A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Revell (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800732138
ISBN-13: 978-0800732134

From Amazon.com
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Young Elizabeth O’Connor is the little sister John Brady always longed for. But she wants much more than that from her spiritual mentor. As she blossoms into a beautiful young woman intent on loving John, he must push back the very real attraction he feels for her. His past just won’t let him go there. Unfortunately, Lizzie won’t let him go anywhere else–until she discovers he is not all that he seems. Can true love survive such revelations? Full of the romance and relationships Lessman readers have come to love, A Passion Denied is the final book in the popular Daughters of Boston series.

From the Back Cover
Has she fallen in love with a man who cannot love her back? Elizabeth O’Connor has been like the little sister John Brady always wanted, sharing his love of literature and his thirst for God. But in the throes of the reckless Roaring Twenties, Lizzie has grown up. Suddenly she wants more from the man who has been her friend since she was a child. When this shy little bookworm blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving John, she discovers that his past won’t let him return that love. But Lizzie refuses to give up–until his shocking secrets push her away. Can true love survive the betrayal and deceitful of a painful past . . . or will it be shattered like the fairy-tale dreams of a girl in love? Brimming with romance, longing, and redemption, A Passion Denied, will quicken your pulse and gladden your heart with a riveting story of the true power of love. Julie Lessman is the author of A Passion Most Pure and A Passion Redeemed and is the recipient of ten Romance Writers of America awards. She resides in Missouri with her family.

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This book was incredible! I loved it! If you haven’t purchased it, then you need to run out to a bookstore or access the Amazon link at the top of this post and place your order! This is another one of the greatest books I’ve read this year and it’s the first I’ve ever read by this author (at least I think it is!)

Lizzie O’Connor is in love with John Brady. From the first scene, where she explodes into the printing shop, professing her true feelings – demanding to know why John won’t reciprocate, you’re hooked into the story. Lizzie has spent a great deal of her life reading romance novels, and she has definite views of what incorporates a perfect, romantic relationship and holy John Brady suits her needs to a T. However, John’s past is riddled with secrets, secrets that continue to haunt his daily life. Will he ever find the courage to love Lizzie, or any other woman?

John is Lizzie’s spiritual mentor and they meet during their lunch breaks to study the Bible. Will this spiritual relationship now be shattered since Lizzie is so focused on becoming more than friends?

A host of secondary characters heighten the tension in this story: you have Cluny, a practically homeless teenager who Brady befriends, and you also have Lizzie’s siblings and her parents. Lizzie’s family work through their relationship problems which gives this book more depth…and passion!

On the cover, Romantic Times says: “This isn’t your mother’s inspiriational fiction.” I have to agree! I think one reason why this book pulled me in, holding me, making me want to read more because there was so much passion….yes, passion! Really! In most inspirational fiction, you can’t describe the way that you feel when you’re being kissed, but, think about it. When you kiss someone you love (or like a lot), think about how you feel…warm, glowing, heightened feelings of arousal that most Christian pubs won’t allow you to discuss. Well, Julie discusses these feelings and she discusses them well. Also, the characters drink and swear a few times, but it’s done in a realistic and non-offensive manner, making the story more intriguing.

I also loved the way she kept this plot moving. It’s one of the largest books I’ve read in a long time (463 pages), but Julie has enough plot threads interspersed within the story, causing it to move forward…and I guarantee, you’ll NEVER get bored reading this! Also, I love reading about identical twins, and what happens during the second half of the novel really surprised me!

So, definitely read this book. The passion, drama, and humor will amaze you. I have another book by this author called A Passion Most Pure. I plan on reading that soon! I realize A Passion Most Pure is book #1, and I should have read them in order. I don’t have book #2, but I plan on getting that one too!

If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know that I enjoy food and recipes. This book is really spicy. I’m going to use a food analogy to make my point. It’s kind of like, you have a big plate of spaghetti and it’s something you love (kind of like you have a big stack of Christian fiction novels), but this book, has some hot sauce thrown in, but not too much, and when you taste your spaghetti with hot sauce, it’s like, “Whoa.” But then you want to eat more because you’ve discovered a new kind of spaghetti that’s different than the kind you’re used to eating. Although you still enjoy the old spaghetti, the spicy spaghetti gives your tongue something new to try, making you aware of flavors that you didn’t know existed. I’m about ready for another plate of spicy spaghetti!

~Cecelia Dowdy~