Review: At Bluebonnet Lake

At Bluebonnet Lake
By Amanda Cabot
Texas Crossroads, #1
Revell, 2014


Summary

Her life is set to warp speed. His is slowing to a crawl. But love has its own timing.

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood's world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is grind to a halt at Rainbow's End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. Still, she cannot deny her ailing grandmother's request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week fifty years ago. There, Kate meets Greg, who appears to be the resort's unassuming handyman. But there's more to Greg than meets the eye--billions more, in fact.

Kate isn't looking for romance, but she can't deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate's long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

Amanda Cabot invites you to step into a place away from the pressures of the day. You might be surprised by what you find at Rainbow's End.


My thoughts

At Bluebonnet Lake is Amanda Cabot's first contemporary romance and I enjoyed it very much. The same quality of writing and characterization that readers have found in her historical novels are exhibited here also. The characters are well drawn and appealing, and Amanda's writing flows easily with vivid descriptions and an underlying humor.

At Bluebonnet Lake is a story of transformation, healed relationships, and being open to God's leading. It's not a fast-paced book that you keeps you reading into the wee hours of the morning, but rather a steadily developing narrative with a beautiful setting in the Texas Hill Country - and this is often exactly what I'm looking for. There's nothing bland about this book. Even if the ending is a little predictable, the enjoyment is in how the characters get there. At Bluebonnet Lake is simply a comfortable, cozy read - and I loved it.

If I had to choose one main strength, it would be the characters - both leading and secondary. Kate is a workaholic, while Greg is trying to escape that all-consuming lifestyle; Kate craves a promotion/partnership in the advertising firm where she works, while Greg is seeking  whatever God might have in store for him; Kate has a close, loving relationship with her grandmother, while Greg's family relationships need mending. I always love it when older characters are featured, and thought Sally, Kate's grandmother, contributed much to the story - both in her relationship with her granddaughter and then Roy.

This is a story that I really hated to see conclude because there is so much room for further development - with both the Rainbow's End family resort and the ensemble cast. I liked how spiritual growth seemed such a natural part of this story. And I was delighted to discover in Amanda's author's letter at the end that at least two more novels are planned in this series, beginning with In Firefly Valley in the spring of 2015.

Recommended to all who enjoy sweet contemporary romance.

Amanda Cabot

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, Christmas Roses, Summer of Promise, and Waiting for Spring. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers Best. She lives in Wyoming.

Connect with Amanda online at amandacabot.com, Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.

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