Customer Reviews

Love Is a Battlefield (A Walk in the Park)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved the themes in this book: forgiveness, trust, and true love. This book really shows that God can take our mistakes and bad choices and turn them into something wonderful. But only if we let Him. If we choose not to forgive and keep that bitterness in our heart, then we are keeping God from using turning it around. I loved Ace and Kristy and all the other characters. I'm really looking forward to the next books in this series.

I received this book from LibraryThing's First Reads program.
Kristy O'Neal loves being a park ranger. She especially loves being a park ranger at Shiloh National Park in Tennessee. She's been there for years and when she quit two weeks ago because she was getting married, she was sad, but looking forward to getting married. Now, two weeks later, she's still single and jobless and her position has been filled, so she doesn't even have hope of getting her job back.
Ace Kennedy may be handsome, funny, and smart, but he's the one who took her job, so Kristy is determined not to like him.
She is struggling in her life and doesn't have faith in love or much in people at all. She is a half-empty kinda girl.

This book was a sweet and simple read. It centers around faith and our reliance on God and His plan. Secondly, it deals with forgiveness. Sometimes we need to forgive not just for the other person, but to move on in our own lives.
I enjoyed the messages in the book and it didn't seem overly preachy. It actually was a bit of a slow transition into the Christian message of the book.
Kristy was a very real character that seemed to react to thing in a genuine way. As for the other characters, I felt they were on the edge of flat--no growth for anyone but Kristy.
This is the first in a series called "A Walk In the Park." I could see a bit of a setup for more books, but nothing that left me feeling empty at the end of the book like some books in a series. It can be read as a standalone book and never pick up another in the series, but I intend to read more in the series when they are available.
This is a good, sweet romance and perfect for a Sunday afternoon read.

I really enjoyed this book I enjoy a book that has bible passages in the story line. Annalisa is a very talented writer and I am so happy she shares her writing with us readers I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good Christian book. It just shows you how the Lord works and has a definite plan for all of us

This won't be the best review I have ever written, nor will it be very long, but when you love a book as much as I loved Love Is A Battlefield, there is just not that much to say. So, please excuse me while I rave about this book for a moment, but I loved it! I mean I really loved it. This is one of those books that was always a pleasure to pick up and read. There is nothing, not a thing, I would change about it.

The story was a cute one, but there were a few subplots that really fit well into the story and made it much more interesting and kept the story moving at a nice pace. I loved the setting of the story, Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee. This new A Walk In The Park series is a wonderful concept and I can't wait to read the next one. The only problem with this book is that it had to end. I really enjoyed the writing and the characters and the story as a whole.

If you are looking for a nice, relaxing book to read, pick up a copy of Love Is A Battlefield. It is a really enjoyable story with a very solid, positive Christian message. I look forward to reading more of Annalisa Daughety's books; she is truly a talented writer and story teller. This book will always have a special place on my `favorites' shelf.

This was a fun read. One of those that entertains and leaves you smiling. I've never been to Shiloh National Military Park, so it was really interesting to hear all about it through the eyes of a park ranger. I look forward to the rest of the series and more National Parks!

After being left, publicly, at the altar, Kristy returns to work as a park ranger, only to find her job already filled by a handsome stranger. She reluctantly accepts a seasonal position, and hopes that somehow, something permanent will show up before the end of the summer. Ace Kennedy is working as a park ranger in Kristy's job, but is really at the park to do research about his ancestors for a book he's writing. As he grows to care for Kristy, she learns to open her heart and trust again.

I enjoyed this. Although nothing stellar, it's simply an enjoyable, light read. Subplots could be distracting, but do add to the story and set up the next one. Light Christian, easily recommended.

My first reaction was that a military park makes an interesting setting for a romance novel. However, on the book's dedication page, the author thanks her former co-workers at Shiloh National Military Park, so her knowledge is first-hand. Since I've always loved National Parks though, I thought this was a fun behind-the-scenes story. The first of a series, the second follows next year, and is set at the Washington Monument.

Annalisa Daughety's "Love is a Battlefield" is a beautifully written and touching story of a young woman jilted at the altar on her wedding day and the Civil War battlefield that she loves more than the man who abandoned her. Kristy gave up everything for Mark. The most devastating sacrifice was her job as a Park Ranger. When her boss told her that she would have a job when she returned from the trip that should have been her honeymoon, she never expected that it wouldn't be her old job. Having already hired a new full-time Ranger to replace Kristy, the only position left is a demotion to a seasonal summer Ranger slot, giving Kristy three months to figure out her next career move.

And it turns out to be a full summer. Someone is vandalizing monuments in the park. Her mother is trying to play matchmaker for her. She is reluctantly getting to know the handsome young Ranger who replaced her. And she is coming to terms with her breakup and the choices she regrets making as a result of her relationship with Mark.

This book is a charmer from the witty title and front cover artwork to the very last word. The story is easy to read and completely enjoyable. The Lord plays a strong supporting role throughout the plot, unlike many Christian fiction novels that seem to feel mentioning that a character attends church is enough. This novel addresses church attendance and prayer and how we human beings tend to either draw nearer to God or further away from Him when we face life's challenges. This is truly a thought-provoking read. And the "one-question game" that Kristy plays with Ace through the book is a terrific idea for getting to know someone - or yourself! I think I'll even use that game as a technique to get to know God better. I'm thrilled to know that this is Book One in a series, and can't wait to read more of this and other tales by refreshing newcomer, Annalisa Doughety.

If my preference in books was "sweet" stories, I probably would've enjoyed this book more. The story was just too structured, and the dialog was so very flat at times. Most of the characters had little to no depth, with Kristy, the main character, being a partial exception. Almost the entire story revolved around her and her recent wedding disaster of being left at the altar. Knowing good and well, though, that something is bound to happen between her and the main male character, Ace, I expected to see more depth to Ace's character, but was disappointed. His reason for working at Shiloh was to do research on his family history, but there's almost no mention of him doing it. Without giving anything away, I will only say that the final resolution with his research at the end of the story did not seem legit.

I did like the fact that the story was set in the Shiloh Military Park. After reading the author bio that she used to work at Shiloh, I expected more of her experience to show in the book. However, the way the park was described, it was nothing more than a place with monuments named after states and where a war was fought; very little additional info other than that was offered.

Someone who likes "light reads" will probably enjoy this book. For me, though, it just wasn't enough.

Kristy O'Neal has been a park ranger at the Shiloh National Park in Tennessee for years and has worked her way up the ladder. After her world turns upside by her fiance, Mark, who fails to show up for the wedding, Kristy goes on her honeymoon alone. However, when she returns, she finds that her job has already been filled by someone else - Ace Kennedy.

When someone starts vandalizing the monuments at the park, Ace and Kristy are forced to work together...and find themselves drawn to each other. However, Ace is hiding something and Kristy does not believe in love.

This predictable story is sweet with a light romance and a focus on God's plan, faith and forgiveness without being overly preachy. Kristy's personal growth is the heart of this story - with her learning much through the people in her life and her relationship with God. This was a fun, light and easy read, but not a must read.

I discovered this book after reading her fabulous 'Love Finds You In Charm,Ohio,and clicking on her name to see what else she wrote.Being about park rangers made 'Love Is A Battlefield' totally original,and I would really enjoy seeing more with our National Parks,especially some of the parks out west like Yellowstone,Rocky Mountain, Yosemite,and Glacier National Park.

The story about vandalism in the Shiloh National Park was interesting and so was the romance angle.