Chance Encounters of the Heart

Three wonderful tales of life, love and the Lord by three very gifted authors. A wonderful anthology! "Will and a Way" by Elizabeth White is an uplifting story about God working out His plan perfectly in His own time. Will and Zoe knew each other in college. He was dating her roommate. Now, they've bumped into each other in the airport and realized that they have a lot - including a love of the Lord - in common. Can they face their pasts and fears to have a happily ever after? Although an enjoyable story, it ended rather abruptly, almost leaving the reader with the feeling that there was more to come... Kathleen Fuller's "Encore, Encore" is the thoroughly satisfying tale of Annika, a violinist and concertmaster in her orchestra. She's worked hard for her position and the solo she will perform during her last concert tour with the institute. When their conductor is severely injured, Annika's unpleasant "ex" assumes the baton and promptly replaces Annika as concertmaster with Josef, a famous virtuoso, and takes away the solo she's worked so hard for. In spite of this, Annika and Josef are drawn to each other. So, when Annika's "ex" threatens to send her home if Josef continues to see her outside of the concert hall, their growing love is threatened. "Measure of a Man" by Susan May Warren is the story of Calli, a missionary to Russia, and her former beau, Peter. They pledged their lives to Christ and missionary work together, but pressure from his father led Peter to law school and out of Calli's life. Now, a lumber deal for his father's company has brought Peter to Russia. But the bigger picture shows that, although Peter may have lost track of God, the Lord had not forgotten Peter. The opening elevator scene in this book was awesome! I love Susan May Warren. She always touches my heart and entertains me.

These three accomplished authors tell a tale each of how God can indeed bring about true love all through hardship and in the case of Elizabeth White and Susan May Warren laughter. Kathleen Fuller's story is one of intrigue and deep emotion. I recommend this book highly to anyone who seeks a soul-searching and warm love story.

Susan Warren's offering, Measure of a Man, is wonderful! Endearing characters and a page-turning plot, romance at its very best and a precious message neatly woven in. I can't wait to read more by this incredible new author!

I really enjoyed this book. The stories are easy to read and enjoyable. My favourite story by far was the last one, "Measure of a Man" by Susan May Warren. This story is, in my opinion, exactly what Christian fiction should be. This is no small thing since it has been my experience that all too often Christian fiction lacks so much of what is supposed to make it Christian fiction. Measure of a Man is absolutely chock-full of truth. It isn't just a story about the lives of people who happen to be Christians and say little one-line prayers now and then, it's a story that teaches the reader more about God's character and causes them to grow, something that even the first two stories, though enjoyable, fail to do in my opinion. It's a story that is so full of truth and encouragement that it can minister even to mature Christians, as well as non-Christians or seekers. The author does a great job of making the story line believable and the development of the romance realistic in a very short amount of time. This again is no small feat as it is something many romance writers (both Christian and non-Christian) seem to have trouble achieving. The story line is high paced and intriguing, and has elements of suspense, mystery, tragedy, and comedy as well as romance. One of the things that really set this story apart from others is the unique writing technique employed by the author. The story outlines both the heroines' and the heros' perspective on certain issues, giving unique insight into the differences between the way men and women view the same things. This serves to remind women readers that men see us and our beauty very differently than we see ourselves. I find this technique to be very insightful, healthy and encouraging for women, especially in today's society. In addition to everything else, this story is very well written, something which is unfortunately not always the case with Christian fiction. In my opinion, this story is a contender with any non-Christian fiction of its class, and I definitely recommend it. And the really great thing is that apparently this story is the first published work by Susan May Warren, something that means any future works by her are sure to only get better!

All three of these short stories were great reads. Just the shot in the arm of romance I needed on a long winter weekend. Each story in it's own way was a great reminder that God is intimately involved in every aspect of my life. He sometimes has to step in and cause my insignificant plans go wrong so that his plans which are always right, on time and the very best possible plans for my life will lift me to new heights of joy and fulfillment. All three stories were well written, humorous, and easy to read. I didn't want to put them down. I look forward to reading more stories from these authors.