Review of The Journey to London

[Brendan Donaghy]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Journey to London" by Monet and Lawrence Peterson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Journey to London by Monet Love-Peterson and Lawrence Peterson is billed as ‘a love story about second chances.’ It’s a short memoir of about seventy pages. The book is very much in the tradition of Christian testimonies. It is replete with biblical quotations and praise for God. I can’t explain the title without revealing too much of the story, so you’ll just have to read the book to discover it for yourself. Suffice to say that the story involves a journey of faith, but England isn’t the destination.

Monet and Lawrence (or Larry) first meet as students on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He’s originally from Largo, Maryland and wears sweatshirts and t-shirts proclaiming this fact, so earning himself the lifelong nickname of Largo Larry. While the pair are friendly at this stage, there is no romance between them even if Larry feels attracted to Monet. They leave college and go their separate ways, not meeting up again for over twenty years. In that time, Monet has four sons but fails to find her soulmate. The only relationship that grows and deepens in this time is her relationship with God. She is a strong Christian by the time she and Larry hook up again. He, too, has been married and divorced. The pair are convinced that their meeting up again is no accident, that it is all part of God’s plan.

I liked the way this book has been put together. It looks good with its soft, glossy maroon covers, a cute image on the front, and a professional photo of the couple on the back. There is also a nice symmetry running through the book, in that we get one chapter from Monet, followed by Larry’s version. Each of the co-authors writes seven chapters in total. What jumps from the pages is the passion for their religious beliefs that the couple exhibit, Monet particularly. One doesn’t have to be a believer to appreciate that their faith means everything to this couple. At its core, however, this is a love story, and who doesn’t enjoy one of those?

On the negative side, I don’t think the book has been professionally edited. There are too many grammatical and typographical errors for that to be the case. I also must be honest and say that I wasn’t totally gripped by the story. It’s an uplifting tale, one that is obviously close to the hearts of the co-authors, but it wasn’t exceptional or extraordinary enough to grab my attention and keep hold of it. Other readers who look for different qualities in their stories may well take a different view.

I am awarding this book three out of four stars, deducting one star for the number of errors I found. People who enjoy real-life stories with a Christian message are most likely to enjoy this book. Those who enjoy reading romantic stories will also find this a good read. While there are no profanities or erotic scenes in the book, it does touch upon adult themes; for that reason, I don’t think it’s a suitable read for children.

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The Journey to London
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[Benter23]

Real life stories with christian messages entices me. I'm definetely going to have a fun time reading this book. Good work Brendan.

[Asiaa Szn]

This is a beautiful story with an amazing message. Great review though.

[Ghuddie]

I love romance fiction a lot. I've therefore added this to my to-read list. Great review.

[Cathrine Akoth]

I love the romance fiction which starts as a friendship and God enables the two to meet up later,I would love to read the whole book.

[Mercyla5]

I would love to read a Christian romance book, because I believe in love that has been built on religious foundation. Nice review

[Nwadinso Okoro]

The book cover design is quite unique. Memoirs are not always interesting but I believe that this one is an exception. The premise on which it was written is also amazing. Thanks for your review.

[GPM]

Sometimes, I enjoy reading romantic stories.
This is a book that many people can relate to in their lives.
Thank you for your wonderful review!