“Have a little faith. … As in the kind that came with looking into the sunrise and knowing that it was created by Someone. And believing that Someone cared. Watched over. Intervened.”
OK, I admit it. I just might have shed a few tears as I read the final words of “You’re the One That I Want” by Susan May Warren. You see, this is the final book in the Christiansen Family series. And you can’t but help fall in love with this family — a clan that is zany and fun and loyal and flawed. Sometimes deeply flawed. They aren’t these perfect characters on the page. They have real problems and real struggles, but they always, sometimes reluctantly, turn to God in their dark times. Boy, am I going to miss this family.
“You’re the One That I Want” tackles the story of black sheep, prodigal son Owen, who is now working on a crab boat in the Bering Sea. On the vessel he meets the captain’s daughter, Scotty, who is tough as nails yet beautiful — and a cop in the off season. A near disaster ultimately leads to an uncertain relationship and Scotty going home to Deep Haven with Owen.
As we know from the end of the prior book “The Wonder of You,” Owen’s brother Casper, who finally tracked him down, returns to Deep Haven for questioning in a murder. What follows is an amazing story.
This book is a romance, yes, as it follows the rocky relationships of Owen and Scotty, and Casper and Raina. But it is also a suspenseful thriller as Scotty helps the Christiansen clan search out the truth about the murder case, trying to keep Casper out of prison.
But beyond the black and white of the plot, “You’re the One That I Want” is a story with many deeper, beautiful themes: hope, regret, the impact of stubbornness, the need to be needed and wanted, faith, and imperfect and broken prodigals. It shows us that we can never outrun God’s love, no matter what we’ve done, nor can we hide from God. You see, not only does the story deal with the characters learning who is the “one that they want” romantically, it is also a story of them learning that GOD is the “one that they want.” And, that we are the “one that God wants.”
You can never go wrong with Susan May Warren’s novels. They will leave you feeling uplifted and encouraged. They are great stories, but they are also like a breath of fresh air on a deeper level.
I can’t tell you how much I will miss the Christiansens and Deep Haven. I hope the author will continue to visit them in the future. They are just so relatable. As she writes in her author’s note: “When I conceived this series, I wanted a story about real people dealing with real issues of faith and family. I didn’t want to shy away from the mistakes but to tell a story about a family that faces its share of darkness … and discovers a God who is standing at the doorway — even more, launching out in relentless pursuit with the goal of bringing us home.”
Please, Susan May Warren, please let us come home with this gang again someday!
Five stars out of five.
Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.
“You’re the One That I Want” (a Christiansen Family novel) by Susan May Warren