Judith’s re
view of Divine Charity (Divine Creek Ranch #18) by Heather Rainier
Charity has adored Justin since he stole her heart twenty-two years ago, and together they’ve built a steadfast love. She’d do anything for him, except ask for her deepest desire, because the risk of hurting him is too great.
The day he claimed Charity’s heart, Justin swore he’d never share her love, but time has given him a new perspective. Despite her attempts to hide it, Justin knows Charity has always loved his cousins, Val and Ransome. Now older and wiser, he wants to give her the same fulfillment her sister Grace enjoys with the men she loves.
Seeing so many ménages in Divine gives Val and Ransome hope, and when fate offers them an opportunity, they seize the chance for a future with Charity. When an innocent victim from their past adventures reaches out to them, they provide safe haven, not knowing that doing so will ultimately place the woman they love in danger.
Those of us who have enjoyed the previous 17 books in this series are delighted to finally be able to enjoy the story of Grace Warner’s sister, Charity. We met Charity in book one when she stood with Grace as she confronted the abusive man who she finally threw out of her house, and we cheered with Charity as Grace found her men–the loves of her life and her soul mates. Now Charity is in the spotlight and we are treated to a more in-depth look at the long and loving relationship she has enjoyed with her husband of 22 years. Charity and Justin are indeed married in their souls and hearts as well as their bodies and minds. They have shared two children, have enjoyed their wild rides on motorcycles and have literally built a wonderful life together. Yet as is so often the case, Charity’s heart is still bearing the holes of disappointment as she walked away from a menage with Justin and his two cousins, Val and Ransome. For 22 years she has cherished that small hope in the deepest recesses of her heart but her love for her husband and her respect for him and unwillingness to injure their relationship has kept her faithful to her present situation with Justin.
This is a story of unrequited love that has never died and the rekindling of that love after decades of being hidden. It is also the continuing story of those folk of Divine, Texas, who have delighted us as we shared their stories and learned to love deeper and wider along with them. Ms Rainier writes stories that challenge us to see human affection and relationship in different configurations and to believe that it is possible to live out one’s life in far different ways than society has blessed down through the ages. She also brings her growing writing skills to telling a story that moves along consistently, filled with characters who interact with verve and vitality and humor, and whose loyalty to one another shows up whenever need arises. There is a sense of community that has been forged by difficulty and terror, but hurt and disappointments and by people who have learned that they have the inner strength to live as their hearts lead them to live. And this author brings them all alive in her books and this latest one is no exception.
Perhaps my liking this story so much is rooted in the fact that these four people have known and cared about each other for so long and that with patience and maturity their life paths have finally converged. It is also good to experience fiction where the heroine has some milege and has lived in a strong relationship, has been a faithful life partner and a good mother to her children. We all love to read about new love and second chances, but this story has the feel of something different, something very special, and that sense that a love that has lived long between Charity and Justin now has an opportunity to blossom and grow even more. Some of us who have lived awhile appreciate a tale that feature characters who are past the first blush of youth. Ms Rainier has told their story with caring and a gentle hand. It is also good to encounter men like Val and Ransome who have kept their love for Charity in a special place in their hearts as well, patiently hoping that some day Justin can feel secure in his relationship with her sufficiently so that he can open his heart to the possibility of expanding his marriage with his wife.
Heather Rainier is one of a short list of authors who are my all-time favorites and I am always delighted when she gives us another chapter in the Divine Ranch saga. It is another terrific book and one that I can heartily recommend to readers who genuinely appreciate good romance fiction.
I give it a rating of 5 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This title is available from Siren Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Dr J, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words about Divine Charity. For so long I was asked if I’d ever write a story for Charity and I’d always left myself open to the possibility…but had my doubts, mostly because I didn’t want to time travel to do it. When Val and Ransome came on the scene in Lucy’s Revenge I didn’t know what to make of them at first but I knew they were there for a reason. By last fall I knew that reason and ran with it. The book was challenging to write because their group dynamic was more complicated but the end result was a story I couldn’t wait to share with readers. Thank you for going along with me on their ride, and I have another story fresh off the presses that I am hopeful you will also enjoy. ♥♥♥