Circle of Friends Book III: James by L. Diane Wolfe

Thank you Diane for the chance to review this book!

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars

Description: The future appears bright for James Sheppard. Emerging from a troubled childhood, he is blessed with talent and a good work ethic. Excelling in his classes and at the campus newspaper, James’s goal of editor appears within his grasp.

However, years of abuse and loneliness have dampened his spirit. By the time Maria enters his world, James is nearing the breaking point. Her innocent love slowly fills the void in his life, boosting his confidence and giving him hope.

When a crisis abruptly forces him into adulthood, James is saddled with more responsibility than expected. Struggling to cope with the situation, the past returns to haunt him. Will James find peace before the mistakes of his father destroy him completely?

Earlier this year I reviewed book 2, Sarah’s story, in this series and while I enjoyed it I did have some issues with life and money seeming to come so easy for the characters.  So when I was offered the chance to read James’ story and was told it had a little more angst in it I was very excited.  I could not put this book down and felt like I was riding the waves up and down along with the characters.  I loved James and Maria and instantly felt like I could relate and was connected to them.   This story was a reality check that no matter how in love two people are they can still have to struggle with money issues, parent issues and realize they have to work to keep their relationship going.  It was heart warming to see how James and Maria deal with unexpected parenthood and I will admit that I did shed a tear or two towards the end as James is forced to deal with this issues regarding his father.  This was a wonderful book that will make you fall in love with the characters, hurt when they hurt and rejoice when things go their way.