Avoiding Esther (Love in Lansing, #2)

Seeking to keep a promise to a friend ultimately drives this mistaken identity story forward as John Ward tries, unsuccessfully, not to fall in love with “Phoebe” Albright, daughter of a local pastor who has befriended him. I loved this highly inspirational story of a man’s search for peace and forgiveness that can only be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ. There were misunderstandings aplenty in this book which kept me reading to see how and if they were going to be resolved. I really enjoyed the second chances theme that revealed itself in different ways through a variety of people. Plus, it was nice getting to see Anna and Warren again from Book One. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the dynamic between the characters. The storyline is overall clean and simple, yet with characters that were warm and dynamic. A wounded soldier back from the war, a case of mistake identity, a fiery young woman trying to find her place in the world, bring together the elements in a story where true peace is found and hope is restored.
That being said, I did have a little struggle through the first couple chapters. I was not expecting to be thrown right into the thick of things and it took me a bit to sort that out. Serves me right in a way. Teach me to remember to review the book premise before I begin reading. But once I got a little further in, I found myself completely sucked into the storyline and I look forward to reading the other books in this series. Be warned, by then time you get to the end of this one, you are anxious to see what’s going to happen in the next book.
The style of writing reminded me a little bit of Grace Livingstone Hill. Sweet, clean writing, a little romance with lives and hearts changed for the better. An excellent choice for any age group.

4.5 stars! Jenifer Carll-Tong does it again with this lovely full length novel, Avoiding Esther. Esther is a secondary character in Searching for Anna who makes her way to the primary spot in this novel. The scene is still Lansing, Michigan; however, the novel opens with Will, an Albright family friend and John Ward, who are soldiers and best friends in WW1. This part of the story in France is quickly developed and leads you into the storyline in Lansing. You get to meet the Albrights and Will’s sweet Mom, Mrs. Cadet. By the end of the story you don’t want to let them go.

I love Jenifer Carll-Tong’s ability to pull you into the story from page 1. The characters are well developed, the storyline stirs up emotions and takes you on a growth journey with more than one character. Carll-Tong has a beautiful way of intertwining scripture and spiritual themes that are not forced but beautifully written. There are scenes of salvation, redemption, forgiveness and sweet love. You will root for each character along the way and hope that the love interests find each other. A third book is definitely in order to further develop the story of the female protagonists in the basic storyline.

This novel is clean and appropriate. The only scene of caution is in chapter 17…where Esther goes into a speakeasy to help a girl who is trying to change her life. There are a couple of strong crude slang words used but no cursing or overly descriptive scenes. Would not be appropriate for a tween to read though.

I hated the beginning. I almost stopped reading after the gory violence of the first chapter. I also didn’t like how the hero was a cynical, unbelieving, cursing, drinker. I prefer to see the main characters after they at least realize that they need to change. I think this story could easily have started at chapter 4.
Once the hero and heroine finally met, it got better. Just about every character was fleshed out and realistic, except for the little girl.
The pacing, though, sometimes left me breathless. There were several times that I had to stop reading to catch my breath. I know the author wanted to keep enough tension that we would keep reading, but there is such a thing as too much tension! The mistaken identity alone was enough for me to want to keep reading, but some of the other things that happened – sometimes in the same chapter – were too much and therefore felt a little contrived.
I also didn’t appreciate the determinism crammed down my throat. But that’s because I believe in free will.
The quality of writing was excellent. Great description – almost too graphic in places. Great character development. Great humor. Great interweaving of I don’t know how many subplots – maybe too many. Excellent editing (I only noticed two errors). Excellent research of the time period.
Favorite quotes:
“However, rather than ruining him, the battlefield seemed to have cultivated Will into a greater man.” (chapter 2)
“Maybe she wasn’t happy with the way her life was turning out, but she was certainly happy with those she got to live her life with. And a cherry phosphate wouldn’t hurt, either.” (chapter 5)
“This woman, however, found joy in expressing exactly what she thought.” (chapter 7)
“There was never any doubt when Mrs. Caffey loved you, and it was impossible not to love her in return.” (chapter 8)
“This man, whom only moments ago seemed about to kiss her again, was trying desperately hard to appear cold and aloof in front of his boss. And for some reason, Esther thought it was adorable.” (chapter 19)
(I received a copy for free from the author. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was the decision to write this review.)