What if your one true love dies, leaving you behind? Is it possible to recover and even to find love again? This is the question facing both Marsha Sullivan and Jeff Sullivan in Gail Gaymer Martin's IN HIS DREAMS. After her husband's death, Marsha's life comes to a standstill. She's finally ready to live again, beginning with returning to Beaver Island which she and her husband frequented with his brother, Jeff, and his wife. However, Jeff's wife has also died, leaving him to grieve and care for their special needs child. Because they were good friends when part of two couples, Marsha and Jeff quickly reconnect and lean on one another. Only now, it seems that God has something more than friendship in store for them.

As their guilt-ridden love blooms, Marsha wrestles with needing to take care of and fix the people and situations around her. Jeff grapples with forgiving himself for being less than attentive to his daughter when his wife was alive and reconciling himself with a God who could take his wife. What struck me most about Ms. Martin's story was how she handled these common troubles in such a natural yet illuminating fashion. Rather than big, overblown crises, she illustrated the characters' spiritual struggles using the little things that real people face every day. Adding to the enjoyment is the intriguing secondary story of Marsha's sister, Barb, whose own spiritual walls shatter along the way.

IN HIS DREAMS is one more satisfying, uplifting romantic tale by one of the genres most prolific authors. It's a quick read and well worth the time.

Book Summary

Escape to beautiful Beaver Island could be the answer to Marsha Sullivan's need for a fresh start. Since her husband's death four years ago, Marsha had lost her way, but on Beaver Island, she had good memories to help guide her. Running into Jeff, her brother-in-law, in this paradise turned out to be a blessing. Not only did they share grief in losing their spouses, but also a warm bond began to form between them. Did God want her to love again? The only thing she knew for sure was that being with Jeff and his daughter felt like family.