A Love Worth Fighting For
A review of Amanda Cabot’s book, In Firefly Valley
Book review written by Alexis A. Goring
In Firefly Valley is an inspirational romance written by Amanda Cabot, bestselling author of several books such as the Texas Dreams series and Christmas Roses.
The author knows how to draw the readers into this fictional world that revolves around a small town in Texas, Rainbow’s End resort and ends with Firefly Valley as “the most romantic place in the word,” as main character Marisa St. George says on the final pages of the story.
The story opens with Marisa returning home after being downsized from her career as a rising star at a prestigious accounting firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She's moving back to Dupree which is nestled in the famous Hill Country of Texas. Upon arrival, Marisa is greeted by her niece Fiona who’s excited for two reasons: Aunt Marisa is home and now she can eat the brownies her Mom cooked for the homecoming.
The B-story is introduced on page 11: Lauren (Marisa’s sister, mother of Fiona) shared with Marisa that she was going through her late husband Patrick’s things and still grieving his death. Sooner than later, the author reveals that Fiona has been asking her Mom (Lauren) for a “new daddy” and the plot to find Lauren a man begins but not aggressively.
Cabot does a good job of developing the B-story without taking too much of the reader’s focus away from the A-story. She knows how to weave two tales that are connected yet independent. It was fun to see how these two tales played out in this 345 page book.
The male lead in the A-story is Blake Kendall, a new guest to Rainbow’s End resort who is hiding his true identity as a bestselling author. He meets Marisa who challenges his mind and warms his heart at the exact same time. A romance blossoms between Marisa and Blake but not without a series of events and backstory that threaten to destroy their affection.
The male lead in the B-story is Drew Carroll. He’s a well-to-do fella with a heart of gold. But nobody knows the buried beneath that wealth as a successful entrepreneur is a man who is soft-hearted and falling for Lauren (Marisa’s sister). Conflict arises early on because Marisa does not believe that Drew is the right match for her sister and she also has concerns about his character and true intentions. The author knows how to take Marisa’s suspicions and answer the doubts with Drew’s actions and character development. The reader may go from not trusting Drew to rooting for him and that’s all I can say without giving away the story.
I believe this book is worth every ounce of a five-star rating!
I’d recommend it to every hopeless romantic and also to the jaded who stopped believing that true love exists.
In Firefly Valley is an inspirational romance written by Amanda Cabot, bestselling author of several books such as the Texas Dreams series and Christmas Roses.
The author knows how to draw the readers into this fictional world that revolves around a small town in Texas, Rainbow’s End resort and ends with Firefly Valley as “the most romantic place in the word,” as main character Marisa St. George says on the final pages of the story.
The story opens with Marisa returning home after being downsized from her career as a rising star at a prestigious accounting firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She's moving back to Dupree which is nestled in the famous Hill Country of Texas. Upon arrival, Marisa is greeted by her niece Fiona who’s excited for two reasons: Aunt Marisa is home and now she can eat the brownies her Mom cooked for the homecoming.
The B-story is introduced on page 11: Lauren (Marisa’s sister, mother of Fiona) shared with Marisa that she was going through her late husband Patrick’s things and still grieving his death. Sooner than later, the author reveals that Fiona has been asking her Mom (Lauren) for a “new daddy” and the plot to find Lauren a man begins but not aggressively.
Cabot does a good job of developing the B-story without taking too much of the reader’s focus away from the A-story. She knows how to weave two tales that are connected yet independent. It was fun to see how these two tales played out in this 345 page book.
The male lead in the A-story is Blake Kendall, a new guest to Rainbow’s End resort who is hiding his true identity as a bestselling author. He meets Marisa who challenges his mind and warms his heart at the exact same time. A romance blossoms between Marisa and Blake but not without a series of events and backstory that threaten to destroy their affection.
The male lead in the B-story is Drew Carroll. He’s a well-to-do fella with a heart of gold. But nobody knows the buried beneath that wealth as a successful entrepreneur is a man who is soft-hearted and falling for Lauren (Marisa’s sister). Conflict arises early on because Marisa does not believe that Drew is the right match for her sister and she also has concerns about his character and true intentions. The author knows how to take Marisa’s suspicions and answer the doubts with Drew’s actions and character development. The reader may go from not trusting Drew to rooting for him and that’s all I can say without giving away the story.
Amanda’s storytelling style is sweet, solid and calm even in the midst of conflict. The plot is intense, unfolding at a steady and intriguing pace that keeps the reader turning the page. The characters are captivating and deeply developed. The dialogue is far from predictable yet very relatable.
Ultimately, this book is about forgiveness, restoration and not only recognizing true love but fighting to keep it.
I believe this book is worth every ounce of a five-star rating!
I’d recommend it to every hopeless romantic and also to the jaded who stopped believing that true love exists.
*Alexis A. Goring received a complimentary copy of In Firefly Valley in exchange for an honest review.
