The Anniversary Waltz

Woo Hoo! The best part of finding new authors is like finding a real treasure, especially when the story is so good you want to share it with every single person you can find. That's just what I discovered when I opened the pages of The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson in his debut novel.

This is such a heartwarming story for lovers of history, World War II, the underdogs of the world and just pure romance told in a way only a seasoned writer would know how and that's what makes this one so splendid. Because it's Darrel's first, but it seems as though he has honed the talents of what makes Nicholas Sparks and Andy Andrews novels work so well in the hearts of women everywhere. A great story!

This one encapsulates two different time periods, 2006 and 1946. In the opening chapter, we are immediately drawn into the Anniversary party for Elizabeth and Adam Carlson, celebrating sixty years of happiness and love among family and friends. Then the story takes us back to where it all began for them as most timeless love stories will.

Here we see Adam Carlson as a returning war hero coming home from World War 2. It's hard coming back because you are sure how you will be received. His mother is waiting to hug him and tell him how much he's been missed, but his father isn't there. He is still carrying a grudge and anger from when Adam announced his intentions of joining the war efforts and leaving his mother and father to manage the family farm until he's returned four years later. You'd think his father would be happy to see him home alive instead of the sixteen others from his home town in Reunion, Montana that died while serving their country.

Adam has to work to heal that rift between him and his father and he begins by immediately setting to work repairing the farm that has fallen into disrepair. Only he soon learns that the farm has fallen into foreclosure and it will be sold in a matter of weeks at an auction. Adam tries everything he can to work with the officer at the bank, Nathan Roberts, an old friend from school. But it seems time has changed their relationship as well. Nathan has been climbing the corporate ladder and making himself rich in the process when a heart murmur kept him home from the war. He is unwilling to work with Adam at all.

Adam soon learns that Nathan's competitiveness runs further along than just business matters when Elizabeth Baxter, his girlfriend, seems to have an eye for Adam and his easy going ways over Nathan's demands. Adam takes the advice from Elizabeth to see her uncle, the mayor, to see if they can find a loophole to save the family farm. This is where the story takes an interesting turn and the book really engages the reader.

Darrel Nelson transports the reader back to a difficult time as soldiers were returning home from the war and towns were trying to find ways to recover from depression as well. It takes you back to simple times when friends and neighbors remember how to come together and find workable solutions. For me, this book was like a mix of It's A Wonderful Life when George and Mary were much older and trying to find a way to make it in their world despite all the difficulties happening in their day. This creates such loveable and real characters you can't help but all in love with and root for the entire way through the book.

In doing so, Darrel created so many moments, I had to stop reading and share them with my husband. These are those "Ah" moments that show how relationships are truly meant to be, with lots of hard work, dedication and laughs along the journey. This one I know will completely capture your heart. If you are a lover of historical romance books, or just a hopeful romantic at heart. I know you will LOVE this one!

I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and HIGHLY recommend this one. This book for me was a mix of The Notebook and It's A Wonderful Life magically blended together to form an outstanding and timeless classic love story! This is one, I know, I will read again and again and share with anyone who is looking for those incredible books that completely leave your breathless but with a smile on your heart. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to add Darrel's novels to my permanent library. Look for his next book, The Return of Cassandra Todd due out in 2013 and one that will be on my MUST read list!

For more information on The Anniversary Waltz, Darrel Nelson, and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson

You can also follow more of this book tour and get a first chapter glimpse into this wonderful novel by clicking here.