The Synopsis:
Blessed with an innate optimism and a magical childhood, Elisabeth Belle Sterling discovers that the path to happily-ever-after love is not as easily obtained as she had always imagined. The Camelot-like love she longs for seems like only a dream until she meets the handsome Kincaid Patterson, a West Point graduate who carries a dark secret from his past. Theirs is a passionate and unconditional love that has to confront a painful past, heart-searing separation, and the greatest of all tragedies. But the biggest obstacle is the loss of faith that threatens to undermine all that they have.
Set in the South during the 1960s and 70s against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Save My Place is a beautifully written love story of two people who search deep within their souls to save each other.; This book also available in e-book format through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
I received this book from the author/publisher for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
Review:
I could tell from the very first page of Save My Place that the author (Olivia deBelle Byrd) has an extraordinary gift of writing!
Her writing style is one of a kind and will draw you in in an enchanting way, and will refuse to let your attention go. Her character development is equally impressive as I have never seen characters come alive quite like hers do, and the scenes are vivid in colors and activities. The story also has a real-life, yet still fairy tale, feeling to it so its sweet and engaging.
Some issues I had however, was that she talked a little too openly about sex during the main character’s college life. Though the main character is not a Christian, or religious of any kind, she does decide at a young age to remain a virgin until marriage (purely for the challenge as she says when conversing with a boyfriend) and successfully does so.
However, its clear that sex outside of marriage is not considered wrong in this story to any of the characters whatsoever, and when the main character does get married, they talk about it a little too much for my comfort. There are no actual scenes, but sex talk is very open, to the point that I was skipping quite a few paragraphs at a time and then eventually just put the book down. There are also a few profane words used as well.
So, even though I hold Olivia deBelle Byrd in high esteem as a very gifted author; I can’t say that I can help advertise this book in particular, as it goes against Christian morals. Having said that, I rate Save My Place 2 out of 5 stars and will be very hesitant when offered another one of this author’s books.
Rated:
Rayleigh is a Freshman in college with a major in Accounting and long-term goal of being a CPA. She is an avid reader of all genres, and just as much of her time is spent writing as it is reading. She is the Associate Editor and Web Manager for PURSUE Magazine, in addition to posting her monthly articles on their blog. Rayleigh interns for Hartline Literary Agency where she advises authors in the best way to market their books. She is also a Social Media Manager for various businesses.
Her writing pseudonym is Rae Leigh and she is in the process of seeking publication for her Dystopian novella, Program MIRA.