Book Review: Regaining Mercy by Carolyn Miller

REGAINING MERCY
SERIES: Elnora Island #6
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Celebrate Lit Publishing
RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2021
PAGES: 202

A mom ready to do anything for her son. A man determined to win the woman he loves.

Going on Love at First Glance had seemed like such a good idea. She didn’t care about finding Mr. Right. No, Mindy Murray chose the reality TV show for more mercenary reasons.  A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do when it comes to feeding her son.

When Mindy returns to Elnora, the girl from the “wrong side of the island” just wants a chance to rebuild her reputation. Too bad the folks at church don’t practice what the preacher preaches.

Enter Dermott Reilly. The interim boss at Greener Gardens has always had a soft spot for Mindy and her son, but with his new responsibilities, an important garden competition, and a few other concerns, he finds it difficult to prove himself to her.

A tropical storm and a missing child prove that sometimes grace appears in the most unusual ways.

Regaining Mercy concludes the Elnora Island romances of the Independence Islands Series, featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily ever-afters.

Other Books In This Series

Every great romance needs a gallant hero, the kind who may not be perfect but definitely has a kind heart, a courageous spirit, and a faithful mind. It doesn’t hurt if he looks dashing either, but what makes him swoonilicious is what’s on the inside. Carolyn Miller is a master of creating heroes like that, and she’s given us another one in Dermott Reilly! From the very beginning when he comes to Mindy’s defense, we know he’s definitely one of the good guys. Watching him around Mindy & Mindy’s son Jon just confirms it, and his overall swooniness was just icing on the cake to his general integrity & love for God. I loved how he treated Mindy and how he lived out his faith.

Mindy is one of those characters that you just want to hug close & pray for a break in the struggles she’s faced – and continues to face – throughout her life. Some of it is the result of her family’s bad decisions, and some of it is the result of her own bad decisions…. and some of it is just the result of life in a broken world. Regardless of the reason, her weary & bruised heart needs rest from the cruel words thrown at her, and she needs an infusion of Jesus’ love to soothe the places in her spirit that need healing & remind her of her worth and value. Enter Dermott who has a knack for showing up at just the right time, as well as Mindy’s neighbor Tina & daughter Mercy who are Jesus’ hands and feet for Mindy & sweet little Jon. Miller weaves these moments seamlessly through the story without being preachy or feeling forced, and Mindy’s journey to restoration with God is sweet and natural.

Bottom Line: Regaining Mercy by Carolyn Miller has a little bit of everything for its readers – layered characters, an engaging plot, some heart-in-your-throat moments, reality drama, island living, gentle faith messages, and a sweet love story. This is the only book I’ve read so far in the Elnora Island series or the overarching Independence Island series, and I did feel a bit off kilter at first, trying to orient myself to where the islands were located and who all the players were. But once I (quickly) got situated in the story, it reads really well as a stand alone. It’s a touching novel of restoration and, yes, finding mercy (in more ways than one), and it hits all the ‘summer romance read’ sweet spots, too!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / will forget to breathe on occasion

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Also available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Carolyn Miller is a bestselling Australian author of historical and contemporary romance. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include the nine books of the Regency Brides series and the Regency Wallflowers series. Her contemporary novels include those in the Independence Islands series and the Original Six hockey romance series.

Her stories have been described by Publishers Weekly as “a winsome exploration of life, love and faith” and witty “with snappy repartee that rockets off the page” (Library Journal). Readers enjoy these books that are humorous yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges. Her novels can be considered ‘inspirational’, and may appeal to readers of Christian fiction, who want stories of hope and redemption – with a twist of Aussie humour.

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Other Books by Carolyn Miller

If you want to try one of her historical romances too, may I suggest this one:

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