The Shell Collector

Solid, Maybe Not ‘Real' For Everyone. This is one of those Hallmarkie type books - from an author who apparently has had a few of her books become Hallmark movies - that goes a bit deep into the whole pro-military, pro-say-your-prayers portrayal of a “small town” that many will love and many others will find doesn't exactly reflect their own experiences with small towns. But working within that Hallmarkie / conservative Christian / Christian Fiction type niche, this is one that will likely be beloved. And don't get me wrong, as an overall story it is genuinely solid for anyone. It does a great job as it explores some deep issues - including loss of a spouse, second chance romance, unrequited love, and other issues - that many experience well outside of the exact target demo for this effort, and thus it opens itself to a much wider audience... as long as you can stomach the not-quite-constant rah rah Go Military! type. There is nothing objectively here to hang any star reduction on, as, again, it is a solid story well told. Thus, it is very much recommended.