Naomi Dawn Musch

Overview:

   Prairie romance meets edgy Christian fiction in Scattered Petals, book 2 in Amanda Cabot’s Texas Dreams series.

   The story starts out with a shocker. Was Ms. Cabot really going to go there? Yes, she was, and I was impressed with the way she handled the situation her character found herself in. There was a time when Christian fiction never dealt with such harsh themes as brutality, rape, and murder was referenced, but not often seen.  But I for one am happy that the venue has gotten more real, while at the same time handling such themes with delicacy. It reminds me of the way old movies handled violence and sex. We could understand what was happening without being exposed to imagery that would be stuck in our heads forever. 

   I enjoyed the book. I thought the characters had depth, and there were good twists and subplots to the story. Ms. Cabot has definitely created a community worth following in this series. Three and half stars!

Going Further:

   Ms. Cabot set the stage for dealing with the larger themes of forgiveness and moving on in the face of such horrific tragedy that an individual would be scarred forever. I appreciated that she didn't get so focused on the upcoming romance that the main character too easily got over what had happened to her and her family. It's very easy to rush characters into "a change of heart" that just isn't realistic.

   If we examine our characters' hearts and motives, and really get to know them not as characters, but as people with feelings and heartaches as deep as our own, then our own characters would evolve with greater depth and realism than what we often stumble upon in fiction. Ms. Cabot shows us that good writing takes it slow and takes it real.