My Review: At Lighthouse Point (Three Sisters Island, 3) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Story (from the publisher's website):

Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan--to take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel when she discovers Moose Manor's kitchen has been badly remodeled by her sister, Cam, who doesn't know how to cook. Added to that blow is the cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the unbridged Maine islands.

 As old wounds are opened, Blaine starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little, she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined. 

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the coast of Maine for a story that reminds you to release what doesn't matter and cling to what does: faith, family, and friendships.

My Thoughts:

I’ll preface my review by saying I think this series is best read in order, which I did not do. Second, Susanne Woods Fisher is one of my favorite authors. Her Amish fiction is basically the only Amish fiction I’ll read. I enjoy her historical books, too. This is an installment in a contemporary family saga of which I have not read the prior books and I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy At Lighthouse Point as much as I would have liked. There were a few other things, too.

My biggest thing with this book is I couldn’t connect with Blaine. She seems shallow. Artie is sweet and a long time friend of hers and suddenly she notices him after he lost weight. Why do characters have to lose weight to be loveable? And her thoughts on her pregnant sister’s “ballooning” weight are just off putting for me.  And her sister, Cam, is guilty too. Her stunning blonde sister couldn’t possibly love Jean-Paul, also a great guy, because he was shorter. Oof. I would have loved some body positivity! 

That said, I don’t hate the book. I really appreciate that the author does address suicide and depression. Mental health isn’t addressed enough in Christian fiction. It is kind of glossed over, but I honestly can’t recall the last time I’ve seen it specifically mentioned in a Christian contemporary romance, so kudos to the author for not shying away from these things. At Lighthouse Point is labeled as a romance, but honestly it works better as contemporary fiction. The romance is a blip on the page. There’s a proposal by the end of the book that actually shocked me. I wasn’t expecting it especially since 3/4 of the book is the two not speaking to each other for more than 5 minutes at a time. I was overall underwhelmed by this story, but after reading over a dozen of her books, I still count Ms. Woods Fisher as one of the best Christian fiction writers out there! I’m very much looking forward to her next Amish tale.

~ My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars! ~

*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

Happy Reading!