Bookshelf Friday - Until I Found You by Victoria Bylin

While driving to Florida I had the chance to read Victoria Bylin's newest release--her first from Bethany House! Here's the blurb and beautiful cover, and we'll chat on the other side:)

Finding each other was only the beginning . . . 

When Kate Darby swerves off a mountain road to avoid hitting a California condor, she ends up trapped in her car, teetering on the edge of a cliff. Terrified, she breathes a prayer that changes her life. 

It's Nick Sheridan who comes to Kate's rescue. Nick is handsome and confident, and he seems to develop a habit of rescuing her, but Kate is in town only until her grandmother recuperates from a stroke. She's not planning to get involved with one of the locals. 

Nick is a reformed veteran of life in the fast lane, a new Christian, and a travel writer. When he sees a car dangling on the edge of a cliff, the daredevil in him jumps into action. He doesn't expect to be swept off his feet by the car's occupant. He's made a vow--no dating for a year--but keeping that vow is going to be a lot more difficult now that he's met Kate Darby. . . .

Like I said, isn't that a gorgeous cover? I first saw it on NetGalley and thought that's a book I have to read! I was so excited when it landed on top of my TBR pile just as we were leaving for Florida, and I couldn't wait to start it as soon as we climbed in our car. Of course, with the fast-paced beginning of the book, I quickly became happy that our minivan was no where near any cliffs:)

The fast-paced start gave way to a milder paced remaining story where the reader gets to know Kate, Nick, and Kate's grandmother, Leona, among many other characters. As a reader, I struggled with Kate. I truly enjoyed her strength as a woman and her desire for both her career and her family. I understood her inner battle over how to make both work and also enjoyed her spiritual journey. However, at times I didn't care for how she seemed to push Nick even though he shared his determination to keep a commitment he'd made between himself and God. And though this bothered me, I could also understand she wasn't in the same place with her faith as Nick.

And, oh, Nick:) He was an amazing lead male. I loved his strength and tenderness with Kate. I also liked how uncomfortable he was being placed on a pedestal by her at times, and that he constantly redirected her toward God. He was a man who held his convictions closely, even when it came at a personal cost to his heart. I loved the story question his spiritual journey brought up--has God called us to something or have we done that ourselves? I also liked seeing a new Christian walk out their faith; trials, temptations, and all. He was by no means perfect, but he did understand grace, and that was refreshing to see.

All together I enjoyed this book. While I wasn't crazy about the condors, they did play beautifully into the storyline and added a richness to it, as did Leona and her letters to Kate. Victoria knows how to write an amazing leading man and even Kate, though I didn't always like her choices, was a fun character to read. I'll definitely look for more books by Victoria in the future.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. You can purchase it here.

If you'd like to see a break-down of what my stars equal, check out my page My Ratings System to the right there. And a big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Known for her realistic, likable characters and vivid writing, Victoria Bylin writes both western and contemporary inspirational romance. Her books have finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, the Rita Awards and RT Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Awards. She and her husband currently live in Lexington, Kentucky and have two grown sons.