Even though her husband has been dead for five years, Emma Woodson has only just moved to Nantucket to claim the cottage and adjoining apartment she inherited from him. Now she’s hoping this will be a fresh start for her and her son, CJ, once she gets a job and finds someone to clear out the apartment so she can rent that out in holiday season. Falling in love with her tenant was not on her to-do list, aka the Year of Emma.
Jameson Shaw came to Nantucket to deliver Emma a letter confessing his role in her husband’s death. But when she assumes he’s answered her want ad to renovate the apartment, he takes the job and doesn’t give her the letter. He soon finds himself developing feelings for Emma which makes it harder and harder to tell her the truth …
And we can all see that’s not a great foundation for a lasting relationship.
It’s obvious from the first chapter that Jamie has some kind of secret involving Cam, Emma’s dead husband. He doesn’t mention it immediately (and in his defence, it’s not his fault Emma jumped to 100% the wrong conclusion when she saw him). And I can understand why he didn’t tell her – there was no right time. But the bigger the secret and the longer it’s kept, the harder it is to reveal the truth … and that’s a big part of the tension in the story. It was done well, but the lying by omission still bugged me.
Emma also has a secret. It’s hinted at in the book description but we’re a long way through the novel before it’s mentioned, let alone revealed. In many ways, her secret is worse than Jamie’s, even if the results weren’t as catastrophic. In that, it kind of explains why she took so long to get over Cam’s death.
What Matters Most was Christian fiction at the low-key end of Christian.
Emma and Jamie each had their own internal journey to go through, and they both needed to forgive themselves sufficiently before they would even be in the right mental place to consider asking God’s forgiveness. (Fortunately, God forgives before we ask. But we can’t live in that forgiveness if we’re not ready to accept it.) Their eventual acceptance isn’t necessarily told on the page, but is shown by their actions. After all, actions speak louder than words.
What Matters Most by Courtney Walsh is a compelling romance with underlying themes of faith and forgiveness. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on XSo while What Matters Most isn’t overt in its presentation of Christianity, faith and forgiveness are definitely the underlying themes. In that, it’s a compelling story with a lot of kisses in the meantime.
Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance from authors like Kara Isaac, Carolyn Miller, and Becky Wade.
Thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About the Author
Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theater director, and playwright. Change of Heart is her fifth novel and is set in the same town as Paper Hearts. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well as two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing and visual arts studio. They have three children.
Find Courtney Walsh online at …
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About What Matters Most
Jameson Shaw came to Nantucket for one reason: deliver his letter to Emma and never return. But when he sees an opportunity to help her, he takes a chance, desperate to atone for his past. He never planned to keep his connection to her husband a secret or to fall in love with her. After all, he knows that their new relationship might not survive the discovery of who he really is.
Find What Matters Most online at:
Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong
