Bitterness, stalking, and a neighbor to die for…
What’s a girl to do?
Trailed by a stalker in New York City, Willow Thomas, a young ad executive, scurries back to her small North Carolina hometown and the lake house where ten years earlier a scandal revealed her entire life had been a lie, and a seed of bitterness took root in her soul. The cocoon of safety Willow feels upon her arrival home soon unravels when she meets opposition from her family, faces the man she left behind, and the stalker reveals he is close on her heels. Can Willow learn to trust God to tear out her roots of resentment, reunite her family, ferret out a deadly stalker, and to rekindle the love she left behind?
About the Author:
Fay Lamb has always taken joy in forming words that tell stories that will enrich the lives of others. She tackles issues that she has had to face. She isn’t afraid of the hard issues and takes delight in weaving humor into the lives of her characters, even in the direst of circumstances.
Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and six grandchildren.
For more information or to schedule an interview or a workshop, contact Fay Lamb at Faywrites@cfl.rr.com.
My Review
I recently completed reading the novel Stalking Willow by Fay Lamb. I requested promo copy for the purpose of writing an honest review, and I was not paid or compensated in any way to do so.
What I enjoyed about the book:
Willow, the main character, is a flawed individual, which makes her real and likable. Who can stand up to a perfect character? Certainly not I. Willow holds onto un-forgiveness like the man given only one talent in Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. She wears it like a badge of honor—as if it’s her due. Most of us know hurting individuals like this and hope their pain will be redeemed in some way.
Quentin, or Hoot, as Willow calls him (although it wasn’t clear to me why) is a man of faith. He has no problem holding Willow accountable for her uncharitable attitude, for which I applaud him.
I was rooting for these individuals to realize what I knew when they first reconnected—they’re made for each other.
But this romance has a dark side, too. Given the title is Stalking Willow, I don’t think it’s a spoiler alert to tell you that Willow is being stalked. It’s pretty obvious from the get go. The added suspense and intrigue this is intended to create makes the story more interesting. I always love a little intrigue with my romance.
And if you’re looking for a prayer-warrior role model, Willow’s Granny fits the bill. Even in death, she’s found a way for Willow to know she’s covered in prayer. I love that. My cousin recently told me that she believes she’s a Christian today because our sweet grandmother prayed for her every day. We don’t always have praying parents in our corner, and Willow certainly didn’t. But God was gracious to give her a life-long mentor. This brings to mind those in my past who have walked me through the tough times.
What I struggled with:
The story starts in the middle, which is often an effective technique for drawing the reader in and adding a little mystery. Subtext, dialogue and even flashbacks are useful when doled out at the proper time to reveal answers to those mysterious questions I have when reading a suspense novel. And even though I held out hope until the end of the story that everything would become clear in due time, it never happened. I felt as if I was reading book two in a series and missed out on the revelations given in book one.
There are several characters in Fay Lamb’s novel, and I had difficulty keeping everyone straight. There was, of course, Willow and Quentin, but also Quentin’s friend, Willow’s mother, father, cousin, two uncles, a vengeful aunt, the town bully and his son…and of course, the stalker. There were a few I didn’t list, but you get the gist. Each of these characters had their own demons with which they were dealing and many had a change of heart. For some, these changes didn’t happen organically. In fact, there was no clear understanding of the motivation for such a 180 degree turn, and it seemed contrived.
I would have also liked to see more depth in Willow and Quentin. They both tended to be reactive for the sake of drama, which I would have bought if they were more well-rounded characters. Deeper point of view would have helped that along.
If you’re looking for a quick read, intrigue mixed with romance and tips on how to be a prayer warrior, Stalking Willow by Fay Lamb may just be the ticket.
