Books & Spoons Review A SOLDIER'S VALENTINE by Jenna Mindel

20/1/2016

The Captain's Homecoming

Retired army captain Zach Zelinsky is determined to put his harrowing past behind him and start a quiet life selling his artwork.
But the storefront building he buys comes with a tenant—a too-pretty tea shop owner who doesn't give him a moment's rest.

Ginger Carleton is rallying the merchants of Maple Springs, Michigan, for a Valentine's Day window-decorating contest. And she's on a mission to convince Zach to lose the gruff exterior and open up to her.
As February 14 approaches, the wounded warrior may just find that Ginger is offering exactly what he's been missing: love.

A sweet, emotional story about a couple, trying to find their place in the world, learning to trust, and love, while creating some fascinating glass art.
First, I have to say, the glass work that Zach was doing, and teaching others to do, was inspiring. The author managed to pull me in that process completely, and I was hooked. Amazing, really.
Zach and Ginger are both in a crossroads in their lives, even though Ginger doesn't really accept that fact. I enjoyed their interaction with each other, it was full of energy, spunk, and passion. Zach has his wounds from his service, both physical and emotional. His nightmares and flashbacks, his survivor's guilt eat him inside.
Ginger is struggling with self worth issues, rooting from her childhood. Her store is in financial trouble, and seems to lack a future.
But with Zack, and while creating the art with him, there's fire, light, and life inside both of them, and they both flourish.
They have a strong faith in God, but somehow it seems to be boxed into the Sunday service, at least towards the end of the story. I expected them to relay on their faith, when the going got rough, but that element was dropped off the story towards the end.
Both Zach and Ginger have some issues they need to work with, and that 'work' didn't come to conclusions here, and I thought that was a perfect, since life doesn't happen that way, and it takes time to heal. Instead, there's an enchanting, and romantic beginning of new adventures in life, loving and supporting each other in every way, with every step, working as a team, and partners, with this complicated thing called life
~ Four Spoons