Michele Richard

originally appeared on:Bookshelf Confessions

I have read this book last year, months passed and I’d forgotten about this one, until I saw it in my Librarything Early Reviewers List..:)

I was so excited of reading this book since I’ve read the first one, “Mocked by Faith” which really hooked me up. But “Healing the Faith”, didn’t hit me as hard as the first one did.

I still like Ms. Richard’s writing, I still enjoyed the plot and the storyline , as well as the old characters and the new one. Each one is still distinct and the readers could relate too. There’s also enough room to know the new characters. And I really like it when the author makes use each of them, in this one, each has a vital role.

I still love Justin, the ever-loyal and caring husband, who even though was damaged by his past experiences, he still strives to be a good husband and to redeem his faith. But in this book, I am quite annoyed with Alexia, she’s whiny and selfish . I understand that it’s normal for a wife to be a little depressed and angry when your husband leave you even if there’s a good reason behind it. But her behavior is over the line- it’s not so realistic- well, maybe if someone is that unstable when it comes to emotions.

Although the ending is a bit rushed, I enjoyed the action and the twist. The resolution at the end, makes reading the book worthwhile. I don’t think, there’s another sequel for this one. The story seems to have its final closure.

What just bothered me, *note this is my personal opinion*, even if for arguments sake, this is purely fiction, it seems that they worship angels, the 7 Archangels mentioned in the Bible, well that’s how I understand it. And yet they rely on the bible, then why worship something which is clearly not God. I’m a Christian, so I’m a little bit reactive on this issue. This was supposed to be a book with the theme faith and yet it reverts to that very idea.

All in all, disregarding the faith issue mentioned above, this is quite a good book about a young couple trying to heal not just their relationship but also their faith.… (more)

Alright, I've reviewed each separate story of this wonderful book, now I'm going to review the book as a whole.

Life is More Than Candy Hearts is a marvelous collection of three love stories. Stories that are so different from each other. One Story is about a stripper and a singer, the next is about a farmer and a woman that crashes into his fence, then the third is about a secret admirer and a women trying to get over her father's death. So very different, but still revolving around one thing...

Love!

I loved reading all three of these stories and can't wait to read more from these talented authors!… (more)

Overall this was a good sequel to the first book. I enjoyed the story, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

Again, Michele Richard's writing techniques excelled in making the characters relateable and likeable. Or in the case of Justin: unlikeable. It is apparent that I am a fan of Alexia and empathize a lot more in what she is going thru (not sure if this was the intention of the author, but this is what I got from it). I thought it was understandable that Alexia was upset and disappointed in her husband leaving them for an unknown length of time, and did not realize that she was "acting out" until she caused visible, physical harm to herself. The more I think about it, the more I relate her actions to Bella Swan (Twilight) when Edward decides to leave her.

The author did a good job of introducing new characters into the mix and filling in enough information about them to make them important to the story; everyone played a vital role in the plot which was a great thing.

I was SO surprised by the plot twist near the and was really hooked into the story by then; I could NOT stop reading. I would have liked if it lasted a little longer though. Just to be able to see another side of the story being told.

But after the main plot was resolved, I felt the author moved too quickly to try and wrap up the book with a neat little bow. The first book did a good job of portraying the length of the pregnancy with different events occuring throughout the duration, but (SPOILER) this time around the pregnancy felt extremely short. (Not as a premature delivery kind of way, but just like a "you're pregnant, confirmed by doctors, baby is born" kind of way.) I really liked how the first book ended with a cliff hanger, leaving the reader with anticipation of what is to come next. This book seemed to already have a happy ending: family together again, two kids, and a "career opportunity" taken. I don't see what the plot of the third part could be. Let me rephrase: I don't see any drama or "thrill" that could occur in the last part. Nonetheless, I am eager to know how the series will wrap up.… (more)