Joshua’s Prayer: By Olivia Rae
Genre: Christian Romance
Synopsis:
When Dr. Sam Morgan’s estranged wife dies in a tragic accident, he returns home from a months-long, overseas surgical mission to discover his disabled son, Joshua, does not remember him. Sam is convinced that he and Joshua can only overcome their heartbreaking memories by leaving their decaying small town and starting over somewhere else.
Nicole James runs a women’s shelter where Sam’s wife fled with Joshua, claiming Sam was not the saint he appeared to be, but a physical and mental abuser. Nicole is determined to protect Joshua by legally preventing Sam from leaving Golden Ridge with his son until she can get at the truth–is Sam Morgan an abuser or the victim of lies in a marriage that went terribly wrong?
As Sam and Nicole are forced to work together on Joshua’s behalf, they begin to gain a fragile respect for one another. But will mutual distrust prevent them from realizing that the best thing they can do for Joshua is to fall in love?
My thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this story because of it’s absolute honest depiction of family, both traditional, and non-traditional. The beautiful capturing of how children and parents interact resonated with me. Nothing cliché about it.
The Characters:
I have a thing for broken characters, and Dr. Morgan was broken. Broken by his difficult marriage, by the death of his wife, his son’s distrust of him, by his shattered dreams. To see this man come alive again, throughout the story, was a wonderful journey. I also loved Nicole’s character. She was such a sweetheart, so kind and compassionate and charming without even trying. Tough, but loving. The perfect love interest to break through Dr. Morgan’s hardened exterior.
The Story:
I loved how this story centered around Joshua, and not around the two love interests. Yes, while it’s a romance, they were both in it for Sam’s son. I found it beautiful, how their mutual love for this boy brought them together. Such a unique, heartwarming story. I don’t often cry in stories…but at one point it brought me to tears, and I can’t tell you why because it would ruin the ending. Guess you’ll have to read it to find out.
Recommended?
Absolutely, yes. A beautiful, honest portray of life, and how it doesn’t always go the way we planned. Romantic and heartfelt. I definitely recommend it.
