Book Review & Tour: Enduring Light by Carla Kelly

Enduring Light by Carla Kelly

Publisher:Cedar Fort Publishing

Publish Date: January 8, 2012

Paperback, 392 pages 
Fiction, Historical, Romance
 ISBN: 978-1599559841

My Review:
This is another books, that while I was reading and when I finished, I just thought, "Wow".  The story is poignant, it's beautiful.  It has meaning and love.  It has one of those love that goes past the mushiness and the superficial.  When I think of Paul and Julia, I think of a love for all eternity and a deep and abidinig love that nothing that can stop.  Ms. Kelly crafts this love into this story and does a beautiful job with it, making it believable and so interwoven into the story and into your thoughts as you read it that you can't put it down.

Enduring Light is the second book in the series that started with Borrowed Light which I did not read.  And while I felt slightly lost at the beginning of the book.  I quickly was filled in on what was going on and got  a feel for the characters.  Once I got a feel for the book and characters I could not put the book down.  That is when the story really took on a lilfe of it's own for me.  Ms. Kelly just seems to have a way with a romance novel.  She made the setting, the life of being a cattle rancher's wife and the life of being a Mormon come to life.  And all the while kept me enthralled with the love story and a little bit of suspense on the side as well.

One of the many things I love about this book is even though Paul and Julia are striving to live a live according to the teachings of The Book of Mormon and their spiritual leaders, Ms. Kelly never shys away from the romantic elements of the book.  It's not overt, but you know that Paul and Julia enjoy themselves.  Everything is off the page, but their relationship is very heated and passionate like newlyweds saving themselves for marriage would be and I like that she showed that without being graphic about it.  There is also quite a bit of humor during the book.  I often found myself chuckling out loud while reading at some of the antics of Paul and his workers and even Julia who is no shrinking violet.

That brings me to the characters.  Julia and Paul are just amazing.  Julia is a strong female who loves her husband and wants to do right by him.  Paul is every bit a virile cattle man, but when it comes to Julia, he would do anything to protect her and anything to help her.  They share their secrets, they share their love.  You just have to read it to see.  I promise if you enjoy romances, historical or not, you will enjoy this one.  I must now go back and read Borrowed Light because I want more of these two and I want their back story.

Timeless, heart-stopping romance.  Amazing characters. A plot that will keep you interested from the first page to the last.  An interesting historical backdrop of the old west during the early 1900s all made Enduring Love a winner in my eyes.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:

Julia Darling is finally able to marry Paul Otto for eternity. But it’s a harsh world for a rancher in turn-of-the-century Wyoming, especially a Mormon rancher. When alienation and threats begin, Julia must prove she’s her husband’s equal in strength and endurance as she learns to let go of scars on the outside and inside.

Bestselling author Carla Kelly has woven a new story of a determined rancher, his wife, and how they discover the depths of love.

Book Poster Page



About the Author: 

A newcomer to Cedar Fort, Inc., Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New york and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two rita Awards (think oscars for romance writing) from romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America.

Recently, she's been writing regency romances (think Pride and Prejudice) set in the royal Navy's Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars between england and France. She comes by her love of the ocean from her childhood as a Navy brat.

Carla's history background makes her no stranger to footnote work, either. During her National Park Service days at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Carla edited Friedrich Kurz's fur trade journal. She recently completed a short history of Fort Buford, where Sitting Bull surrendered in 1881. Following the "dumb luck" principle that has guided their lives, the Kellys recently moved to Wellington, Utah, from North Dakota and couldn't be happier in their new location. In her spare time, Carla volunteers at the railroad and Mining Museum in Helper, Utah. She likes to visit her five children, who live here and there around the United States. Her favorite place in Utah is Manti, located after a drive on the scenic byway through Huntington Canyon.

And why is she so happy these days? Carla looks forward to writing for an LDS audience now, where she feels most at home.

Carla Kelly's Blog

Carla Kelly's Website
Carla Kelly's Facebook

Here's the schedule for the rest of the tour, make sure to check out some of the rest of the stops.

Links to the Publisher:

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review. 

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