Sandy M’s review of Flight 259 (Hope, Book 1) by Staci Stallings
Contemporary Inspirational Romance published by Spirit Light Publishing 8 Aug 17
It’s been years since I read my one and only Staci Stallings book. I don’t recall the title, but I do recall liking the book a lot. So when I came across this older story of hers, I decided to give it a try. The only problem with older books is we know that authors grow in their craft over the years, and this book has no problem in proving that point.
I was intrigued by the plane crash aspect of this story. Those who go through such traumatic events can be great characters in books. Unfortunately in this case, I never did warm up that much to either Jenna or Scott, even amid all the tragedy. I blame that mostly on the choppy way the book is written. Very short paragraphs, short chapters, short POVs. For me, there isn’t enough time to get to know a character before a scene changes. You do get to know them over the course of the entire book, but that takes much too long to make a connection with them.
Especially in the case of Jenna. She’s lost so much in her life, so I should have felt more for her. More so after her heroics during the actual crash. Those scenes early in the book are very well done. They are suspenseful, emotional, full of fear and then hope, and everything in between. From there I had high hopes for the story, but that quickly faded as it went on. And that’s such a let-down after her frightening and intense rescue of Scott and his son Lane.
After those initial scenes, the book slows dramatically. Jenna is suddenly a woman who can’t or won’t make her own decisions, and even goes so far as to contemplate leaving Scott behind without a word. Her mother has a hand in that, which surprises me that Jenna allowed her to do so, since the woman wasn’t even on the radar to contact when her daughter has been involved in a devastating plane crash. All that being said, I do like Jenna’s involvement when it comes to Lane and Scott while in the hospital. It just seems her character changes after that, not being the woman we’ve met to that date. I realize this is a horrible event on top of everything else for her, but I’m not a fan of a character bouncing from strong-willed to wishy-washy with such frequency.
Scott is an okay hero. Once he’s out of the woods and he knows he wants a life with Jenna, he’s almost too intense in trying to get what he wants. And he even vacillates when it comes to moving on with Jenna or letting her go when she shows less interest late in the book. Lane is the bright spot in the story. He’s gone through a lot himself in his short life, but as we all know how resilient children are, he’s the first to move on and his love for Jenna is sweet and pure.
So I’m a tad disappointed in this book. It has some good moments, but the bad ones outweigh those to make it just an okay read. There are two more books in the series, but I haven’t decided yet whether I want to read them. If they keep to the same format in the choppiness of paragraphs and chapters, I may have to pass.
Grade: C-
Summary:
Life has not been fair to Jenna Davis. After losing everything she considered her world three years ago, her only hope has been holding on and trying to survive. When she finally decides she must find a way to go on with life, she boards a plane destined to visit a friend across the country. But she hadn’t counted on meeting a handsome stranger and his young son on the flight, nor could she have prepared herself for what life would throw at her next. Can Jenna find love again after tragedy strikes or is she destined to go from one tragedy to another forever?
Scott Browning was devastated when his marriage broke up. With his young son, Lane, he is learning to pick up the pieces and go on with life. On his way home from a visit to his parents, Scott meets a young woman who will change everything, just before his own life is thrown into question. Most couples think about love at first sight. Could this one be love at first death?
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
