Then Came You by Rachel D. Russell is one of those books that has so much good going for it, you have a hard time focusing on a few aspects to write a review. It’s funny, sweet, serious, and romantic. Does it get any better? But, for this review I want to focus on a few of the key themes that I found in this delightful book.

First Major Theme

One sentence was repeated throughout the book, which was an over-arching theme for Detective Daniel “Boone” Buckam. “Embrace the life you have, not the one…others expect you to have.” Boone’s lived his entire life trying to prove he’s worthy to his father. And, the way he thought he could do it was to embrace his father’s dreams for him rather than pursuing his own dreams.

Most of us want to please other people. Sometimes it’s a parent or spouse, but when we deny our dreams to live other people’s dreams, it never ends well for us. So, Boone’s story focused on discovering what he wanted out of life. In the process, he falls for the vivacious Vivien Calhoun who helps him heal a broken heart he’s nursed for a long time.

Vivien sums it up best with this line. “What kind of madness must have consumed a woman who would turn down a marriage proposal from Mr. Blue Eyes?” What kind of woman indeed because Boone is smart, sweet, capable, and dreamy all rolled up into one handsome package.

Second Major Theme

Vivien Calhoun lives life to its fullest for the most part. She’s witty, daring, and loves to be the star, which is good since she’s an actress. But, for Vivien I think the theme is how we believe the lies others tell about us and then we start to tell ourselves the same things. She thinks of herself as a person who can’t do anything right, and it’s a complete lie. How many of us, though, tell ourselves similar lies, which over time kills the joy of living?

Vivien’s journey is about discovering she has something valuable to give and while she may have had some setbacks, those setbacks don’t define who she really is. With Boone she finds a champion who believes in her, and in her words “A gentleman. A protector. The kind of man who showed up. Jumped in. And didn’t let her down.” Heavy sigh! One Boone for me, please.

Final Thoughts on Then Came You

The characters are fabulous. You are rooting for them to realize their dreams. Their dialogue is witty and realistic. They go together and make each other better. And, the romance between Boone and Vivien has a little steam without going too far. It’s a clean read with a nice faith element included.

I got a special kick out of this installment because I have a cousin named Danny that the family always called Boone. I thought about him the entire time I was reading it. In his younger day, he might even have fit the description of the character, which just made it all the more fun to read.

If you’ve read the other Deep Haven books, you’ll have a chance to catch up with some of the characters from previous books. I really enjoy that about this series because the original Deep Haven series is one of my all-time favorites.  

Finally, there is a cohesiveness about this new series. The authors have had a great mentor in Susan May Warren, which is a writer’s dream. But, it’s also clear they’ve worked well together to create this lovely collection. Each book has its unique voice, while still providing a common voice.

Russell has done a bang-up job with Then Came You. It’s definitely a five-star book in my opinion.

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