Book Review: A Reluctant Melody by Sandra Ardoin

Kit Barnes bolstered his worth with alcohol and ruined more lives than his own. Now sober, he wants to make amends by opening a mission for drunkards. But the most suitable location belongs to Joanna Cranston Stewart, a woman Kit spurned.

Now a reclusive widow, Joanna will let the walls of her rundown property crumble before she allows Kit to possess anything else of hers.

When a blackmailer threatens to reveal Joanna s long-held secret, will she risk losing everything she owns to Kit … including her heart?

“Help thou my unbelief,” has always been a one of my favorite quotes from the Gospels as well as a repeated prayer. Not only is it quoted in Ardoin’s latest release, but it serves as one of the main themes of the novel. Sandra has done a remarkable job of showing both redemption and the struggle to trust again in the same story. I was greatly impressed by the way she wove solid and needed truths into a well developed and entertaining novel.

This story of redemption begins when Jo and Kit, after a sinful past together, reluctantly cross paths again six years later. When Jo discovers Kit’s desire to help men forsake alcohol, she says, “Kit, you couldn’t pass a bottle of whiskey without it following you home.” With such a history, there’s little wonder that she would doubt this new creature Kit has become.

“Don’t miss this opportunity to clear up the past. What if it’s the only one God gives you?” Kit’s mission is clear. Not only is he trying to help men find freedom from sin, but he needs to fix the wrongs of his past. But there just might be more than one person working against him in this new endeavor.

I loved how Ardoin was able to bring to life real lessons on temptation, redemption, forgiveness, mercy, and trust in a story meant to entertain. The beauty of well done Christian fiction is that you walk away with both, and Sandra Ardoin is an author that knows how to handle both flawlessly.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys seeing the bad guy turn good, reading historical fiction, looking for a good new author, or searching for a solid Christian read.

~I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to give a favorable review.