Customer Reviews

A Very Special Delivery (Love Inspired #349)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I have to say that I am disappointed by the reviews and ratings this book has received. I thorougly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quick, feel good read. For those who feel that religion was being forced upon you in the book, open your eyes. It is not overly religious...it just shows how the two main characters deal with issues from their past. I am not a religious person and do not feel as though it was forced upon me. Absolutely worth the read!!

I liked this one because it was written from two christian point of views. IT lacked sex scenes which I found quite refreshing. It also shows that their can be a hot romance without sex. Happy endings all around. I loved this book and will read it over again.

If you like Christian romance, you'll love this book. This book was easy to read, and instantly fall for the characters! I couldn't stop reading it.

***** Spoiler Alert *****

The first half of this book was strongly written in my opinion. You come to find the female lead has a tragic secret (her sister blames her for the death of her child) and her mother and sister have turned their back on her.

Then when you get to the middle of the book, you come to find out that the reason her sister is blaming her is logically explained. The baby died of SIDS.

Although I can understand people are illogical when they blame you for things you're not guilty of, I couldn't believe this particular issue--not due to the blame coming from the sister, but because Molly (the heroine) knew of this issue and still blamed herself to an illogical degree. So it wasn't that she blamed herself... it was the intensity of her blame that I found was not believable.

Molly (in my opinion) simply allowed herself to be accused by her sister unjustly. I found it ridiculous and a subtle ploy just to keep the plot moving. She was way too ok with allowing herself to be blamed wrongly when obviously the death would've occurred anyway. She goes so far as to have no life so her sister doesn't feel "burdened" by her presence.

Her entire choice through the entire book is to be a doormat. Not get upset... not even once. I can venture to guess that most people might feel some guilt but would also be quite peeved at being unjustly accused when there's a reasonable medical explanation for the death of a seemingly healthy baby. One that doesn't implicate you.

Again, I get some guilt, but this woman was just immersing herself in it and just being a doormat her sister could walk all over. She had my sympathy all the way up until I realized the death could be logically explained and all of this supposed self-recrimination was just her playing the victim. How about standing up for yourself a bit? I don't believe God would mind that as long as you did it in a decent, upstanding manner. Come on now. If she had attempted to do that some, I would've found the plot more believable.

Also as the plot moves along she gets more ridiculous and acts silly about her relationship with Ethan. She continues to play the victim and it begins to get annoying.

I believe what was initially a good plot gave way to predictable scenes and a wobbly story-line after the halfway point. I commend Linda Goodnight for trying, but I think her book would've been quite a bit stronger if she'd pushed the heroine to own up to a believable set of events.

This is why I gave it 2 stars. Because it's a book that relies heavily on unbelievable actions in order to keep the book going. And also because the wrap-up along the end of the book between the sisters was lacking in depth and not the best way (in my opinion) to go about resolving the issue. It was too predictable and weakened the story's strength.

I read this book because it was free on the Kindle, and after reading it, I agree that no one would pay money for this. The Christian influences were surprising and a bit heavy-handed. This book was as much about trusting in God's plan as it was about the couple. The story wasn't bad necessarily, but it was pretty slow and the relationship between Ethan and Molly was completely passionless. There were also weird inconsistencies in their characterizations. Ethan seemed like a nice enough guy, until I read that he used a court order to force his girlfriend to have her baby. I'm pretty sure you can't do that, but even if you could, you shouldn't. Molly removed herself from society because of an incident that so wasn't her fault, the premise of book is made slightly ridiculous. I have trouble believing that anyone would sit back and let their life go to ruins in order to pacify their truly horrible sister, and then feel absolutely no bitterness towards her at all. I really don't think anyone should be that nice.

I wouldn't suggest actually paying for this book, but if you're okay with clumsy religious overtones, a couple who might as well be cousins, and a frustrating plot-line, then good news; it's free on Amazon.

This was a really sweet book. If you like the Love Inspired Series this is right in line with what you are used to. For those that have never read the Love Inspired Series be aware that it is not a sexy book...it is a romance. This series has a Christian base and often interweaves faith throughout. If you are used to the sexy romance books you probably won't like it. As a Christian who loves a love story I am so pleased with this series. This book is sweet...yes, it is predictable and yes, you know people don't act like that in real life-but, isn't that why you are reading a romance book? It is an easy read and like all Love Inspired books has a happy ending (life is depressing...shouldn't these books make you smile at the end).

I truly enjoyed this book. It showed how everyone has their own private struggles that aren't obvious until you get to know someone. These characters had to work through their issues in order to find their way to one another. It was a fun read. Who can resist an adorable baby in the story?

Two years ago, Molly's 6-month old nephew died of SIDS while she was babysitting him. Now, overcome with guilt, Molly has become a sort of recluse. Because her sister is angry and bitter and refuses to forgive her (even though it wasn't Molly's fault), Molly has chosen to move into a farmhouse in the country. She no longer attends church with her sister and stays away from public places, except the senior center where she works. She believes she cannot be trusted around babies and has given up her dream of becoming a wife and mother.

Ethan lived a wild life until he became a Christian several months ago, while his girlfriend was pregnant with his baby. Now a single dad to an infant daughter, Ethan struggles to overcome the stigma of being an unmarried parent. He believes he does not deserve a good, decent woman because of his sinful past. One winter night, he and his daughter are caught in a dangerous winter storm, causing them to seek shelter from the nearest house, which belongs to Molly. She opens the door to Ethan and Laney...but they both end up opening their hearts to one another.

This is a short read, and it is a very sweet, gentle romance. There are instant sparks between Molly and Ethan, but as this is a Christian romance, it is very chaste. (There are kisses, but nothing more.) I enjoyed this story idea, and it held my interest. However, it could have been much better. The characters are so...good. Even though Ethan is ashamed of his past, he seems to make up for it by being the perfect, charming neighbor. He becomes a fix-it guy for all the seniors' problems, and there seems to be nothing he can't do. He's a paramedic, a pilot, a handyman, a ball player, and an actor in the church's Easter pageant. Molly, too, is a bit too good to be believable. She is very self-deprecating, crafty, meek, and gentle. She even buys toys for kids in need. There is a great message for Christian readers...that of forgiveness, leaving regrets in the past and moving forward. However, I think it's more interesting and realistic to have characters that are a bit more realistic and multi-dimensional that readers can relate to. Another problem is the lack of conflict. It's very predictable, and the couple never really faces a true conflict.

In short, as a free story, it is worth reading if you appreciate a Christian outlook and want something very light and uplifting. If you're looking for a complex story, this is not for you. Note: I find it strange that so many reviewers are negative due to this book's Christian emphasis. This is clearly labeled an "Inspirational" romance. As such, it upholds mainstream Christian ideals and principles. It is unfair to give a book a low rating simply because you disagree with its message, particularly when it is marketed as a Christian romance.

I loved this book. I was appalled at the review that said Jesus would be okay with abortion. What Bible does she read? Also, I loved all the talk about God and church. I want to read more of her books.

A man who forces a mentally unstable woman he was casually dating to bear his child through legal harassment and intimidation is an unconventional choice for a romance novel hero, especially when it culminates in the death of the woman post-childbirth. What's especially disturbing about this book is that everybody around him seems to agree that this was an appropriate course of action and that, while he feels guilt about his past actions, this disturbing and pathetic course of action isn't something that he regrets at all. Why not? He has a cute baby. Too bad Twila had to get in the way with all that personhood around her uterus.

That said, I'll write this review on the merits of the book and not the disturbing misogyny that is deeply imbedded into the story.

Ethan has a baby with a dead mother (maybe something was stressing her out in the nine months or so before she died, contributing to her substance abuse problem?). Molly has a phobia about babies. Fortunately, an ice storm (which somehow leaves significant amounts of frozen water outside, something I've never experienced in the multiple ice storms I've been through) strands them together long enough for the seeds of love to be planted (but not THOSE seeds, Ethan slept outside in a camper like a gentleman!). Molly bears guilt for something she had no control over. I can understand her emotions around the issue, but not how she intellectually accepts that she is to blame. Fortunately, Ethan doesn't prize "smart" in women (how else can he control them by threatening them with lawsuits that don't even exist?) and he is willing to exert strong male leadership to help her understand that the path to Jesus is through Ethan's arms . . .

Oh gosh, I think I'm failing to write this review on the merits of the book and leave out my feelings about the misogyny that pervades this book.

Listen, I have no issue with Christian romances. I grew up reading and loving Jeanette Oakes and still frequently read Christian romances today. It was just hard to root for this particular couple. Ethan was so incredibly distasteful once you realized that he thought women were just walking reproductive systems for his benefit and Molly didn't have a lick of common sense. If I knew Molly, I'd tell her to run, get away from Ethan.