Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman

SYNOPSIS

She stole his heart. He stole her peace. Can hope steal their pain? At the age of eighteen, Lacey Carmichael was a wild girl bent on fun, promised to Jack O’Bryen, a straight-and-narrow pastor’s kid bent on the seminary. When her father kicks her out of the house, she runs away from Isle of Hope, turning her back on everything she loves. Now, eight years later, she’s back as a woman of faith, hoping to make amends to the father she defied, the boyfriend she deserted, and the best friend she denied. Only the bridges she’s burned are still smoldering, kindled by an adulterous affair by Jack’s pastor father that damaged his son’s faith. But can a turning of tables—and hearts—lead the way back to “hope” for them all?

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MY REVIEW

Phwew! Have you ever read a book and it seems a little dry in the area of sense? Kinda like sterile in a way. You will not feel that way when you read Julie Lessman’s Isle of Hope:Unfailing Love (Vol.1).

Your senses will be delighted as Julie fills in all the details for you and it is if you are there, not only are you are there but you are watching in HD, Surround Sound, Full Sensory Mode. This is what makes Julie’s work so memorable. Her zest for life and passion for living it to the fullest shines through in dazzling colour through her work.

Isle of Hope is set in Georgia on an island, as the title suggests, and this one is a love story. This book reflects not only the love stories between the characters, but the THE GREAT LOVE STORY between us and our God. Lacey Carmichael comes home after being away for quite a few years to heal and to start afresh. That means she has to face her father. Jack O’Bryen is not happy about this and as the story unfolds we find out why.

Although the reader navigates the highs and lows with these characters, the overall theme of this book truly is hope and how hope can come from the most hopeless situations. I have to say that Jack’s mother, Tess O Bryen is my favourite character in this book. She expresses her love through baking and giving it to the ones she loves! (I can relate to that. My mother always made something special for me, and it made me feel special.) And her ingenious use of bacon to break down barriers had me giggling.

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, my views are my own

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” not only underscores her intense passion for God and romance, but her staunch advocacy for sexual purity before marriage as well. A lover of all things Irish, she enjoys reading what she writes — close-knit Irish family sagas as well as both historical and contemporary religious and inspirational romance for the sweet and Christian markets. Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, and Heart of San Francisco series with Revell Publishing, Julie was named American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered 17 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author of the year in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie was also named on Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction list. Her latest novel, Surprised by Love, appeared on Family Fiction magazine’s list of Top Ten Novels of 2014, and her independent novel A Light in the Window is an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers’ Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner. Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets.

You can contact Julie and read excerpts from her books at www.julielessman.com, (where you can download a FREE NOVELLA – Prequel to Isle of Hope) or through Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or Pinterest, as well as sign up for her newsletter. Check out Julie’s group blog, The Seekers, Writers Digest 2013, 2014, and 2015 “Best 101 Websites for Writers,” and Julie’s own personal blog, Journal Jots, voted blog of the month in the Readers’ Choice poll of Book Fun Magazine.

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