They met at a wedding and his children stole her heart. What started as a polite dance at the reception initiated a whirlwind romance. He admires her heart — not to mention her beauty. She feels more comfortable with him than anyone she’s ever met.
Their chemistry — so intense that they can’t risk affection. Their temptation threshold is simply too narrow to risk.
Cara has a unique talent for … unique talent for making anyone feel at ease. Jonathan prefers to listen rather than speak.
But some things must be spoken — never assumed.
more
Love at first sight? Instant love? Do these exist? I think this is what Jonathan was thinking when he first sees Cara walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid at a wedding. Jonathan had already been in love and lost his wife to disease after she gave him two adorable children. He didn’t ever think he would fall again and not like this.
That is how I understood Jonathan and his rules he also set in place while he dated Cara. No kissing and no touching. I think he really wanted to make sure they could make it work. It was a bit of a long distance relationship and Jonathan was not a talker. And Cara understood that and seemed to understand him better the more they got to know one another.
This was an interesting story. I will admit that I felt confused at times as to whether these two really wanted to be in a relationship or if they were just experimenting with a new way of dating. Well life circumstances kept them going and coming back to one another and they just couldn’t seem to stay away. Do they find their happily ever after? Read it and see.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
This book begins with an almost love-at-first-sight moment: Jonathan Lyman is immediately drawn to Cara Laas as she walks down the aisle as a bridesmaid at a wedding. A widower of several years, Jonathan is startled by his immediate strong feelings for her. As she’s walking down the aisle, Cara first notices Jonathan’s beautiful young daughter and son; but then sees Jonathan and recognizes the instant connection between them. I was quickly drawn into their story because they both were such good people who deserved to find happiness together. The author allowed us to get to know these characters very well and that made their story more believable.
I appreciated the fact that although both Jonathan and Cara were physically attracted to each other, they decided to keep their first kiss for their wedding day. They would not even hold hands at times to keep their attraction under control. Although I truly admired this aspect of the book, the repeated mentions of their attraction/control issue got quite tiring by the end of the story. What I loved most about the book was the way they had to learn to clearly communicate with each other, even though they were somewhat opposites in how they went about this. As always, Chautona Havig has given us wonderful characters to cheer on to their happily-ever-after. I’ve read many books by this author and this story is now one of my favorites she’s written.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I’m at a loss for words when it comes to writing this review. Chautona Havig’s books are fantastic. They’re always faith-based, wonderfully written and contain humorous and light-hearted moments. Speak Now contains those characteristics as well. Havig, however, appears to be endeavoring too hard to get her points across. Other than the significance of avoiding intimacy before marriage, which she emphasized, I’m not sure what Havig was trying to establish.
The main characters in Speak Now were well developed. Cara Laas’ persona drew me in, especially because of her compassion and love for children. Jonathan Lyman was likable, and his children, Bryson and especially Riley, were adorable.
The plot was credible, but there were certain details that I had a tough time believing. The capacity of Jonathan and Cara to express questions and answers, especially deep ones, only through their eyes was the most problematic thing for me. I couldn’t envision their abilities when they had only known each other for such a brief time. There were other things I struggled with, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.
I still enjoy Havig’s stories, but this one didn’t appeal to me.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. However, my review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
Speak Now is written by Chautona Havig. Chautona has written so many books that I have read lately. She is mega talented and I always enjoy everything that I read by her. One thing you can count on when you read her stories. Unique characters. In this case we meet Cara and Jonathan. Cara is a bridesmaid in a wedding. An adorable toddler mistakes her for a bride. This causes Jonathan (the child’s father) and Cara to meet. I love that it was love at first site. One problem. Jonathan is ONLY in Rockland for the wedding and lives a long distance away. The two see each other every day while he is in town.
The book will cover a pure relationship. It covers abstinence before marriage. I enjoyed reading a book about that since this is something that seems to be desolate in our society. The characters are unique and have differing personalities. I enjoyed watching them navigate and communicate throughout the book.
This is part of the Rockland Chronicle series. I have not read any other books in the series. They can be read as stand alone stories. The story flows nicely. The author has a real talent and craft with her stories.
I received a copy of this story through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, all thoughts are my own.
I like this story because it is a look at a couple who at times have trouble communicating. It isn’t unusual for one to be more talkative than the other, but in this case the man hardly speaks at all. The way the author uses facial expressions and eye contact is very intriguing. I started thinking about body language and how it can say a lot about someone without them saying a word. I was intrigued by where the author would take the two main characters and decided I would settle in for a day and get to know Cara and Johnathan .
Cara is an easy character to like with her simple tastes and knack for putting people at ease. I thought it was cute that Johnathan’s daughter was mesmerized by Cara at a wedding. She kept telling her dad that she was beautiful and is determined that they meet. I think it was an awkward moment for Johnathan but Cara quickly tried to put him at ease as they got to know each other. Now I don’t know if you can love someone at first sight, but there sure was something going on between these two.
Johnathan is a very quiet person and it bothered me at times. How was he going to have a relationship with Cara if he never expressed his feelings? What I learned as I read the story is sometimes words don’t need to be spoken to understand each other. Johnathan may keep things to himself but there were times when he felt it was important to let Cara know how he felt. I appreciate him reassuring her that she was perfect just the way she was. I didn’t realize how wealthy he was but as the story continues we find out just how powerful he is in his position at the company.
The most significant part of the story for me was how gracefully the author tackled the issue of intimacy before marriage. It is obvious that Cara and Johnathan are attracted to each other, but they want to honor God and do not let temptation deter them from their beliefs. Oh I know it was difficult at times for them but what a testament to their steadfast faith. The author takes two characters that are definite opposites and places them together in a relationship that goes through some rough times. Taking each day at a time, you can see how these two begin to communicate in sweet ways by a look or a gesture that says they are interested in each other. I think Johnathan had this gift of surprising Cara with plans that took her breath away. Okay I have to say ,“Actions speak louder than words.” There I said it. This book speaks loudly with actions of gifts, a sweet smile, a flower, compromises and most of all unconditional love expressed through the eyes of the beholder.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
I love the premise of this book. I love how this author thinks outside the box and runs with it. She creates whole stories and characters and subplots and themes outside the box and it works for her. I also love how I never know what I’m going to get when I pick up one of these author’s book. She always delivers with funny characters and Christ-centered themes, but the storylines? She always keeps people guessing and coming back for more. Me included.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit but was not under any obligation to write a review. All opinions are strictly mine.
Speak Now is another great story by Chautona Havig. It is part of her The Rockland Chronicles series. Even though, it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I found it to be a wonderful. I adored characters, Jonathan and Cara, and I enjoyed spending time with them. I, especially, felt an instant connection to Jonathan and understood what he was going through. I was entertained from start to finish.
I am giving Speak Now a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who are looking for sweet and clean romantic reads. I would love to read more like this by Chautona Havig in the future, as well as, the other books from The Rockland Chronicles series.
I received a digital copy of Speak Now from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Sometimes I have to be reminded that gentlemen do exist – and they aren’t all taken. Speak Now was a sweet little romance that touched on the struggles to make right choices and the communication breakdowns that can happen. Personally, I would rather have a suspense or a comedy with a light dose of romance rather than the other way around, but Chautona never fails to make me laugh, and her writing is always solid. No cringing required. A lovely clean romance. If you want to tie up some of the “hinted” loose ends, you’ll enjoy her other books.