Love, Charleston

Book Description:  Charleston's past is full of romance. Does Anne's future hold the same?  Charleston's Anne Brumley has long dreamed of love while rining the bells at St. Michael's, but those dreams are beginning to fade. Her sister Alisha and cousin Della encourage the thirty-six year old to move somewhere new for a fresh start. Widower Roy Summerall has happily ministered to the country folks of Church of the Good Shepherd for years. So why would the Lord call him and his daughter away to Charleston--the city that Roy remembers from his childhood as pretentious and superficial? Surely the refined congregation of St. Michael's won't accept a reverend with a red neck and a simple faith.  Meanwhile, Anne's sister, Alisha, struggles with her husband's ambition, which seems to be taking him further from their dreams of a happy family. And Cousin Della's former fiance has returned to Charleston, making her wonder if she chose the wrong path when she married her gifted but unemployed-artist husband.  Family, friendship, and faith converge in a beautiful story about how God's transforming love works in the Holy City of Charleston.

My Review: This is another "new author" for me and I wasn't disappointed.  I chose this book because it deals with a pastor and his daughter and because my in-laws live in Charleston so many of the "things" mentioned in this book brought back fond memories of "things" they've talked about or seen.  So, as I read this book I felt like I was "there."  A deja-vu kind of feeling .

This book cover is romantic and beautiful.  The open door "speaks" of many possibilities and this is exactly what happens in Love, Charleston.

The characters are well rounded, well thought out.  I especially liked Pastor Roy Summerall.  Ministers are a group unlike any other group (I'm married to a minister) and ministers truly feel God's calling.  Like Moses they may not always understand this calling but they go in faith.  So, off Pastor Summerall and his daughter go to do  God's bidding.  Unfortunately, just because God calls you doesn't mean it will all be grand.  

Then there's Anne and her  sister, Alisha . . . choices and purposes created by each individual.

Just like life this story doesn't have a neat/tidy ending.  But a great ending, nonetheless!

In the grand scheme of life, though, God has a purpose and a plan for each of us and this is what comes out in this wonderful 4 star read!

*I reviewed this book for Thomas Nelson/BookSneeze*

About the Author:  Beth Webb Hart, a South Carolina native, holds a B.A. in English Literature from Hollins College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her first novel, Grace at Low Tide, was one of three finalists for the 2006 Christy Awards in the general/contemporary/fiction category. She lectures on a variety of topics and has taught creative writing on the college and high school level where she received two national awards from Scholastic, Inc.  Beth Webb lives with her husband, composer Edward Hart, and their daughter in Charleston, South Carolina where she serves as a writer-in-residence at Ashley Hall.