Customer Reviews

Angel's Rest: An Eternity Springs Novel

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Architect Gabriel Callahan's life ended in Virginia when his wife Jen and their son Mathew passed away; today his child would be six years old. Out walking in the snowy Murphy Mountains Just outside of Eternity Springs, Colorado, he trips but does not bother to get up. Instead he pulls out a glock with one bullet in it when a beast jumps on his back with claws ripping him. Thinking it is amountain lion, he is ready to fight for his life when he hears the sound of barking from a mangy boxer who tongues him in joy. Realizing the irony, Gabe laughs for the first time in months.

Gabe brings the injured canine to Eternity Springs Veterinary Clinic where Dr. Nicole Sullivan practices animal medicine. As Dr. Nic cares for the unconscious boxer hurt by an animal trap, she also notices Gabe's shirt is bloody from the dog's claws and teeth. She cleans his cuts and quarantines the canine until they can insure he is not rabid. Starting with the canine and soon "volunteering" on a renovation project, Gabe finds the townsfolk will not leave him alone. Finally there is Dr. Nic who he liked even before the dog introduced him to her. However, though she makes it clear she loves him as does Clarence the dog; he knows love hurts fearing this second chance to breathe again.

The first Eternity Springs contemporary mountain romance is a warm inspiring linear tale starring two likable individuals who have found possible second chances at life in the Rocky Mountains if they take the risk; she is willing and has with her veterinary practice while he hesitates. Aptly named Clarence is more an angel than a just a dog as readers will believe It's A Wonderful Dog's Life.

Harriet Klausner

I fell in love with the Callahan family after I read A Callahan Carol this past December. I was so thrilled to learn Emily was going to write John's story as the opening of her new series. "Angel's Rest" is an absolutely wonderful story. It's a story of loss, hope, friendship, forgiveness and most importantly, love. Gabe (John) and Nic's story was amazing and the perfect lead-in to her new Eternity Springs series. I can't wait to read the next book, Hummingbird Lake (Sage's story). Great job Emily! BTW, have some tissues handy.

Mourning the death of his wife and son, architect Gabriel Callahan "celebrates" his dead son's sixth birthday by trying to end his own life when he is saved by a stray dog.

After a painful divorce, Nicola Sullivan, Eternity Springs' beloved veterinarian, has returned to the small Colorado town where she grew up. Still wary of cheating men, she admits to being lonely but fills her days with cases both four and two-legged. She loves her work, but jars of preserves and other foodstuffs from needy clients in the depressed community hardly pay her expenses. When loner Gabe comes to the clinic with an injured boxer he had to extricate from a bear trap, she finds him wary and attractive. Claiming he doesn't own the dog and doesn't want him, he generously pays for his care. The boxer, however, has other plans. He gravitates to Gabe like a bear to honey.

Eternity Springs is a special town, and Nic and her friends try desperately to breathe life into the dying town. Nic finds Gabe's reluctance to assimilate or to acknowledge his attraction to her disturbing. Celeste, owner of the famous Cavanaugh house discovers Gabe is a landscape architect, and she comes up with a plan that will help the community and the reclusive Gabe.

Things go awry when Nic comes to visit Gabe on Christmas eve, a heartbreaking time of year for both of them. When an unexpected alcohol-induced passion leaves Nic pregnant, the still-grieving Gabe can't exorcize the ghosts of his dead wife and son to allow himself a fresh start with Nic.

This is a touching and emotional story of loss and redemption, made strong by March's vivid prose and her ability to plumb the depth of human emotion. Readers will hurt for Gabe, root for Nic, and delight in the specialness of a small community that seems touched by angels. I loved the spirit of community, the solid friendships between Nic and her friends and the symbolism of Eternity Springs. We all might need an Eternity Springs in our lives. Ms. March has penned a stunning debut to this series. Can't wait to begin Hummingbird lake, book 2 in the series. My score for Angels Rest: 4.5

4.5 Stars

I found this book through Lisa Kleypas' Facebook page where she said:

"I have to tell you about a wonderful new book--a debut by Emily March called ANGEL'S REST! This new series has had a spectacular start-- Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review. I gave her a quote: "Emily March's stories are heart-wrenching and soul-satisfying. Don't miss a visit to Eternity Springs." I'm telling you, you're in for a real treat! Please get this book and check out her FB page."

So, of course, I HAD to read this book! Yes, an endorsement by one of my favourite authors is why I bought the book. I've only ever read a few books for this reason, but hey, this was Lisa Kleypas!

Eternity Springs, the setting of this series, is a small town in the Colorado Rockies, population 827. The town was founded by 3 miners and was called "Eternity Springs" for the hot springs where they soothed their sore muscles, and because the area was so remote that it took an eternity to get there. But Eternity Springs isn't just a place to sooth muscles. There is a something special about the place. It is a place where broken souls find healing.

Angel's Rest begins with John Gabriel Callahan (Gabe), a man tormented from losing all that mattered in his life, at the darkest point a person can be - contemplating "taking a hike", in the solitude of the Rockie mountains, with a 9mm Glock. I immediately connected with Gabe in those first few pages, having been in that dark place, myself, in the past... where the pain and sadness becomes so unbearable that you just want to die.

A homeless, goofy boxer saves Gabe's life, stopping him from pulling the trigger by face-planting him in the snow, licking his face, and causing Gabe to smile for the first time in months.

A few days later, Gabe returns the favour, saving the dog from a trap. He takes the dog to the local vet, Dr. Nicole Sullivan (Nic). The compassionate, quietly confident, no-nonsense Dr. Nic, with her wholesome girl-next-door beauty, piques Gabe's interest but he is determined to keep his solitude, up at his borrowed mountain retreat. He leaves the dog with Nic, to find a home for it. But the dog has other plans and has come to consider Gabe as his. A view Gabe does not share. This was so cute. The dog, which Gabe refused to name, was such an adorable character in this story, and I loved the reluctant relationship that forms between them.

The town is in economic strife. Celeste Blessing, a town resident, has a plan to save the town, which involves Gabe, and this sets off a chain of events.

Angel's Rest is a heart-wrenching and moving story about grief, healing, second chances, and what happens when a relationship develops all the wrong way around...well, at least not in the "first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage" way.

The pretty pastel cover of this book is a little bit misleading, as it certainly was not a completely light and fluffy book, for me. Gabe's torment, his depression and grief, and the hurts he inadvertently causes Nic as a result, gave me a physical aching pain in my chest, and my eyes were teary quite a bit while reading this. While there are strong mitigating reasons for certain ass behaviours that Gabe displayed, it was the way he showed his remorse and how he apologised through his actions, and not just his words, that I fully forgave him for what he did. The scene near the end had me crying tears of joy.

This book really touched me. I was completely drawn into the setting, the characters and the story. I really cared about both Gabe and Nic, wanting them to have a HEA.

I loved the secondary characters: Celeste Blessing, the visionary older woman, young at heart, who rides a motorbike; and Nic's best friends, Sage and Sarah, who seem to have secrets hurts of their own. I loved the friendship between these women. These were women I could see myself being friends with, in real life. I loved how they supported one another through difficult times and how they had fun together.

The steamy scenes are mild, though there are some good shivery and tingly chemistry moments; especially with tall, dark and sexy Gabe trying to resist his strong attraction to Nic, but failing miserably. This is a book for people who don't like overly descriptive/lots of love scenes or who can make do without a high heat factor, as long as it satisfies on other fronts, which this did, for me.

At the heart, Angel's Rest is a story about being honest with ourselves, and with each other, in relationships. It is about not letting the ghosts of the past direct us, but forging our paths, being aware of the issues of our past and how to move on from it. It is about the healing power of love and the magic of a little place called Eternity Springs.

I should mention that this book does have traditional, small-town values, and has inspirational tones, so if that isn't your cup of tea, just be aware.

As I understand from Emily's March's website, the author used to write Romantic Suspense as Geralyn Dawson. She has a RS series, the Callahan Brothers trilogy series, which involve Gabe's brothers, which I'm interested in reading. The author had actually taken a break from writing, but then John Gabriel Callahan and Eternity Springs wouldn't leave her alone. The reason she decided to write this series under a different name (Emily March) was because her writing style, and the tone of these books, were going to be very different from her Geralyn Dawson books, and she didn't want to create false expectations in her readers. But mostly, this is a series about change and rebirth, which reflected the changes in the author's journey as a writer.

[...]

This was my first book that I've read of Emily March and I enjoyed the story alot. She writes with passion and I really like her characters and I felt like they were my friends. I can't wait to read her next book.

I loved this book. Read it from cover to cover in one sitting. A longtime fan of this author, I was lucky enough to get a head's up about the Callahan reunion posted on Emily's website! What a great Christmas story and a wonderful prelude to Angel's Rest. This book has family, friends, love, laughter, etc. I can't wait for the next in this series. Great Job, Emily! Keep them coming!

Yes there is no connection/reunion with the Callahan Brothers in John's, alias Gabe's book. They dont reunite and there are only vague mentions of the brothers and the past life of John Callahan. For 10 years he has lived his own life as Gabe and for reasons of his own he has never contacted his brothers nor does he intend to, even though it is safe to contact them. He is in Colorado as the book opens Gabe is going to end his life with a glock. But he is saved by a dog. The dog leads him to the small town's female vet, Nicole. She sparks an interest in him, but he can't let go of the horrible memories of the past year, his wife and his 5 yr old little boy Matthew were killed in a car accident. While he is drunk on Cmas Eve, he falls into the arms of the female vet. She gets pregnant with twins. He marries her as he feels it is his duty. It is a marriage of convenience and he lets her know that up front, he will always love his first wife and son. His new wife has pregnancy problems and he drops her at the ER and abandons her and runs away. He can't go thru losing more children. His wife, who has been abandoned by her father when she was 9, and her x husband who was a louse, leaves John/Gabe. The rest of the story is Gabe slowly realizing that his dead wife wants him to move on. He hears her voice. He wants to move on. This book isnt about the past Callahans. This is a new story to start the new series for Emily March. This book has an ensemble cast of characters. Sarah, Sage, Lori, and Celeste. Many single women for the men that will come as heroes in future books. Celeste Blessing, the old school marm, rides a Honda Gold Wing. She is a real angel sent by God to help the people in this little town, but no one in town has figured that out.(Celestial Blessing, Gold Wing) Has any of the readers figured that out:) The town has a spiritual energy that brings people in pain to the town and heals them. "Woo-Woo" as Nicole calls it. Each character has a painful past. The town is going bankrupt and is going to end up a ghost town, but Celeste is going to bring ideas and hope to save the town. There is an ancient mystery when a skeleton in a wedding dress is found behind a wall in a fruit cellar. This book is a very emotional, gut wrenching story. After I read it twice, I realized that I forgot about the other Callahan books and this book stands on it's own with Gabe in Colorado. If you have read Geralyn Dawson's aka Emily March's previous books you know what an excellent writer she is of small towns and the people who live there. This book is another one of her small town stories. I have pre-orderd all the rest of this series. They will all be as good as her Heartache/Hearthrob Texas books and her Wedding Dress series.

I do hope that in the future series Geralyn does bring the Callahans to town when the twin babies are born. The free small book download on her website has John meeting his family on Cmas Eve in Brazos Texas. But she leaves the reader hanging in that story because as a reader I need to have all the loose ends tied up. I want to read about John explaining his past, his late wife and child, and his new wife and babies, to his brothers. I want to see Branch who is old and will die one day, be with his son and feel that pain go away that has eaten him the last 10 years believing that his youngest son was dead. I want Matthew to realize that it wasnt his fault that his brother John "died" in Sarajevo. In the short story, the 4 brothers and father meet, for maybe 5 minutes but that is where it ends. No questions, no explanations. I hope she writes another small reunion book to satisfy the Callahan brothers readers and answers all the questions the brothers will have about John. John will never live in Brazos Bend, but I hope she can tie up the Callahan Brothers and Branch's story more.

This was a great book to curl up and read. Throughout the book I felt warm and cozy, as if I had met all of the

characters personally and would walk out of my home into the village. Rarely do you find such a well

written book. I want to book a reservation at Angel Rest!! I have downloaded the rest of the Eternity Springs

series and can hardly wait to read them. Please write more books Emily!!

This is a review actually for the whole series, or at least for the first three, I've not read the Novella yet, but i will be ASAP! This series is wonderfully addicting. Ms. March has a way of writing that is comforting and easy. I had been "missing" something in my latest books, and I found it all here! I loved all the characters. They are endearingly flawed and normal, just like people I know and love in my REAL life. I could see myself actually having the same feelings and thoughts as some of these characters. I love that the storyline had a few twists and turns and bends in the roads that made you appreciate the book so much more. For those of you that are looking for a good-feeling-I WANT TO SIT DOWN AND READ ALL DAY-kind of mood book/series, this is it! I have recommended this series to at least 5 of my friends and many many in reading clubs on facebook and all have loved this book and her writing. I am a huge fan!

I instantly fell in love with these Eternity Springs books. They are even better than Robyn Carr's Virgin River series which is my favorite. JUST ADORE THEM. Bought the 3 books in one swoop and finished all 3 in 48 hrs