In the second book in the Second Chance series, When Dreams Cross, Terri Blackstock creates another romantic world for her readers to enjoy. Responsible for building the theme park mentioned in Never Again Goodbye, Andi Sherman must select a cartoon to give her park some character. Unknowlingly, she picks Khaki Kangaroo, brainchild of her ex-boyfriend Justin Pierce. Justin and Andis parting was anything but amicable in the past, and their business relationship doesnt appear much stronger. They reluctantly agree to the partnership, in the interest of both companies, but find themselves butting heads every step of the way. Each maintains a controlling, domineering attitude, and neither is apt to forgive readily for current mistakes or transgressions made long ago. As if Andis plate werent full enough, she must struggle with public opinion against her park. Every step of the way, she has to fight to make things work. The final blows come as the park descends into catastrophe; fires, wreckage, and crashes all conspire against Promised Lands grand opening. And through it all Andi must nurse both her dying father and her struggling faith. When I reviewed Never Again Goodbye, I noted that the style was profoundly different from Blackstocks other Christian novels. An introductory note at the beginning of When Dreams Cross explains the differences. Apparently Blackstock originally wrote the Second Chance novels as secular romances. When the rights reverted to her, she rewrote them as Christian romances. The stories are good, but Blackstocks strength comes out more in her detective stories or perhaps I just enjoyed those more. She is certainly a descriptive writer, and her characters struggle realistically with emotions and trials. She writes clearly and well, and again, if I hadnt started off on her murder mysteries, I might find myself enjoying these romances more. That said, the plot cant hide the fact that she is a talented writer with a clear voice, and the fact that she can jump from one style to the other is further evidence of her abilities as a writer. The struggles between Andi and Justin, central to the novel, are carried off well. Blackstock gives clear reason for their misunderstandings and miscommunications, and creates realistic actions and reactions. Personally, I had my suspicions about the parks problems with the fire, and I thought a bit more could have been done with that angle; but again, this is more of a romance than a criminal novel. The spiritual growth of her characters came slowly and subtly, with the most obvious signs of their faith being the amusement park and cartoon characters, both religious in nature. Personal growth comes more subtly, with a lighter touch, although the scriptures woven into the story fit the context and the need. Blackstock has proven her strengths as a writer with these clear stories, and I can easily see how she grew as a writer when I compare the two. Although When Dreams Cross does not rank high on my list of favorites it didnt keep me up all night, and I probably wont read it again, unlike her other novels it was certainly well written, and made for an excellent romantic novel. |
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