Roses for Rachel: Crystal Falls Series Book 2

Crystal Falls #2

by Dianne Miley

Single mother Rachel Santos raises her daughters alone and tries to get past the death of her husband. Attracted to bad boys, she goes from one abusive relationship to another until she refuses to trust anyone. When a demented stalker vandalizes her home and sabotages her job, coworker Elliot Truman rescues her. Will his faithful protection convince her to trust him? And will she find the courage to risk her heart to love?

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

I’m a Christian author, wife, mom, Gigi, reader, gardener, tea drinker, and beach lover. My husband and I live in a 75-year-old house with a wrap-around porch and a clawfoot tub. We met on a blind date when I was 16 and have been married over 40 years! We have two married children, two grandchildren, and four grand-dogs.

Writing has been my passion since I learned to create letters on paper. My books feature flowers and gardens—and like real-world gardens, the characters and their stories are messy! This isn't inspirational fiction for perfect people; it's about messing up, and being loved anyway. Because God loves you no matter what!

Happy reading, friends.

Reviews

[Val Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe Roses for Rachel is my favorite of the series and mostly because of Elliot Truman. A geeky architect, Elliot's character brings to mind the old adage "let's just be friends". He's the dependable guy that Rachel turns to in a best friend but she never looks beyond friendship. He's the source of her strength and she doesn't even realize it. Meanwhile, all Elliot can think of is Rachel. It was so funny when she would ask him a question and he would try to do whatever made Rachel happy, while snapping out of a Rachel fantasy. My heart simply melted during the scenes Elliot deals with Rachel's children. To me, the way a man deals with children is what really makes him a hero.

Rachel's character is a strong woman who has her moments of weakness and feels as though God has forsaken her. The heartache of not having Elliot around is palpable but Rachel has to somehow learn her lesson. A single mom dealing with more than her share of stumbling blocks, Rachel's character is as realistic as they come. I've been where Rachel is (minus the whole dead husband thing) and found that Ms. Miley hit the nail on the head with Rachel's reactions.

I enjoyed the way Ms. Miley added other people to the potential relationship between Rachel and Elliot. Wade, the slimy salesman and Brandy, the rich young woman who would do anything Elliot wanted, were attainable but at what cost? I think these relationships were pivotal in Roses for Rachel because without them, neither Rachel or Elliot would have known how strong their love for each other was.

Roses for Rachel is a character driven story with unexpected twists and turns. At times during this book, I was left scratching my head as to whom the stalker could be. I love mystery in the stories I read and this was a phenomenal mystery. I highly recommend the entire Crystal Falls series and look forward to reading Sarita's story in Sunflowers for Sarita. After that, there is a spin off of this series called the Charleston Series which deals with the daughters in the Crystal Falls series. I just can't wait! I will own all of these books in paperback so that I may revisit them whenever I like.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

there all the time

This story will keep your attention for sure! Whether you lost a good spouse or a bad one, it can be so hard to move forward and trust again. And who in the world is stalking her and why?

[Renee Cryer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This beautiful love story was the making of God. He brought them together, freewill tore them apart, but God continued to guide them along a path to do His Will.