A Path Toward Love by Cara Lynn James ~ Review

Lucie's Review: Tribulations and troubles abound, will Katherine triumph over them?

Katherine is a young widow trying to make a go of her late husband's Orange Grove, the only thing of value that he left to her name. But despite her efforts she just can't make end meet, and in order to get a loan from her prosperous parents, she must do what her mother requires. Which include marrying the son of her mother's best friend. Meanwhile her friendship with her childhood friend, Andrew, is rekindled. Will Katherine be forced to marry a man she doesn't love?

This was a tough book to read, because bad things just kept on happening to poor Katherine! I felt so bad for her! Everything just seemed to stand in her way.
There were some characters that frustrated me to no end, mostly Katherine's manipulative mother, who was just awful! And Randy who was a shallow rich kid who would do anything, including marrying a girl he didn't love, to avoid actually having to do real work.
For me personally, this book moved rather slowly, mostly because I was tough to read about how horrible her parents were. But I liked how Katherine really grew spiritually, and I could relate to how she had a tough time looking past the present problems to a way out.
My favorite character had to be Andrew, who was the perfect hero, with a noble heart that was honorable to the core. He had a strong faith, and he was not only a good guy, but an encourager in Katherine's faith.
Aunt Letty was fun too. She was a spry older woman, who had led a full life, had strong faith and knew her mind.

Overall this tale was one of triumph over seemingly overwhelming odds. The characters were well delveloped, there were ones I loved and ones I strongly disliked. Katherine reallly grew through this testing of her faith, and Andrew was a constant friend who was the soul of honor. I guess for me I just have to say that I had the hardest time reading about all the bad things that were happening, so for me it was tough for me to be fully engaged. So I would recommend this book to fans of the Guilded Age and who like novels where faith is tested.

I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. Thanks!