Virginia P. (virginiajeanne) reviewed The Wonder of You (Christiansen Family) on + 207 more book reviews
Amelia returns home to Minnesota after her trip to Prague is over, and Roark, the man she met while in Europe, follows her and tries to win her heart. I liked this book and the continuation of the Christiansen series. I am looking forward to the series finale.
A search for true love
In The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren, Amelia Christiansen returned early from her overseas trip, feeling like a failure. She met and fell in love with Roark St. John during her travels, but when she finds him in the arms of another woman, she can't trust her own heart or feelings. Roark followed Amelia to Minnesota, knowing he had handled things wrong and wanting a second chance with the lady who might help him overcome his tragic past.
Ms. Warren covers many topics in The Wonder of You. This is book five in the Christiansen Family series, and I haven't read all of the prior books, so it is possible some of these issues were introduced in earlier books and just continued in this book. But one of the prevalent themes, in my opinion, was the wonder that God loves us, as we are, no matter who we are. Amelia's mom declared, "'He loves us simply because He finds joy in loving us. And no amount of our running, our disobedience, our mistakes will keep that love from us. God requires nothing from us but to turn and embrace Him.'" (347) Another theme was that our focus should be on God, not on ourselves or others. A visiting missionary said, "'We're satisfied to get a glimpse of His vision, and then we seek out the places where we can accomplish it on our own. And frankly, that's why we live empty, frustrated lives. Pursuing God's vision requires faith in God to work it out.'" (174)
Dislikes: Amelia seemed a bit wishy-washy to me. I understand the need to consider both sides, but she would appear to have decided, then something would happen and she was once again confused. Also, she was seeing Roark and Seth at the same time, kissing both, behaving as if she was committed to the one she was with at the time. Max and Grace eloped but hadn't told the family yet, so they were sneakily sleeping together in the Christiansen family home.
Likes: Roark called himself a coward, yet he came back time and again and stuck to the hard things in order to prove himself to Amelia. Amelia finally followed God's calling on her life, no matter what others decided. Max started living in and for the moment rather than allowing the specter of future unknowns to steal the joy from today. The Christiansen family was protective of Amelia, but they also opened up enough to get to know Roark.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read but also had a message if you care to look for it. I personally would hesitate to recommend it to just anyone (think young teens), but I would recommend it to most readers who enjoy a romantic story with a bit of theology thrown in on the side.
I received a copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
In The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren, Amelia Christiansen returned early from her overseas trip, feeling like a failure. She met and fell in love with Roark St. John during her travels, but when she finds him in the arms of another woman, she can't trust her own heart or feelings. Roark followed Amelia to Minnesota, knowing he had handled things wrong and wanting a second chance with the lady who might help him overcome his tragic past.
Ms. Warren covers many topics in The Wonder of You. This is book five in the Christiansen Family series, and I haven't read all of the prior books, so it is possible some of these issues were introduced in earlier books and just continued in this book. But one of the prevalent themes, in my opinion, was the wonder that God loves us, as we are, no matter who we are. Amelia's mom declared, "'He loves us simply because He finds joy in loving us. And no amount of our running, our disobedience, our mistakes will keep that love from us. God requires nothing from us but to turn and embrace Him.'" (347) Another theme was that our focus should be on God, not on ourselves or others. A visiting missionary said, "'We're satisfied to get a glimpse of His vision, and then we seek out the places where we can accomplish it on our own. And frankly, that's why we live empty, frustrated lives. Pursuing God's vision requires faith in God to work it out.'" (174)
Dislikes: Amelia seemed a bit wishy-washy to me. I understand the need to consider both sides, but she would appear to have decided, then something would happen and she was once again confused. Also, she was seeing Roark and Seth at the same time, kissing both, behaving as if she was committed to the one she was with at the time. Max and Grace eloped but hadn't told the family yet, so they were sneakily sleeping together in the Christiansen family home.
Likes: Roark called himself a coward, yet he came back time and again and stuck to the hard things in order to prove himself to Amelia. Amelia finally followed God's calling on her life, no matter what others decided. Max started living in and for the moment rather than allowing the specter of future unknowns to steal the joy from today. The Christiansen family was protective of Amelia, but they also opened up enough to get to know Roark.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read but also had a message if you care to look for it. I personally would hesitate to recommend it to just anyone (think young teens), but I would recommend it to most readers who enjoy a romantic story with a bit of theology thrown in on the side.
I received a copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
