A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

A new year means a whole slew of new books. Several of my favorite authors are completing their series this year before they start on the next one, but everyone once in a while it’s nice to pick up a book that has no others attached to it, a book that was written with no follow up in mind. This is exactly why I chose to read and review A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson.

Fiona Hume left her Hollywood life ten years ago after an ugly divorce. She bought a beautiful home in Baltimore with dreams of becoming an artist (one that makes beautiful things with her hands as opposed to with her appearance). The only problem is that while Fiona has managed to collect plenty of “items” (junk from thrift shops and even from garbage piles off the street), she has yet to create anything. Instead her home has become a dumping ground for everything she’s collected over the years. Desperate for a makeover for an interview she’s scheduled and without money, Fiona decides to take on a boarder. Josia Yeu agrees to Fiona’s ridiculous terms and rents the maid quarters. As Fiona gets to know the man and sees how he transforms a place in her home, she begins to open up to the man and to other people in her life. Will she ever find the happiness that Josia embodies or will she always be stuck in her self-absorbed world (a life she despises her parents for living in)?

This book is not a romance, though there are several mentions of love throughout. No, this book is about a woman’s journey to discovery. Through the course of the book, Fiona discovers beauty, friendship, love, and truth. Because the book is written in first person point of view, the reader sees everything through Fiona’s eyes. Samson’s main character is quirky and funny at times but also pessimistic and uninspired. As you take the journey with Fiona, you find her growing as she lets others shine light into her world. There are no religious transformations in the book. In fact, I’m not even sure God was mentioned and I was more than a little surprised to find a few curse words in a Thomas Nelson book (not many, just three or four but some readers may find this offensive so I want to mention it). It was an intriguing story of how letting go of the past and allowing people to come alongside you in life can bring peace and happiness.

****Booklook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.