Larkspur Cove

Title: LARKSPUR COVE
Author: Lisa Wingate
Publisher: Bethany House
February 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0821-8
Genre: Inspirational/Women’s fiction

Andrea Henderson is a social worker, new to Moses Lake, Texas. She’s just moved there from Houston in order to build a new life for herself and her son. As a counselor, Andrea is assigned to work with families on the “wrong side of the lake.” She is used to an exclusive resort area where her parents live on the “right side of the lake.” When going to her first assignment, Andrea’s car breaks down in the middle of no where and her “rescuer” is the town recluse who has a small child with him. Andrea senses something is wrong and refuses to get into his vehicle.

Mart McClendon is the game warden at Moses Lake. He grew up there, and moved away, but then something happened and he can’t move past it. So he returns to his boyhood home to find escape from painful memories.

Mart and Andrea meet each other through Andrea’s work, and both are confused by the young girl hanging out with the recluse. Who is she? Where are her parents? As they search for answers, Andrea’s and Mart’s wounded pasts collide.

LARKSPUR COVE is the latest novel by Ms. Wingate. I’ve read one of her Daily Texas series, Never Say Never, and really liked it, so I was looking forward to reading LARKSPUR COVE.

Mart and Andrea are both wounded and need to find healing. This fact makes the book a depressing read. The mystery of the unknown little girl was kind of flat, until the last bit of the book, then it became more interesting. I also thought that some of Andrea’s behavior was unacceptable, especially in light of the hurt that she survived from her ex-husband. If you are looking for a book about starting over and surviving deep hurt, then LARKSPUR COVE would be a book to consider. Discussion questions are included at the end. $14.99. 360 pages.