Into the Fire

Nurse Practitioner Mia Robinson sits in a restaurant in Las Vegas watching a guy in a cowboy hat wrangle toys out of a "grab" machine. Lots of them. She's trying to figure out a way to convince her pregnant 18 year old half-sister Lucy (who Mia raised since their mom died when Lucy was 10) not to marry her 21 year old boyfriend Sam. Both captivated by and dismissive of the guy grabbing the toys, she's touched when he gathers them up and distributes them to the children in the restaurant. There's one left which he brings to her table and presents to her. Their chat is pleasant realizing they're both there for a wedding. Soon enough they discover the wedding they're attending is Lucy and Sam's. Suffice it to say, the handsome guy in the cowboy hat is Sam's Best Man Jake. 

Mia is coming off her second broken engagement after having stood firm in her convictions for abstinence before marriage. Her biological clock is ticking (though she's just turning 30), and she's decided her life is doomed to be a solitary existence. She's methodical, practical, and organized to a fault making her the consummate professional – but a lonely woman who has little to no fun in her life. 

Jake was a cop whose female partner was killed in a tragic accident where he lost some of his hearing and had to retire from the force. He's been second-guessing his actions ever since with some PTSD. He took her son Sam under his protective wing and has helped to guide him through his life since he lost his mom. Sam is an honorable young man who made a mistake with Lucy but who loves her and their child and is determined to make a good life for them.

Add Jake's mom Claire who's suffering with Alzheimer's while his dad is devoted to caring for her.

Victoria Bylin has written a solid romance in The Two of Us featuring a young couple, a potential couple, and an elderly couple. The story is ultimately about love, human imperfections, devotion, trials, trust, and personal pain experienced by its co-protagonists. Trusting God morphs into trusting the right people.

Mia can't make decisions in her personal life, runs from emotional attachment because she can't bear another rejection. She fights confusion in every action she takes to serve God, ignoring her deepest desires and the obvious. Jake proves he's trustworthy over time, but Mia fights herself and can't seem to hear the Lord over her own fears.

Victoria Bylin handled the description of Alzheimer's very effectively. Mia's character is mostly likable until near the end when her confusion drove me crazy. Jake is solid, and his hearing dog Pirate is lovable. Lucy is adorable. Sam is very well done. I confess I didn't care for the Epilogue which takes place nine years later. I think the story could've tied up some of those things within the set framework. It's not that I don't like Epilogues because I do when appropriate – I didn't care for this one so many years down the road. 

Father, please continue to bless Victoria's life and writing. You know the stories you have for her to tell. Please give her what she needs to write them and may she honor you in all she does. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.