Title: Alison’s Journey
Author: Amey S. Tippett
Genre: Contemporary
Published in 2005 by Publish America
IBSN: 1-4137-4007-3
Alison Shaw is not the perfect wife, at least that is what her husband has brainwashed her into thinking. Last night was the start of her summer vacation and should have been a time to celebrate with her husband Eric. Unfortunately, he did not feel the same way. When the accusations started, Alison tried to explain why she was fifteen minutes late getting home from her teaching job, but once the hitting started she knew there was no way to diffuse the situation. The next morning Alison was grateful that she was still able to move around the house instead of being in the emergency room. She has finally realized that Eric is not going to change into her prince charming and she makes the hardest move of her life. She packs a few clothes and her two cats and leaves without a word. She is not sure where she is going, but she gets in her car and heads east.
Ending up in Ohio with car trouble, Alison has the misfortune of meeting the rudest man on the planet. Tyler is the only mechanic around for miles, so she puts up with his comments and leaves her only mode of transportation in his hands. As she settles in town, she applies for a teaching job at the grade school and comes to realize that maybe Tyler is not as rude as he first appeared. When her husband starts harassing her by leaving mutilated pictures where she will find them, Alison’s world is turned upside down again. Tyler becomes her rock. He is there for her whenever she needs him. Alison is concerned that her relationship with Tyler will become like the one she had with Eric. Her fear that she makes men become animals is unreasonable, but she is not able to shake the feeling that what happened with her marriage was partly her fault.
Tyler Coffey and his daughter Sara are muddling their way through living on their own. Since his divorce and his ex-wife’s death, it has just been him and Sara. While he might want to provide a mother for Sara, he knows that for it to work out, he must be in love with the woman he marries. The problem with finding that woman is that he has not met anyone that has interested him enough to even date, let alone marry. Dropping out of college during his freshman year and coming home to run his uncle's automotive shop was the best thing that he had ever done. He has never regretting the decision to leave college and marry Sara’s mother. The chances of finding a stepmother for Sara are slim to none in a town the size of Grabill, Ohio. That is until Alison comes to town. After meeting Alison, Tyler starts to think that a college drop out is the type of man she will fall for.
During the course of their friendship, Tyler struggles with his feelings that develop for Alison. Getting involved with a woman embroiled in the middle of a divorce is probably not in his best interest, but love has it’s own timetable. As he spends more and more time with her, he finds that she is the woman of his dreams. She is a wonderful teacher and is great with his daughter. Trying to convince Alison that he is the man for her turns out to be harder than he expects it to be. Tyler realizes that for a relationship to work between them, Alison must come to love him for whom he truly is and not because he is helping her out with her divorce. However, he is not willing to give her up without a fight. He is prepared to wait as long as he needs to for her to be ready for a commitment.
Alison’s Journey by Amey S. Tippett is a touching look at how one woman not only survives her abusive marriage, but also flourishes. In Grabill, Ohio, Alison finds the support she so desperately needs as she struggles to realize that she is not at fault for her marriage failing. Alison grows to feel that the car trouble that forces her to stop in Grabill is a gift from God. Falling in love with Tyler while trying to divorce her abusive husband was not what she had planned, but love will happen when it is destined to happen. Tyler is minding his own business when Alison shows up at his garage looking for help with her car. Starting off on the wrong foot, Tyler gets the impression that Alison is lazy and spoiled. As he comes to know her, Tyler realizes that his first impression was way off base. Alison is the woman of his dreams, if he can just convince her of that. From the shores of California to a small town in Ohio, Alison never once regrets her decision to leave her abusive husband.
Ladies, be wary of country boys that compliment you on your hubcaps the first time you meet them. Tyler Coffey definitely has a way with words. I enjoyed this book immensely. While writing a wonderful romance novel, Ms. Tippett incorporates a sensitive topic that many women have had to deal with in their lives. Maybe not to the extent Alison did, but there are all degrees of abuse. A very powerful message is found in this story. You do not have to continue to live in fear for your life. Take the all-important first step and get out of the relationship. Pick up a copy of Alison’s Journey from Publish America to find out if Alison finds her prince charming at the end of her journey.
Yours Sincerely,
Annmarie
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