Love on a Whim Review

(From Goodreads)

Brynn Haywood’s impulsive marriage to a man she’d known less than 24 hours leaves her with deep regret. She flees to Cape Cod, finding refuge with her loyal friend, Dawn Dixon. As Brynn grapples with her emotions, Dawn acts swiftly, eager to help secure a lawyer for her through her mother Marnie’s good friend, Lincoln Hayes. However, Lincoln’s preoccupation with his daughter’s lavish wedding brings unexpected challenges.

The arrival of Lincoln’s estranged son, Bear Hayes, stirs the waters further. Alarmed by his father’s extravagant generosity toward the Dixon family, Bear ignites friction between Marnie and Lincoln. As the wedding day arrives, Lincoln vanishes–and an unwelcome guest makes a surprise appearance.

The setting was one of my favorite aspects of this story—like Brynn, I find the beach to be a perfect getaway, and the Creamery and baking throughout are just an added bonus. Chatham indeed sounds like an ideal place to visit and live, with a small-town feel, a walkable beach, and charming historical buildings. It also seemed like the perfect backdrop for this story of forgiveness and family.

I also greatly enjoyed the many characters that filled this story. Brynn and TD had a unique story as the main romance characters, and I liked learning more about their personalities, character, and backgrounds. The central conflict was not resolved too quickly, though I would have liked more focus on them starting to work things out. Although I predicted the reveal of TD, it was still amusing and entertaining to read.

The other characters clearly stand on their own, while providing context (and sometimes conflicting advice) to the two central characters. I loved Marnie’s constant reliance and focus on God, enjoyed Lincoln’s care and generosity to his entire family, and related to Dawn’s desire to control everything to ensure a good outcome. With the changing perspectives throughout the book, you could easily see how each character learned and grew from beginning to end.

As with many of the books I read, my main disappointment with “The Song of Sourwood Mountain” is that I wanted more to read. I certainly wanted to hear more from each of our main characters, and with all of the build-up at the beginning, their respective story resolutions seemed somewhat short-ended. I was also somewhat uncomfortable with the way Mira seemed coerced into a new role as teacher and wife without much time or choice. I do understand that this represents a different time, and did appreciate that she chose to move forward herself in faith. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this story and will be looking forward to others by Ann H. Gabhart.

• Summer Beaches

• Family Stories

• Sweet Treats