Originally Published: 08-11-2020
Legally and Lawfully Yours is a stand-alone book by best-selling LDS author Anita Stansfield. This story is much more of an inspirational story than it is a romance but it does have romance in it.
Book Details
This story does not belong to any book series, and is a complete story with no cliffhanger at all.
And while this story was written by an LDS author, there are no LDS phrases or usage in it at all. There are, however, much dialogue about God and spiritual matters that us humans must go thru.
There’re no sexual content at all in this story, no reference to any at all.
There is a romance between Shannon and Phillip where they court and eventually get married. But there’s no dialogue or chapters about the musings and thoughts that one goes thru that are wrapped around the sexual side of things.
Yes, we read about the spiritual journey that she goes to thru to understand her situation and to help the children to heal from what they’ve had to endure at the hand of their mother.
But the majority of the story is about Shannon taking on her brother’s two children when she sees that their mother is not taking care of them. It’s their journey together, their journey of healing and love coming from an neglectful situation.
I found this book to be printed bigger than a pocketbook size and only 249 pages long.
So while it’s not a long story, it is an inspirational story of the journey that not only Shannon has to go thru but the children as well.
I also found that there’s another book, you could call it book 2 that goes with this book. It’s called Now and Always Yours, where we find out Greg’s story.
Book Summary
Shannon Tourney thought she would be satisfied with her life when she reached a lofty position at a prestigious law firm with a corner office. But she found that she wasn’t.
So when see finds that her young niece and nephew are being horribly neglected by their mother, she comes up with an elaborate plan to whisk them away!!
With the help of a dedicated social worker, Shannon legally adopts Neal and Jeanie as her brother must finish his time in prison before he can.
Part of the plan was to erase as much of their existence in New York as possible so that BK could not find them.
She starts driving and ends up in a small town called Sugar City which is still in New York State.
There she meets Phillip, the local vet.
For him, it’s love at first sight. For her, she’s wary and cautious but dreams of having a home and family.
Their relationship is open and honest right from the beginning. And she tells him that she’s the legal guardian of her niece and nephew, their father’s in prison and there’s a chance that BK will come looking for them. A lot to handle for any person.
Okay, as they get to know each other, it’s a tender and sweet joining. They share their thoughts and ideas, their dreams and wishes. And get to know each other pretty quickly.
Not only are Phillip and Shannon getting to know each other, Shannon is also learning how to be a mother to these two young children. She takes the necessary steps in making sure that they get counseling for the trauma that they’ve endured and making sure that they feel safe and secure to open up again.
Not only does she teach Neal and Jeanie to be independent, she also strives to become too by finding her own place and her getting a job.
As she’s a lawyer, and with Phillip’s help, she opens up a small office in this small town to offer services to this small community.
As she’s finding her way with Phillip, she’s also welcomed into the community as a wonderful new member.
So while there’s many discouraging thoughts and past issues that come up, she tries her best to follow other’s example to pray and turn to God for help.
And to finalize the story, of course, BK shows up again. And she wants custody of her children. With the help of divine intervention, and having BK’s true colors coming out, Shannon is awarded full custody of Neal and Jeanie until the time that her brother can properly do so.
Conclusion
You’ll find that this story is definitely more about the spiritual journey of Shannon and Phillip than about their romance. It’s about how they forge their relationship with God, together.
This story is also about healing. Healing from trauma that they’ve all had and how God can help you, if you have faith.
Anita Stansfield does a great job in creating the setting and the characters that are completely believable. As much time passes during the story, this helps us to know that to truly heal takes time and patience and love.
And all those characteristics are found in both Shannon and Phillip as they work together to be the parents that little Neal and Jeanie need to grow and heal. And for them to grow and change with God’s help.
This was an easy read, although a poignant one! Completely enjoyable and worth reading again and again.
And in my research, I found that there’s a book where we can find out Greg’s story. Check out Now and Always Yours.
Please note that there’s no book series title for these two books.
Click the pic to see the #bookdetails for the next book!!
