Until April ~ Reader Friday

Until April by Janet W. Ferguson is this week’s Reader Friday post. Here’re the first three lines. “This is freedom.” Wind whipped through Michael Galloway’s hair. Warm water sprayed his tanned skin. A palette of blues and greens shimmered beyond the tip of his jet ski. 

This is the calm before the storm…But first the photo and verse. I took this last June of the Strawberry Moon, when I was at Dauphin Island, Alabama. When the moon first rose, it was a reddish color, but by the time I captured the photo it had turned golden. I thought the verse went well with it.

Now for Until April by Janet W. Ferguson. Here’s the cover and  back copy:

Michael Galloway has always believed freedom means living life on his own terms. His career is dedicated to saving the environment and teaching others the importance of taking care of the earth, rivers, and oceans. He’s building a life with no room for complications. Especially in his love life.

Then tragedy turns April Yancy’s world upside down.

After her husband’s death, April discovers he’d been hiding devastating secrets, leaving her buried in debt and struggling to protect her children’s future. The last person she expects to come to her rescue is Michael—the man who shattered her heart years ago.

Michael has few regrets, but hurting April back in grad school still haunts him. When her situation grows desperate, he devises a risky plan to help her rebuild her life…even if it means jeopardizing his carefully guarded independence.

Accepting Michael’s shocking offer could cost April more than her pride. His resistance to her faith clashes with the convictions she holds dear, and trusting him again feels impossible. Yet as doors keep opening and her prayers keep nudging her toward him, April begins to wonder if God is offering her a second chance at more than survival.

An emotional second-chance love story of forgiveness, redemption, and unexpected faith. 

My take: 

This story grabbed me from the first chapter when Michael saved April’s son, Jack, after a devastating crash between two jet skis, and held me to the very end. Just like Michael, I quickly connected with Jack. and April. I also understand why she doesn’t want to have anything to do with Michael.

I love second-chance romances, and this is a great one. The characters are well-developed, and Ferguson has created a setting that makes me want to move to Dauphin Island, Alabama.

The story quickly engaged my heart with April losing her husband, and then losing almost everything else when she discovered her husband had gotten them in debt and they’d lost their medical coverage. Michael offered April a solution to her problems–a marriage of convenience. Michael isn’t a believer, and I enjoyed watching him weigh his scientific logic against faith in something he couldn’t see. Ferguson did a wonderful job contrasting the two.

Michael and April are great characters, and Jack quickly captured my heart the same way he did Michael’s. The rest of the characters are engaging, and I hope some of them get their own story. This is a book that readers of Inspirational romance will love. You can purchase Until April at Amazon or read it in KU.

Okay Readers, what are you reading this week? Leave the title or first line in the comments and I’ll enter you in a July drawing for…something. 🙂 ]

Here’s today’s song. It’s one I’ve enjoyed listening to for many years.

Thanks for reading my books and my blog!