Come Spring: A Parable of Love and Faith (U)

Best-selling inspirational co-author of the Left Behind series Tim LaHaye joins Gregory S. Dinallo to craft a powerful and touching portrayal of wholesome love. While desperately seeking income as a photographer, Dylan Cooper befriends art gallery assistant Grace MacVicar. So well do the two get along that Dylan begins to harbor hopes for the future. But at the premier of his photographic exhibition, he is shocked to see Grace arm-in-arm with a well-dressed gentleman. Feeling foolish and bewildered, Dylan ponders two painful questions Why did Grace encourage his romantic aspirations? And who is this dashing stranger? This story of genuine, selfless love is mixed with gentle humor and subdued pathos.Publishers WeeklyThis disappointing first installment of a trilogy by LaHaye (Left Behind series) and television producer Dinallo offers little to excite faith fiction or general fiction fans. Dylan Cooper is a poor Scottish photographer capturing the faces of immigration in Boston in 1918, even as WWI continues its devastation overseas. Playing the classic starving artist role, Cooper falls hard for lovely gallery assistant Grace MacVicar (who carried herself in a way that did justice to her name). Her overprotective brother, Colin, seems bent on keeping Grace and Cooper apart, and tempers flare between the two men. Light on plot and character development, the novel features more telling than showing. Some scenes, such as a slugfest between Cooper and Colin, feel made-for-the-screen. A few phrases (Grace could hardly contain her excitement at the sight of it, which raised her pores) will puzzle readers. Scottish dialect comes and goes, and verb tense problems trouble the text. Historical romance readers will find the plot line familiar: lovers are separated in wartime, and one is believed to be dead. LaHaye's core fans will be disappointed with the few nods to faith, which include Colin's letter-of-the-law approach to Christianity and two pages of Easter Sunday sermon text. The story ends abruptly, leaving readers dangling until the second installment (due in October). (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.