The Dandelion Field by Kathryn Springer

Y'all!  I'm supposed to be reviewing this book.  I loved it.  Loved it!

From the back of the book:

After Raine's dad walked out, Ginevieve Lightly never lived in one place too long--a rambling lifestyle that defined her daughter's youth.  When their car dies in Banister Falls, Wisconsin, Gin promises Raine they can stay until she finishes her senior year of high school.  Gin will do anything to make sure her daughter has a bright future...a future that's compromised when Raine reveals she's pregnant.

Dan Moretti has only ever called Banister Falls home.  After losing his best friend in a tragic accident, Dan devoted himself to responding to fires, rescuing the helpless, and guiding Cody Bennett, his best friend's one, through life.  With Cody being the epitome of the good kid, it was an easy job.  Until he says four little words: "The baby is mine."

Knowing gossip of Raine's pregnancy will erupt sooner or later in the small town, Gin's reflex is to grab the suitcase and escape to a new city, and new life.  But with each passing day, Gin's feet stay rooted in Banister Falls, and she falls a little more for this local firefighter who shows her not all men abandon women at the first sign of smoke.

As Gin and Dan do the best they can to guide the two teenagers through their early entry into adulthood, they discover together that romance can bloom in the rockiest of situations.  And God can turn the pieces of a broken past into a beautiful new beginning.

The characters and their issues in this book are so real, I found myself drawn into the story, feeling their pain, and falling in love with them.  I so identified with Gin, wanting to pack up and run at the first sign of trouble.  Oh, I don't actually run, but I do distance myself when I sense danger.  The overriding theme of the book is that love conquers all--love of friends and family, but also love from a benevolent Creator.  Love can give us the courage to do the hard things in life, we just have to be open to receiving it.

Bottom line: if you like Christian contemporary fiction, you will love this offering from Kathryn Springer.

I received this book for free from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.