“Love Beyond Tomorrow” is LDS author Erin Klingler’s first published novel.
Lauren Holt is heading off to college at BYU-Idaho. She lives in the small nearby town of Idaho Falls, so it’s not like she’s really going away, but the thirty-minute drive between home and school is just enough to help her feel like she’s on her own. Her good friend Allison is coming too and will be one of her roommates, so she has some measure of a support system while stepping out into this new world. She has a job at the bookstore to help meet expenses, and between that and her demanding class load, she’s filled up every spare minute and left no extra time for dating. With the bad experiences she’s had with guys in the past, she’s eager to concentrate on her studies and leave dating to other people.
Ben Morrison was attending Harvard, pre-law, when the missionaries found him. Excited to share his new religion with his parents, he’s hurt and surprised when his father disowns him, refusing to pay for any more schooling or to even let him be part of the family. Ben has some tough decisions to make, and he chooses the Church. He gets baptized and moves in with some ward members until he’s on his feet again, but he certainly can’t afford the high tuition at Harvard. That’s okay – he was only studying law to make his father happy in the first place. Deciding to start all over again, he sets out for BYU-Idaho.
When Lauren and Ben meet, they have an instant chemistry that Lauren chooses to interpret as friendship. Allison warns Ben not to move too fast, and so he takes his time getting to know Lauren, even though he knows nearly from the first second that he wants to marry her. As their friendship grows, so does his respect for her. But just as he’s getting ready to propose, he gets an offer from his father – return to the family fold and business. He’ll be successful, but he might have to give up Lauren to attain it.
This is a light, entertaining story of college, dating, working, and misunderstandings that will suit young women and women alike. I would have liked to see just a little more conflict in it, but there’s no law that says every book has to keep you white-knuckled. It was an enjoyable read from a first author, and I look forward to seeing what else Erin turns out in the future.
(This book was published in 2004 by Windriver Publishing.)
Related Blogs:
What Does Erin Klingler Like to Read?
Author Interview: Rachel Ann Nunes
Author Interview: Michele Ashman Bell