Dr. Kendall Haynes wants it all. A career, friends, family, and a dog. As she realizes the only thing eluding her to make her dreams come true is finding Mr. Right, she wonders, “Was there any way to have it all—and be happy?” (See chapter four, page 62.) When she crosses paths with Lieutenant Colonel Griffin Walker, a grounded Air Force pilot who can’t seem to agree with her on anything, she begins to think Mr. Right might not even exist. With one of her friends planning a wedding, Kendall can’t help but wish upon a star for her own happily-ever-after fairy tale ending. But when life doesn’t go as she planned it, will her dreams come true or crash down around her?
When I read Beth K. Vogt’s debut novel, Wish You Were Here, I knew she was planning on sticking around the fiction side of writing (previously, she had only written nonfiction.) What I didn’t know was that, on her second time around, she would weave an even more intricate story with extraordinary supporting characters enhancing an already dynamic pair of leading characters. With all the individuals dealing with their own why-didn’t-life-go-as-planned issues, Catch a Falling Star was an intriguing novel that I didn’t want to put down. Beth has a lighthearted style of writing that flows well for an easy read that I breezed right through. It seemed like it wasn’t long enough, though it was chock-full of drama and angst, with a healthy dose of quick wit mixed in. Hopefully this author has decided to keep to the “dark side” of writing, as she is often quoted as calling her fiction ventures.
The theme of life not going according to plan was an interesting choice. At first glance, it would appear too simple, like it wouldn’t hold up to an entire novel’s worth of challenges and difficulties. But, as the story progresses—and the stakes are drastically raised on multiple levels—you realize that it perfectly reflects reality. As Kendall says in chapter eight (page 121), “A lot of us make plans, Griffin. And then life changes.” I find that to be true in my own life, as I’m sure you have, as well. Nothing stays the same. Hardly anything goes according to plan. I can’t say I always handle life’s abrupt alterations with a patient, optimistic mind frame. But I can tell you I always learn something from each new adjustment to my calendar of events. Since we’re going to be thrown curveballs in life, should we give up on catching falling stars and making our wishes? I don’t think so. God gives us dreams, hopes and goals in order to direct our footsteps to the things He wants to give us. Sometimes those “things” aren’t what we first thought they were. They’re better.
Now it’s your turn to chime in. When life doesn’t go according to plan, how do YOU handle it? Do you get frustrated and feel like screaming? Or do you calmly accept the turn of events without so much as a double take? Or does your reaction lie somewhere in between?
Please visit my friend Beth K. Vogt at her website, www.bethvogt.com. Find her also on Facebook and Twitter. Remember to pick up your copy of Catch a Falling Star, which came out to bookstores (online and brick-and-mortar) on May 7th.
Thank you to Chris McCarthy and Howard Books for my copy of Catch a Falling Star to review.
And a big thanks to Beth for including me on her list of those to consider for the honor of receiving an advanced reader copy of her second novel. I appreciate you, Beth!
WINNERS from last week’s giveaway:
Rhonda, you won the notecards.
Susan, Rhonda, Darlene, and Janet, you won a copy of Carrie’s novella.
You should receive an email from Carrie soon, if you haven’t already. Thank you to all those who participated!
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