7.01.2010

My Review: The Homecoming by Dan Walsh


by Dan Walsh

Christian Fiction / Historical

Revell Books
Copyright 2010


(from Amazon):

No sooner is Shawn Collins home from the fighting in Europe than he's called upon to serve his country as a war hero on a USO bond tour. Others might jump at the chance to travel all around the country with attractive Hollywood starlets. But not Shawn. He just wants to stay home with his son Patrick, his aging father and to grieve the loss of his wife in private. 

When Shawn asks Katherine Townsend, Patrick's former social worker, to be Patrick's nanny while he's on the road, he has no idea how this decision will impact his life. Could it be the key to his future happiness and the mending of his heart? Or will the war once again threaten his chances for a new start?


What I thought:

I thought this was a fitting ending to the Collins' family's story.  It was nice to catch up with all of the great characters we first met in The Unfinished Gift.  Patrick has settled in nicely with his crotchety old grandfather, and they seem to be getting along relatively well.  Mr. Collins' spry old neighbor, Mrs. Fortini, makes sure they're eating properly by whipping up some delightful Italian dishes.

Katherine Townsend misses Patrick terribly!  Now that she's no longer on his case, she doesn't have a legitimate reason to spend much time with him.  She still worries that he and his grandfather may not have settled in quite as quickly as everyone seems to think.  Imagine her surprise -- and delight! -- when she gets a call from Shawn, out of the blue, asking her to be Patrick's full-time nanny while he's away for four months.  She can't believe he chose her for this wonderful job!

There's a lot more "action" in The Homecoming, and though I'm not a big fan of war-themed stories, this one turned out quite well.  The romance is very low-key, but I thought it fit the story well.  The Unfinished Gift is definitely my favorite, but I highly recommend this one, too.

If you'd like to find out more about Dan Walsh, and/or his books, be sure to visit his website and blog.






***I received my review copy from Donna @ Revell Books -- thank you!***

2 comments:

Michelle said...

This looks like a great series.
Thanks for the review.

Dan Walsh said...

Lori,

Glad you enjoyed The Homecoming, thanks for the nice review. It's been interesting for me to see the varied reactions.

I've had some that liked this one better than the first, others were like you. Some who felt you didn't need to read the first to enjoy this one, others who said you absolutely should read both and in order.

Hard for me to say, like picking which of my kids I like more. Have a great weekend.

Dan Walsh