Along Came Love

This is a truly enjoyable story about a young man who is running away from his past to a job in a small town - the worst place to run away from anything. Wes is a former missionary who wants to start over and forget his painful past. Lauren is originally from this small Vermont community, but ran away herself a long time ago. Now she and her son have returned home and are beginning to piece together a life with Lauren's aging Aunt Tilley. She and Wes are drawn to each other, but neither wants to risk opening old wounds and becoming vulnerable. So when their secrets are used as blackmail to separate Lauren and Wes as they are learning to love each other, what will the outcome be?

book description: After years of hiding from her past, single mom Lauren Woodman had finally returned to her Vermont hometown with her young son in tow. Reconnecting with her family and friends was Lauren's goal, until a snowstorm brought a mysterious stranger to town -- and into her life. Wes Evans was struggling to find the path to God's love and forgiveness, after his work as a missionary in the Middle East made him question his calling. But his search for redemption threatened to hurt the one person who could heal his heart and soul.... ****This was such a powerful book on the importance of forgivenss -- God forgiving us as well as us allowing God to forgive us. I very much enjoyed this book. It had elements of friendship, love, forgiveness and suspence. I found that the author was able to write the characters with real human qualities (both strengths and weaknesses). Carrie Turansky's first noval was a pleasure to read and I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Carrie Turansky's book, published by Steeple Hill Love Inspired, is a cut above the usual sweet Christian romance novel. The tormented past of the hero and heroine are substantial and difficult to overcome. Turansky's first book is inspirational and honest, and has plenty of action and tension, and best of all love. It was fun to read and I'm proud of her for writing it and proud of Steeple Hill for recognizing it's value and publishing it.

Lauren Woodman is a woman with a secret only her Aunt Tilley knows. When she sees a man walking in a Vermont blizzard she drives on past, afraid to stop. It isn't safe to pick up strangers, even in this remote area. But a deer runs across the road in front of her, causing her car to slide into the ditch. The stranger helps get the car back on the road, and she doesn't feel she can drive off and leave him, so she takes him to Aunt Tilley's house. All Wes Evans wants is a place to rest while he decides what to do with the rest of his life. A missionary in the Middle East, Wes was arrested for sharing the gospel and accused of being a CIA spy. After eighteen months of brutal intererogtion and torture in a Middle Eastern prison, he is hiding out from the press. He's attracted to Lauren, but he's having trouble dealing with his past. Besides he has nothing to offer her. All he knows how to do is be a missionary and even that is closed to him now. Lauren is perturbed by the growing affection between Wes and her six-year old son. How would he feel if he knew the truth about her. It takes a near tragedy to teach Lauren and Wes about God's wonderful gift of love and forgiveness. Carrie Turansky does a good job of pulling the reader into the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story wrapped around two individuals, both struggling with forgiveness issues in their lives. Author Carrie Turansky has given us characters so real, we feel like we know them personally. And they aren't perfect - which only helps us to identify with them even more. She takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions with Lauren, Wes, and little Toby, on their difficult journey to discover that the truth truly does set you free. Near the end, I literally could not turn the pages fast enough. Well done, Carrie Turansky! A delightful book that I would recommend to anyone.