Book Review: Need You Now by Beth Wiseman/3 Stars

About the book:


When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene Henderson move with their three teenagers from Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas.

Adjusting to small-town life is difficult for the kids, especially fifteen-year-old Grace who is coping in a dangerous way.

Married life hasn't always been bliss, but their strong faith has carried them through the difficult times. When Darlene takes a job outside the home for the first time in their marriage, the domestic tension rises.

While working with special needs children at her new job, the widowed father of one of Darlene's students starts paying more attention to her than is appropriate. Problem is, she feels like someone is listening to her for the first time in a long time. If Darlene ever needed God . . . it's now.

My thoughts:

I have been a fan of Beth Wiseman's books since the very beginning.  Her Amish novels have this irresistible quality about them.  I start one, and before I know it, three hours have passed and I've devoured one!  Because she hasn't disappointed me yet, I've been anxious to see how she'll make the transition into the contemporary genre.

For the most part, I enjoyed it.  The overall tone had some of the simplistic styling that I'm accustomed to reading in Beth's Amish novels.  But to counteract that simplicity, the subject matter was complex and realistic.  It was dramatic and relevant.  There were questions posed that all of us have asked ourselves at one time or another.  There were situations that the characters found themselves in that most of us hope to never relive.  However, several story lines and POV's were used, and I think maybe one or two less might have helped to make the overall story tighter.

In my opinion, Beth has great strength with romantic story lines.  That is one feature that I always enjoy from her Amish novels.  I think, perhaps, if her future contemporary novels are more romantic in nature as opposed to strictly women's fiction, or maybe even a mix of both, I'll be more inclined to read them.

Without a doubt, though, I will continue to read her Amish novels.  She has been one of my favorites for so long now that I mention her in the same sentence with Cindy Woodsmall as a must-read Amish fiction author.  I'm glad to know that even with her new foray into the contemporary genre that Beth will continue to write Amish fiction.

3 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  No

**Many thanks to the B&B Media Group for providing a copy for review.