Awakening

(#1 Lewis Legacy Series)

by JoAnn Durgin

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Christian Romance!

Description

TeamWork director Sam Lewis isn’t sure what to think of his newest volunteer. She’s feisty, witty, and incredibly pretty, but looks more prepared to board a cruise ship than build houses. Burned by a past betrayal, he’s got a job to do, a reputation to uphold. Sam can’t afford to be distracted by a woman who attracts animals, defies his rules, finds trouble at every turn and questions God’s purpose. But when she tumbles from the top beam of one of the houses into his arms, Sam suspects his life will never be the same.During their weeks together in the TeamWork camp, Sam and Lexa learn the power of forgiveness and healing. Enduring a chain of incidents which challenge their faith, trust and growing relationship, they look to the Lord for guidance as together they discover a love greater than either could ever imagine. At the end of the eight-week work camp, Sam is committed to a year-long, dangerous overseas mission for TeamWork. Can Lexa trust the Lord enough to let him go? Will Sam safely return and keep his promise to meet her at The Alamo?You’ll keep turning the pages of this sweeping romantic adventure. With great characters, plenty of humor, enough emotion to make you shed a tear or two, and a happy ending that’ll have you cheering, Awakening will leave you breathless. Hold on tight. The adventures of Lewis and Clarke have only just begun! 

Theme Verse: Isaiah 50:4 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakensMe morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

This book can be purchased at the following locations:

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Biography

I like to say I've "been around" in the nicest possible sense. Meaning I've lived in several states in this great country, and I've lived long enough to have gained a certain amount of hard-earned wisdom. I've always heard to "write what you know." My debut novel, Awakening (November 2010), is the beginning of The Lewis Legacy Series, and is loosely based on my love story with my husband, Jim. Subsequent releases in The Lewis Legacy Series include Second Time Around (September 2011), Twin Hearts (April 2012) and Daydreams (December 2012). The fifth book in the series, Moonbeams, is expected to release in late winter or the early spring of 2014. Many more installments are planned for the series!

Catching Serenity, a full-length, standalone novel, released in September 2013.

All of the above-mentioned books are available in both ebook format and paperback editions. I like to call them contemporary Christian romantic adventures and are slightly longer in length and more "outside the box" of traditional "formula" romance with elements of romance, a little mystery here and there, emotion, drama and an abundance of humor along with showing how God works in the lives of my characters.

I've also written two fun, contemporary Christmas novellas set in fictional Starlight, Iowa. The first is Meet Me Under the Mistletoe (November 2012) and its sequel, Starlight, Star Bright, released in November 2013.

Contact JoAnn Durgin at: http://joanndurgin.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/joann.durgin?fref=ts

My Review ~

Lexa Clarke is a beautiful, petite and feisty young woman who is impulsive, headstrong and in need of change in her life. Looking for a way to heal from a broken relationship, and hoping for some adventure, Lexa volunteers for a summer session in a Christian work camp. Her dream of working in some exotic foreign country is quashed upon discovering she will be helping rebuild homes destroyed by flooding in a remote area of Texas. 

A tall, dark and handsome cowboy, Sam Lewis is the director of the TeamWork Mission. Self-assured and a solid leader, Sam's honesty and integrity intimidate Lexa but her feisty personality proves she can hold her own. Their sparring leads to flirting, and Sam and Lexa learn some important lessons from each other as their attraction for one another is "awakened" during their time spent together in the work camp. Sam's strong faith dominates his very essence to the point that Lexa finds it difficult to believe he can be so confident in his assurance of God's love. Lexa feels like an imposter among the lifelong Christians in the work camp. 

The differences between the main characters is staggering, and sparks fly! A lot of teasing, a little flirting, and concern in Sam's mind regarding Lexa's weak spiritual walk make for interesting reading. Strong Christians can be intimidating and appear conceited to one who is new in the faith walk, and that example is put to good use. The author has created a strong story of differences overcome through examples of patience, tolerance and prayer. Christian growth and sizzling romance are highlights in this story of Sam and Lexa. A large dose of wit and spunk is included between the main characters. Numerous plots and subplots intertwine to create a page-turning adventure including mystery, challenge, compassion and romance. If you enjoy Christian Romance you'll love Awakening!

I received a copy of this book from the author, having won the book in a contest. All opinions expressed in this review are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.