No Other is one of those stories that you envision a grandparent sharing of their past. Shawna has a beautiful way with words. They grab you by the heart strings and carry you away to another place and time. Her writing style flows. It's as though she is sharing her story with you over a cup of coffee. It's clear to see the passion she has for telling a story of great love. This is a novel that will carry a great legacy behind it.
The characters are rich and vibrant. They are real, with flaws, trials and heartache. We see how the Lord brings beauty from ash. There is beauty found within these pages that will stay with me for years to come. I was sad to close the last page. The story continues with, "In All Things", available now for your eReader.
Jakob's story is one of loss, tragedy, trial, and forgiveness. He holds His Christian values dear to his heart, but he is hurting. His family has been through so very much. The war has taken place and things are not the same. A war so very far away has touched his family and left it's mark burning in the heart of Jakob. Most of all, it's one of overcoming. It's one of letting go and letting God.
Meri is that girl that comes from everything Jakob did not have. As the story is being woven we see that material wealth is not what brings joy to life. Meri's family is controlling and has brought much pain to her life. She needs to find an escape route. She just wants to be herself and seek her own dreams instead of fulfilling what others expect from her. She knows of God, but not what is real of Him. Only the facade that her family has created.
Jakob and Meri share a love story like no other that I have read. It's pure and deep. We see these two character grow in such valuable ways. The road before them is not an easy one, but with faith, nothing can stand in their way.
The cover of this novel is breathtaking. The house is a story of it's own. The locket tells of a love that is withstanding. I encourage you to pick up this gem that holds a story of value. It's hard to find wondrous stories like this one Shawna has penned. I truly loved it.
This book was given to me by Shawna K. Williams for its review and is published by Desert Breeze Publications.
Shawna's writing journey started with a dream --- an actual, nighttime dream. The story within her dream captivated her to the point that she became obsessive, and in order to put together all the little details and fill in the gaps, she had to write it down. Now she has two books based upon it. Shawna is an Inspirational Romance writer, who loves creating complex, flawed characters, believing that's the secret to making them real. And as an inspirational author, she is able to write about God's Grace through her characters' humanity. She also loves including a good dose of nostalgia in her work, which is why her stories tend to take place in small towns during the first half of the 20th century. When she's not writing, she's spends her time with her husband and three children, reads, makes jewelry, and enjoys life on her family's ranch.
