Restored Hope is a book that you know from the summary exactly what it will be like: cute, fun, and maybe a little sad.That was exactly what this book was like for me. It starts out with the perfect family, and then quickly things spiral out of control: there is sibling rivalry, accidents, abandonment, etc. Basically: things suck. And Camilla/Samantha is left to try and repair her life.
This book is about Samantha's journey through life, and how she manages to take a crappy situation and turn it into a happily ever after. This is not a bad concept. I really liked how Sam's life turned out... it wasn't too mushy mushy, and it wasn't too horrible either. The ending was picture perfect, just like the beginning, and I finished with a smile on my face.
That's not to say there weren't flaws. One thing that irked me while reading this novel was how quickly things happened. One page I was reading about a wedding, and the next page a child is born... so many things happened, and I didn't feel like I got to really know the characters themselves. All I knew was their life story.
The basic idea of this novel is a good one, but I don't know if I'm a fan of how it was pulled together. Instead of Sam's life story, it would have been better if it focused on a certain period of her life. Maybe the introduction could be the traumatic events of her childhood, and as she's growing into an adult she can come to terms with everything... the end. I felt like there was a lot happening, and I didn't really get a good grasp on what I was supposed to be following.
Overall, not bad. I have read much worse. But not superfantastic either. If anyone is looking for a quick, happy book, I'd say give this one a try.
Jane
PS. Thanks to Brenda Youngerman for sending this review copy!
