a rainy day book review

I am a Lynn Austin fan, so I was ecstatic to receive this book for free from Bethany House Publishers to review. I am also a Biblical Fiction fan - I'm overly intrigued with the culture and lifestyle of those times. I secretly wish I could experience is for one day. That's why I couldn't wait to read this book: Return to Me.

Unfortunately, I was not impressed with this book. It was not what I expected from Austin. Her characters always grab me and pull me into their stories - I usually finish Austin's books wishing I could read more about her characters. This book, however, left me struggling to connect to any of the characters. As another reviewer stated, I was frustrated with the characters. I felt they lacked dimension - I had a difficult time connecting with them.
I understand that this is Biblical Fiction based upon historical facts, but fiction should provide the liberty to add more dimension to the story while maintaining historical facts. I was bored. I trudged through this book in hopes of a spark in the plot, but the book trudged along a one-dimensional plot line for 200+ pages. When there would seem to be a spark in the storyline, it was resolved on the very next page, so there was no suspense at all in this book.
I would recommend it for insight into Biblical history, as it beautifully describes the rebuilding of the temple and the events surrounding it. But, as for entertainment, I would not recommend it. There was not enough drama/action/romance/activity, character development, or relationships to keep my interest. I simply trudged through the book so that I could give a honest review.