This Sunday’s Book Review is on Marcia Meara’s – The Emissary. This book is a novella spinoff of Marcia’s ‘Riverbend’ series, but it also makes a great standalone read. I’ve yet to read that series and now look even more forward to getting to those books. I found this the perfect read because I love everything angels, I love Marcia’s writing, and it’s the perfect sized shorter book to read in between the tomes when trying to keep up with my Goodread’s challenge to read 30 books by year’s end.
Blurb:
Was Gabe Angelino, the mysterious truck driver in Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2, really an angel, as Willow Green believes? Or was he simply a good man, determined to help a stranger in need? Find out, as author Marcia Meara reveals the truth in the first Riverbend spinoff novella, The Emissary.
An angel’s work is never done—that’s part of the gig. But angels hadn’t been created to deal with such a vastly over-populated planet, rife with misery, suffering, and general chaos. Helping souls in peril has become a nearly impossible job, and even angelic tempers are frayed.
The archangel Azrael has had enough. He believes he’s found a way to ease their burden while saving jeopardized humans, too—hired help.
When Jake Daughtry lost his life rescuing a total stranger from certain death, he was on the fast track to Heaven. But that was before Azrael pulled him right out of line at the Pearly Gates. Now, as an Emissary to the Angels, Jake is taking to the highway in a quest to help souls in trouble. But the innate stubbornness of human beings bent on self-destruction is a challenge unlike any he’s ever faced.
It’s up to Jake and Azrael to bridge the gap between humans and angels. Will they ever convince the Council of Angels this endeavor is worthwhile? Can Jake figure out how to play by Azrael’s complicated rules? Will Azrael ever master the use of contractions in general conversation?
To find out the answers, hop on board Jake’s big red-and-white semi and travel the roads from the Florida Keys to north Georgia on an adventure that will make you laugh hard and cry even harder.
My 5 Star Review:
I loved this book. And I’ve enjoyed all books I’ve read by Marcia Meara. Marcia has a knack for building interesting characters who capture our emotions. Although I’ve yet to read the Riverbend series this book could definitely be read as a standalone. And if you enjoy reading heartwarming stories about angels then this book won’t disappoint.
The story has an interesting concept where Jake becomes an emissary – an assistant to the angel Azreal. This is a new concept where the angels have come up with a new idea to send back good humans to earth to help angels help others and so Jake is the first chosen to fill this new position because even angels are inundated with people who need them.
When Jake dies, instead of going to heaven he is sent back to earth in his human form to do good deeds, guided by Azrael. There’s a nice spin on Jake’s ability to still be able to feel human emotions despite his being dead and functioning as a human. And as we get absorbed in the story Jake takes on his first case saving a boy from a corrupt life of living on the streets, but he soon finds out he’s getting very attached to the boy. And as the story unfolds, Jake learns to deal with his own emotions as he teaches the boy about life, love and responsibility.
I am looking forward to future books in this series. It’s a touching and sometimes humorous read that you may find yourself reading in one sitting.
DGKayewriter.com 