A RUSH OF WINGS

I received a copy of A RUSH OF WINGS by Kristen Heitzmann from Bethany House. The cover deeply intrigued me. It displays birds flying across a red-gold sky above luscious mountains with a girl’s pensive face above – the perfect way to describe the novel. The setting involves those glorious Rocky Mountains in Colorado where the girl, Noelle, flees. Noelle seeks to leave behind her ex-fiancé, Michael, in New York City, subsequently abandoning her father in the process. Taking cash so as not to use her credit cards and be followed, Noelle ends up on a horse ranch in the mountains. The owner, Rick Spencer, allows her to help with the horses, and his brother, Morgan, tries to woo her. She finds friendship with both, as well as inspiration in her surroundings to watercolor. She sells the painting in the town and is thrilled to be able to make money for herself. Around the ranch, she also learns how to cook in the kitchen, taught by Marta, a kind woman who is also a little prickly around the edges at times. After an accident, Rick and Noelle grow closer. At Christmastime, he asks her to marry him, and she accepts despite the memories she has of Michael’s cruelness. Through Rick, she learns how to trust God and deal with her tumultuous past. Noelle finds romance, freedom, and a love for God.