Shared Winds

A timely book! A tornado destroys Lan Harding's marina, Shared Winds, and her dreams along with it. She needs to rebuild or face the complete loss of her business but there is a shortage of contractors because of all the damage. After Lan has been turned down by everyone who could do the rebuilding project properly, Emma Bishop shows up wanting the job. She is trying to prove herself to her father, the top contractor in the area, so that she can take over his business when he retires. Lan hires Emma but has mixed feelings about this because of Emma's agenda, and it takes a while for these women to warm up to each other. As they rebuild the marina their feelings also get an overhaul and they gradually fall in love. This is a warm-hearted, touching romance with believable characters and a satisfying ending. The author writes at a pleasant pace and keeps her focus on the changing dynamic between the two women. Shared Winds is a good first novel and I look forward to reading this author's next book.

This book is so much more than the back cover even begins to imply. Lan Harding is a Cherokee woman who seems to live on the outskirts of her community. When her marina is destroyed by a storm, there are no contractors available to help her rebuild. If she doesn't rebuild she will lose her business and her life will change completely. In walks Emma Bishop. Emma's father is one of the contractors who has refused to help Lan. Emma explains that she needs to prove to her father that she can do this job well so he will sell his business to her instead of a stranger when he retires later in the year. These women may be each others only hope for a future, so they both stand to win if Lan hires Emma to do the job. As they rebuild the resort called Shared Winds, the women begin to also rebuild parts of themselves. They find they have much more in common than this project and can't help but fall in love. Neither will admit her feelings at first, but jealousy, longing, and a near-death accident help them open up. Fantastic first offering by this new author. This reader is looking forward to her future releases.

While Mother Nature isn't too kind to either main character, the gentle flow of the plot, the character's dialogue and interaction had me not only wondering about the fate of the damaged marina/resort, but also the women, their friends and the lake community. The gentle spiritualism and quiet determination of both characters really played off each other well. I was rooting for Emma to make the deadline and for Nan to complete the restoration of her boat and her heart. I happily found myself relaxed and engaged with this story. If I see another book by Ms White, I'll be sure to take a look.

Shared Winds, besides being a wonderful romance, teaches us that perserverance and believing in oneself can overcome even the most difficult odds. Its characters are as real as sitting across a table and sharing your dreams and desires with your best friend. Or falling in love with that special someone even though you try your best not to. Kenna White injects humor into her story that caused me to smile as I followed her characters through their journey. Her well thought out dialogue and descriptive narrative kept me reading well past the midnight hour. Reading to me is like watching a movie in ones mind and Shared Winds gets my nomination for an "Oscar".