I don't believe I have read any other books by this author. I actually liked the book for the most part and planned to rate it higher, but looking at other reviewers comments has me questioning that.

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW. READ MORE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION
*****

Likes:
*I like the idea of a ranch designed to help injured veterans (and I think injured non-veterans also).

*I like that the ranch gave Dylan a purpose as well as a place to do his rehab. I like that it also gave other veterans a place to call home.

*I like Maggie's empathy to hurting creatures (animal and human) and her willingness to try to help the dogs she takes in to have better lives. (I didn't notice until later that some of the dogs's injuries paralleled those of the veterans who call the ranch home.)

*I like that the characters are not perfect. They have flaws and insecurities to overcome. Not all of them do in the pages of this book, but some do and if the series continues, I suspect we will see others do so as well.

*the dogs!! (As I said above, it took me a while to realize that the dogs's injuries often matched those of one of the veterans who lived on the ranch. I do wonder if that dog (or another animal) will be instrumental in the healing for that person.

Dislikes:
*I'm not sure I agree with Pastor Patel's idea of arranged marriages. Yes, if it works as this book claims--that you are close enough with your parents that they know what you want in a spouse--then it might, but I am not sure that all arranged marriages work out that way.

*I understand the idea of a marriage of convenience. But Biblically, marriage is a covenant. I'd have to consider if this arrangement met the idea of that covenant--of course this is fiction, and they grow to truly love each other--but real life isn't fiction and in real life, things don't always work out in the way that they do when a writer directs the flow of the story. I'd hate someone to think this is how all marriages of convenience work.

Things that didn't seem to make sense:
*Maggie is a vet tech. When we first meet her, she is doing surgery on a dog. First the dog needs amputations, then it's going to be put down, then she just wraps it up and carries it out to her car to take home. Can a vet tech do surgery? It seems the doctor of the clinic is present--and is the one pushing for putting the dog to sleep--so why is he not doing the surgery? How can he be seeing a client's cat and be all smiles while his vet tech is doing a serious surgery on a dog--a surgery of which he apparently doesn't approve? Also, the dog seems to wake up rather quickly from the anesthesia if it's woofing as she's carrying it out to her car.

*The zoning of the ranch area seems to come up late in the process. (and at a rather convenient time). Didn't they know what the ranch land was zoned prior to this point? Who is making the big stink about it being zoned for family not commercial use? Is it the owners? Do they not want to sell? Is it the neighbors doing a NIMBY? To my mind, there should be other ways out of the problem than one of the veteran's needing to get married in a hurry. In this day and age, family gets interpreted in ways other than married with kids, so this shouldn't have been an issue and it seems a bit contrived to get the main characters together.

*How does Dylan end up with an infection from diving into the water and the dog (who was in the water longer) doesn't? Also, Dylan loses his prosthesis in the water. Does he just leave it there an get another one? Does someone else try to fish it out of the water for him to see if it can be saved? How does Dylan get back to the house with only one leg? ( )

Disabled vets are living on a rescue ranch, but the only way they can keep it is to get married ( )

Out of a heartbreaking story, comes a truly inspirational message. One emotional journey, two unforgettable characters and an exceptionally gifted author make a winning combination. On His Bended Knee is more than just a sappy love story. Johnson uses Dylan and Maggie to inspire hope at a time neither have any left. Out of desperation grows a bond that becomes the salve that mends the body, mind and spirit of two broken souls. Neither life or love is perfect, but beauty surrounds us even in the most ugly of times. A soul stirring, awe-inspiring, epic tale.

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