Customer Reviews

A Handful of Heaven (Steeple Hill Love Inspired)

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

 

 

A Handful of Heaven has the makings of a pretty decent story, but it just plods on too long, rehashing the same old, same old thoughts of the two characters--over and over again. You know from the beginning that Evan and Paige will get together (no suspense there), but I just felt it was too tedious to read "I want to love this person, but I was hurt too badly, so I can't trust, but I want to trust, but I'm afraid to be hurt again, but maybe this person is different, but it can't be, but I would like to love, but I need to stay away from love..." You just want them to get on with it already!

I also thought the quality of the writing was disappointing. A typical sentence: "Frustration burned like an ulcer in his guts." Shakespeare, it ain't!

Sorry to be so negative, but I really had hopes for the book when I started it, and it just never got very good.

I enjoyed this book as much and more than I have the other Jillian Hart books I've read and I believe that I've read all of her work. The characters, Paige and Evan, were people I like and cared about. Their story touched me deeply. I love knowing what the characters are feeling and thinking and in this story you get the chance to stay connected with the story through the characters. I would recommend this story to other readers out there and hope that they enjoy it as much as I have.

[Warning: the back cover of the book I received scrambles the plot and kills major plot points. Do yourself a favor and skip it.]

I received this book free as a promo to subscribe to this line of books. I cannot imagine how this book would make anyone do so. The characters are nice people who work hard, attend church, and are reliable. They were hurt before and are trying to learn to trust again. They are also two of the most boring characters ever featured in a romance. I might want these people for my neighbors, but I don't want to read about them, especially as the plot is no more exciting than they are, padded by endless internal monologues as the characters try to have faith in each other again, despite that the author goes to absurd lengths to show that the other person is Absolutely Trustworthy.

What plot there is strains credulity. We are asked to believe that two people of the same generation who have both lived in the same small, rural town their entire lives never really knew each other except in passing -- despite that they attend the same church and their kids were in the same youth groups. Suddenly they develop a romanctic interest, but not much of an interest, even so. I know these romances are supposed to be "sweet", but the strongest emotion the hero has for the heroine is "tenderness." Compared to these, regular Harlequin Romances are torrid. On top of all this, the book is potentially dangerous to your health. Characters walk around on top of roofs, in lightning storms no less (don't try this at home! even roofers don't go on a wet roof). The hero also ignores a back condition that in real life doesn't give sufferers the option of ignorance ... going ahead and moving around when your back goes out is about as possible as delaying labor pains. Talk about plot points that pull you out of the story!

I have read maybe eight or so novels in this series, and I've come to the conclusion that they are pitched at an audience composed of conservative Evangelical Christians. I can only guess that they are trying to gain the market who would not buy anything in their other lines. There are many other flavors of Christianity, though, and it is annoying to find none of them represented here.