Fourteen years ago, a single indiscretion during Spring Break with a guy she’d just met but was The One changed Samantha Brown’s life forever. Now she’s the assistant librarian in Minden, doing her best to give her thirteen-year-old daughter the upbringing she never head. Yes, that one night changed everything.
Fourteen years ago, after a wonderful week with the girl he never forgot, Evan Mercer’s brother died in a nightclub fire. He searched for Sam, even engaged the family private detective, but never found her. Yet here she is in Minden, his new home. And she has a teenage daughter …
Yes, The One Who Changed Everything is a secret baby story.
I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and I can understand why—especially in Christian fiction. First, they rely on a (usually unmarried) couple doing something they shouldn’t. Second, the woman knows she is pregnant and has the baby, but doesn’t tell the father.
A good author can help readers get past the first issue. After all, we are all sinners and God doesn’t put sin in levels the way humans often do. In that respect, sexual sin is no different from any other sin. We are forgiven before we even ask. We simply have to confess and receive God’s forgiveness.
Getting past the second issue can be harder, because there has to be a good reason why the woman didn’t tell the father, especially in this day and age where social media makes it possible to find almost anyone.
The author achieves both these objectives. Both Sam and Evan clearly regret what happened, and Sam has good reasons for not telling Evan–simple fear that Evan’s well-off family would take her baby. Even to his credit, tried to look for Sam, but never found her.
The story has a predictably awkward beginning.
What’s not awkward about seeing the one-night-stand you searched for but never spoke to again? But I was impressed by the responsible way both Sam and Evan took on the responsibility of shared parenthood. I was especially impressed by Sophie, who adapted quickly yet believably to a huge life change.
Of course, the big question is the romance. Does that work? Oh, yes it does. It’s completely believable and I loved it. I loved the fact they were both still interested in the other. I loved the fact that Evan’s first reaction to figuring out he was a father was to embrace fatherhood.
I loved that Sam, despite her reservations, allowed him into their family.
I loved the spiritual thread to the story. Both characters had to let go of something in their past that would cloud their present relationship, and that was done well.
The One Who Changed Everything is the fifth and final book in the Second Chance Fire Station contemporary Christian romance series. I’ve read and enjoyed them all, but I think this is my favourite.
Recommended for fans of small-town contemporary Christian romance.
Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
About Tara Grace Ericson
Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and 3 sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author.
Her first book, Falling on Main Street, was written mostly from airport waiting areas and bleak hotel rooms as she traveled in her position as a sales engineer. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually a good cup of coffee or tea.
Tara unashamedly watches Hallmark movies all winter long, even though they are predictable and cheesy. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living. She wants to encourage her readers with stories of men and women who live out their faith in tough situations.
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About The One Who Changed Everything
I never expected to see him again.
When I met Evan, he was everything I never thought I could have—steady, kind, the kind of man who made me believe in something more. But one reckless night changed everything. By the time I found out I was pregnant, he was gone, and I had every reason to believe he’d never come back.
For fourteen years, I built a life for my daughter, protecting her, providing for her, never letting myself wonder what if.
Evan was a stranger from my past, a man whose wealthy family could take everything from me if they ever found out. But then he showed up in my small town—stronger, haunted, and completely unaware of the little girl who carried his eyes. And the moment he looks at her, I know the truth will come out.
I wanted to keep my distance. I told myself he only cared because of Sophia, that he’d never really wanted me. But every look, every touch, every moment together makes it harder to deny the truth.
Because Evan Mercer wasn’t just the man I lost. He was The One Who Changed Everything.
Award-winning Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan sometimes feels like she was born in the wrong era. So she writes romantic historical fiction set in the 1940s, against the backdrop of WWII and its aftermath. She infuses her sweet romances with wartime drama, gentle faith and a dash of intrigue. She lives in Canberra with her family and a wonky-eared West Highland terrier.
Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.
