The Ride of Her Life (Manawa Summers #3)
Lilly Hart is struggling as a widowed mother in a small town of Iowa in 1906. Her in-laws are resorting to treachery to gain custody of her young son Levi, but thankfully Lilly has a friend in roller coaster builder Nick, if only she would stop being too stubborn to accept his help. Lilly is determined to save enough money from her waitressing job to buy a house in Lake Manawa so that she can provide a stable home for Levi, but at what cost?
Her powerful father-in-law applies pressure from all angles against Lilly, which includes harming Nick’s upcoming roller coaster debut, putting lives in danger as well as Nick’s livelihood. Throughout the story the reader knows what Lilly must do, and whom she should and should not trust, which makes Lilly’s stubbornness tougher to tolerate as it slows the story down. The lighthearted and fun-spirited romance is rounded out with the suspense from the father-in-law’s shady dealings, and both Nick and Levi make extremely lovable characters. The inspirational theme is quietly laced throughout as both Nick and Lilly work through the questions of their faith and how God fits in their lives, making this a sweet romance novel.
