Meander Scar

Title: Meander Scar
Author: Lisa Lickel
ISBN: 978-1-934912-23-2

From Amazon:

Love can heal even the deepest scars …

After seven years with no clue as to the whereabouts of Ann Ballard’s missing husband, nearly everyone presumes him dead. Now forty-something, Ann is ready for her stagnant life to flow again. Then one day, a dark-haired younger man from her past shows up on her doorstep offering a river of hope in place of tears.

Former neighbor Mark Roth has secretly loved Ann for years. A respected attorney, he’s returned home to help Ann face down disapproving family members and the legal maneuvering of her likely deceased husband’s family—while quietly winning her heart.

When the hidden truth of Ann’s situation turns their lives on end and another tragedy strikes, the two must come to terms with family, faith and the depths to which true love can run.

My take:

I read a lot of romance novels. Sometimes I can predict where the story is going before the first chapter is over. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy the trip ~ it just means it's not always very surprising where I go. This book is nothing like that.

It is a rare book that includes older characters. Then you have the whole issue of their age difference (11 years) and whether they will be able to overcome everything that comes with that themselves - and how their families, friends, churches, and co-workers will respond. Mark proves his love in large and small ways ~ all of which help make this one of the most romantic books I've read in a while. Most of what he does shows respect for her as a person; caring for her needs above his own wants and desires. That shows love more clearly than anything else I know.

There is also passion here. I like a romance that builds and shows how two people in this fallen world need to... fight their desire. Although the author doesn't spend lengthy passages on scenes, you know that these two are attracted and have chemistry. It isn't one-sided either - both of them feel the attraction.

The characters are wonderful. From her getting nervous and forgetting how many scoops of coffee she put in, being insecure and doubting if Mark's feelings will go away or are really more a substitute for a mother's love, plus her guilt and wonder if her husband is still alive, Ann is a complex character that never seems to feel quite comfortable in her own skin.

Mark shows up on her doorstep after years away and a failed engagement all because he couldn't forget his feelings for her that bloomed as a nineteen year old. Now he's a successful lawyer with a faith in God and he's determined to try for the one thing missing in his life ~ the woman he's loved since he was that young man.

This was a fantastic love story with a bit of mystery to it. I really enjoyed it and I think you all will as well.

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The author provided me an electronic copy for review and I am very thankful for that. It did not influence my review at all. She did say that the book is available in print from the publisher and not just e-book format.