My Review: When Love Arrives

"How did you know for sure? That you loved her?" . . .  "I couldn't breathe without her."  (page 240)


Description:
Dani had planned to spy on Brett--so how did she end up on a date with him?

Dani Prescott can't believe the lie Brett Somers is trying to sell to the media. During an interview about the plane crash that killed his parents, he blamed Dani's mother. But the crash killed her as well. Vowing to restore her mother's reputation, Dani has been following Brett and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use to discredit him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something--but he's got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is?



About the Author:
Johnnie Alexander is the award-winning author of Where Treasure Hides and Where She Belongs. Johnnie is an accomplished essayist and poet whose work has appeared in the Guideposts anthology A Cup of Christmas Cheer. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with her grandchildren, and taking road trips. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee.









My Review: 3.5 stars
When Love Arrives is the first book I’ve read by Johnnie Alexander and it’s quite obvious that the story continues from her previous book, Where She Belongs. Though this book stands alone quite well, I could tell that I’d missed a fair amount, despite her efforts to fill in the gaps. I first became interested in this book after reading the synopsis - I was intrigued by the idea of an “accidental” date and curious to learn how everything would work out. What I found surprised me a little bit with how anticlimactic it was, but I found that it truly echoed real life, so I can’t really complain. I can happily say that I enjoyed this book quite a bit and am looking forward to reading the next one!

While I was reading this book someone asked me if Ms. Alexander’s writing style reminded me of any of my favorite authors and I really struggled to come up with a name. In my mind, this was Johnnie’s book, so of course, it sounds like her writing style. That being said, it’s well written and the story flows smoothly, never lagging and rarely rushing ahead. I do have to nitpick and say that I personally would’ve enjoyed a few more descriptions, as I found myself struggling to imagine certain settings. I’m also going to admit that I found Dani’s plan to humiliate Brett childish at first and her reasoning not that well thought out. Though I did appreciate that Dani admitted that herself and slowly began to grow throughout the book.

Brett is definitely the character I saw the biggest change in and I enjoyed following his transformation. He starts out as something of a jerk, though he’s already started seeing the errors of his ways when the book opens, and he wants to change, but doesn’t know how. This book ended up feeling like more his story than Dani’s and her character sometimes took a backseat to his issues, which played out well in the end, but I still found it a little frustrating that I didn’t get to see more of Dani’s side of the story. Her character seemed almost shallow at times, compared to Brett and everything he was dealing with. Their relationship was a bit different, as well. Because of Brett trying to change his ways, he struggles to keep his friendship with Dani where it should be. I appreciated how Ms. Alexander showed his battle and how their relationship plays out. I also had to smile at his teasing and joking with Dani and some of her responses had me laughing.
I started this book with no idea what to expect and ended it with a smile on my face. Despite my nitpicking and hopes for a slightly deeper story, I did very much enjoy my trip to Columbus and Misty Willow and hope to be visiting again, soon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much for stopping by, once again!  Isn't that quote at the top just the sweetest?  I found it and just couldn't resist.  :)
If you'd like to learn more about the book or look into it further, links are below, as always.
Have a delightful day!


Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christian Book