Just Over the Horizon
By Susan Rush
There is a lot to say about this book. It’s got romance, tragedy, faith, and even a little drama. So where should I start?
Let’s start with Sarah—a Hospice nurse. Sarah is a very classic romantic lead, she’s just a woman who wants to keep her head down and get her job done. That’s not too much to ask, is it? We are guided into the story at a very steady pace, we get to know Sarah as a woman who’s got issues of her own but always manages to stifle them so that she can focus on others. ‘Others’ being her patients. This was something that I found to be a pleasant surprise from the author.
Incorporating a job like Sarah’s was difficult, no doubt, but Rush put in the right emotions and pulled characteristics out of Sarah that really enhanced the story and connected the job to the rest of the book. It was fitting for this book, an inspirational romance, to have such a job. It was fitting for someone like Sarah, a woman so exposed to death yet shaken by it when it hits home, to have such an occupation. I don’t think any other author could have written this book as good as Rush has.
The romance was sweet, even the love triangle. I’m not one to complain about those, yeah, it might be a cliché move but it’s a move that works consistently and this book is an example of it. Who is Sarah supposed to choose? She’s presented with two completely different men, each with a set of characteristics that are appealing in their own right. I was left wondering, until the final decision was made, just who will Sarah choose?
I liked that the scenes included just enough detail for me to get the picture. There was romance, there was passion, but there weren’t gritty love scenes that I’d be ashamed to read aloud. Rush has proven that romance can be passionate without being perverted. So hats off to her for giving readers a good, clean read.
Now, there weren’t any explicit scenes but this book was still exciting and it was still romantic. There were some great messages hidden behind the story as well, Sarah’s character and her relationship with her Nana really brought forth some tough lessons in life and death. Rush did a great job at making the characters and situations believable and realistic, I think a majority of that was demonstrated in those two characters alone.
This is a wonderful romance and an even better Christian novel, anyone who has an interest in either genre should hurry and grab a copy. You will fall in love with the characters and their individual stories but the book as a whole will steal your heart.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*