This handsome firefighter makes a
living coming to the rescue, but Gin doesn’t need a man to fight her battles.
After Raine’s dad walked out,
Ginevieve Lightly never lived in one place too long, a rambling lifestyle that
defined her daughter’s youth. When their car dies in Banister Falls, Wisconsin,
Gin promises Raine they can stay until she finishes her senior year of high
school. Gin will do anything to make sure her daughter has a bright future…a
future that’s compromised when Raine reveals she’s pregnant.
Dan Moretti has only ever called
Banister Falls home. After losing his best friend in a tragic accident, Dan
devoted himself to responding to fires, rescuing the helpless, and guiding Cody
Bennett, his best friend’s son, through life. With Cody being the epitome of
the good kid, it was an easy job. Until he says four little words: “The baby is
mine.”
Knowing gossip of Raine’s
pregnancy will erupt sooner or later in the small town, Gin’s reflex is to grab
the suitcase and escape to a new city, a new life. But with each passing day,
Gin’s feet stay rooted in Banister Falls, and she falls a little more for this
local firefighter who shows her not all men abandon women at the first sign of
smoke.
As Gin and Dan do the best they
can to guide the two teenagers through their early entry into adulthood, they
discover that romance can bloom in the rockiest of situations. And God can turn
the pieces of a broken past into a beautiful new beginning.
The Dandelion Field is
Kathryn Springer’s first Banister Falls
novel, and is also the first book I have ever read by her. Based on the description,
I was pretty sure that this would be a story that I would enjoy, but I never
thought that I would like it just as much as I did. Kathryn is a very talented
writer, and she did a fabulous job on this novel, effortlessly weaving together
love and pain, fear and trust. There are so many different emotions that run
through you as you read this story, and that is part of what makes it just so
enjoyable. I bounced back and forth between loving characters, feeling sorry
for them, being angry at what they had to experience—either throughout the
story or in their past—and that caused this book to really come to life for me.
Gin
Lightly is an extremely strong character! She faced so much in her past, and
also has to deal with so many obstacles throughout the course of this book, but
she remains strong, although I definitely wouldn’t say without fear. As a woman
who keeps a half-packed suitcase in her closet so that she can leave at a
moment’s notice, it is pretty obvious that she has a huge fear of real
commitment, of staying even when things get tough. But when it comes to her
daughter Raine, Gin would do anything, even promise to stay in the same town
long enough for Raine to graduate high school. Unfortunately, maybe that wasn’t
the best decision after all.
Dan
Moretti is such a solid character, although very different from Gin in many
different ways. He doesn’t struggle with fear—with thoughts of leaving—like Gin
does, but he does struggle to realize his own worth, though he doesn’t always
know it. He is such a wonderful man, stepping in to help raise his best friend’s
son after he passes away, always being there for anyone who needs him—especially
Gin. She may not want his help, but she needs it, and that’s enough for Dan.
By far,
this has become one of my favorite books of all-time, and Kathryn has
definitely become one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved this story,
and I cannot wait to read more of Kathryn’s books in the future, namely The Hearts We Mend—the second Bannister Falls novel—which is already sitting
on my shelf waiting for me to finally pick it up. All in all, I definitely
really enjoyed reading this book, I give it all five bookshelves, and I would
highly recommend it. To everyone. I’m serious; this novel is a gem you won’t
ever regret picking up. It’s the putting down that will give you trouble.
Happy
reading!
To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party
page.
All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Kathryn
Springer and Zondervan Publishing.
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