Two weeks before their wedding, Sherry’s fiancée vanished with no explanation. For eight months she worried over him, hoping for some explanation, some communication. Now he has returned, with the thinnest of explanations and a declaration of undying love. How can Sherry trust someone who ran out on her and broke her heart?In Blind Trust, Terri Blackstock’s third novel in the Second Chances series, Sherry must struggle between her feelings of love and her sense of abandonment. She longs for a logical explanation from Clint that will make everything okay – like, he was captured by crazed aborigines and hauled away to an island at spearpoint. But she comes to believe that Clint stood her up, practically leaving her at the altar. Despite her sense of grief, Sherry must confront the fact that she dearly loves Clint and wants things to work. But the love of her life is acting strangely – and bringing his new friend, Sam, everywhere he goes. Life turns upside down when Clint kidnaps Sherri and her roommate, dragging them away on an unexplained trip that strikes fear into the hearts of both women. Still Clint provides no explanation for his disappearance, or even for her imprisonment. And Clint must watch the love in her eyes become anger, fear, and distrust.Terri Blackstock combines some of the more criminal elements I enjoy in this primarily romance novel, heightening the suspense and tension within the storyline. However, too much of the story is told in the form of the flashback; Sherry finding he was gone, Clint remembering why he left, and both recalling their first meetings. The flashbacks break the flow and drama of the story, making it feel more disjointed. The break in structure was even more noticeable because it came in the middle of such a tense storyline.I also enjoyed the connection between the four novels in the series. Unlike most series, the protagonists change with each book, but since most of the characters are the same, we still have a strong sense of continuity. For instance, the second novel is based around the theme park one of the main characters from "Invalid Entry" bid to build. That contractor is Sherry’s brother, and Sherry’s roommate was an animator who played a central role in book two, "When Dreams Cross". Furthermore, her roommate goes on to become the roommate of the main character in the final novel, and that same main character plays a definitive role in the escape scene of Blind Trust. I enjoy the centralized characterizations along with the different protagonists, because it gave the author so much more to work with – and allowed her to keep the ‘happy ever after’ she was looking for in each story.The romantic portions of the novel and the criminal portions meld well together, with the spiritual aspect wrapping the entire package and drawing it together. Sherry’s faith in both her earthly and her Heavenly Father waiver as she struggles through her crisis. Only with divine help does she manage to fit her life together again.
What do You think about Blind Trust (1997)?
Okay, so this book was published in 1997, and you can tell! Sherry gave Clint a GOLD CHAIN as an engagement present.... *snorts* Gotta love the '90s! Anyway, I thought the book was entertaining, though quite predictable. Maybe I've just seen similarly plotted movies too many times, but by about page 15 (and the book started on page 9), I figured it all out... My biggest beef with the book was that once Sherry figures it out (p 87), she kinda turns into this unsupportive, insecure whiner-baby... which was really quite frustrating for me (and Clint)... But there's a kind of twist at the end which allows things to all work out quite nicely... :)A nice little Christian book, without being too in-your-face about it.
—Sara ♥
Clint returns 8 months after he left his fiance suddenly, just 2 weeks before their wedding. Can Sherry ever learn to trust him again? Why did he leave if it wasn't because of cold feet? This is one of those books that is hard to put down because of the suspense, mystery and action... It contains lessons of love, trust and forgiveness. I was able to see a correlation between Sherry having to trust Clint "blindly" and how we have to learn to trust our Heavenly Father even when things don't make sense or if we can't see the outcome of where God is taking us in our lives.
—Samantha
