Book Review ~ A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley

Author Bio ~ Margaret Brownley

Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this, except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

It turns out God was and Margaret did. She now has more than 20 novels to her credit. In addition, she's written many Christian articles and a non-fiction book. Still, it took a lot of prodding from God before Margaret tried her hand at writing inspirational fiction which led to her Rocky Creek series. "I love writing about characters at different stages of faith," she says of the new direction her writing career has taken, "and I'm here to stay."

Happily married to her real-life hero, Margaret and her husband live in Southern California.


—Excerpt from A Vision of Lucy


Sage Advice for Photographers

•When photographing stampeding cattle, charging bulls or blazing shoot-outs, use a fast shutter speed.

• Brides, take pity on your photographer. Matthew S. Brady and his helpers were able to record the entire War Between the States with little more than 1100 photographs. Half that number should satisfy most brides.

•Doctors, do not look at the camera like it’s a patient needing help through death’s door. Such a pose will speak ill of you, and it won’t do much for your practice, either.

•A man imagines himself more handsome than his photograph; a woman believes herself more homely.

•While posing for a photograph spinsters should avoid looking desperate or deprived. A serene smile will show that your circumstances are by choice and not for lack of beauty or character.

•The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. For this reason a woman wishing to look appropriately domesticated for her Mail-Order Bride photograph should wear an apron and wield a kitchen utensil (preferably not a rolling pin).

Synopsis:


A Rocky Creek Romance: A Vision of Lucy

Trouble follows Lucy wherever she goes. So does a vision of second chances . . . and love.

Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. Her deepest hope is that her father will see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, whose paintings still hang on their walls.

But disaster follows Lucy on every photo assignment: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.

When Lucy meets David Wolf—a rugged, reclusive man who lives on the outskirts of town—she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn't count on her feelings stirring whenever she's near him.

Two things happen next that forever change the course of Lucy's life. But will these events draw her closer to God or push her further away? And how will David accept this new vision of Lucy?

My Review:

Lucy is a delightful girl who finds herself in so many mishaps, all because she's out to take the perfect photo! Mind you, there weren't too many women photographers back then and she is determined to make a profession out of it. At the beginning of each chapter Margaret has included humorous quotes from Miss Gertrude Hasslebrink, like this one: “While posing for a photograph, spinsters should avoid looking desperate or deprived. A serene smile will show circumstances are by choice and not for lack of beauty or character.” Although I'm pretty sure they weren't intended to be funny back in the day, they certainly are entertaining and I couldn't help but read them aloud to my husband, who chuckled many times! The history taught in this book is phenomenal. Margaret is a great teacher and writer. I feel like my life has been enriched by the knowledge I have gained in reading about the beginning days of photography!


Now Lucy, being the adventurous young woman she is, needs someone who is going to be a bit more serious in nature. In comes David Wolf who has a troubled past and is out to find and take back something that was stolen from him as a young boy. He's convinced that Lucy is beyond his reach because of his...well, you just need to read the book!

Once again, Margaret has pulled together charming characters and firmly planted me right smack dab in the middle of their lives! Using humor, suspense, and serious spiritual concepts she has woven a beautiful story of forgiveness. There are a lot of characters to get to know, but Margaret flawlessly portrays them to such an extent that I felt as if I was right there, involved personally in their lives, and watching each one come to terms with past sin, present forgiveness, and future redemption.

A Vision of Lucy is the third book in the A Rocky Creek Romance series.

Thank you, Margaret for my ARC! 

No other compensation was received. This is my honest opinion of this book.

A Vision of Lucy can be purchased at the following:

Amazon

Christian Book Distributors

Barnes & Noble

Family Christian Stores

Lifeway Christian Stores

I'm giving away my ARC copy to one commenter. U.S. ONLY!!!

No strings...follow if you want ~ that's always nice but not necessary.

I'll announce a winner on Friday, June 10th.