Not By Might the eighth book in Al Lacey's Angel of Mercy series is a Christian novel set in the Old West. The product description leads you to believe the novel will be written from the viewpoint of two different women. Breanna, the wife of U.S. Marshall John Brockman, and Natalie Fallon a new nurse at the hospital where Breanna works. Natalie is a supporting character in the novel but has very little dialog in the book and is a non-entity until the last couple of chapters.
I found it extremely hard to develop any interest in the book or its characters. From the drama of revenge from an outlaw-done-wrong to the constant and annoying insipid Christianity spouted by the main characters everything fell flat. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian and I am not against novels that have a strong Christian message or with quoting scripture. However, when the same verse is used over and over repeatedly with no real depth behind it, it becomes a turn-off instead of a blessing. These characters were so sugary sweet it felt as if I had eaten a mouthful of frosting with no cake, much less a hearty meal beforehand.
I think if the author had concentrated less on beating the gospel/faith message over her reader's heads and more time on developing depth and feeling in their faith the novel would have been a much better read. As it is I could hardly stand to pick it back up to finish in order to write this review. I am exceedingly glad I didn't pay for it.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group does not require a positive review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
