Easy Like Skipping Rocks on a Lake ~ Fade to Blue by Julie Carobini ~ Review

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingFade to BlueB&H Books (May 15, 2011)byJulie Carobini

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the author:


I grew up as Julie Navarro, in a family of truly right-brained individuals. Among us you’ll find writers, artists, and musicians, all of us willing to talk about the arts at a moment’s notice.


Over the years, I’ve published several hundred articles and stories in magazines and books, including Aspire, Decision, Expecting, Focus on the Family, Key Magazine and God’s Abundance: 365 Days to a Simpler Life. As I wrote, I found a common theme cropping up: my family, the sea, and God’s timely work in the lives of those around me.



Maybe it was time to incorporate those interests into novels, I thought.


And so I did. Not once, but twice. Both times, God shut both doors and windows. So I continued to write and dream and raise my kids with Dan. Eventually I decided to write romantic seaside novels, and that’s where I found my voice.


When I’m not writing, marketing, or editing for others, I’m driving my kids around town, imagining that my mid-sized SUV is actually a sleek sailing yacht.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Suz Mitchell is the determined dreamer we should all be and won't allow her ex-husband Len's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, she moves with her child across the country to California's central coast and lands a sweet job restoring priceless paintings at the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the ocean.


To her utter surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, is also now working at Hearst and jumbles the dreams inside Suz's heart. While sorting out the awkwardness of their past split and current spiritual differences, a repentent Len shows up eager to restore his family.


Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Fade to Blue, go HERE.

My Review:

Reading “Fade to Blue” was like slipping into a comfortable setting with characters that quickly become your friends.

There is an ease to the story and the characters that walk across the pages are fully dimensional. But I loved how, while the book is easy to slip into and hard to leave, there is an underlying depth. A depth of character growth, plot dimension, and a cast of secondary characters that don’t lack personality.

Often my biggest struggle with first-person contemporaries is the lack of the story really going anywhere. There are often “blocks” of writing that lulls, but I didn’t have that problem with “Fade to Blue”. There is continual forward motion in the course of the story – plot change, character development or a physical change in the characters and I really appreciated that about the reading – it never lacked my attention.

The characters are well defined, Suz, Seth, Lettie, Len, they all had their own personal struggles, adding layers of plot structure, making the novel a continually interesting read. (Oh and the ending…great story elements, take my word for it, it’s a GREAT ending!)

I thoroughly enjoyed my first trek into Otter Bay and look forward to going back again.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publisher through CFBA for my copy to review.