Pathways

Full Circle #3

by Lisa Tawn Bergren

An All New Installment to the Best-Selling Full Circle Series
Drawn back once more to the Alaska of her youth, Bryn is haunted by two different kinds of love.

As a young woman visiting Alaska, Bryn Bailey--cousin to Trevor Kenbridge (Torchlight)--found love in the arms of Eli Pierce. But when she rejected Eli’s faith, the two sadly parted. Ten years later, Bryn is back in Alaska for a summer of humanitarian aid, where she is dependent upon Eli, now a bush pilot. To her surprise, Bryn discovers that not only is she still in love with Eli, she’s also drawn to the glorious country he loves--and the God he serves. Then one night, during a sudden storm, their small plane goes down in the wilderness, leaving Eli injured and fighting for his life. Can Bryn find Pathways back to civilization, to God…and to love?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Christian, Audiobook, Adventure

276 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 2001

About the author

About

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 60 books, with more than 4.5 million copies sold. She recently released The Sugar Baron's Daughters Series (KETURAH, VERITY and SELAH), and recently finished a teen series called Remnants (SEASON OF WONDER, SEASON OF FIRE, and SEASON OF GLORY). She's also written the River of Time Series (WATERFALL, CASCADE, TORRENT, BOURNE & TRIBUTARY, DELUGE) and The Grand Tour Series (GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES, GLITTERING PROMISES), time-slip romance duology called River of Time: California (THREE WISHES and FOUR WINDS), and some contemporary romances (ONCE UPON A MONTANA SUMMER and ONCE UPON AN IRISH SUMMER are the newest releases).

Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing, consulting and helping Tim with his business. Her husband Tim is a sculptor of ducks-out-of-fenceposts (RMRustic.com), graphic designer and musician. They have three big kids–Olivia (who just got married), Emma (who is about to get married) and Jack (who is a junior in high school).

The Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Upon An Alaskan Summer was SO good! This story was previously released as Pathways, but it was a new story to me and I loved it!

Eli and Bryn's love story was everything you look for in a romance. He lives in Alaska and Bryn visits Alaska every five years with her father, until this year when she goes on her own. They have had sparks in the past, but they've never actually been in a relationship...this might be their summer. ;)

I found this book captivating. I didn't want to put it down and whenever I had the time to read it, I couldn't read fast enough. It had danger, romance, and a fantastic setting.

I highly recommend Once Upon An Alaskan Summer.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[Necee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alaskan adventure

Adventure, romance, and danger in the Alaskan wilderness brought this story to life. The descriptions and spiritual heart of this book are inviting and intriguing. I loved it!

[Barbara Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not enough words to explain how much I enjoyed this book. Granted I love stories set in Alaska and Bergren did an amazing job with her descriptions of the area and the people. But besides that, I love the complexity and fullness of the characters. Not just the Bryn and Eli, but their parents, Ben, Levi, the men at the mine, and so many others. I was also drawn to Bryn and Eli's hit and miss relationship over the years. While not as long or as drastic, my now husband of 41 years and I met 3 separate times before things clicked. So this felt realistic and a bit familiar to me. And then there is the faith aspect. Some CF just offers a quick reference to God or prayer or church. Others preach heavy and hard and almost drown out the story. Bergren achieves a wonderful balance here. Faith is most definitely an integral part of this story, but I never felt as if I was being lectured. It was realistic and raw. Very well done!

[Caryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The majestic Alaskan beauty is the perfect place for a sweet romance. Bryn and Eli have been summer friends since childhood. Eli is rooted in his faith. Bryn is searching for inner peace. Bryn's journey is one we've all been invited to embark upon. I enjoyed my time in Alaska with these wonderful characters.

It's been fun seeing other characters make appearances in this series. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Recommend to readers who enjoy inspirational romance.

I purchase a copy directly from Mrs. Bergren. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Barbara Donnelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, Once Upon an Alaska Summer, by Lisa T. Bergren. The themes of lost love and lost walk with God were strong. Perhaps the best part is reading about flying on a small plane to a remote location. I experienced flying in a Piper Cub to and from the Lake Erie Islands, except that we never crash landed!

I received this free book from the author in a giveaway, and I promised to write an honest review. Thank you, Lisa! Keep writing!

[Jennifer K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Lisa Bergren has written an exciting summer adventure. This time the contemporary story takes place in Alaska with all the beauty, wildlife and danger. The Alaskan culture shines through this tale. The relationship between two friends with a tension to become more has ups and downs supplying an interesting romantic thread. When difficult decisions arise, they must rely on their faith to guide them. This book is quite an adventure!

[Terri Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story

I enjoyed learning about Alaska and how some people live in the remote areas. Once Upon An Alaska Summer is a nice romance that spans a lifetime. There’s some scary moments mixed in with the uncertainty of what life will hold for the hero and heroine of the story. Romance, hope and faith are always good grounding points in a book.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow! This author is fantastic! Excellent writer! Her pacing is fantastic, the vocabulary is mature and not at all dry. The characters are realistic and well developed. They are very likeable. This was the second book of hers I read and I will certainly be reading more of her work in the future! This is a Christian book.

[Tayler Sant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate that I love these. They are so cheesy. They are all the same. The two protagonists fall in love, there’s always some conflict to get over, someone almost always dies.
I roll my eyes through the whole book, yet I can’t put it down.
I guess I’m just a hopeless romantic. Whelp. On to the next book of the series. Haha.

[Carolyn Tye · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little drawn out. It took too long and then wham.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, poignant storyline, fantastic read. I look forward to more Summer editions from Lisa Tawn Bergren.

[Beulah Proffitt]

Great reads

I have enjoyed many of Lisa Bergan's novels. This is one on favorites. you can't go wrong with any of the books. Grab a good book and turn that TV off.

[Esther Bouchillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Didn't care for the storyline with the father - "he deserves to be happy" Ugh.

[Helena Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I thought it described Alaska VERY well as well as the characters. If you like romance/ adventure, then I REALLY recommend this book.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: As a young woman visiting Alaska, Bryn Bailey--cousin to Trevor Kenbridge (Torchlight)--found love in the arms of Eli Pierce. But when she rejected Eli’s faith, the two sadly parted. Ten years later, Bryn is back in Alaska for a summer of humanitarian aid, where she is dependent upon Eli, now a bush pilot. To her surprise, Bryn discovers that not only is she still in love with Eli, she’s also drawn to the glorious country he loves--and the God he serves. Then one night, during a sudden storm, their small plane goes down in the wilderness, leaving Eli injured and fighting for his life. Can Bryn find Pathways back to civilization, to God…and to love?

REVIEW: When I read the Full Circle series, I somehow missed book 3 and am definitely glad I picked it up to finish this series. The descriptions of the Alaskan bush country were so vivid that you felt you were there. Having visit Talkeetna, this brought back many memories of the wondrous beauty of Alaska. Included is a storyline filled with adventure, danger and rustic living as well as a sweetly developed romance. I thoroughly enjoy the relationship that continued to develop between Bryn and Eli. I admired Eli's strength as he worked to keep his feelings in line with God's word; and Bryn's growing understanding of her relationship with God. Overall an easy, very enjoyable read. I would recommend this complete series.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "You're looking for the same thing, girl. Happiness. But happiness is not something you get to. Those who are happy enjoy the getting-to-it-ness of life. Life itself breeds joy. If you see it in the right light. And if you see it in the light of the Father's eyes--oh yes, my, that's when life is sublime."

""It's the foundation, sure. But happiness is a choice mostly, Bryn. It's a choice. "

"But becoming a Christian doesn't man everything is easy, that we're only brought joy."

"But God has a funny sense of humor. An interesting way of leading us down the winding path, if we're careful to listen to HIm."

"Jesus Christ is either who he said he was or a complete fraud. He himself gave those around him no room to think otherwise. He is either the Son of God--our Savior--or he is a madman."

[Wendy Sparkes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed this 3rd story in the Full Circle Series - right up until the ending, which rather spoilt the rest of the story for me, and is the result of the low rating.

A woman proposing to a man not only leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but makes me sad that a woman is not secure in her relationship with God or her boyfriend when she feels she has to step out and lead the relationship.
That is not Biblical.
Marriage in the Bible is always seen as a picture of Christ and His love for the Church. Men are chosen to be the head of the household, just as Christ is the head of the church (Eph 5), and that starts with the courtship. They are to be the ones who lead the relationship forward into marriage, not the women, and marriage gets in a pickle when those roles are reversed.
It's sad to see this scenario written in Christian fiction, and portrayed as okay.
I would love to see a different ending for this story, where Eli actually has a chance to be a man and do the proposing - and what made me ever so annoyed was that he wanted to do the proposing! And as for asking his parents blessing before she asked...no, that was just wrong. And it was sad that Eli's parents were okay with her doing that. At least he announced he was going to be the man, but Bryn's way of taking the lead to much makes me fear for the marriage.

Listened to the audiobook version of this story.

#1 #2
#4 #5 #6

[Pianosue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story. Bryn Bailey takes a special father-daughter trip to his beloved Alaska every five years of her life. He teaches her to appreciate the wild rugged country. While there she meets Eli Pierce and they become good friends could become even more. But what about her dream of being a doctor? What will she do? Will they find a way over the years to come to a decision? Or will they each go their own way?

[Julie Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryn goes to Alaska every 5 years with her father. But now she goes on her own. Bryn's dream has always been to become a doctor. Nothing is going to get in her way, even her attraction for Eli. Eli and his family have lived across the lake from Bryn's family cabin. Bryn and Eli are attracted to each other, but Bryn is going back to the lower 48 for medical school and Eli is staying in Alaska to open his own charter tour business. Both determined to live their dreams, yet they can't stop what the heart wants between them.



I really enjoyed this story. The setting was amazing. I've always had a fascination with Alaska so it was fun to be immersed in Alaska through the story. I enjoyed how years down the road Bryn and Eli's dreams kind of meshed through his charter business and her doctoring. The spiritual parts of the story were well-written and portrayed. I enjoyed how independent Bryn was. I like strong female characters. I especially like it when they aren't rash in their attempt to prove to a man that they can take care of themselves. As a doctor we got to see Bryn in action as she treated people all over the remote parts of Alaska. There was danger, there was excitement and there was romance all wrapped up perfectly in a lovely story that spans a 10 year time period.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this 3.5 stars as I enjoyed it more than 3 stars would indicate but it was not quite up to what I would consider a 4-star. It was mostly a love story featuring Bryn, a young woman intent on becoming a successful physician and who visits Alaska with her father every 5 years. And then there is Eli, a young man who lives in Alaska and runs a float plane business. Bryn has a passing knowledge of God but Eli is committed to a godly life, including only getting involved with women who share that commitment. They are so very different with greatly diverging life goals but yet, they feel strangely drawn to each other.

It is also a story of Bryn searching for what she really wants out of life, of what she should focus her efforts on and whether there is more to God than she thinks.

It was fun following this story but each time Bryn & Eli meet and part, time marches on for 5 years until the story repeats. I found it a bit unbelievable how much time passed and yet they both remain unmarried. It surely is possible but unlikely. Other than that, a nice story with a strong Christian theme.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly wasn't ready to start reading a book in this genre as I had just finished a series with a completely different feel and still had my head there. But this book captured my interest from the very first pages and wouldn't let me go. I was happily captivated and did not want to put it down! The descriptions of Alaska had amazing detail and opened my eyes to a place I've never been. But all the depictions of the scenery and way of life were organic to the story. Instead of skimming over them, as I tend to do if descriptions get too wordy, this book wove them into the narrative and made it part of the story. I never felt like I needed to skip over anything to get back to the heart of the book. All of it was fascinating and relavant. Lisa Bergren is also great at surprising me. My guess at what would happen next was constantly thwarted with something less obvious and much better. This was a fun read about Bryn and Eli and their journey in their faith and to each other that I would definitely recommend.

[Jaime]

I wasn’t so much interested in reading Once Upon an Alaskan Summer as I was in supporting Lisa T. Bergren and her books. Contemporary romance, especially a Christian romance, isn’t my preferred genre. But Lisa has a way of capturing people and place, though, so once I started reading, I wanted to keep going to find out what these two characters were going to do.

The setting details are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the set up of the story--taking place during summer in five year intervals. As always, Lisa adds in exciting elements that give the story something more than just the romance. There’s tension and excitement, soft spoken moments and fierce acts of survival, peace and chaos. I highly enjoyed this story.

Full review here: https://booksandwafflesblog.wordpress...

[Denise Kettering · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book draws on Bergren's strengths in making interesting locations come alive and creating a love story that has a dramatic element to it. In this case Bryn Bailey and Eli Pierce knew each other as children when their father's would get together in Alaska. However, as young adults, they lost touch with one another and the lack of faith on Bryn's part prohibits any relationship between the two. The book traces the character's relationship as every five years the protagonists reconnect through their trips to Alaska. Bryn becomes a doctor and begins to work on a medical mission in Alaska and Eli is her pilot to take her into regions of the Alaska outback to help with medical situations. The book traces the at times rocky love affair between the two characters.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters were nice and the story interesting. I really enjoyed reading about Alaska. I like reading about the details of unique places I haven't yet been. I have a few contentions though. 1) the back of the book is slightly misleading as to the timeline of the plot. 2) the romance was good but I felt it was a little dramatic. It may be because I'm not used to Bergren's style. The angst was a little much at times. 3) The ending was not what I thought it should have been. Obviously compromise was needed in order for their relationship to work out, but it should have been the both of them compromising and not just one person. I might read another one of her books.

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title leads the reader to believe this book takes place during one summer in Alaska. However, it actually covers several Alaskan summers, each 5 years apart, making for a much deeper book. There is delicious emotional tension in the romantic relationship. There is heart-stopping tension in the plot tension due to unexpected plot twists. There is spiritual tension as different characters grapple with their relationship with God. The attention-grabbing descriptions of Alaska may lead you to book a trip as soon as you can go. I really enjoyed reading this book, and had a hard time putting it down.

[Deena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity to be a beta reader for this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm in love with Alaska now, which is really something because I hate the cold!

Lisa has a way of describing the setting so well you'll believe you're actually there. And with her characters so lively and fascinating, you'll wish you WERE there!

Loved this novel and eager for her next book!

I received am advanced copy from the author with no obligation. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book and love story. I really loved Bryn’s spunk and determination. A story of two people meant to be together, but because life gets in the way, can’t seem to get on the same path. Someone says in the story, “Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time.” This really resonated with me, as my husband and I dated twenty years ago, broke up, he married and divorced, and later down the line we finally got together. Lisa writes beautiful stories and I read anything she writes!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite in this series, Bryn and Eli's story takes place in Alaska, over the course of many years. I love how slowly their relationship develops over time, instead of being love at first sight. I enjoyed the setting, adventures and mishaps of Bryn and Eli, and of course the sparks of romance that they try to ignore. If you don't like to read series, this book can stand alone, and I'd recommend this one as the best of the Full Circle.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa T Bergren always hooks me right away! I read the whole thing on a restful Sunday afternoon.

It is a quick, sweet and even a little atypical romance with some great Alaskan adventure thrown in. I liked the way we started back in time and went ahead by several big jumps. I liked the main characters but feel like Alaska, was a character of its own. Now, I want to go to Alaska and stay in a little cabin!!

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Felt Like an Escape to Alaska

This book came at the perfect time. I needed a bit of an escape from reality, and Lisa delivered it. I enjoyed following Bryn and Eli on their journey with each other, as well as Bryn's journey to God. I also enjoyed the description of Alaska. It made me want to visit. I definitely recommend this sweet romance.