At the Water's Edge by Annette Lyon {Review}

At the Water's Edge by Annette Lyon

ebook, Published October 10th 2016 by Smashwords Edition (first published March 28th 2004) 

From USA Today bestselling author Annette Lyon comes a unique romance: Annela grew up in Helsinki feeling alone and unwanted. Now she has decided to begin a new spiritual life. In her heart, she knows that this new path will lead her to the happiness and peace she desires. But shadows from her past keep reappearing, stalling her progress and making her ultimate goal seem unreachable. First her boyfriend, Tommi, pledges his love, all the while acting in ways that destroy her faith in him. Then her mother, Helena, keeps a dark secret from her that could change Annela's life forever. Then Kenneth appears in her life, but during his brief stay in Finland, will he help her find the love and happiness she’s looking for, or will he prove to be one more complication?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

My Review: 4 Stars

"At the Water's Edge" takes the reader to Finland and follows the story of Annela, a young woman who is making changes to better herself, but at great costs. Annela hasn't ever had a very good home life, due to her volatile father. When she decides to become a member of the LDS church (Mormon), her world, as she knows it, turns upside down and many changes occur. While this story is very dominant in religion and romance, it isn't heavy and preachy.

Annela is a young woman who knows her heart and does whatever it takes to follow it. I enjoy a story with a character that is easy to admire. She has a lot of strong qualities, yet she's very sweet and vulnerable. Those characteristics do cause her a few problems, but overall, she is an exemplary person. I love how content Annela seems in her new life. Kenneth is a wonderful friend and hero and I love how he comes to recognize what direction he must go. He is by no means perfect, but he's very likable.

Full of heartache, fear, angry, sadness, hope, love, joy, and wonderful friendships, this book took me on an emotional journey that I won't soon forget. I love the connection this couple made to their past--it gave me chills. I love the thought that the world is so small, in so many different ways. Of course, the ending is absolutely perfect. There aren't a lot of twists, but there are a few and they are great, really adding to the story.

Content: moderate religious elements, specific to the LDS church; mild romance (kissing, attempted attack); mild violence (abuse, death). 

*Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy. All thoughts and views are my own opinions.*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buy Link:

About the Author:

  

Annette Lyon is a USA Today bestselling author, a 4-time recipient of Utah’s Best in State medal for fiction (twice for novel-length works and twice for short fiction), and a Whitney Award winner for BAND OF SISTERS. She's the author of over a dozen novels, at least that many novellas, a cookbook, a popular grammar guide, and over a hundred magazine articles.

She’s a founder and regular contributor of the Timeless Romance Anthologies line of sweet romance stories, which she served as editor for its first three years. She's also one of the four co-authors of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. She graduated cum laude from BYU with a degree in English.

Annette is represented by Heather Karpas at ICM Partners.