Duct Tape And Memories
Fetching Sweetness by Dana Mentink is a totally delightful Christian romance and I absolutely loved it. I love Dana Mentink’s writings that focus around adorable dogs and have God at the centre. Dana Mentink’s novels will make you laugh and they will make you think, and if you let them, her writings will help you abandon yourself to God’s plans.
A major theme in the novel is plans and dreams. Rhett has a dream. Stephanie has a dream. God has a plan, an individual plan for both their lives. Are they able to see His plans? And are they willing to be led by Him? Or are they both too focused on their own plans? God’s plan for our lives is always so much greater than our own. How often do we “make God fit into my plans instead of the other way round?”
The novel also deals with the themes of loss and grief. “The hard part isn’t losing someone. It’s learning who you are without them.” When we lose someone life is never the same again. We have to get used to a new normal. “You won’t get over it. You’ll just have to find a way to live around it.”
Grief can help us draw closer to God or pull away from Him. Grief raises all sorts of emotions and questions. “Why? Why? Why? God does not reply.” In our grief we have all sorts of questions but we cannot always find the words. God knows our hearts and our prayers and our questions. Life can be hard when God is seems silent.
Prayer is of vital importance. Stephanie has people praying for her. In her anger against God, she does still recognise the power of prayer. Stephanie also recognises how Jesus can change people from the inside out. “That calm lady, illuminated from the inside by some light.”
The novel deals with the theme of power and control. For some, being powerful, having money and being in control is what really counts. However this is not God’s way. Power, money and control will not last. One needs to put ones trust and life in God’s hands and be motivated and driven by His characteristics.
There are some wonderful dogs in the novel. Sweetness is a great big enthusiastic and kind hearted dog. He sees the unnoticeable and rescues them. He can be seen as a motif for the characteristics of God. Panny in contrast is small and dirty. The ‘real’ her cannot be seen until she is cleaned up. Panny can be seen as a motif for us. We are covered in our sins and God picks us up and washes us clean. He restores us and makes us new.
There is the theme of forgiveness in the story. Forgiveness needs to be given and received. Forgiving the face in the mirror is often the hardest.
Within Fetching Sweetness there is the theme of moving on – both literally and figuratively. Life is a journey where one can face setbacks and diversions but the important thing is to keep one’s eyes on God and the end destination. Sometimes life is hard and one gets trapped in the past by an event. It is vital to move forwards and realise that no matter what happened “God’s given you another chance.”
I adore Dana Mentink’s writings. Her characters are delightful and the dogs in her novels just steal my heart. Her novels are highly amusing but she never loses sight of God.
Absolutely wonderful and I cannot get enough of Dana Mentink’s novels.
I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. No monetary compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON
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