Hello Everyone :)
How have you all been doing lately?
I've mentioned quite a few times recently that I've been struggling a lot lately-mainly with fighting against lies from the enemy and trying to keep my head above water with the many difficulties that have fallen upon my family lately. I can't say I'm enjoying this struggle and it's definitely taken a good portion of my energy, but I am thankful for how much my faith has grown since this all started, and that no matter how bad things may get, God is good all the time. I know He has a plan and purpose for all of this, and I'm choosing to trust Him. I am trying to get my blog back on a better uploading schedule, and today I'm going to share a review that I'd written quite awhile ago but never ended up getting a chance to post.
I'd started reading the Year of Weddings novellas a couple of years back, but had never gotten the opportunity to finish them. Since I've had so much extra reading time on my hands lately, I decided it was the perfect time to jump back into reading some of these.
Picture Perfect Love by Melissa McClone:
Source: Bought For Myself
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: May 25th, 2015
Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary
Series: Year of Weddings
Synopsis:
Meet the people who make it all happen – the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.
When image becomes everything, it’s up to love to refocus the heart.
Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day, putting her heart into every wedding to give the couple memorable images of their love. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren't always as perfect as they look through her camera lens. But Jenna has faith that she will find true love. Until then, she must be patient and trust in God's plan and His perfect timing.
Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away. When an embarrassing Photoshopped picture of put an end to his political aspirations, he blamed Jenna. So what if the photo led to his being offered a dream job and changing his life for the better? Jenna betrayed his trust, and two years later, Ashton's heart still hasn't recovered.
It was me. His younger sister's three words turn Ashton's world upside down. He must ask Jenna’s forgiveness, but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?
When image becomes everything, it’s up to love to refocus the heart.
Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day, putting her heart into every wedding to give the couple memorable images of their love. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren't always as perfect as they look through her camera lens. But Jenna has faith that she will find true love. Until then, she must be patient and trust in God's plan and His perfect timing.
Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away. When an embarrassing Photoshopped picture of put an end to his political aspirations, he blamed Jenna. So what if the photo led to his being offered a dream job and changing his life for the better? Jenna betrayed his trust, and two years later, Ashton's heart still hasn't recovered.
It was me. His younger sister's three words turn Ashton's world upside down. He must ask Jenna’s forgiveness, but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I've honestly found the novellas in this collection to be really hit or miss. There's definitely been a few stand outs, but there's also been many I ended up being disappointed in. I'd really enjoyed the previous books I'd read by Melissa McMclone, and so was definitely looking forward to reading this one. I'm happy to say that I really adored this sweet contemporary romance, and think it's definitely one of the better ones from the entire collection.
One of my main complaints with some of the other novellas has been how weak the faith element was. That is definitely not the case with Picture Perfect Love, and I loved how Jenna's faith was was one of the main things in her life, and that it came across as authentic and like second nature. I was also impressed that Ash was inspired by the change he'd seen her, and seemed to want that close relationship with God for himself.
I thought the second chance romance element fit really well within this one, and I loved the emphasis on true forgiveness. Jenna's been dealt some pretty harsh circumstances, but through faith she's learned the importance of truly letting things go, and not holding on to things that will only make you bitter.
While of course the romance is a tad fast since it is a novella length story, I thought this was handled really well, and the ending didn't seem unrealistic or wrapped up too perfectly. It even has a sweet added bonus of how the title comes into play, and that was probably my favorite part of the entire story. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of sweet romance stories with a heavy emphasis on faith.
Final Rating: 4/5.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The picture does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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