Fade to Blue by Julie Carobini

An Otter Bay Novel

Suz Mitchell is the determined dreamer we should all be and won't allow her ex-husband Len's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, she moves with her child across the country to California's central coast and lands a sweet job restoring priceless paintings at the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the ocean.

To her utter surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, is also now working at Hearst and jumbles the dreams inside Suz's heart. While sorting out the awkwardness of their past split and current spiritual differences, a repentant Len shows up eager to restore his family.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

My Review:
Here is a contemporary Christian fiction about a talented artist struggling to make a new life for herself and her four-year-old son. Suz moves to California after her ex-husband cheats on her, goes to prison, and divorces her. She moves in with her bachelor brother, and regains her ability to enjoy life. As in all good stories, the plot thickens when the creepy ex gains his release and looks her up.

I learned a good bit about Hearst's castle and the business of restoring its valuable art.

However, I easily figured out the inevitable twist at the end of the story. Perhaps because the characters are rather expected; the good ones are totally without flaws. Nevertheless, the plot makes for a nice read.

Discussion questions are included.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and B&H Books for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.