Summary from goodreads: Emma Benson’s view of life was crafted by the death of her brother as a child, abandonment by her father and later, the man she trusted she would marry, until David Schlosser-back in town after years in New York writing best-selling novels-threatens her neatly tended life. Romance blooms. Emma and David eventually persevere in the face of tragedy, refusing to leave their dreams behind.
Called Home: Two Hearts Answer by Gloria Schumann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was truly a fun read. I was smitten with this book from almost the first few pages. The author drew me in with the strong and spirited Emma and the sweet and good-humored David. And, of course, who doesn’t love a nice country setting where the reader is spirited away from the big city problems? This book was a fantastic escape to a simple world with just enough complications to keep things interesting.
I was intrigued from the start by the banter between David and Emma. The more they argued, the closer they got–as it should be. Even when my interest waned in certain sections of the story, I was hooked by this love-hate relationship between these characters. The author indeed has a fantastic sense of comedic timing.
I was not expecting the bit of mystery that entered the story. There was no doubt how it would end–after all, this is a romance–but I found that I was uncertain as to path of the conclusion. I found the explanation of the mystery was not quite sufficient–it was rather illogical in my opinion–but not everything has to make perfect sense in fiction after all.
I appreciated the way in which God was an integral part of the story. It was assumed that all go to church, and I feel that the characters relied on God for guidance. Better still, I loved the fact that the characters were not sexually active before marriage! They were on guard, and even when placed in positions where they could have compromised, they did not! It is so rare to read romances where the characters do abstain.
What were my criticisms? The only real fault I found in this book was that the physical affection between Emma and David got rather boring at times. Don’t get me wrong–I loved reading about it. But I felt that all too often, the descriptions were the same thing over and over. And the reader knew after the first few times how the physical intimacy in a particular scene would end. It was the same thing over and over. I also did not see the financial struggles of Emma and her mother as central as I felt they should be. It seems that Emma has plenty of time and resources–maybe too much. But then that gives her and David more time together, right?
I, for one, found this a delightful summer read, and if you are looking for a clean romance that you can read in enjoy in a weekend, look no further!
The author, Gloria Schumann, gave me a copy of the book to read and review in exchange for this review. I was not financially compensated in any way, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Guest Post by the author
Emma is an excellent example of perseverence through the storms of life, eventually learning to cope with the past, without giving into her insecurities. One, I myself, would like to emulate. In the end, the choices she makes puts her exactly where she belongs—in control of her life making healthy decisions toward her dreams, instead of out of fear. We should all be lucky enough to be in such a beautiful place in our lives.
Find out how Emma does it in Called Home – Two Hearts Answer and may you lead your life in hope and joy of the future.
THE EARLY YEARS
Outside of faith and family, I have never been as engrossed and thrilled about anything as I am about writing. It is truly a passion.
HOW WRITING GRABBED ME
I read whenever I could. Waiting for dial-up to load was a perfect time, also during advertisement breaks of a show I was watching, and yes, I read in the bathroom also. You can laugh. I laughed at myself. It’s pretty funny for someone who wanted nearly nothing to do with reading more than an article on occasion.
At the beginning of my writing journey I did so in secret. I promised that I would give it a real effort, but if it was painful, like hiking over rocks with no boots, that I would quit and no one would have to know of the thought that should have never been.
When it proved to be not only not painful, but enjoyable, I thought, okay, so I like doing it. That doesn’t really mean it’s a good route to follow. So with this in mind I confessed my secret to my husband. No, he didn’t laugh. I placed several chapters in his hands and asked him to read it, but only if he would tell me if it was junk or not. Before you say anything, I know what you’re thinking. He’s just going to be nice and tell me it’s fine. That’s just it, although my husband is a fantastically nice guy, I know that he wouldn’t let me waste my time continuing down a path that was futile. After several sets of chapters he left me a note on one remarking that I should definitely continue because in his words, ‘You have a real talent for this.’
