I love books that carry me into their story so that I’m no longer reading. The Spark of Love is such a book. Author Amanda Cabot places the reader alongside Alexander Tarkington whose beauty and money threaten her life. Set in the 1850’s, Alexander flees unsavory suitors and moves to be close to her father who abandonded her as a young girl after her mother died. However, Alexander is followed by desperate men, and her father doesn’t want her around.
Suspense and surprise are woven throughout this clean romance. It’s an easy book to curl up with and enjoy. The Spark of Love is book three in the Mesquite Springs series, however it can be read as a “stand alone.” Readers of Out of Embers (book one) and Dreams Rekindled (book two) will find their favorite characters, but they will be swept away with the new story of Alexander and Gabe, an investigator.
I appreciate how Cabot weaves in historical nuances as fashion, architecture, and small-town culture. The settings are rich with detail. The characters are easy to identify with as they struggle with desires and make mistakes. Alexander must come to terms with her father’s past and present actions. “It wasn’t the kind of love she’d wished for, but it was all he had to give.” As she accepts the truth, she finds the power of forgiveness.
Thank you, Amanda Cabot, for not only entertaining your readers, but for reminding us of how to live life fully with those closest to us.