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A review by meezcarrie
Dusk's Darkest Shores by Carolyn Miller
5.0
“Our challenge is to trust Him when it does not seem to go our way.”
I picked up Carolyn Miller’s newest book, Dusk’s Darkest Shores, fully expecting to chuckle at witty banter and swoon over great romantical tension and gush over smart writing & layered characters… and I did all of those things! But I was not expecting my heart to fill with such tenderness for these characters, nor was I expecting my eyes to fill with such sweet tears at the end. But I did those things too. Miller is one of my very fave Regency romance writers, and I’ve loved every single one of her books. But this one, my friends, will long hold a special place in my heart.
I instantly loved Mary – her sweet spirit, her wry humor, her honesty, her strong faith, and her compassion for people who are struggling. She is refreshingly without guile, and she has no patience for, nor desire to cater to, all the two-faced games and gossip that can still be found in small towns the world over. Yet, despite her genuine contentment with her life, she still has a heart that can be burdened & wounded & even broken. I loved these various layers to her character – she was real and relatable and exactly like someone I’d want as a friend.
Adam is equally layered, but for different reasons. Once a lauded war hero, he’s now instead pitied & whispered about by the very people who once planned grand celebrations for his return. The illness he suffers has affected every facet of his present and every hope for his future, and for a time he is understandably consumed by grief and self-pity. Even then, however, I could see wisps of what I came to adore about him as the story progressed – his own wry humor, his inner strength, his faith, and his hero’s heart. Y’all, he and Mary are so perfectly matched that it was a true pleasure to watch them figure that out too. The banter & tender moments of their interactions, as Mary helps Adam acclimate to living a meaningful life even with his new challenges, were just perfection. Exactly the right amount of grin-inducing levity or swoons when needed, but also the right amount of time spent wrestling with authentic emotions and faith.
The theme of Dusk’s Darkest Shores particularly resonated with me. Miller conveys this message so organically to the story and with such gentle wisdom that, even if I hadn’t already been pondering these things, it would have stood out to me anyway. The quote I included above and this one – “Sometimes I wonder if trusting in God even despite a lack of seeming answers might be the faith God is really looking for.” – have stayed close to my heart.
Bottom Line: My heart is still absorbing this gorgeous story. Dusk’s Darkest Shores by Carolyn Miller is witty and smart and so very touching. Mary and Adam’s friendship took me through a range of emotions but always made me smile, even through my tears or swoons. (And those first kisses! Still fanning at the thought…) I loved that Mary is a woman of prayer, and I loved the authenticity with which the author depicts believers living out their faith, even when questions arise for which there are no easy answers. A must read for everyone, and one of my top reads of 2021!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
I picked up Carolyn Miller’s newest book, Dusk’s Darkest Shores, fully expecting to chuckle at witty banter and swoon over great romantical tension and gush over smart writing & layered characters… and I did all of those things! But I was not expecting my heart to fill with such tenderness for these characters, nor was I expecting my eyes to fill with such sweet tears at the end. But I did those things too. Miller is one of my very fave Regency romance writers, and I’ve loved every single one of her books. But this one, my friends, will long hold a special place in my heart.
I instantly loved Mary – her sweet spirit, her wry humor, her honesty, her strong faith, and her compassion for people who are struggling. She is refreshingly without guile, and she has no patience for, nor desire to cater to, all the two-faced games and gossip that can still be found in small towns the world over. Yet, despite her genuine contentment with her life, she still has a heart that can be burdened & wounded & even broken. I loved these various layers to her character – she was real and relatable and exactly like someone I’d want as a friend.
Adam is equally layered, but for different reasons. Once a lauded war hero, he’s now instead pitied & whispered about by the very people who once planned grand celebrations for his return. The illness he suffers has affected every facet of his present and every hope for his future, and for a time he is understandably consumed by grief and self-pity. Even then, however, I could see wisps of what I came to adore about him as the story progressed – his own wry humor, his inner strength, his faith, and his hero’s heart. Y’all, he and Mary are so perfectly matched that it was a true pleasure to watch them figure that out too. The banter & tender moments of their interactions, as Mary helps Adam acclimate to living a meaningful life even with his new challenges, were just perfection. Exactly the right amount of grin-inducing levity or swoons when needed, but also the right amount of time spent wrestling with authentic emotions and faith.
The theme of Dusk’s Darkest Shores particularly resonated with me. Miller conveys this message so organically to the story and with such gentle wisdom that, even if I hadn’t already been pondering these things, it would have stood out to me anyway. The quote I included above and this one – “Sometimes I wonder if trusting in God even despite a lack of seeming answers might be the faith God is really looking for.” – have stayed close to my heart.
Bottom Line: My heart is still absorbing this gorgeous story. Dusk’s Darkest Shores by Carolyn Miller is witty and smart and so very touching. Mary and Adam’s friendship took me through a range of emotions but always made me smile, even through my tears or swoons. (And those first kisses! Still fanning at the thought…) I loved that Mary is a woman of prayer, and I loved the authenticity with which the author depicts believers living out their faith, even when questions arise for which there are no easy answers. A must read for everyone, and one of my top reads of 2021!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower