Review: Catch a Falling Star by Beth K Vogt

Doctor Kendall Haynes is celebrating her thirty-sixth birthday with friends, and silently lamenting the fact that although she has the career she always dreamed of, she doesn't have the husband and family she expected. Her meal is interrupted by a teenager, Ian Walker, suffering from anaphylactic shock brought on by an avocado allergy.

Griffin Walker has been saddled with the guardianship of his much younger brother and has been forced out of career as an Air Force pilot into a desk job because of a nasty case of vertigo. He is convinced that his failed marriage and personal history means that he isn't the best choice to look after Ian, who he barely knows and has trouble relating to. As a result, he knows nothing of Ian’s medical history, which annoys Kendall.

It seems that everyone is engaged or married, including her much-younger sister, Beckah. Has God forgotten Kendall? She is pleased to be invited out by the handsome Dr Heath Parker, who has just returned to Colorado Springs after several years as a medical missionary in Africa. But there is also a spark with the annoying Air Force officer…

I liked the fact that the characters were older, in their thirties. And I especially liked the no-apologies attitude towards about remaining pure outside marriage. Too many Christian romance novels feature girls barely out of their teens, which can be demoralising for older women. I know that some women choose career over family, but so do many men. And some don't have the choice. Many novels gloss over this, perhaps in an attempt to be 'real' or 'relevant'. But God's standards haven't changed, even if the expectations of society have.

“Fairy tales . . . all they have is the made-up magic of fairy godmothers and elves. But you have faith in a real, powerful God. And nothing can stop the happily ever after he has planned for you.”

Overall this was a really enjoyable light romance, perfect for reading outside in the sun. Catch a Falling Star is Beth K Vogt's second novel, and while the Evie subplot was a little clunky, overall it was very readable, and I enjoyed it more than Wish You Were Here (which I have also reviewed). Beth Vogt shared at the end that Evie and her story were the hardest part to write, and this showed, particularly when they were introduced out of the blue. However, by the end, the Evie subplot fitted in well to the whole. A welcome addition to my authors-to-read list.

Thanks to Beth K Vogt and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Beth Vogt her website.