Unfailing Love (When Hope Calls)

Unfailing Love by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan is the third book in When Hope Calls series. I believe it is best to read the series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters and their storylines. Unfailing Love is the conclusion of the series. We return to Canada where Lillian Walsh and Grace Bennett run a home for orphaned children. Three of their charges have disappeared. People rally to help them find and return the children. It is not going to be easy since the girl is very smart and one of the boys is wily. To make matters more complicated, there is a mountain lion in the area. They want to find the children before the mountain lion. Lillian is also worried about her father who is returning after a long absence. He is bringing his new bride who happens to be closer to Lillian's age than her father's. Lillian is also worried about the future. Her fiancé, Walter has a dream of owning a ranch. This would take Lillian away from her sister, Grace, the home she grew up in, and the children. She is torn between her desires and those of Walter. There are several side storylines in this historical novel. The story contains skillful writing, but the pacing is slow. I have read every book written by Janette Oke. I found Unfailing Love to be different from her earlier works. The first half of the book is the slowest as the search is on for the missing children. The pacing picks up in the second half. Unfailing Love is a good story, but it could have been an exceptional story (needed some lightness and more action). I could understand why Lillian had a tough time accepting her father's new bride who is close to her in age. Lillian still misses her mother and thinks about her frequently. I liked seeing the characters grow as individuals and in their faith. Unfailing Love is a heartwarming story with good life lessons. I like how faith was woven into the story. I enjoyed how Unfailing Love ended. The epilogue was special and a great way to end the series. I was hoping for one of the characters to have a change of heart, but it was not meant to be. This person was not ready to accept what Grace and Lillian were offering them. I have two lines that I wanted to share from Unfailing Love. The first is, "We can't be bothered by what other people think." The second line is, "God's view is all what matters." Unfailing Love is a touching tale with absconded adolescents, an alarming mountain lion, a surprising stepmother, missing money, ranch realities, powerful prayers, and lasting love.