The House that Love Built

Title: THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT

Author: Beth Wiseman

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

April 2013

ISBN:  978-1595548894

Genre: Women’s fiction

Brooke has only loved one man, her late husband. Owen’s rebuilding after a painful divorce. Can a mysterious house bring them together for a second chance at love?

In the charming town of Smithville, Texas, Brooke Holloway is raising two young children on her own, supporting them by running the family hardware store. The last thing on her mind is falling in love. But she’s intrigued when a stranger moves to town and buys the old Hadley mansion. She’s always heard that house holds a secret—maybe even a treasure—and she can’t wait to see inside. When she meets the new owner and they spend time together, she can’t deny the attraction. Could God be giving her another chance at happiness? Or is she betraying her late husband’s memory by even thinking that way?

Owen Saunders bought the Hadley place to spite his cheating ex-wife. She’d always wanted to restore an old house in Smithville. Now he’s going to do it without her. But if anything needs restoration, it is Owen’s heart. Then he meets Brooke and her kids and finds himself tempted by love. Can he bring himself to trust a woman again?

Throw an eccentric uncle into the mix, along with the town’s teenage troublemaker, and even a finicky cat—and one thing becomes clear: God is bringing them all together for a reason.

THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT is the second contemporary Ms. Wiseman has written. I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I did Need You Now, but it still sang. Brooke and Owen are both still madly in love with their former spouses, one lost to death, the other to divorce. Owen put a lot of effort into doing things to spite his ex-wife, and maybe if he’d put that much effort into being a “yes-man” and trying to please her, they could’ve stayed together. Also, Brooke is very bitter and judgmental about her mother’s decisions, so she doesn’t even make an effort. I can’t blame her mom for moving out.

There is some distance between us and the characters. I didn’t connect with them the way I’d hoped, but it’s not as bad as some books I’ve read. At least it held my interest. Since Beth Wiseman is Beth Wiseman I’ll give the book 4 stars. Looking for a bunker hidden in the house, a hurting teen, and a finicky cat adds to the story line. $15.99. 352 pages.