Be Still My Soul (#01 in The Cadence Of Grace Series)

Shy Lonnie Sawyer is forced by her abusive father into a shotgun marriage with handsome Gideon O'Reilly after he walks her home from a dance and kisses her goodnight. But marriage isn't what Lonnie expected. She leaves her home with Gideon, who wants to move to the nearby town of Slade to find work. But even that doesn't go according to plan as Gideon forges on without any thought for his wife and ends up walking in circles, lost. Close to starving, they are taken in by an older couple who form an immediate attachment to Lonnie, and agree to allow Gideon to stay for her sake. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe early Gideon was a thoroughly unlikeable character, but I saw Gideon gradually change, saw him grow up and realise that he was not the man he should be. What I didn't see was Lonnie seeing this. At one point she acknowledges that she loves Gideon (this is a Christian romance-we expect the married couple to live happily ever after), but I never really saw where she had changed her mind or why she had fallen for him. It seemed that on day she loathed him and the next she loved him-we never really saw Lonnie grow and change, either emotionally or spiritually. I also found the Christian elements very understated, possibly too much so. \\r\\n\\r\\nAs a first novel, this shows promise. The author has captured the atmosphere of the Blue Mountains beautifully, the writing is good, and her characters feel very real. So, despite the faults noted above, I think Joanne Bischoff is a writer to watch.…

Debut author Joanne Bischof takes on some heavy subject matter in her Appalachian novel, Be Still My Soul, the first in her Cadence of Grace series. An unwanted marriage forced upon Lonnie and Gideon has expected consequences - bitterness, anger, disappointment and shattered hopes. Joanne lets these feelings run their course and doesn't shy away from the negative and harmful responses that play out, initially by Gideon who becomes destructive and dangerous, and later as Lonnie's shattered heart results in angry rejection. Uniquely, Joanne takes a big risk, especially with readers who seek out a charming if not perfect hero, penning a man whose physical appeal is marred by a selfish and bitter heart, resulting in a character I didn't care for through much of the book. Joanne's authenticity in the creation of Gideon is to be applauded and his journey, in particular, makes for an intriguing and refreshing read. Minor characters play important roles, adding conflict and restoring hope, while the Appalachian mountains and community come alive. While I wished for more interaction between Gideon and Lonnie to share in their changing feelings toward each other, just as my thoughts towards Gideon altered, Be Still My Soul is a pleasing beginning to Joanne's writing career and I look forward to more stories from this promising writer.