OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Luke Ten Nineteen" by J. A. Segura.]

Rosalina de Villa, the daughter of a famous matador, Ramone de Villa Fuentes, lives a charmed life. Born into a wealthy family has enabled her many privileges in life, but there is one thing that money cannot buy. Despite her affluent upbringing in Spain, she is desperate to escape the heavy shackles held by her controlling father. When she is chosen to tour America with her flamenco dance troupe, Rosalina is over the moon. Dancing has always brought her great happiness, and this is the perfect opportunity to free herself from her father. He does not want Rosalina to go because he fears that America will corrupt his sweet daughter.

America proves to be a truly exhilarating experience for Rosalina. The tour is sold out every night, and by day she can take in the hustle and bustle of American life. As her journey nears the end, she meets Reyes Aragon and falls deeply in love. Despite her father’s pleas for Rosalina to come home, she knows she must stay. Life is perfect for a while until a tragedy changes everything.

Fast forward 26 years, FBI agent Magdalena Aragon is trying to crack a case in which murders have been mounting for nearly 30 years. On a day off she becomes reunited with a troubled childhood friend who has become a born-again Christian. For some reason, Magdalena is intrigued and quickly finds herself being drawn to the power of God. Will Magdalena’s new found faith help her solve this case?

Luke Ten Nineteen by J. A. Segura is an engaging story about the power of love. The author efficiently draws the reader in and describes what unfolds when love causes two worlds to collide. Rosalina and Reyes would do anything to nurture their relationship. The strength of their love permeated off the pages and left an imprint in my heart. Readers that scoff at romance novels will be turned upside down when they experience this compelling writing. The author is truly a literary genius, as he had me hanging onto his every word.

Staying on the topic of love, I want to address how significant the love between a parent and child was to the book. It was evident that Rosalina's father loved her with every fiber of his being, but he was thoroughly challenged by Rosalina’s need to leave the nest. As a parent myself, I can attest to the fact that I would do anything to keep my children safe, but there comes a time when we must let go and allow our offspring to flourish on their own. Her father saw America as a place that would put his daughter in harm’s way, and Rosalina saw it as a one-way ticket to independence. This conflict of interest caused friction in their relationship.

My only issue with Luke Ten Nineteen was that it seemed disjointed in parts. The first half of the book explored Reyes and Rosalina’s relationship, while the second half introduced readers to Magdalena. Even though each piece was expertly written, I found the connection between the two parts lacked in cohesion. Besides the title, there was no mention of religion in the first part, but the second part of the book was packed with many sermons and a strong focus on God. As a reader, the religious aspect failed to resonate with me because it seemed to come out of nowhere.

Luke Ten Nineteen was professionally edited, and I only noticed one small error. I chose to give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, taking one star off for the slight disconnection that I mentioned above. I would recommend this story to those who enjoy character-driven plots with romance as the main attraction. This book would also be relatable to readers with a dysfunctional family because of the turbulent relationship between Rosalina and her father. Parents who are struggling with being empty-nesters may want to steer clear of Luke Ten Nineteen, as it could further their worries. The book has some offensive language which may not be suitable to younger readers.

It was a pleasure reading and reviewing this book!

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Luke Ten Nineteen
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I am also into dancing and this book give another life to it. I liked to know if she is able to free herself or will she need her father back for help. Very interesting

imSunshine wrote: ↑26 May 2019, 20:23 I am also into dancing and this book give another life to it. I liked to know if she is able to free herself or will she need her father back for help. Very interesting

I love movies and books about dancing! Thanks for your comment!

This sounds like a very intriguing story, with the exception of the preaching in the second half. I always like when an author is able to capture love in a realistic way in the pages of a book. Great review!

A strange dissonance for such a well written book. But I believe it raises many important questions like father-daughter relationships, so it's definitely worth reading! Thank you for a great review!

unamilagra wrote: ↑27 May 2019, 12:50 This sounds like a very intriguing story, with the exception of the preaching in the second half. I always like when an author is able to capture love in a realistic way in the pages of a book. Great review!

Thank you for your thoughts!

Ellylion wrote: ↑27 May 2019, 13:00 A strange dissonance for such a well written book. But I believe it raises many important questions like father-daughter relationships, so it's definitely worth reading! Thank you for a great review!

Thanks for your comment!

Like you said, the two halves sounds disjointed. It's like two halves of two separate stories. But, I'm curious about the murder and what happened to the relationship between Rosalina and Reyes. Therefore, I think I'll read this book. Thanks so much for your thoughtful review.

This book seems a bit confusing to me. I cannot see the connection between the story and the title! The two sections of the book seem to be completely different stories. Nevertheless, you have intrigued me with Rosalina's story! That is great writing. Thanks.

Hiruni Bhagya 81 wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 02:18 Like you said, the two halves sounds disjointed. It's like two halves of two separate stories. But, I'm curious about the murder and what happened to the relationship between Rosalina and Reyes. Therefore, I think I'll read this book. Thanks so much for your thoughtful review.

Yes, perhaps they were intended to be two separate stories, but the author decided to combine them. Thanks for your comment!

kdstrack wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 11:12 This book seems a bit confusing to me. I cannot see the connection between the story and the title! The two sections of the book seem to be completely different stories. Nevertheless, you have intrigued me with Rosalina's story! That is great writing. Thanks.

Thanks for your thoughtful comment!

Your thoughts on the relationship between a parent and his/her children certainly resonated with me. We do walk a tight rope when it comes to allowing our children to grow up. This book sounds like a beautifully written one- once you recover from the disjointedness. Thank you, Stephanie, for another one of your lovely reviews!

I think the religious aspects of this book would turn me away. I can understand incorporating it for the reader to understand the character's connection to God, but it seems to be a bit overdone. Thank you for reviewing!

Bluebird03 wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 14:58 Your thoughts on the relationship between a parent and his/her children certainly resonated with me. We do walk a tight rope when it comes to allowing our children to grow up. This book sounds like a beautifully written one- once you recover from the disjointedness. Thank you, Stephanie, for another one of your lovely reviews!

Yes , it is amazing and scary all at once when our kids become more independent! Thank you for your kind words!

Letora wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 16:58 I think the religious aspects of this book would turn me away. I can understand incorporating it for the reader to understand the character's connection to God, but it seems to be a bit overdone. Thank you for reviewing!

Thank you for your comment!