Review: The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans

The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans, AF, 2014, Hardcover, 251p, My Rating=5
Source: library

Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.
Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:
1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day
The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.

Tragedy, struggle, hope, forgiveness, and love ...ingredients that can be found in most of Mr. Evans's romance books. For me, it doesn't get old and works each time! This one was particularly heartrending and with an eye opening perspective that it invoked quite a bit of empathy from me. Truly, this author has a gift with words in relating tender messages of humanity's stretch in dealing with life's difficult circumstances.

I suspect that one reason many take to Mr. Evans's books is because the fictional characters can very well be me or you. Since his fictional characters always find light at the end of the tunnel, therefore, so shall we. It's an inspiring and comforting report.

An excellent sweep you off your feet romance even to the most seemingly unbefitting individuals.

Review: Walk On Water by Richard Paul Evans

Walk On Water (The Walk #5) by Richard Paul Evans, AF, 2014, Hardcover, 320p, My Rating=3.5
Source: library

In this fifth New York Times bestseller in the Walk series, Richard Paul Evans’s hero Alan Christoffersen must say some painful goodbyes and learn some important lessons as he comes to the end of his cross-country walk to Key West.

After the death of his beloved wife, after the loss of his advertising business to his once-trusted partner, after bankruptcy forced him from his home, Alan Christoffersen’s daring cross-country journey—a walk across America, from Seattle to Key West, with only the pack on his back—has taught him lessons about love, forgiveness and, most of all, hope.

Now Alan must again return west to face yet another crisis, one that threatens to upend his world just as he had begun to heal from so much loss, leaving him unsure of whether he can reach the end his journey. It will take the love of a new friend, and the wisdom of an old friend, to help him to finally leave the past behind and find the strength and hope to live again.

This has been an eventful series. Many sights, food, and people. This final installment concluded the 3,000+ mile walk (from Seattle, Washington to Key West, Florida) that Alan undertook. No incredibly memorable people stories along the walk in this book but I did appreciate the time spent with the key characters of the series. There was a sad and poignant moment here but finished with a satisfying ending.

Generally the entire series was entertaining and a breeze to read. One for the file for good comfort reads.

Review: Adultery by Paulo Coelho

Adultery by Paulo Coelho, AF, 2014, Hardcover, 272p, My Rating=2
Source: library

Linda knows she's lucky.

Yet every morning when she opens her eyes to a so-called new day, she feels like closing them again.
Her friends recommend medication.
But Linda wants to feel more, not less.
And so she embarks on an adventure as unexpected as it is daring, and which reawakens a side of her that she - respectable wife, loving mother, ambitious journalist - thought had disappeared.
Even she can't predict what will happen next...

I truly enjoyed Coelho's Alchemist so when I saw this book with his name in big letters, it caught my eye. But, the title caused me pause. I was curious so I picked it up. Well, it was intriguing at first but overall I didn't feel I got anything substantial out of it. Comprehensively it was raw and honest, however, it bordered into the erotica genre. Not what I was expecting from Coelho! So clearly, I was disappointed.