Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson

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Courting Mr. Emerson

I don't know if you've ever had that feeling of putting down a book and going, "Oh, I really don't know what I think of this book I just finished, what just happened?" That's kind of my thoughts on this book, I experienced a range of emotions during the reading of this book and ended the book on a laugh, a laugh that was more like, "Oh really, are you serious?" And yet, I'm not sure why. And then I saw that the genre above the bar code was labeled contemporary romance and that explains a few things to everyone, now doesn't it?

So to be fair, I think I've read a few too many predictable Christian fiction books while hankering to branch out a bit. And I have read a few of Melody's books that are pretty old, particularly Armando's Treasure and recall it as being an amazing, completely non-romantic story. Now granted, it's been a few years since I read it, so maybe I am all wrong, but I have high regard for the book in my mind. Anyway, despite all that, I will try to be very honest and give a review based on the worth of the book itself and not my own personal journey in reading.

So by chapter four, I wrote in my book journal: "I'm only four chapters in and loving the prose. The word usage is fun. And it's unusual in that the main characters are in their 50s". And that is still true. I did love the word usage, but I have to be honest, by the middle of the book, I was a bit bored.

George was a seemingly obsessive-compulsive man forced into early retirement and Willow is a free-spirited artist and basically nothing seemed to be happening in the book except, well I can't say because I try not to give spoilers away in the book. But then, another character shows up and interrupts life and adds some interesting elements to the plot and definitely helps the story along, in my opinion.

I think the book feels like it went from basically nothing happening to the "romantic" ending without giving enough detail of the personal journey George was on. It's not written in first person, but I think we could have used some insight into more of the internal struggle George was going through in the last quarter of the book or so. I'm not sure.

I really want to like this book, because the writing is excellent. I love the word usage, like I already mentioned and I really want to like all of Melody Carlson's work, but I'm just not sure where I'm at on this one. I think it comes down to this, it was a well-written book but at this point in time, it didn't click with me. That's not to say I wouldn't be able to read it again at a later time and really like it.

I received this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review.

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