A Life Came Calling

It was a little while ago, author Ann Howard Creel asked if I would be willing to read her upcoming book, A Life Came Calling. Of course I said yes!! Ann is one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite books is The Magic of Ordinary Days. Synopsis: It’s 1945, and Janey Nichol's new engagement should be a dream, but memories of Cole haunt her. The sailor she pledged to marry, lost at sea, left only letters and unanswered questions. To find peace, Janey travels to his Gatlinburg home. There, she discovers his secrets, and a chance encounter with his cousin Luke ignites unexpected passion. Trapped by circumstance, Janey finds herself drawn to Luke, even as doubts arise. Can she trust him, or is history repeating itself? Torn between a safe future in the city with her Philadelphia fiancé and a love fraught with uncertainty in a totally different environment, Janey must make an impossible choice. Which life will she choose, and which heart will she break? My thoughts: From the started, I was pulled into Janey's world. You could feel the hope in the characters that soon the war that had ravaged the world for almost 6 years and claimed the lives of so many, may soon end. With that, Janey's hope of a fresh start and a new chance at love. Often, WWII is greatly romanticized, and for good reason. Like Janey, many would be swept off their feet by someone passing through. Some got married on a whim, some, like Janey, waited for her fiance Cole to return so they could begin their loves together. Her hopes were dashed when she received a letter saying her fiance died in the Pacific. I absolutely loved this story from start to finish. Janey's emotional journey to not just put to rest her shattered dreams, but also in new hopes dashed by newfound love. Janey struggles with loss, heartbreak, and deception from people she opened her heart to. All of which is beautifully captured in the prose. I don't read much historical fiction anymore, mainly because it feels like the author neglected to research properly or were unable to depict the era accurately. Reading A Life Came Calling, did feel like I was reading about real life people in the WWII era. As someone who has spent over 20 years reading and researching the 1940s and WWII era, it made reading this book a pleasure. I love history and I love reading about it. Reading this novel was a real breath of fresh air. Thank you again, Ann for allowing me to read your novel ahead of time. It was such a joy. I happily rate this 5 stars!