Linda Leigh Hargrove

When it comes to Christian contemporary romance, novella-length or shorter reads tend to be best for me, and this second Carver High short was a wholesome snack. Like a super-crisp apple with a sweet tang, rather than a cupcake.

I'm glad I skipped most of the book blurb beforehand. I liked discovering the hero and heroine's joint backstory gradually, since the backstory is what really made this read work for me. That and the main, very touching point of faith the title speaks to.

Now, in a similar case as the first story in the series, I think this second one could have used a little more balance between the hero and heroine. In my view, she's in her head a lot, reflecting on this and that to herself, while he's the one who says most of the important stuff in their conversations and "carries" most of the romance along. These days, I like to get a sense of two romantic characters being fairly equal contributors in terms of key dialogue and the outward progression of the relationship. I also think the various declarations of love at the end of this read are rushed and not particularly necessary yet, considering so short a time these characters have together in the present.

On a technical note, the writing is sometimes a little lax about punctuation. For instance, "I know right" doesn't have the same meaning as "I know, right?" But the occasional punctuation slips were only a minor issue for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick and uplifting story.… (más)

The title of this short ChristFic romance story has a magical feel, and the lights and laughter on the cover made me decide it was about time to give this one a go.

For me, the read felt a little imbalanced in a way I think may be pretty common in romance: The story shows why she'd be falling for him, but I didn't see as much showing why he'd be falling for her. It's a little different if a romantic tale establishes early that the two parties involved already have a solid friendship or they otherwise know each other well, and now they're taking off from there. If that isn't really the case, it's all the more important for me to see characters who don't only have interesting backstory and inward thoughts but who also outwardly show, in their interactions with their love interest, why they're a worthwhile, equal match for that person.

The relationship here could have used a better balance of give and take and interesting dialogue on both sides. I also think some deeper development could have kept the declarations of love from feeling like such a leap. The state/progress of this couple's relationship felt more like the time to enter a conscious, mutual "liking" phase at the end. A good place to start going on dates.

But anyhow, I'm being pretty technical over this read that does deliver what most would expect when picking it up. It's a quick, positive story where two people with complicated pasts have the blessing of finding each other.… (más)

While I've read romance novellas by Hargrove before, it was someone else's inquiry about ChristFic suspense from diverse authors that prompted me to finally start the Isaac Hunt series.

This novel isn't suspense in the sense of fast pacing or high action. Most of the story is rather contemplative, taking its time much like a literary novel. But the dark crime thread running through it does eventually reach a critical point for Isaac.

I don't always get through books that take longer than about two chapters to give me more than a cursory sense of what's going on and exactly why it matters. Although I felt like this novel spent a fairly significant amount of time speaking in riddles, something simmering, sometimes rumbling, just beneath the surface compelled me to keep reading. That and this author's way with words, as I really like sharp phrasing and stirring descriptions that aren't predictable for me.

There's a scene where one of the villains sits and monologues to himself for a while, which can feel like a contrived way to reveal information to the reader. But that aside, this story's evil characters aren't caricatures. As for the emotion through the read, though I think the effect of Isaac's tears could have been stronger if he had them in fewer scenes, I found the overall emotional development to be compelling.

I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

(Note: While I read an earlier edition of this book where the N-word doesn't appear, in the latest edition, the author includes a heads-up about her use of the word. I understand various Black writers' choices about whether or not they use the word in their works, and Hargrove also touched on the issue in her guest post on my blog some years ago.)… (más)

Title: Dancing on the Moon [Carver High]
Author: Linda Leigh Hargrove
Publisher: L.L H.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Dancing on the Moon [Carver High]" by Linda Leigh Hargrove

"My Rationalization:

This was a sweet short read of A teacher [Dr. Katina Mason] who had a past that may cause her problems especially if it comes out about what she had been up to in her new job. Will she be able to make it on her new job as a teacher as it seems like her past may be catching up with her? What will Principal Nate Thomas do after finding out Katina's past as it seems he may have feelings for this special person. To find out how this turns out for these two you will just have to pick up this good short story to see how it all turns out for these two.… (más)