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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Will Her Faith In God Provide Her With The Love She Needs?, May 31, 2011
This review is from: Hope Rekindled (Striking a Match) (Paperback)
Sometimes placing your faith in God's Hands, uncertain of where the outcome might be is a true test of a believer.
Just when life seemed to have settled down for Deborah Vandermark and her soon to be husband, Dr. Christopher Clayton Kelleher, that it's about to be thrown for a loop. Just a week before their wedding is planned, Christopher receives a telegram from his family in Kansas City. A tragedy has occurred and he is needed quick. No other details are known since sending a telegram can be quite expensive and his family wouldn't be able to afford much.
Placing trust in God's Hands, Deborah does her best to provide confidence and assurance to Christopher that she will wait for him, no matter what, and that his presence is needed with his family now, whatever has happened. Although she begins to question what will happen to them and their plans for a wedding and a future.
When Christopher arrives in Kansas City, he is more than shocked to see that his family home is nothing more than a pile of smoldering ash. His home has burned to the ground and claimed the life of his mother and father, leaving his five younger siblings behind as orphans. Not knowing how Deborah will handle the responsibility of having a ready made family, he offers up a prayer to God and rests knowing that whatever will happen, won't be a surprise for God.
While Vandermark Logging struggles financially now that the sawmill has burned to the ground, they await the decision of Stuart Albright and Mr. Longstreet to determine whether or not it will be rebuilt. The Vandermarks are locked into a contract with Stuart that prohibits them from selling their logs to anyone but Stuart and right now, he isn't in any hurry to make a decision. He makes it known to Deborah Vandermark, that since her family interferred with his plans to wed Lizzie, his goals are to make them suffer even if it means killing someone in her family, including her.
In the latest book in the Striking A Match series, Hope Rekindled by Tracie Peterson, picks up the story of the Vandermark's once more in book three. This one is a true testament of where the faith of one family and the community of Perkinsville will be tested and the battle between good and evil will be waged.
This series has been such a great one to be a part of for the entire journey and this one will hold the reader to the very end to see how it will all play out. From the complicated, love-less marriage between Stuart Albright and his wife Jael, to the financial struggles of Vandermark Logging when people are leaving town in hopes of a better life someone else. In addition, Deborah and Christopher have their own struggles in dealing with their upcoming marriage and the addition of five children to their soon-to-be family.
I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review, and can say once more I fell in love with all the characters. Deborah is my favorite because she struggles with her personal faith more than once in deciding what God's will is for her life, becoming a wife, a doctor or a mom with Christopher. She also is challenged in dealing with her families financial struggles as well as supporting the black community in Perkinsville, while racial tension runs rampant with The Hand of God controlling the law in the town. This one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars!!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally the CLIFFHANGER conclusion & worth the wait, June 8, 2011
This review is from: Hope Rekindled (Striking a Match) (Paperback)
Historical accuracy in a compelling 1887 small town story. A business clash, primarily between the rich, evil, Stuart Albright and the Vandermark Logging Co. family. Setting is Texas but this is NOT a western. It's a story of business intrigue and community loss. This conclusion of a trilogy hints at exciting, dramatic aspects of the past books, BUT...accomplished best-selling author Tracie Peterson has included ample information into the dialogue, events, and descriptions that the entire family of protagonist Deborah. Past is revealed for those who have not read books 1 & 2. It is her typical historical action packed way, including a romantic plot, and a historic sub-plot to entangle with the main theme. That is HOPE, and the rekindling of a town's hope.
You will learn to hate, in this book primarily dealing with a God-believing community. Some Bible teaching is scripted into the story, but not in a preachy way. It's more of a way to demonstrate the extreme faith of a few characters. Others struggle with their beliefs, especially in the times of suffering. And suffering is included. There are hooded vigilantes known as the "White Hand of God" (historically known by 3 letters) who attempt to rid the town of unwanteds, or at least keep them in their place. The Vandermark family is suffering from the fire-loss of the Perkinsville mill (fire in book 2) with whom they are solely contracted to. Bad Albright, mill owner/leader, is also on a revenge mission against this family.
Romance plot is Deborah about to marry a doctor who suddenly has his own family crisis which leads to catastrophic wedding alterations that could lead a Christian bride to drinking. It's all tied neatly together, alternating between the logging fiasco, ethnic attacks, and hopeless situations needing Hope Rekindled. The farther into the read you get the more active the action gets. I'll not spoil, but know the dramatic ending is more relevant to early 2011 than could have been imagined by the author at the time of it's writing. A page turner for a GREAT conclusion to this "Striking a Match" series.
Don't be surprised, even though this book can serve as a stand-alone, that you WILL be seeking the earlier books: "Embers of Love" & "Hearts Aglow". You'll enjoy reading all, in order.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ho Hum End to Series, June 6, 2011
This review is from: Hope Rekindled (Striking a Match) (Paperback)
This book is pretty much what you expect when you read a Tracie Peterson book. That's good if you like her previous books. It's not so good if you were hoping for something new. I noticed while reading that the entire story of Deborah and Christopher could have easily been told in one volume. It just seems stretched out by putting it in a three book series and the couple gets a lot of drama happening to them for such a small amount of time.
In this book, yet another incident happens to make Deborah and Christopher almost rethink that maybe this marriage isn't the best idea for them. His parents end up getting killed in a fire and Christopher decides that it's his duty to take care of his brothers and sisters by bringing them home....without telling Deborah first. I don't blame her for getting annoyed with him throughout the book for decisions such as this. Yes I understand that he pretty much had no choice but at the very least he needed to discuss things with her instead of giving her two choices: you accept or you don't.
I did find it interesting that this book tackles the subject of divorce because it seems to be popping up a lot lately in the Christian fiction books that I've been reading. A character threatens her husband with a divorce for the way he's been treating her. He refuses and pretty much says he will kill her friend if she doesn't drop it. Disappointingly she gives up on this idea and instead comes to the conclusions that she'll stay married with him but separately so he can keep having his mistresses. Nothing is ever fully resolved between the couple so it's disappointing to see that this is how she will continue to live unhappily ever after.
I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked people to have gotten their due and to turn around even just a little bit. That being said, it didn't end all cookie cutter happy-ish so I was a bit pleased with that. The story leaves a few plot lines open for future sequels. The story feels very much like it's written strictly for the Christian reader. There is a LOT of talk about God and his will and doing what he wants. If you enjoyed the other books in the series you'll want to pick up this one to find out what happens to everyone. However if you are looking for a Peterson series to start with, I would recommend her Ladies of Liberty series over this one.
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