From the Ashes of Courage

by J. Timothy King

Gail Bishop is a headstrong, driven, single-minded businesswoman, a successful independent professional at only 29 years old. But she still feels empty. Eddie Chase is a fun-loving real-estate agent who made a mint in the boom market, now fast running out of money. And their friends set them up on a blind date, unaware that many years ago, they were once married to each other. Now, both are taken aback by their feelings for each other at a romantic, seaside cottage on Ardor Point, and by the impact this will have on the rest of their lives. This long-languishing relationship that Gail thought was surely dead, could it hold the secret, the meaning of life that she's looking for? A heart-wrenching story of human kindness and love without strings.

Genres: Romance

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

The eldest of three siblings, father of two daughters, and husband of a wonderful wife, J. Timothy King is also a blogger and an indie author of life-expanding character stories.

Reviews

[Charlotte Abel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 2:20 am and I just finished "From the Ashes of Courage." I thought a little light reading would help me relax so I could drift off to sleep. I was wrong. This story tugged at my heartstrings, made me tear up and laugh out loud.

I began rooting for the protagonists, George and Gail, right from the start (although I wanted to smack Gail upside the head more than once before the story ended).

I appreciated the fact that these characters, even though they were adults, still had meaningful relationships with their parents and friends. And I loved the secondary characters that inhabited Ardor Point. The descriptions of the various settings were vivid without feeling heavy handed. Just enough information to spark my imagination and put me solidly "in place" without boring me with details.

It took me awhile to get used to the frequent POV shifts, but once I did, I appreciated the added insight of seeing things from more than one characters' perspective. I've lurked around Mr. King's blog for awhile now and know that he's got another "Ardor Point" novel in the works. I can't wait to read it.

Even though I usually prefer paranormal romances with teenaged protagonists, I enjoyed this "realistic" love story between adults. When it comes right down to it, love is magical at any age.

[Linda Boulanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the story in this book. Tim’s ability to throw in lines that struck a cord with my heart was wonderful. I wanted this story to work out, wanted to help these two find each other as well as coming to terms with themselves. I felt their anguish, reservations…all of it. Tim pulled me in and held me until the end. The overall “feel” of the story was good and I very much liked and identified with his characters. The story seemed as if it could be real -- though that is not necessarily one of my own personal requirements to make a good story. Most importantly…the story left me with the feeling that these two could have happy-ever-after; my personal favorite.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful romance novel and easy read. We know how women define romance or maybe we don't, but you should find a man's viewpoint on this all important subject to wives and girlfriends an interesting discovery.

[Abbie King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this book, and the short chapters made it really fun to read in my opinion, but I just spent 5-ish minutes trying to remember what it was about. A great and enjoyable book, but not incredibly memorable. ^^ (Sorry Daddy o--o; )