– A Unique Plot That Will Keep You Wondering –
Synopsis: (Amazon)
Learning to love is like learning to fly . . .
Eccentric. Weird. Crazy. Whatever people call her, Lila doesn’t mind. Most of the time. She finds solace in her sheltered world by raising butterflies and surrounding herself with their gentle beauty. They’re all she needs.
Most of the time.
Until a motorcycle-riding stranger roars up her driveway, invading her safe haven, throwing her life off-kilter, and forcing her to question everything. Persistent and stubborn, Harvey Sanford may be just what she needs—or everything she doesn’t.
He’s easy on the eyes, but hard on her emotions. What exactly is he after, and what is he not telling her? Should she safeguard her heart or follow it?
As a summer wedding approaches, Lila must decide how much she’s willing to risk for a chance at true happiness. In one intense night of desperation and revelation, she must confront her darkest fears—and hopefully discover that with faith and courage, shattered dreams can be restored, damaged hearts can love again, and broken wings can heal . . . maybe even fly.
A clean, inspirational, sweet summer romance!
Publisher: Ivory Tower Press (August 13, 2019)
Genre: YA/Contemporary Christian Romance
Author: Therese Heckenkamp
Paperback: 218 pages
My Thoughts:
First of all, I don’t typically read Christian romances. It’s not because I’m not a Christian, but too many times I feel the genre is forced. Religion feels crammed into the story. That said, on to my review.
The Butterfly Recluse has religious undertones but felt so natural. If all Christian novels were handled as this one, they would make a believer out of me. (Okay, that was an unintended pun!) I was very impressed and would easily reach for another one of Therese Heckenkamp’s books.
The story flows beautifully. And the more I turned the pages the more I wanted to know. I ended up finishing the book earlier than I expected.
If you are more into the romance aspect and less into the sexual part of a story, don’t hesitate to pick this up. Not only is there an interesting story with romance, but there’s even a twist at the end, which mystery lovers will appreciate.
My thanks to #BookSirens and #ThereseHeckenkamp for the opportunity to read this and give my honest review afterward.
What Concerned Me:
To be honest, I got off to a rocky start with this story. The dialogue felt off and Lila’s reactions didn’t endear me to her. In fact, in the beginning, I wasn’t taken by Harvey’s dialogue or actions either. It was a rugged start for me.
Also, though I wouldn’t have wanted to slow the pace of the story, I felt the protagonist moved from isolation to being able to go out in public very quickly and without much of a problem. However, in fairness, it might have been possible since her attitude was more or less a choice.
What I Liked Best:
After chugging through the very beginning of the book, and I mean just a couple of short chapters, the story caught my attention and kept me hurriedly turning pages.
And as I mentioned earlier, the references to religion fit in and never felt forced.
Also, the dialogue was good as the story progressed and the plot original. Another positive was that the descriptions were enough to help me visualize things without feeling overwhelming.
Verdict? This is a fun, uplifting book.
About The Author
Born in Australia but raised in the USA as a homeschooled student, Therese Heckenkamp has been writing stories since before she could spell. At age 18, she completed the first draft of her first published novel. She is now the award-winning author of four Christian romance/suspense novels: Past Suspicion, Frozen Footprints, After the Thaw (a 2016 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner in Christian Fiction), and The Butterfly Recluse (her newest release).
Therese’s books have reached #1 Bestseller in various Amazon Kindle categories, including Religious Romance, Religious Mysteries, and Inspirational Religious Fiction.
A busy wife and mother of four, Therese fits in writing time whenever she can manage (and sometimes when she can’t). A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she looks forward to writing many more novels in the future.
Visit her online:
