In Love, Charleston, author Beth Webb Hart weaves tales of the lives of members from a close-knit Southern community. The narration moves from one character's point-of-view to the next as each copes with broken dreams and crumbling relationships.
Lish's life seems perfect: she's a gorgeous blonde pediatrician with two beautiful children, a hunky doctor husband, and another baby on the way. But when the pregnancy takes an unexpected turn, perfection begins to unravel. In step her best friends to the rescue: sister Anne and cousin Della, who are both fighting battles of their own. Anne is 38 and weary of waiting for "the one," while cousin Della and her husband are struggling to make ends meet. The new pastor, Reverend Summerall, arrives in town with a genuine faith that starts to melt the facade of the blue-blooded locals, including these three women.
While Hart's writing style may initially come off as strained, her characters become increasingly colorful as the pages are turned. The description of southern life in Charleston called "The Holy City" is charming and spirited. Parts of the novel lull with cliche and predictability, but the plot has nuggets of surprising grit and genuine realism. Love, Charleston is quick to read and would be enjoyed by the mature female reader. - Alissa Goeglein, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
