Courtney Walsh

Kathryn S. Olson

"When a photojournalist who feels responsible for the death of five American soldiers in a Afghanistan travels to Nantucket to seek absolution from Emma Sutton, the widow of one of the men, he inadvertently strikes up a friendship with her that slowly turns romantic before he can find a way to tell her why he's really there. Their friendship begins to mend the brokenness in each of them, but she discovers the letter he came to deliver, will the truth ruin everything, or finally bring the peace each has been seeking?"--

A Nantucket Love Story

What Matters Most

Ashley Harris 

What Matters Most is a cute story of forgiveness and starting over. Emma and her young son CJ are starting over in Nantucket nearly 6 years after CJ's father Cam dies in combat. Since Cam's death, Emma has put her life on pause, merely existing instead of actually living. When Jamie shows up in her front yard in response to a remodeling ad, Emma's life begins to slowly turn around. As Jamie helps Emma to remodel her garage apartment, the two of them begin to realize how much they have in common. When feelings begin to develop, both Emma and Jamie must decide whether to reveal their biggest secrets that could change their relationship forever. 
This story reminds me a bit of The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. Similar to Logan in that story, Jamie comes to town in search of Emma, hoping to reveal the secret he has been holding on to. After meeting Emma, he continuously puts off telling her the truth hoping for "the right moment". The romance in this story is a bit of a slow burn. The first half of the book is lots of "locking eyes" and "brushing hands". Once Emma and Jamie start to admit their feeling for each other, not much else happens. They seem to be a very boring couple. Both slowly begin to rediscover their love of art and push each other to take the next step in their artistic careers. When the "big reveals" happen, there is the predictable conflict that challenges their relationship. Can they overcome the other's major shortcomings or will the truth tear them apart?
While there are a few cute moments here and there, Jamie and Emma's relationship kind of fell flat for me. I didn't feel the attraction/chemistry that you normally would with a romantic story. While the themes of forgiveness and growth were very well conveyed, the romance was a little lackluster. As a Christian fiction novel, the Christian themes were present but not overly saturating. There were several perfect opportunities for spiritual conversation between Emma and her in-laws but they were kind of glazed over and not utilized well. 
Overall, I considered this book to be just "meh". I didn't dislike it but it isn't one that will stick with me. If you like the plot and the "deep dark secret" trope then I think you should give this one a read. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

What Matters Most A Nantucket Love Story

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