Burning Beauty
by Temple Bailey

4.5 out of 5 stars

Virginia is overshadowed by her selfish brother Rickey, who is convinced that he has the genius to write a bestselling book. He potentially sells the manuscript to a famous editor, Michael McMillan, who is smitten with the lovely Virginia. But Virginia is also being wooed by rich Anthony, who impresses her with his fancy country estate. Virginia must choose if she will marry for money or for love, but her brother’s selfish concerns take precedence and Virginia runs away from both her suitors in order to take care of Rickey.
Rickey is obsessed with a wealthy socialite called Marty that he dubs his “silver witch”. She is his muse for a new book, but she is just toying with him. He barely notices the sweet Mary Lee who truly loves him.

I really loved this sweet romance! It’s very clean and wholesome, as the characters consider what it truly means to love someone and meet the challenges of life together. The romance is not just about falling in love, but also about deciding what kind of person you want to be and what kind of life would make you happy. It’s about integrity and having the courage to face the truth!

I especially liked the Christian themes in the book, as the characters sometimes look to God for inspiration and courage! The Christian themes are very subtle with only a couple of mentions of God or praying, but the Christian worldview underlies all the decisions the characters make and all their deepest desires for a life of peace and joy.

The writing is delightful and I loved all the scenes at Christmas time in the middle of the book. The supporting characters are memorable and complex, especially Anthony’s family and Virginia’s neighbors. The plot really keeps you wondering, because their plans are always changing and new circumstances arise that seem to tear the characters apart even more.

It was really interesting to explore the nature of creativity and genius through Rickey’s attempts at writing a successful novel. He has great ideas, but they fall flat when he tries to write it out. Virginia also has some of the creative spark and she is much better at organizing the ideas and bringing them to fruition because she has a more disciplined mind.

The story explores the hold that selfish people have on the people who love them. Michael says that Virginia has made Rickey be selfish, because she is always forgiving and generous. She ought to be more tough on him and demand respect! These two siblings have fallen into some toxic behavior patterns that are not doing either of them any good, and it takes real strength of character to break that pattern.

To see sensitive details including some drunkenness, check out the book on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/burning-beauty-2593313