My Review: Shades of Morning by Marlo Schalesky

Shades of Morning
by Marlo Schalesky
Copyright 2010
Multnomah Books
pages
ISBN:
Contemporary Fiction

From the publisher:
Marnie Wittier has life just where she wants it. Quiet. Peaceful. No drama. A long way away from her past. In the privacy of her home, she fills a box with slips of paper, scribbled with her regrets, sins, and sorrows. But that’s nobody else’s business. Her bookstore/coffee shop patrons, her employees, her friends from church—they all think she’s the very model of compassion and kindness.

Then Marnie’s past creeps into her present when her estranged sister dies and makes Marnie guardian of her fifteen-year-old son—a boy Marnie never knew existed. And when Emmit arrives, she discovers he has Down syndrome—and that she’s woefully unprepared to care for him. What’s worse, she has to deal with Taylor Cole, her sister’s attorney, a man Marnie once loved—and abandoned. As Emmit (and Taylor) work their way into her heart, Marnie begins to heal. But when pieces of her dismal past surface again, she must at last face the scripts of paper in her box, all the regrets and sorrows. Can she do it? Or will she run again?


My Review:
I will start out by saying this is the first time for me reading a book by Marlo Schalesky. I really liked the story right from the beginning but I was completely shocked by the ending. It was totally unexpected ans I still can't figure out if I liked that part or not! That said, I can't give this book 5 stars, just 4.

The romantic aspect of the book was terrific and I really liked Taylor and Marnie. I am always a sucker for rekindled romances between people who were split up when they were younger. It just shows how true love never dies. Also there's Emmit, a young boy with Down Syndrome who Marnie has to care for, who is completely adorable, you will love him! There are also important messages of forgiveness, faith, and blessings in disguise that really stuck with me. "...Some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2) is something to keep in mind when you read Shades of Morning!

After having read this I'm making it a point to finish If Tomorrow Never Come's! From what I've read of reviews online there is also a twist in that story but this time I will be prepared. ;-)

To learn more about the author visit:
Her WEBSITE
Her BLOG

*I received my copy from publicist Kelly Blewett in exchange for my honest review.*