Tamara Alexander's Revealed ~ Reviewed

Revealed
By Tamara Alexander
Published by Bethany House
ISBN 0-7642-0108-5

Words, once spoken, can mend a broken life...or cripple it.
But words left unspoken can haunt the soul, inflicting a far deeper wound.

Annabelle Grayson has been given a second chance at life, but she can't claim it with the cloud of her past hanging over her in Willow Springs. After her husband dies, she advertises for a trail guide to accompany her to land waiting for her in Idaho -- and a most unlikely candidate applies for the job.

Matthew Taylor is a man on the run, with consequences of past mistakes pursuing him at every turn. Meeting Annabelle Grayson the first time was unpleasant enough, but when she crosses his path again, her presence in his life -- and what she reveals -- is devastating. If given a single wish, Matthew would turn back time and right a grievous wrong. If given a second wish, he would make Annabelle Grayson pay.

"Rekindled" drew enthusiastic comments and created a buzz in Christian fiction. I've intended to read it but haven't gotten to it yet. Now that I've read "Revealed" I intend to rewind and pick up "Rekindled."

Tamara Alexander had me with her first sentence. "Annabelle Grayson McCutchens stared at the dying man beside her and wished, as she had the day she married him, that she loved her husband more."

I saw a similarity between Annabelle's story in "Revealed" and "Reedeming Love" by Francine Rivers. Both in subject matter and the sweetness in how it was handled.

This enjoyable and touching novel should appeal to historical and romance fans and those who love to see God at work changing lives and hearts.

A solid, well-crafted novel with moments of pain, beauty and love that almost take the reader's breath away. The further I stepped into the story the sadder I became at the approaching ending.

The only complaint I could log would be that the book wasn't long enough to give a day by day detailed description of life between the main characters. I felt like I missed little shreds of developing relationship - a sign that I got overly involved with the characters. Which is the ultimate goal in fiction, is it not?

Reviewed by Kelly Klepfer