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Wednesday, October 12, 2022

A Hope and A Prayer by Julie Lessman

About the Book
She’s in love with her best friend. 
He’s in love with her cousin.
But when the war reveals a gift so rare, 
will they be saved by a hope and a prayer?
As Head Nurse at 2d Hospital in Nancy, France, Lieutenant Hope Dennehy is known for her healing touch, especially when it comes to mending the wounds and spirit of her best friend, Lieutenant Bren O’Neill. When Hope’s cousin breaks Bren’s heart, Hope is always there, helping to heal him with a friendship so anointed and deep, it threatens to break her heart too.
Flying high as a daredevil aeromedical evac pilot in the European Theatre, “Lieutenant Love” O’Neill crashes and burns when the woman he loves falls for another. Depending on the support and prayers of Nurse Hope Dennehy to save him, Bren re-evaluates his free-wheeling lifestyle when he witnesses the heinous atrocities of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Suddenly nothing in life is as important as taking care of those he loves … or is it? Battling demons from his past, Bren learns that only one thing can truly save him from himself.

My Thoughts
The O’Conners have long been one of my absolute favorite fictional families so I’m always excited to reenter their world! This time it’s the first of the O’Conner grandchildren’s turn to find love.
Hope is a very selfless and loving person and her faith shines through everything that she says and does. Bren appears to be her opposite with his reputation and drinking but he also has the biggest heart and would do anything for those closest to him. He’s a bit thick headed though and it took him far to long to get his act together despite the love and care of his friends, sobering experiences, and the risk of losing everything he cared about. He finally does wake up and he and Hope are very well matched, she softens him and he brings out some of her fire.
There were times where the story dragged a little and I wasn’t as engaged with the plot but I did still enjoy Hope and Bren’s journey and was happy to see them come together in the end.
It was also great to get to see more of the rest of the O’Conners and catch up on their lives!

*Couldn’t end this review without a little bit of a disclaimer/warning. There are a few chapters that take place at a liberated concentration camp and it gets a little more descriptive than necessary at times. Plus there are a few comparisons that’s aren’t particularly sensitive so just a heads up if that's something that bothers you.

About the Author
A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.
Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, and Silver Lining Ranch series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 21 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, Best of 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-2020, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction.
Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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