The Modest Millennial: Shadowed by Dani Pettrey

What starts as a relaxing break from the riggors if her profession quickly turns into a whirlwind and potentially life-threatening adventure for Libby Jennings when she and her tour guide discover a murder victim in the open ocean.

Ben McKenna loves the thrill of the outdoors, but almost from the instant Libby steps onto his boat and into his life, his adventures turn into something dangerous that he can't escape. Walking away would guarantee he'd lose the girl who made him realize he hadn't been living until she showed up.

Great vacation read or even a weekend read because of the length of the novella. Warning, you may get pulled in and have to read the entire series.

Characters

What great, intelligent, passionate characters! I love their intellectual battles - makes for some good chemistry. I can't believe how natural Libby's growth feels, even though her thought process had to radically change. Ben is completely swoon-worthy in every way.

It's great the characters from this generation are all interwoven in the rest of the books in the series.

Plot

Good use of the Cold War as a driving force behind the plot. Oh my gosh. That picnic scene, holy moly. I could feel those sparks from miles away. And, just when you think things are resolving, excellent plot twist! This is sure to keep you in the edge of your seat and thoroughly entertained.

Setting

Yancey, Tariuk Island, Kodiak archipelago, Alaska. Open Water Invitational. Very well situated to the Cold War timeline and themes of that era.

Style

Wow. Just wow. What a great read. For being a novella, it didn't feel rushed and the characters have such great substance. The wit behind the characters' exchanges is fantastic. Smooth writing and a perfect story line.

Theme

Our plans vs God's plans. Great reference to Matthew 14. Libby is so set on doing things her way, staying within her comfort zone, that she might miss out in a huge gift from God. She has to let go and trust that God has a better plan than she could hope for or imagine. Very well done in such a quick read.

My Thoughts

Wrapping up this series and hopefully the pretty extreme case of wanderlust that it evoked. I don't know about the rest of you, but I constantly seem to struggle with a sense of contentment for where I'm at. In some ways, that can been seen as a benefit - I'm always wanting to learn something new or better myself, but in other ways it can cause a lot of problems. I forget to be thankful for exactly where I'm at in life; I get frustrated with my kids because of the degree of neediness; I nag my husband because I'm irritable about some insignificant issue.

I love Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength", and I feel like it really has a vast array of applications, but when Paul writes that, he is specifically talking about finding contentment in our circumstances. This is the man who went through shipwrecks, beatings, jail, and plenty of other experiences in which I can't fathom finding contentment. What I've been struggling with lately (which is funny, because who do we really think is going to win when it's us vs. God) is changing my focus. Reminding myself who God is always jolts me out of my self-absorption and helps me to focus on Him.

The omnipotent, omnipresent, everlasting, majestic, King of Kings and Great I Am took the time to plan out my life. To invest his wisdom in my life when I ask for it. To perfect that which concerns me. If all that is the case, maybe I can bring myself to trust that he has me in this place at this particular time for a reason. So today, I'm making a conscious effort to grow, to have faith, and to find joy right where I am.

"O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?"