A beautiful story that stayed with me long after having read the book. A story of loss, but also of how much one can gain by being totally sold out for the Lord. A story of longing to help the impoverished children in the country of Haiti.

Surgeon Max Jordan has made a name for himself and supposedly can have anything money can buy. But at what cost; when his wife divorces him and his one son forsakes following in his father's footsteps and takes his medical talent to Haiti to help the orphans there. Max will finally go to that country and try to make sense of what happened to his son.

Valerie Austin finds herself on a plane to Haiti after her wedding is cancelled weeks before the big day. Instead of a honeymoon, she finds herself trying to fit in and enjoy the orphans she has come to help. She will finally discover that the Lord has given her children, the one thing she has always wanted in her life. Together Valerie and Max will search for happiness and meaning in their life. One will find it a little sooner than the other. I liked the way the author ended this book - with an expectation of more to come between these two main characters. I enjoyed my time and the people of Haiti and how happiness isn't dependent upon "things". ( )

Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts
Dr. Botox--AKA plastic surgeon Max Jordan--was always perplexed and hurt by his son Josh's decision to go and work in Haiti at an orphanage. What a waste of his skills as a doctor! But when Josh dies Max feels like he needs to visit the place where his son found contentment, and try to see if he can understand. Valerie was supposed to be on her honeymoon. But when she realized that her fiance could never support her dream of being a mother, and that they were really two very different people, she backed out before she made a horrible mistake. Now she is on her way at Haiti to volunteer at a mission and to find some redirection in her life. Valerie and Max meet while in Haiti, and the inevitable happens...


Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.
The faith angle does make this romance enjoyable, clean, and meaningful. Still, the conventions of romance are played out pretty predictably, with beautiful partners appearing at just the right time for each other, missionary dating that works, and things working out towards a happy ending. The Haitian feel is a good element too, the dire needs of those in that country are portrayed with the appropriate amount of compassion.


How Good is it?
A good escape read, but not much substance ( )