeningly handsome–Brett, Dani has been following him and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use against him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself offering up a fake name and agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something–but he’s got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is? Will Dani and Brett look beyond their own heartaches to discover a love that could heal their deepest pain?Fresh, flirty, and fast-paced, When Love Arrives is an engaging story that will have readers falling in love with the characters as they navigate the tricky waters between romance and revenge.
The storyline of When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander takes place in a town named Misty Willows. This book is the second in the Misty Willows series, and I had not yet read Where She Belongs, which is the first book, but based on some of the reviews I read, it would have been helpful to know the characters a little better before reading this book. Given the time, I would probably gone back and read Where She Belongs first.
Dani Prescott lost her mother in a plane crash. It’s the same plane crash that killed Brett Somers’ parents. Why is that important? Because Brett is publicly blaming Dani’s mother for the crash and ruining her reputation. Dani is hurt and wants to clear her mother’s name so she sets out to get revenge against Brett. The story is told in alternating chapters from Brett and Dani’s point of view. It’s interesting reading this story from Brett’s perspective.
Brett is a handsome and rich “ladies’ man” who is egotistical and pursues younger, blond, long-legged women. Dani accidently meets Brett in the parking lot of the hospital and he pursues her despite the fact that she doesn’t meet his standard criteria. Unbeknownst to Brett, Dani is actually seeking revenge. Brett and Dani soon realize they have so many things in common and Dani starts to feel guilty about her original plan to bring Brett down.
As Dani and Brett develop their friendship, readers get the sense of the changes Brett is making in his life, and his true desire to become a better person due to the fact that he has learned he has a son.
Dani gets help from Brett and his family and her luck begins to change when she secures a new job and a new home surrounded by a great family. As we all know, a relationship built on lies is sure to fail, and Dani’s secret plans come to light. These two have a lot to work out and it well worth reading to see where it does.
The story is hard to put down and I loved seeing the changes in both of them. I felt that the author did a great job providing a very believable drama that included faith issues that readers will be able to identify with. Seeing how the characters had to reach the “rock bottom” in their lives before they were able to reach out for help from God proved to be a real struggle in the lives of so many people today. The author certainly has a gift for bringing a story to life and making the reader feel like they are right in the midst of it.
The great news is that coming in Summer of 2017 there will be another book to this series – the third – and at the end of this book there was a little “teaser” for anyone interested. I hope I make time to go back and read the first book so that by the time the third is released I’ll be up to speed on everyone’s backgrounds!
Johnnie Alexander, author and freelance editor, writes stories that linger in the heart. The first of three contemporary romances, Where She Belongs, releases in January 2016 (Misty Willow Series, Revell). Her debut novel, Where Treasure Hides (Tyndale, 2013), won the ACFW Genesis Contest (2011 Historical Fiction). “Beneath the Christmas Star,” her first short story, appeared in the Guideposts anthology A Cup of Christmas Cheer–Tales of Joy and Wonder for the Holidays (2013). Johnnie also has won the Best Novel award at the 2010 Florida Christian Writers Conference and both the Best Novel and Writer of the Year awards at the 2009 FCWC. She is a 2012 Bronze Medalist in the My Book Therapy Frasier Contest.
A graduate of Rollins College (Orlando) with a Master of Liberal Studies degree, Johnnie treasures family memories, classic movies, road trips, and stacks of books. She experiences farm life in the Memphis area with a small herd of alpacas and Rugby, the princely papillon who treed a raccoon.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.
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