Love is Monumental by Annalisa Daughety

This is the story of Vickie Harris, newly-turned-30 park ranger, struggling to rearrange her priorities and have a personal life as well as a career.  But it's also the story of Thatcher, history professor fighting for career advancement and escape from the past; Katherine, college student caring for a mother with cancer; Kristie, nervously preparing for her wedding after being left at the alter; and Ainsley, recently widowed new mother.

Vickie and Thatcher begin with a business collaboration, then stumble through a series of crossed wires in search of a personal connection.  The interplay of the other storylines helps to create some action, but still the first three-quarters of the book seemed rather slow and predictable.  The backdrop of the National Mall and the various monuments - one of my favorite places - added a spark and the characters were surprisingly well developed considering the number of major players.

Thankfully, the final portion of this story made up for the slow beginning.  When the various stories began to play out and connect to each other, my connection to the story grew as well.  Love is Monumental is a good, clean tale of seeking love, keeping friendships, and receiving more than you expected.  I appreciate the Christian values displayed in the story and recommend it to fans of simple love stories.

I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.  A big thanks to Barbour Publishing.