Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Wayward Angels - Book 4: Wounded Warriors Series
Author: Karen Wiesner
Publisher: Hard Shell Word Factory
ISBN: 0-7599-4417-2
Release Date: September 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Contemporary Romance
Year/Setting: Present
Overall rating: 4.0
Sexual content rating: Subtle
Karen's Website:
www.karenwiesner.com
What do you get with a former wild man who's committed his path to the Lord and a woman who has absolutely nothing to lose? It's either a match made in heaven...or a sure-fire heartache. Gregg Stevens has spent a lifetime making bad decisions, never knowing true love. Stormie Knight, a new Christian, beguiles him with her eccentricities and with her well-kept secrets. But extracting them could shatter both of their hearts, along with the newborn faith of a wayward angel not yet ready to spread her wings.
The first thing I must do is applaud Ms. Wiesner for writing an absolutely wonderful book in a series that reads as a stand alone. When I read a book in the middle of a series, I usually feel like I’m missing some big stuff from prior books. Ms. Wiesner has a gift for giving you information from the past books without you realizing it. It is truly woven into the fabric of the story.
Wayward Angels had a rough start for me. I spent the first two or three chapters feeling confused. I couldn’t keep Gregg and his brother Craig separated in my mind and I was at a loss to what was going on with Stormie. After the first few chapters, I was totally hooked. I had figured out who was who and was learning about Stormie and her past. I found Wayward Angels to be a page-turner for me that I didn’t want to put down.
While there is talk of being a Christian in the book, I appreciated the way Ms. Wiesner did this. She didn’t shove God down my throat. Although God is in the book, I wouldn’t deem it as a Christian Romance. I found it to be a romance with Christians in it. I am a Christian, but I am sometimes offended about how that is portrayed in a romance book. I really enjoyed Ms. Wiesner’s story of real life that happens to involve some people who believe in God.
Gregg is our reformed bad-boy who fights the desire to return to his former life. He has opened up a shelter for wayward boys. Most of these boys have been abused in some format or another. I became very attached to some of these boys and hope their stories are told later. Gregg has built up these services for the boys while giving up his music career. While he’s walking a reformed path, I loved him for the rough edge to him. He’s still got the bad-boy words and actions and it made him very irresistible.
Stormie comes to work at Wayward Angels while fighting demons of her own. One of the largest demons is her battle to live life with bipolar. Ms. Wiesner really captures the feelings of a person battling this disease. She gives us a face and a voice to the word bipolar. I have a much deeper compassion and understanding for those suffering with this disease. Stormie reminds me of a scrappy little alley dog. She’s going to hold onto her turf and get what she wants, no matter how big the obstacles may seem.
With their checkered pasts, it seems like Gregg and Stormie will never be able to overcome. I was rooting for them through the entire book. I was up and down with them and really enjoyed their story to the final page.
Robyn
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