I have been waiting for this book for quite some time. And I can tell you it was worth every minute of the wait! Dawn Kinzer held nothing back in her first novel, Sarah’s Smile. Don’t you just love that cover? I do. Sarah’s Smile is available for pre-order. The release date is October 14. Thursday! Let me tell you about the story.

Forsaken by her parents and Peter Caswell, Sarah McCall lives with a bitter grandmother in a town filled with nothing but bad memories she had no part in making. Desiring to leave it all behind, Sarah makes plans for a mission trip to Africa.

But when her childhood sweetheart and widower, Peter Caswell, comes back to town as the new pastor, Sarah begins to rethink her plans. When she receives a denial from the Mission Board, Sarah believes God is giving her another chance with Peter.

With hope renewed once more, Sarah sets her heart on a future with Peter but quickly finds the past isn’t the only thing between them when others in the town make plans to keep them apart. Will Sarah finally let go of the past and embrace a future with Peter? Will Peter finally man-up and fight for Sarah?

Of course, we know the real question isn’t will or if, but when and how.

My Thoughts

Where do I begin?

This story touched me on so many levels. The inner child in me empathized with Sarah’s pain. The reader lived the story. The woman of God experienced the Message, meticulously woven throughout the lives of the characters. And finally, the writer appreciated the author’s ability to make her forget it was only a story. And that is almost impossible to do!

Another thing I liked about this story is Sarah and Peter may have argued, but they didn’t allow misunderstandings to go all the way to the end of the book. And clarification of a simple misunderstanding wasn’t what brought these two together. Their relationship naturally grew out of their mutual love for helping others in their community.

I also liked the fact that I couldn’t figure out how on earth Peter and Sarah would get out of the mess created by a sanctimonious busybody. Would Peter, as the community leader, resolve the wrong done to Sarah? Could Sarah convince others of her innocence? The reveal was a complete surprise! Bravo!

Sarah’s Smile has it all: a heroine, a shepherd, an addicted lost soul, the tormented soul, the self-righteous saint, and the down-to-earth town folks. Who could ask for more? I couldn’t. Dawn Kinzer is now on my must-read list, and I’m looking forward to the next installment in the Riverton Series, Hope’s Design.

My rating:

• One star for an exceptional plot.
• One star for well-rounded characters.
• One star for a charming setting.
• One star for effortlessly sharing the gospel.
• One star for the epilogue!

Note: I received a free copy of Sarah’s Smile for an honest review.

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