Love’s Broken Road

Recently widowed Victoria Newell moves to small-town Utah to start again with her son, hoping to escape bad memories of an abusive marriage.  Her new job as a math teacher at the local high school leads to her being paired with Drew Dalton as a mentor.  Drew lost his wife to illness years ago and still mourns her.  Feelings develop quickly between Tori and Drew, but can they risk opening their hearts again?

“Love’s Broken Road” is a sweet contemporary romance with two likeable lead characters. Their troubled pasts give them believable flaws.  Tori’s determination to leave behind ingrained behaviors of fear and distrust and to reclaim her self-esteem gives her depth as a character.  Drew is attractive both physically and in his gentle, affirming personality.  He is perfect for Tori.  Drew has to give himself permission to move on romantically, which leads to conflict.  The gradual build of Tori and Drew’s courtship from friends to something more make sense with their pasts.  While enjoyable, the story doesn’t have much sizzle or tension to it, which would have given it more impact.  The semi-love triangle could have been better executed, but it was important to show that Tori could learn to trust men after her abusive marriage. The honest view of spousal abuse and its impact was handled well and is integral to this novel.  Readers will be pleased with this gentle romance that sheds light on important issues like marital abuse and bullying.

Danielle Hill