Thursday, June 7, 2018

Reviewer's Bookshelf: More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer


Book Summary (Amazon): Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers. 


Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

My thoughts...Karen Witemeyer is one of my go-to authors for this Christian fiction genre. I'm never disappointed, as her characters always have depth, the plot moves at a great pace and has interesting twists along with good dialogue. You will also have a solid Christian message without the "preachy" feel. I love it when authors weave their faith into a story, but when it is laid out more like a textbook than a natural part of the plot, it is kind of a turn off. This has never happened when I've read one of  Witemeyer's books. I also love the play on words with this title! There is a lot of good backstory with each of the characters, the depth of which causes each of them to be more than they seem. Along with that, Evangeline's two different colored eyes make her even more interesting, or even cursed, as some of the townspeople think.

I really loved the central themes of family, loyalty, and serving others. Evangeline was a fun heroine. She could turn on her sweet innocent side when it served her, but deep down she was perceptive and knew that Logan wasn't all he seemed. Logan was dead set on his mission of reclaiming what he felt was rightfully his, but when he meets Evangeline his path begins to take a different direction. She softens his heart, yet he still has to work through a lot of circumstances and memories that have hardened him. The romantic tension was well written and just right!

Personal takeaway...We never know what is behind a person...what their story is or what they've been through. Showing them God's love and kindness can soften hearts and build beautiful relationships.

I would certainly recommend this book as well as Witemeyer's other books!

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley, in order to share my personal thoughts and opinions, which I did.** 

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