Changing Worlds

It's not often a romantic tale makes me laugh out loud, but Changing Worlds did the trick. What worked about the book, for me, was it felt real. The humor worked because the feelings we all experience were expressed without pretense. In other words the author made the scenes completely familiar and relatable. The romance worked as well because it was developed in a real way; beginning with the initial exciting attraction, and followed by the comfortable, genuine ease of being with someone you love and admire, and who feels the same in return. The suspenseful, dangerous parts worked because they weren't over the top and the characters responded to tense situations the way any normal person would respond. I never had one of those moments where you want to scream at the book or movie screen, "Don't go in there! Why in the world would she go back in that house alone!?!?" Instead, the characters acted as you would expect yourself to act in a frightening situation. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Changing Worlds. I only hope there is a sequel!

When you find yourself randomly giggling about an interchange you read the evening before between the witty heroine and her sloppy Southern nemeses, or daydreaming about the romance unfolding between her and the handsome and mysterious (yet clearly sincere) love interest, you know you've stumbled upon something special.

Changing Worlds travels with BYU student Anna Barrett to the wilds of Kentucky where she is working as a counselor in Camp Boughlynch, a family-owned summer girls camp. A passionate cook still recovering from a disastrous breakup, Anna is determined to outlast the mediocre camp fare and enjoy a summer devoid of romantic relationships.

While the meals are far worse than she imagined, making caloric survival questionable, her plan to steer clear of the supervising priesthood holder is immediately toppled when she meets Daniel Santini, "the most beautiful specimen of manhood [she'd] ever seen." Before long, Anna discovers that both Daniel and the Boughlynches harbor secrets--secrets that may prove far more dangerous than anything she has ever encountered before.

Though as delicious as one of Anna's culinary concoctions, Changing Worlds keeps it classy and delves beyond the superficial to explore the essence of basic, pure testimony; the devotion and trust required for lasting, eternal relationships; and the courage to maintain faith, even when you must stand alone.

I am not typically a lover of romance novels, and at first glance thought this may be a typical LDS romance novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Changing Worlds" has the perfect mix of fairy-tale romance and suspense. Once the setting and main characters were introduced and the story line developed, I was hooked and couldn't wait to see what happened next -- the sign of a great book for me. I finished it in 2 sittings and was not ready for the story to end. I am secretly hoping there will be another book written to finish the rest of the story.