Monday, July 4, 2011

Review: A Vison of Lucy

A Vision of Lucy (Rocky Creek Romance - Book 3) by Margaret Brownley

Publication Date: July 2011
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction/ Western
Pages: Paperback, 336pp
ISBN-13: 9781595548115
ISBN:
1595548114

(Received for review from Nancy Berland PR)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Christianbook.com, IndieBound

Margaret Brownley on the WEB: website, facebook, twitter

Excerpt from
A Vision of Lucy
Book Trailer: This is a video based on one of the other books in the series, but it's really cute and I thought you'd like it.



Synopsis (Barnes & Noble):

Trouble follows Lucy wherever she goes. So does a vision of second chances... and love.

Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. Her deepest hope is that her father will see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, whose paintings still hang on their walls.

But disaster follows Lucy on every photo assignment: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.

When Lucy meets David Wolf - a rugged, reclusive man who lives on the outskirts of town - she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn't count on her feelings stirring whenever she's near him.

Two things happen next that forever change the course of Lucy's life. But will these events draw her closer to God or push her further away? And how will David accept this new vision of Lucy?

Thoughts:

Margaret Brownley once again takes readers back to Rocky Creek in the third book in her Rocky Creek romance series,
A Vision of Lucy. Readers will be enchanted by Lucy, a young woman with big dreams, and a penchant for trouble. The book is fueled by Lucy's dream to be a photographer and readers will find themselves swept along from one misadventure to another, as Lucy searches for that all important rare photograph that will change her life.

Lucy wants nothing more than to become a photographer for the Rocky Creek newspaper. She wants to prove to her father that she is just as good an artist as her deceased mother was, it just takes a different form with her. But, she always seem to end up in the middle of one misadventure after another when she goes to shoot photographs. Everything from a runaway stage, to an accidental shooting takes place when Lucy is around and she wonders if she will ever be taken seriously. She needs a spectacular photograph to win her the job at the paper, whether it be one of rare white stallion or a half-breed the townspeople call "The Wild Man." David Wolf, half native American, half white man, has always been misunderstood and he is haunted by a tragic past. Lucy and David are drawn to each other despite everything that could keep them apart. Will their love survive?

Margaret Brownley's third book in the Rocky Creek Romance series,
A Vision of Lucy, centers around a young woman who can't seem to stay out of trouble no matter what she does. I really empathized with Lucy. I am clumsy and always seem to find myself in some interesting predicaments. I found Brownley's character very relatable and believable. There are just some people who seem to get themselves into the craziest situations and Lucy is certainly one them. There were so many things that I liked about her as a character. She was spunky and outspoken and willing to take risks for what she believed in. In spite of all of the things that stood in her way she pressed on and kept trying. I think the author was able to show readers what it means to persevere through Lucy and keep the faith even when things don't seem to be going your way.

Another thing that I really liked about this book was the theme of acceptance and tolerance. I think readers will learn a lot through David's struggle. Even in the Old West there were prejudices and in David's case being half native American and half white made him even more of a target. I think that the author is able to actually show the reader what someone who is facing this kind of injustice goes through and how they can rise about it. But, she also is teaching tolerance and not allowing stereo-types to decide how you feel about a person.

I thought David was a wonderful character. He was very rustic and rugged. He understood his world in a way that many don't and I think Brownley was able to show that in the way David related to his surroundings. He was also a very introspective person. He kept a lot of things to himself and Lucy really brought him out of his shell. It was certainly a situation in with opposites attract and compliment each other. The author did an amazing job of developing the relationship between the main characters.

Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was related to the heroine's chosen profession. Photography in the 1800's is nothing like today. Character's couldn't just throw their digital camera in there pocket and go take some pic's. It was a very exact science that could actually be dangerous. I thought the author did a remarkable job of describing the equipment and the process necessary to create photographs in this time period. Her research in this area gives the book a real authenticity and I think readers will enjoy learning more about early photography techniques and methods. I found this part of the book extremely interesting.

I would recommend this one to a variety of different readers. Christian fiction fans will love it. Brownley uses a subtly where issues of faith are concerned and readers who just enjoy good clean fiction or historicals will find it entertaining as well. The romance fans won't be left out either as the relationship between Lucy and David is very poignant and heart felt. It's a quick read that can be read in a couple of sittings or straight through. It is the third book in the series but can be read as a stand alone easily.

A Vision of Lucy is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this... except Margaret happened to be writing for a church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

It turned out God was and Margaret did. She now has more than 20 novels to her credit. In addition she's written many Christian articles and a non-fiction book. Still, it took a lot of prodding from God before Margaret tried her hand at writing inspirational fiction which led to her Rocky Creek series.



1 comment:

The Insouciant Sophisticate said...

So excited to read this! I loved the first two books and I can't wait to return to Rocky Creek to follow this sweet clumsy heroine!