Tackling Fields (Southern Hearts # 3)

NEW ADULT:  Cole Sanders didn’t expect a mission trip to Honduras to change his life, but after returning home for a new semester he finds himself trying to become a better person, with his tutor Audrey Vaughn as his guide. However, Audrey has a protective older brother and a dark secret to hide. Can she trust this new person Cole is becoming, or will his new-found faith desert him and leave her stuck in the past with her nightmares? In order to win over the girl he’s growing to love more each day, Cole will have to trust in God to determine which direction his future should take.

The third book in the “Southern Hearts” Christian contemporary series, “Tackling Fields” picks up directly where the previous book left off, making this a series that must be read in order. With an overarching Christian story of conversion and change, there are also some minor plot threads concerning rape, forgiveness, and trust. The tension is minimal with some conflict due to misunderstanding, as well as a random stalker that briefly adds a bit of action and tension. Overall the ending is a bit too neatly contrived, the pace rather slow throughout, and the romance lacks sparks and depth. It is a story of change and conversion, however, and lovers of Christian romance will find this story worth reading.

Sarah E. Bradley