As the teenaged pastor’s daughter of New Hope Church, Sharonda Peterson knew finding comfort in Carl’s arms was a mistake. But how could the only night she ever felt beautiful be wrong?

When Carl leaves town to pursue an acting and singing career, Sharonda relegates herself to a life of church service—and solitude—rather than face the pain now associated with that one night.

Carl Ray Everhart has been caught up in the fast pace of fame … and female adoration. But a near-death experience has him questioning everything and vowing to set things straight … starting with the love that got away.

When Carl returns home to serve as the worship leader at New Hope, Sharonda finds that it takes every ounce of her resolve to resist his pursuits … not to mention memories that threaten to overturn the delicate balance she’s created. Can she finally surrender the one thing she’s tried all these years to protect: her heart?

This was an interesting read for me — the cultural differences are so great that it was hard to connect with the main character because I just could not imagine being put in the position she lived, from the controlling/expectant parents to the formality and rigidness of the church structure (I’ve never heard of a First Lady of a church before!).

This romance trope isn’t my favorite — a lot of miscommunications that could have been cleared up if the characters had talked to each other — but it was a sweet story. My favorite character was actually Janice, whose story I wouldn’t mind reading!

Though it wasn’t my favorite romance trope, it was a fun, easy-to-read story with a sigh-worthy happily ever after.

Rated PG. Get your copy here!