Loved this Christian historical novel. It was very engaging and took my breath away at times. The plot, characters, setting and all were so enjoyable! I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. Very well done.

How do you love - again - in the uncertain world? How do you trust when you have no power over the lives of the others - or worse, over your own?

A beautiful novel about re-building your life, and also a five star reading experience.

This is the second installment in the series Golden Gate Chronicles and while you can read it as a standalone novel, I would strongly suggest to read the first volume, as it is almost as good as this is!

Ruby is the young widow, used to take life the face-forward way. She needs a new purpose in her life, so she travels to San Francisco destroyed by the earthquake to help there with her nursing experiences. Little does she know that her brother Robert is not living on his own, but in a full house with his colleague Dr. Gerald Larkspur and his whole family (including the fiancée Abby, the heroine of the first installment). Ruby is at first shocked by the unexpected living arrangements, but she is fast to fall in love not with just her sister-to-be Abby, but also with the dashing young doctor (while clashing with him all the time!). But Ruby fears to experience another love, as there is no control over the course of life (as she very well knows, losing her young husband too soon) - so she pushes the equally smitten Gerald back. Or it is time to face her fears?
Gerald, a solid, predictable man (or better, as he wishes to be) experiences for the first time how much a female can bring into the man´s life - both fire and gentleness, challenge and peace, love and purpose. So when Ruby finally decides to trust God about his relationship, he is over the moon. Unless the scientific research backfires at him and he faces the very dark future.

This was a blast to read. The writing is top-notch with courage and maturity not often experienced in the Christian literature, while being the class act the whole time. The characters are facing the very real problems and I can relate to them very much (mainly with females here - their voices are very authentic!). The authoress doesn´t shy from elaborating the very human experiences - the tempations while being in love, the pride, the fear. And all that while gracing the pages with classy, but witty and even cheeky humour.

The series is also well-researched and brings to the table at least three things I have had a very little knowledge before - the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the cancer research and the prejudices and even crimes against the Chinese community living there.

Recommended read.

Thank you for the opportunity read and review this title! I didn't enjoy it as much as I"d hoped, and rather than post a negative review, I chose to not feature it on my blog. I look forward to seeing what new releases you have in store!