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Book Review
Catch A Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt
Publisher: Howard Books / Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Format: Paperback - 336 pages / Kindle - 758 KB / Nook - 3 MB
ISBN: 1451660278
ASIN: B008J2C0FE
Genre: Christian Fiction / Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: Catch A Falling Star
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Litfuse Publicity.
Book Description:
At 36, Kendall Haynes has seen some of her dreams come true. She’s a family physician helping kids with severe allergies and asthma achieve more fulfilling lives—a childhood struggle she knows all too well. But the feeling of being “the kid never picked” looms large when romance continues to evade her and yet another one of her closest friends gets engaged. Are Kendall’s dreams of having it all—a career, a husband, children—nothing more than childish wishing upon a star? Should she hold out for her elusive Plan A? Dust off Plan B? Or is it time to settle? God says he knows the plans he has for her—why can’t Kendall figure them out and be content with her life?
Griffin Walker prefers flying solo—both as an Air Force pilot and in his personal life. But a wrong choice and health problems pulled him out of the cockpit. His attempts to get out of “flying a desk” are complicated by his parents’ death—making Griffin the reluctant guardian of his sixteen-year-old brother, Ian. How did his life get so off course? Can God get his life back on track … or has there been a divine plan all along?
Catch a Falling Star reminds readers that romance isn’t just for twenty-somethings and that sometimes letting go of your “wish I may, wish I might” dreams is the only way to embrace everything God has waiting for you.
Book Excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
What exactly was she celebrating?
The question haunted Kendall all day long. It was her birthday—she ought to be able to answer it.
She pulled into a parking space outside her favorite Mexican restaurant. Shifting into neutral, Kendall turned off the Jeep and deposited her keys into her purse, exchanging them for a tattered makeup bag and her ever-handy GorillaTorch.
Just once, she’d like to put her makeup on in front of the bathroom mirror like a normal person.
Attaching the twistable hands-free flashlight to her steering wheel so her face was illuminated in her rearview mirror, Kendall twisted her body to the left so she could trace a hint of brown eyeliner. Sheesh. Most women used a makeup mirror. Tossing the pencil into the bag lying open on the passenger seat of her Jeep, Kendall sorted through the containers of eye shadow and lip gloss, looking for her mascara. A quick peek at her phone lying on her dash told her that she had five minutes before she was officially late to her birthday dinner. Yep. Enough time for mascara and a little blush. She assessed her short brown hair—all it required was a quick comb-through with her fingers.
Her closest friends waited inside On the Border, eager to celebrate. Nineteen hours into her birthday and she wanted to label it RETURN TO SENDER. Kendall couldn’t help comparing today with her thirteenth birthday, when her mom decided to deluge her with pink frilly clothes. Pink. She looked like an overdose of cotton candy on a too-short stick. She returned all her gifts—except for the oversized stuffed pink bear her thenthree-year-old-sister Bekah refused to release—and pocketed the cash.
Kendall swept blush across her cheeks. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a satisfying life—an exciting life, even. It’s just that at thirty-six years old, she’d hoped for . . . more.
The buzz of her phone mocked her attempts to be on time. Why did she think she’d ever be in control of her time and be the first to arrive? She abandoned that ideal the day she entered medical school. Besides, all the other partygoers tonight were physicians like her. They’d understand when Kendall walked in late. Half made up. As usual.
She switched from blush to mascara as she turned her phone to speaker. “Dr. Haynes.”
“Kendall, it’s Mom.”
Kendall’s eyes closed as she mentally and physically sat straighter, as if her mother could see her. “Hey, Mom. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Are you having a good birthday?”
“Just finished clinic. Going to dinner with friends.”
“Oh, how nice. I’m so glad you’ve found some friends there in Colorado.”
Of course she’d found friends in Colorado. She wasn’t in high school anymore. She had a thriving solo family practice, friends, even a dog to round out the picture of a satisfying life.
“Look, Mom, I’m running late—”
“Well, this is rather important . . .”
Kendall stared out the window of her Jeep, watching people walk into the restaurant. Rachel had just walked by her with a friendly see-you-inside wave. Most likely Melissa and Sonia were already seated, having ordered their usual Guac Live. Would there be any left by the time her mother finished talking?
“I’ve got about five minutes. Is that enough time?”
“I’ll get straight to the point. Bekah’s boyfriend, Ryan, is going to propose. I’d like to give him Mina’s ring so he can give it to her.”
Kendall dropped the tube of gloss she’d pulled from the makeup bag. “B-but Mina bequeathed the ring to me—”
“Because she assumed you’d get married first, since you’re ten years older than Bekah. You know the ring traditionally goes to the first daughter who gets married. If she’d left the ring to your father, I wouldn’t be put in this awkward position of having to explain all this.” Her mother’s sigh echoed over the phone. “The reality is, Bekah is the one getting married. Not you.”
“Yet.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said ‘yet.’ I’m not getting married yet.” Kendall reached for the necklace she’d slung over her rearview mirror—a strand of silver ovals that matched her earrings—and transferred it to her neck.
“You’re thirty-six years old, dear. A professional woman. And in today’s world, it’s perfectly fine to focus on your career and stay single. No one’s blaming you. But—” With a slight pause, her mother lunged with her closing argument. “—Bekah will be married in the next year. Your sister loves that ruby ring as much as you do. You know how much fun she has mixing vintage clothes with modern styles.”
Had her sister coached her mother on what to say? Make sure you remind Kendall I’m all about mixing vintage and modern, Mom. That will get her to say yes.
Her mother’s next words broke into Kendall’s thoughts. “You don’t want the ring to go to waste, do you?”
Of course she didn’t want the ring to go to waste. But it wasn’t going to waste. . . She was waiting to use it, that’s all.
“Mom, I’ve gotta go. I saw Rachel walk into the restaurant, which officially makes me the last one to arrive. Again.”
True statement, even if Rachel had waved at her ten minutes ago.
“But we haven’t finished talking about this—”
“I’ll think about it, ’k? And thanks for the birthday call.”
What exactly was she celebrating?
The question haunted Kendall all day long. It was her birthday—she ought to be able to answer it.
She pulled into a parking space outside her favorite Mexican restaurant. Shifting into neutral, Kendall turned off the Jeep and deposited her keys into her purse, exchanging them for a tattered makeup bag and her ever-handy GorillaTorch.
Just once, she’d like to put her makeup on in front of the bathroom mirror like a normal person.
Attaching the twistable hands-free flashlight to her steering wheel so her face was illuminated in her rearview mirror, Kendall twisted her body to the left so she could trace a hint of brown eyeliner. Sheesh. Most women used a makeup mirror. Tossing the pencil into the bag lying open on the passenger seat of her Jeep, Kendall sorted through the containers of eye shadow and lip gloss, looking for her mascara. A quick peek at her phone lying on her dash told her that she had five minutes before she was officially late to her birthday dinner. Yep. Enough time for mascara and a little blush. She assessed her short brown hair—all it required was a quick comb-through with her fingers.
Her closest friends waited inside On the Border, eager to celebrate. Nineteen hours into her birthday and she wanted to label it RETURN TO SENDER. Kendall couldn’t help comparing today with her thirteenth birthday, when her mom decided to deluge her with pink frilly clothes. Pink. She looked like an overdose of cotton candy on a too-short stick. She returned all her gifts—except for the oversized stuffed pink bear her thenthree-year-old-sister Bekah refused to release—and pocketed the cash.
Kendall swept blush across her cheeks. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a satisfying life—an exciting life, even. It’s just that at thirty-six years old, she’d hoped for . . . more.
The buzz of her phone mocked her attempts to be on time. Why did she think she’d ever be in control of her time and be the first to arrive? She abandoned that ideal the day she entered medical school. Besides, all the other partygoers tonight were physicians like her. They’d understand when Kendall walked in late. Half made up. As usual.
She switched from blush to mascara as she turned her phone to speaker. “Dr. Haynes.”
“Kendall, it’s Mom.”
Kendall’s eyes closed as she mentally and physically sat straighter, as if her mother could see her. “Hey, Mom. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Are you having a good birthday?”
“Just finished clinic. Going to dinner with friends.”
“Oh, how nice. I’m so glad you’ve found some friends there in Colorado.”
Of course she’d found friends in Colorado. She wasn’t in high school anymore. She had a thriving solo family practice, friends, even a dog to round out the picture of a satisfying life.
“Look, Mom, I’m running late—”
“Well, this is rather important . . .”
Kendall stared out the window of her Jeep, watching people walk into the restaurant. Rachel had just walked by her with a friendly see-you-inside wave. Most likely Melissa and Sonia were already seated, having ordered their usual Guac Live. Would there be any left by the time her mother finished talking?
“I’ve got about five minutes. Is that enough time?”
“I’ll get straight to the point. Bekah’s boyfriend, Ryan, is going to propose. I’d like to give him Mina’s ring so he can give it to her.”
Kendall dropped the tube of gloss she’d pulled from the makeup bag. “B-but Mina bequeathed the ring to me—”
“Because she assumed you’d get married first, since you’re ten years older than Bekah. You know the ring traditionally goes to the first daughter who gets married. If she’d left the ring to your father, I wouldn’t be put in this awkward position of having to explain all this.” Her mother’s sigh echoed over the phone. “The reality is, Bekah is the one getting married. Not you.”
“Yet.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said ‘yet.’ I’m not getting married yet.” Kendall reached for the necklace she’d slung over her rearview mirror—a strand of silver ovals that matched her earrings—and transferred it to her neck.
“You’re thirty-six years old, dear. A professional woman. And in today’s world, it’s perfectly fine to focus on your career and stay single. No one’s blaming you. But—” With a slight pause, her mother lunged with her closing argument. “—Bekah will be married in the next year. Your sister loves that ruby ring as much as you do. You know how much fun she has mixing vintage clothes with modern styles.”
Had her sister coached her mother on what to say? Make sure you remind Kendall I’m all about mixing vintage and modern, Mom. That will get her to say yes.
Her mother’s next words broke into Kendall’s thoughts. “You don’t want the ring to go to waste, do you?”
Of course she didn’t want the ring to go to waste. But it wasn’t going to waste. . . She was waiting to use it, that’s all.
“Mom, I’ve gotta go. I saw Rachel walk into the restaurant, which officially makes me the last one to arrive. Again.”
True statement, even if Rachel had waved at her ten minutes ago.
“But we haven’t finished talking about this—”
“I’ll think about it, ’k? And thanks for the birthday call.”
My Book Review:
Sometimes wishing on stars are just unanswered prayers because God has better plans in store for you ...
Thirty-six year old Kendall Haynes is a Colorado Springs family physician specializing in asthma and allergies. She has a successful career that she loves but there is one important thing that is missing in her life: a husband and family.
Thirty-eight year old Lieutenant Colonel Griffin Walker is an Air Force pilot who has been grounded due to vertigo and “flying a desk” for over a year. The only thing that he wants in his life is to be back in the cockpit piloting his jet. But his life becomes even more complicated when his parents are killed in a plane crash, and he becomes the guardian of his sixteen year old brother Ian.
Kendall and Griffin unexpectedly meet when Ian has an allergic reaction in a restaurant and Kendall administers first aid to him. Kendall and Griffin chance meeting isn't very friendly, if fact don’t like each other very much. But when they keep bumping into each other in town and reluctantly bond over their love for Jeeps and the care and concern for Ian's asthma, maybe life's unexpected changes brings them together as part of God's plan for them.
Catch a Falling Star is a captivating story about two people who experience life's unexpected changes and are brought together by a chance encounter that leads them to discover God's true plan for them.
In her second novel, author Beth K. Vogt weaves an inspirational and poignant tale written in the third person narrative that follows Kendall and Griffin's journey of learning to let go of their wishes and dreams when their lives haven't gone according to their plans, in order to embrace the unexpected plans that life has in store for them.
This is so much more than your typical contemporary romance story. The author has thoughtfully created a tale written from her heart that touches upon realistic life issues of grief, rejection, guilt, medical issues, adoption, complex family relationship dynamics and unanswered prayers. You can't help but get immersed in Kendall and Griffin's story. I loved how their relationship gradually developed from a rocky chance meeting, to a reluctant bond over their shared love of jeeps, to their struggle with denying the mutual attraction that simmered below the surface, that finally grew into a love relationship born out of mutual respect and trust that comes with time spent together. I think what I enjoyed most of all about this novel is that it is a love story involving two middle-aged people, it's a story that I can relate to as I finally found my unexpected love in my early forties.
With a strong cast of characters who are realistic, complex, flawed and easy to relate to; witty dialogue and dramatic interactions; and a captivating storyline that has intrigue, suspense, emotion, romance and enough twists and turns that keeps the reader engaged; Catch A Falling Star is an inspirational and heartwarming story that will resonate with you long after the last words have been read!
RATING: 4 STARS ****
About The Author
Her contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted in May 2012 (Howard Books), and Catch A Falling Star was recently released on May 7, 2013.
An established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth is also the Skills Coach for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
GOODREADS
Catch A Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt ~ Virtual Book Tour Page: Litfuse Publicity
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
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