What started off as a strong novel quickly gave way to something less than stellar.
The novel kept my interest for a little over halfway. After that I found myself skimming. When I read the back book cover it talked about a storm and I thought that would play a pivotal role in the book. Sadly it did not. The storm was there, but it was downplayed and not enough that warranted a mention on the book blurb.
I did like Noble, but Shelby seemed too one dimensional. I would have preferred that her character had been fleshed out more to accommadate for her behaviour.
As for James, I didn't really understand his sudden depression and lack of faith in God. This is something that many people face, but in the book it was not a natural occurrence. His thoughts and emotions needed to be deeper for the reader to understand the sudden impulse toward suicide. This part fell flat and completely unnatural to the character.
The backstory of each character and the off-on-a-tangent writing kept me skipping ahead to the guts of the story.
The ending was rushed in my opinion. To me it seems weird for Laurie (Noble's mom) and James (Shelby's dad) to marry and then a year later the kids marry.
On a positive note, the writing flowed well and the book showcased small town living extremely well. Amy Sorrells is a good writer and I look forward to trying another book of hers.