RIGHT AS CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING/NEW BEGINNING

Istre’s novel presents a traditional love story about a generous Christian woman and a frustrated and grieving man.

Emma Grace is a devoutly religious nurse in Texas, whose heart has been broken too many times. After a romantic relationship with “a player” goes wrong, she relocates to Casper, Wyoming, where a hospital assigns her to a special patient: Alec Wagner, a three-time American Bull Rider of the Year who’s hospitalized as a result of a car accident that killed his brother. Emma Grace finds herself attracted to him, but she’s shocked to discover how his career has damaged him physically: “Alec’s upper body was covered in scars…and when she turned him onto his side, there were even more scars up and down his back.” Alec’s one desire is to raise his deceased sibling’s four children, but a stipulation in the will prohibits his legal guardianship until he’s married. Emma Grace agrees to marry him, although she barely knows him, and she feels “a blessing from God” the moment she agrees to wed: “Others would be shocked and probably opposed to this, but nothing had ever felt more right and brought more peace.” The first half of Istre’s novel is strong, with fully realized characters and descriptions that set a poignant mood. However, some aspects of the narrative feel awkward, such as the news that Emma Grace’s parents died in a plane crash, which seems shoehorned into the story. Still, the initial setup is engaging, but after Emma Grace reaches a turning point and puts her trust in God’s will, the story starts to depend too heavily on contrivances, and the character development feels less realistic.

An often sweet and gentle romance, hampered by an awkward second half.