Christy M. (bellachristy) reviewed Another wonderful book from Julie! on 5/22/2009

Helpful Score: 1

Lizzie OConnor is infatuated with John Brady. She knows it is love, but alas he thinks of her as a sister.or does he?

Sigh. I am going to have to tell yall right off Julie knows how to tell a story. As I closed the book with tears streaming down my face I just smiled. To be honest I have been long waiting for the book. I have loved Elizabeth from book one, A Passion Most Pure. She reminds me so much of me! A believer in true love, fairy tales, and a lover of books. She is a dreamer. And with the introduction of John Brady in book twowell I wanted to meet that fellow in real life :) He is handsome, and hardworking, and just a good guy.

Not only do you get Elizabeths story and Johns story in A Passion Denied but you once again get to catch up with the OConnor clan. You get to see into the marriages of Faith and Collin, and Charity and Mitch. And you get to see the family dynamics between the sisters. And of course we get to learn more about Marcy and Patrick. One of my favorite things about the Daughters of Boston series has been the characters. All of them! I am a series kind of girl. I love getting to know all of the family characters and enjoy getting the glimpses into their lives. Julie does a fabulous job of weaving together not only the main characters stories but the back story of the family. You get a real idea of family dynamics in the Daughters of Boston series, you get to see how sibling rivalry can affect relationships, or what happens when there is tension between the parents or you get to see how sometimes marriage problems can lead to intimacy problems. Nothing is glossed over but it is dealt with, even if it may be painful. I loved the introduction of a new character, Cluny. His scenes in the book made me laugh and made me cry. He represents so many of us, looking and longing for love. If you cannot tell by now, A Passion Denied is my favorite book this year. :)

In A Passion Denied we get to see how we can let our past destroy us, if we let it. John Brady has a past that most people would regret. In fact I cringed at times and my heart hurt thinking of how wounded he was. Julie does an amazing job of creating tension. Real life tension. As I was reading I realized how much I am so like the characters in the book. I know things in my head but often I dont transfer them to my heart. I know God forgives but sometimes I forget to forgive myself.

The reason I connect with Julies books so much is this simple fact, she creates a wonderful world of romance and passion with the powerful message of the goodness and grace of our God. My Friends this is why I recommend her to so many people. Well that and she is one of my most favorite people :)

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