Book Review and Giveaway: The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Litfuse Publicity, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Welcome to our stop on The Mason Jar book tour!

Synopsis:

What if your old college roommate called, raving about a book someone sent her, calling it the most beautiful book she's ever read? "But," she said, "it's about you." The author is your college ex.

In The Mason Jar, Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather's desk---letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark debutante from Colorado. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.

Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken Mason jar.

A story about a girl who vanished, a former love who wrote a book about her, and a reunion they never imagined.

Review:

This is one of those books where you either love it or it is ok. I REALLY loved the whole idea, and presentation of the letters between Finn and his grandfather, and the handing down of faith within them. But like other readers, I REALLY wanted to tell Finn to grow up and move on, that God may have had someone else in mind for him, and fleeing on a mission trip isn't necessarily the right answer. In the end, Finn gets understanding and there is forgiveness between Eden and Finn, but it just wasn't 'enough' for me. It is a quick read, but I didn't really connect with the characters by the middle of the book. Maybe if it had been one or the other- a Christian romance or a tale of grandfather and grandson- it would have been more interesting to me. It's not a bad book by any means, and if you adore Nicholas Sparks books, you'll probably love this book.

About the Author:

James Russell Lingerfelt is the author of The Mason Jar and writes articles for The Huffington Post. James connects with readers at his blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective, and divides his time between Southern California and his family's ranch in Alabama. Check out his website, Facebook, and Twitter pages for more info.

Tour Giveaway:

James Russell Lingerfelt's debut novel, The Mason Jar, is hot-off-the-press and causing quite the buzz. It's even been optioned for a feature film and is in pre-production.

Catch the spark by entering James' Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:
A Kindle Fire
The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 19th. The winner will be announced October 20th at James Russell's blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective.