Review: One Perfect Spring

One Perfect Spring
By Irene Hannon
Revell, 2014


Summary

Independent single mom Claire Summers is doing her best to make lemonade out of the lemons life has handed her. Workaholic Keith Watson is interested only in the bottom line--until a letter from Claire's eleven-year-old daughter reaches his desk and changes everything.

As the executive assistant to a philanthropic businessman, Keith is used to fielding requests for donations. But the girl isn't asking for money. She wants help finding the long-lost son of a neighbor. As Keith reluctantly digs into this assignment in his usual results-oriented style, he has no idea how involved he and Claire will become--nor how unusual the results will actually be. Who could have guessed that a child's kindhearted request would bring love and hope to so many lives . . . including his own?

Through compelling characters and surprising plot twists, fan favorite Irene Hannon offers this tenderhearted story that demonstrates how life is like lilacs--the biggest blooms come only after the harshest winters.


My thoughts

Irene Hannon is one of the few suspense authors that I read, but it's her contemporary fiction that holds the greatest attraction for me - and One Perfect Spring lives up to Irene's high standard of quality. Her prose flows smoothly and the characters are likeable, believable people that you could find in your neighborhood. They struggle with the same things we often face - how to make ends meet, serious illness, responsibilities, regrets from the past, strained relationships - even questions and doubts when it comes to faith. Yet God is at the center of this book and hope is present on every page.

One Perfect Spring is realistic, bittersweet, poignant, heartwarming - and definitely a page turner. There are four equally-strong main characters and two romantic storylines, each with great chemistry that will please romance fans. I love it when an author features a romance between an older couple, and Irene has done that exceptionally well with David and Maureen's story.

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"The things that matter most aren't things at all."

- David

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On the surface, this story is a romance - but there is so much more to discover as the story begins to unfold. Anyone who has worked hard to provide for their family, but missed many opportunities to show love through time and personal attention will relate to this story. Those who struggle with the life shadow cast by past mistakes will also be touched. I also thought the adoption theme was very moving. I initially had a suspicion as to how this particular storyline would play out, and was surprised when it went in a completely different direction. Plot twists like this add richness to the story, and I quickly realized that my idea wouldn't have been at all realistic.

These words of Maureen's stood out to me and seem to encompass the story's overall theme:  "Lives should be judged as a whole, not by isolated incidents."  Yes, God does redeem the past; God does heal; and God does work His purposes in our lives.

I hope many new readers will discover Irene's contemporary romance, especially One Perfect Spring. Highly recommended.

Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of over forty-five books, including That Certain Summer. Her romance and suspense fiction has won many awards, including two coveted RITAs, a Carol, two HOLT Medallions, a National Readers' Choice, a Daphne du Maurier, a Retailers Choice, and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. In addition, she is a Christy Award finalist, and Booklist included one of her novels in its "Top 10 Inspirational Fiction" list for 2011. She lives in Missouri.

Meet Irene online at www.irenehannon.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

One Perfect Spring can be purchased at Amazon, CBD, DeeperShopping, and Barnes & Noble.

Thank you to Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.