Such a sweet conclusion to round out the four couples of Maple Run! I’ve enjoyed getting to know the other three couples and have been waiting for some time to delve into Shorty and Nikki’s story. Nikki has a broken past that she’s been running away from. Her creativity in visual arts has dried up due to her emptiness in her soul and spirit. She has a long way to go in learning about forgiveness but Shorty (aka Gregory), in his loving kindness and steadfast faithfulness, slowly chips away at the tower she’s built around herself for the last six years and shows her what true love looks like. The story flows easily, the characters are real and lovable, and faith element is woven into their lives effortlessly. Returning to Maple Run, with all the charm and quirk of a small town and its lovely inhabitants, is like returning to a favorite vacation spot. Even if you haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, the people of Maple Run will welcome you with open arms through this book.

I received a copy of the book via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys in northern Virginia. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Virginia Chapter. You can find more information at http://tonishiloh.com.

Risking Love has been a long time in coming. You see when I wrote Buying Love, book one in the Maple Run series, I had only intended for it to be a standalone. But soon the other characters clamored for attention and you, the readers, sent me messages asking for Shorty and Nikki’s story.

Like any good writer, I sat in front of my laptop prepared to whip out their story in the speed in which I wrote Buying Love. Yeah, it did NOT go as I anticipated. You see, Shorty and Nikki refused to talk to me. They wouldn’t answer my questions about their past, about how it affected them. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

So I wrote book two, Finding Love, featuring Luke and Delaney. They were more than willing to share their heart. I fully intended to then make Shorty and Nikki’s story book three. I figured they’d had enough appearances through book two that they were fully ready to reveal all to me and let me write their story.

Wrong.

As you know, if you’ve been reading chronologically through the series, book three is about Belle and Micah. They spoke with me freely. I just couldn’t understand why Shorty and Nikki wouldn’t be so candid. Fortunately, while writing Belle and Micah’s story, Nikki began to speak. Then Shorty spoke, and I knew I’d finally be able to write their story.

Y’all, writing Risking Love was tough! They fought me at every turn. I can’t recall how many times I complained about them. Thank goodness my critique partners had patience with me as I fought for every word in this story. And now that their story is out in the world, I’m wrecked with nerves. Will they live up to your anticipation? Will the story truly show how tenuous the relationship between these two are?

As you began to read Risking Love, I pray it blesses you. Whether you’re reading strictly for entertainment or seeking God’s greater truth, I pray you experience those things. And more than that, I thank you for picking up their book and joining me once more in Maple Run. It’s been a blessing as I return to tell the stories in this fictional Virginia town.

Blessings,

Toni Shiloh