Title: Come Fill Up My Cup
Author: Jean Murray Munden
Publisher: BookVenture Publishing
ISBN: 9781641667166
Pages: 248
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Rae C. Bernard

Read Book Review

Love can be the most powerful thing, an experience that words cannot appropriately explain. Although there are different levels to love, sometimes misconnections occur, leaving many wondering if they passed up or overlooked the “right one” for them. We can only hope that we’ll find the love of our lives, it’s only a matter of how long must we wait until we finally have them? In book one of Come Fill Up My Cup, author Jean Murray Munden allows her readers to follow along as she describes plenty scenarios of how her characters have crossed paths, and what experiences they’ve shared between them. In particular, we witness widow Robin Lindsay travel through Scotland, continuing the adventure she once shared with her late husband. It took for her to get caught in a rainstorm on the side of the road to connect with James Maclachlan, who becomes a very important person in her life later on. As a reader, we’re coming to an understanding that Robin and James are like a special pair of people, ones you’d hope things would work in their favor for the remainder of their lives. James, a widower who hasn’t felt the same after the loss of his late wife, does all he can to become a better man that his children can be proud of. At the current stages of both their lives, I believe they’re deserving of true and long-lasting happiness, together.

Most of the chapters described times which occurred amongst particular characters, but everyone had their own special role to play. James’ daughter, Nell, has grown to be a remarkable young woman who is still trying to find herself, while her heart is wrapped up around her older cousin, Iain. Aren’t innocent family member crushes usually common? It’s fascinating to read how expressive both Robin and Nell’s trip to Canada were via their letters back to James and Iain, in Scotland. Author Jean Murray Munden, sets the tone of redemption, by gaining what was once lost and then some. The family is quite encouraging and the opportunity to make newer memories enables the family to all remain as tight-knit as they already are. You would always feel such powerful positive energy as you read each page, even with moments of sorrow; it’s a light-heart story to read. At one point, I’ve felt a tad bit jealous that Robin & James wanted to be together no matter what, and it would make you hopeful that you too can experience such a love. Anyone would feel good reading and witnessing such passion, a great feeling to take away from his or her story.

I felt several emotions while reading this well-written novel by the author and truly enjoyed my reading experience with this one. It was a mixture of happiness, sadness, sympathy, but more than anything else, I felt the love shared between nearly all of the characters. Such a loving environment that anyone who ever lacked would have loved to be a part of, especially how well the Maclachlan family stuck together through the good, bad, and ugly times. My heart truly went out to both Robin and James for losing their spouses in such tragic ways and through it all, they have found comfort within each other. It’s a blessing to witness love being expressed and this book was a wonderful demonstration of such. I highly recommend this book to everyone because as they say, “love conquers all” and there was more than enough to go around.