The first thing that drew me to this novel? That cover. I think it perfectly captures the vintage spirit of the novel 🙂.
An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.
But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.
When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?
The Road to Paradise is a novel of love, loss, and finding God. The descriptions of the park made me want to take a trip to Washington, and I loved the romance between Margie and Ford.
Unfortunately, it took me quite some time to get into the novel and begin appreciating it. I guess part of that is that the novel moves fairly slowly at the beginning, and I struggled to focus. Before too long, though, the extent of Margie's ex-fiancé Philip's villainy comes to light, and then I was all in wanting to see how they would defeat him.
Surprises abound throughout the novel, and the struggle to save the park—and Margie's family—from Philip is what kept me turning the pages. Overall, it's an enjoyable read that fans of fiction set in the early 20th century should love. 3-1/2 stars.
Read an excerpt.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Barnett's Beyond the Ashes (3-1/2 stars), Out of the Ruins (4 stars), Through the Shadows (5 stars), and Mistaken (4 stars).
KAREN BARNETT, author of Mistaken, Out of the Ruins, and Beyond the Ashes, is a former park ranger. She worked as a ranger naturalist and outdoor educator at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Silver Falls State Park, and Mount Rainier National Park. When not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, and public speaking. She lives in Oregon with her family.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thanks for the review!! I too was drawn to it by the cover and it sounds like a worthwhile read!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it if/when you get to read it!
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