By Kelly Bridgewater
(NOTE! THIS BOOK IS A SWEET INSPIRATIONAL WITH A HIGHER LEVEL
OF ROMANTIC PASSION)
He’s a hotshot who takes up a dare.
She’s an aspiring missionary who wants to beware.
But will love become a gamble with a dare and a
prayer?
Lieutenant Henry Dennehy is a cocky and carefree fighter pilot in the Pacific
Theatre of WW2, known for scoring big, both in the sky and on land. But when
his buddies offer a bet he can’t refuse to turn the head of the “untouchable”
nurse at 369th Station Hospital—a woman who’s shot down more flyboys than the
enemy—he’s bound and determined to win. Problem is, if he wins the dare, will
he lose at love?
Lieutenant Amy Leigh MacArthur was on her way to the mission field when she
detoured to fight for her country instead, an Army nurse whose interest lies
only in healing the wounded and teaching orphans to read. Certainly not in men,
and definitely not in Henry Dennehy, the boy who ridiculed her years ago as a
shy and homely teen. But when Henry pursues her and won’t take no for an
answer, Amy finds a way that gives him no choice.
Until, that is, love does the same for them both ...
My Thoughts:
A Dare and a Prayer
by Julie Lessman reminded me a lot of A Light in the Window, which is
the O’Connor’s family start story. The story begins with a dare from fellow
soldiers in Japan to Henry to capture the pretty, untouchable woman. A Light
in the Window had a dare between two friends. The story starts in Japan and
spends about sixty percent of the novel takes place in this setting. Lessman
does a wonderful job at crafting the hero, Henry, with a heart when he spends
time at the orphanage in Japan. Of course, this makes it easy for Amy to break
down some of her walls, not all, but some. As a word of warning, Lessman does
dive into human trafficking with young kids, and some of the moments will make
readers cringe. Also, if readers are familiar with Lessman’s stories, then they
will be familiar with how far she dives into the emotional feelings of the
characters. Most of her stories show the realistic truth of the emotions of the
characters as they fall in love and can’t wait to spend more time behind doors.
As for the change of Henry’s heart, it does happen throughout the story. He
wants Amy, so the Lord presses on him, and things change. Similarly, Amy, the
heroine, also has a change of heart from the beginning to the end of the story.
Personally, I love watching characters as they transform for the better by the
end of a story. Even though majority of stories feature this, I do enjoy
watching characters who fight and struggle and eventually cave into something
they realize is better for them. Like a relationship with God. Lessman is a
master at creating characters who speak truth into her character’s lives. As
someone who is familiar with all of Lessman’s stories, she does dive back into
the character’s lives of previous members of this family. Thanksgiving at
Patrick and Macy’s house with all the kids and all the grandkids. It is nice to
see a family that focuses on prayer and the support of each other. With the
state of America’s families today, Lessman shows a wonderful view of the way
that God created family. Overall, A Dare and A Prayer by Julie Lessman
is a familiar story with a different setting, but the transformation of the
main characters through prayer and family support makes spending time with this
story worthwhile.
I received a complimentary copy of A Dare
and A Prayer by Julie Lessman from Julie Lessman, but the opinions stated
are all my own.
My Rating:
4
out of 5 stars
Purchase A Dare and A Prayer
About the Author:
Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, Silver Lining Ranch, and The Cousins O’Connor series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 21 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fictionmagazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, Best of 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-20, 2021 and 2023, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. Her independent novel A Light in the Window was an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers' Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner.
Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets. Contact Julie through her website and read excerpts from each of her books at www.julielessman.com.
October 1 — Radiant Light Blog (tease)
October 1 — LiteraryScape Book Club
October 2 — Grace Johnson Spotlight
October 3 — Britt Reads Fiction
October 4 — Where Faith and Books Meet
October 5 — A Baker’s Perspective
October 6 — My Favorite Pastime
October 7 — Reading is My SuperPower
October 8 — Writing Between the Lines
October 9 — Locks, Hooks, and Books
October 10 — Splashes of Joy
October 10 — Saraina Whitney Blog
October 11 — Radiant Light Blog (review)
October 12 — Miss Pippi Reads Blog
October 13 — Christian Bookaholic
October 14 — Grace Johnson Review
October 15 — Scraps of Life Blog
CHECK OUT JULIE’S CONTESTS!
In honor of A Dare and a Prayer’s book birthday, Julie has two contests going on where you can win the following:
GRAND PRIZE (2 chances to win!):
—$50 Amazon gift card or $25 Amazon gift card
—Choice of three of Julie’s e-books or one of her signed paperbacks
—A character named after you or a loved one in her next book and a signed paperback copy
—Your choice of one paperback from Julie’s list of top-selling CBA authors, including Tamera Alexander, Colleen Coble, Rachel Hauck, Denise Hunter, Robin Lee Hatcher, Nancy Naigle, Cara Putman, Deborah Raney, Katherine Reay, Becky Wade, and Beth Vogt.
RUNNERS-UP PRIZES (8 chances to win!):
—Choice of three of my e-books
—OR choice of one of my signed paperbacks (based on my private stash)
—OR choice of one paperback from a list of the above-mentioned top CBA authors (based on my private stash)
So, check all the details out at her Journal Jots Blog HERE and GOOD LUCK!
