Mars…with Venus Rising – Book Review

Penn Davenport, the book’s heroine, has dreams of moving out of her small town of Mars, and being a CPA in the big city. Penn experienced terrible tragedy in her life when she lost both her parents in a plane crash and now lives with her two Great Aunts.  She struggles with her faith and her meaning in life as she falls in love with with the new guy in town, John Townsend, an airplane pilot.

Mars…With Venus Rising is a Christian Romance novel by Hope Toler Dougherty.  It is a slow developing love story that I wish had just a touch of spontaneity in it. I found myself yelling internally at the main characters at almost every turn.  Penn is fearful to the point of ridiculousness.  For example, she was shocked at her first encounter with John because he was wearing head-to-toe black and rode a motorcycle. *rolls eyes* John has a zest for life but absolutely no social skills when it comes to interacting with women. If the hero of the story is going to ride a motorcycle you have to give him at least a touch of suave.

The story however, is saved by Penn’s Great Aunts, Winnie and Janice.  They are the types of grandma figures you want to have in your life. They bake and cook for you, advise and interfere even when you don’t them to, and you love them for it all anyway.  The best part is the fact that the author included recipes from the story in the back of the book.  I plan on trying every recipe, as soon as I can convince my children’s Grandma to make them all.

Overall, I thought Mars…With Venus Rising had a lot of potential but wasn’t my favorite.  The Christian notion of “anything worth having is worth waiting for” seems to be the message here and I can appreciate that.

A meddling horse, paper bag floors and a flying saucer on the town square. The little town of Mars has it all—including a brand new resident who might spell heartache for one of its own.

Twenty-something Penn Davenport yearns for an exciting life in the big city and wants to shed the label of orphan that she’s worn for years. To achieve that dream, she must pass the CPA exam then move away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash.

When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn’s view of herself, her life, and her dreams . . . which isn’t such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he’s a pilot.

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University as well as York Technical College. A member of ACFW, RWA and SinC, she writes for Almost an Author. Before writing novels, she published non-fiction articles on topics ranging from gardening with children to writing apprehension. She cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ACC basketball, and Army West Point Football. Hope and her husband, Kevin, live in North Carolina and chat with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo.