Dragonslayer. Emilie Richards

Published:
Date: February 2017
Format: Kindle edition
Pages: 278
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Own book
Rating
              

Dragonslayer is the story of a minister who has lost his faith in God and a woman who, despite being surrounded by poverty and gang violence, has never lost her faith in humanity or the Corners, the inner city neighborhood where she grew up.

Thomas Stonehill and Garnet Anthony couldn't be more different, ice to fire, but both are determined to make the Corners a neighborhood where residents will be safe to enjoy a wealth of opportunities. After a personal tragedy Thomas, once the minister of a megachurch, forms a ragtag congregation in an abandoned store, despite his own doubts that God listens or cares. Garnet, a nurse, runs a maternal health clinic that she's carved from nothing.

When warring gangs threaten Garnet's clinic and personal safety, Thomas takes action to protect her, despite his conviction that he must remain a man apart. Neither of them is prepared for the startling outcome.

Dragonslayer by Emilie Richards was a book that I loved from beginning to end. This was a book that was first published in 1993 and won the RITA in the USA in 1994. Very well deserved I would say. Emilie Richards has now republished this book, updating it no doubt, because it fits very well in today's world. A timeless story. I am just grateful that she has republished it and that has made it available for me to read.

It is a powerful, emotional life affirming book. It totally captivated me. I loved the characters, the pacing, the complex issues that it tackles. It is a multi-layered book, not just a simple romance. 

Thomas is a pastor in a tough area. He is a strong but tortured man. Very well able to handle himself in the gang infested environment yet with a caring if lost heart and soul. He has lost his faith and his meaning in life. Immediately I was intrigued and was longing to know his back story, which did unfold to my great satisfaction as the book moved along.

Garnet is quite the opposite to Thomas, she has grown up in this area and also has a back story that makes her really interesting. Now she works as a nurse/director of a small endeavour to help mothers bring their children safely into the world and hopefully keep them that way. Garnet is strong and tough, a go-getter. She believes she knows the gang members and will be relatively safe on the streets. She is full of life, dresses in warm bright attire and exudes energy and life. 

When the two meet they clash, in good ways and a relationship springs up that tests them both and eventually leads to something wonderful. But first they must make the journey and that is a whole books worth of happenings. 

This book spoke to my heart and soul. One I savoured and relished.