Mallory Ridge

by Deb Kemper

Will’s advances, twice denied, at a dance in Fort Benning, Georgia thirty years ago became a Legend of the Golden-eyed Princess to his sons. Caroline’s faith and determined loyalty to her fiancé caused her to reject the, now well-known, British actor who finds himself recaptured by her memory. A chance meeting plummets them into romance.Will has much to hide in his past life, and is fairly confident of his privacy. His veneer is shattered when he finds Caroline knows his darkest secrets — through supernatural means. Can he overcome the hurdles of loving a woman who can’t be trifled with? Can Caroline move past her late husband’s infidelity and desertion to give herself fully to Will’s demanding adoration?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Christian Fiction

250 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 4, 2012

Reviews

[Rachel Lynn Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! It’s very well written and I was drawn completely in and didn’t want to put it down. Be warned though – this is a Christian romance and it is very in your face with the message of God’s love. If that kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable, you don’t need to consider this book – you need to consider the condition of your heart. The heroin is a very strong Christian woman who I have to admit was a little too good to be true sometimes.

The only thing I found a little disappointing was the fact that even though the pre-marital sexual tension was present on several occasions, the joy and excitement of the relationship finally being consummated (after marriage, of course) was completely ignored. I was by no means looking for a graphic depiction of this, but it would have been nice to have gotten a glimpse of the reward and release felt by the characters.

The only other thing I would like to add is that even though this book was not extremely long, it felt more like a saga than a novel. The story didn’t just end when the guy got the girl, like so many do. It continued and had me wondering where it would wind up.

[Radella · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be perfectly honest, this is not my normal sort of book. From the description, I wasn't expecting such a strong conservative Christian novel. It certainly is heavy-handed with the message, with the characters living almost idealized versions of a Christian life. And while the author's perspective and religion doesn't necessarily conform to my beliefs, I did find it helpful to see the world from another perspective.
The initial heavy-handed Christian message a bit off-putting at first, as well as the fact the characters are significantly older, but I continued reading because I was just so engrossed in the story. Suffice to say, by the book's description, I was expecting a paranormal romance... that certainly didn't happen,yet I'm ok with that. Will and Caroline are tied together in interesting ways, and their story evolves rapidly and went in a few interesting directions.
It was solid book, well written and despite my initial hesitancy, I quite enjoyed the book!

[Betty Ost-Everley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read my share of Christian romances and most seem boiler-plated and formulaic. Mallory Ridge is far from either of those descriptors. It is a love story in the strictest sense of the term...not only the love found between a man and a woman, but Redeeming Love as well. The life struggles portrayed are far from fiction; any number of us have experienced hurt, betrayal, rejection, abuse, unrequited love, and more, and Kemper presented these in situations that seem real and believable. Woven throughout the story is strong faith, a faith so strong that it sometimes seems impossible or improbable. However, this is the strong faith in a God that can do immeasurably more than we can hope or imagine that I believe most Christ-followers strive to achieve. In that sense, the story is extremely inspirational, lending to self-examination of our own faith journeys. This is Kemper's first novel, and she will most certainly continue to hone her craft in subsequent works.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no problems with Christian Romance at all. I have to be honest that there have been some really great Christian Romances yet this one did not hit that mark for me. I hate when I read a story and the word is so apparent that it takes away from story. I just felt as though this book forgot that there was a story somewhere within the book.

In truth the book ended as if the characters lives never saw any type of discomfort, or any of the challenges that we normally face in life. I am sorry I just did not like the book or the message.