Gateway Crescent (Bendixon Sisters Book 2)

Jo Bendixon is trying to decide what to do with her life and how not to be a disappointment to her family. She loves to sing, but what her family doesn’t know is that she loves coding and computers as well. One day, after getting some bad news, she runs into an old family friend, Luke. Luke is a music teacher and ends up recruiting Jo to help out. The attraction is immediate, however, Luke is a devout Catholic who has been considering becoming a priest. As their attraction becomes something more, they have to keep working together, which only makes things more difficult. When Luke starts to have doubts about his future, Jo refuses to be the one to stop him. Although, encouraging him to become a priest may break her heart. 

This book portrays fantastic family dynamics. All families can be complicated, so the fact that Jo tends to obsess about how her family views her decisions can be relatable.  Unfortunately, the story does tend to drag along. Jo is definitely the star of the story, being unapologetically herself. She is opinionated, talented and bright. What she sees in Luke is difficult to say. For most of the story he comes off pretty dry and wishy-washy. The story does examine important concepts, such as how those who are not religious can also be good people and how unwarranted judgement can come from even the most devout. The best part is the insistence that religion is not all black and white.  For those who really understand the personal conflict between love and religion, this book is for them!

Amanda Hupe