Review: Wild Light - The Light Rising #2

Did I read this book twice within two weeks? Yes; it was that good! The Light Rising Series is likely one of my favourite Christian series this year and I'm thrilled that the second book is now available. Wild Light by Ivy Emerson is everything I hoped for, plus so much more in a book that is clearly Christian while taking readers on a wild adventure.

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

I’ve built my life on distance.

Do the job. Keep it simple. Walk away.

It’s safer that way—

until she becomes the one person I can’t stay away from.

I’ve built my life on independence.

Protect the animals. Let the work be enough.

Just me and God—

until he becomes the one person I don’t want to lose.

The sanctuary was supposed to be safe.

It isn’t.

Someone is hiding something…

and the closer we get to the truth,

the more dangerous it becomes.

But even in the wild, light finds a way in.

Wild Light is a heartfelt Christian romantic suspense novel set against the breathtaking backdrop of a South African wildlife sanctuary. Blending a slow-burn love story with rising danger, it explores themes of trust, identity, and what it means to step into the life God is calling you toward.

Written from a distinctly Christian worldview, this story weaves together clean romance, gentle humor, and faith-filled hope. It’s about learning to let go of control, choosing courage over fear, and discovering that sometimes the wildest places are where God does His most beautiful work.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

If Ivy Emerson writes it, I am going to read it. Wild Light follows Shadow Light where we get to meet Benjamin Huxley, a bodyguard tasked with protecting Cordelia Hope while she travels to South Africa to implement technology that can keep rhinoceroses from being at risk of harmful human activities. It's a mission that appears clear-cut at first until things keep escalating under Ben's watchful eyes. As tensions rise at the sanctuary where Lia is working, some of the staff learn that there is much more to unravel than they realize, including hidden networks and secret identities. I love that the suspense is on pace with the personal and relational growth that Ben and Lia experience, making this story just as much an exploration of the inner turmoil that these characters are working through as they discover what God wants for their lives.

The juxtaposition between protection and preparation versus fear and desiring to be in control is well-played out against a wild setting where variables keep shifting. As much as Ben and Lia want to control their environment out of a sense of fear and self-preservation, only God can protect them against all of the unknowns. With a heart for God's creatures, this is an eye-opening book that shares just how much work goes into protecting them when greed and corruption are at bay. If you enjoy intentionally faith-filled romances where characters are challenged in the deeply held notions keeping them from God's best, Wild Light will take you on an inward and outward journey toward the life-giving joy that the Father has planned for us to experience.

Book Summary

• Format of book: 📱
• Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Recommendation: 👍

Book Quotes

I think about Romans 8:32, a verse I read just this morning in the quiet before the day began. “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” If You spent blood on me, You’re not skimping now. I’ve been judging God’s generosity by my circumstances. By what was lost instead of what was given. By the timing I preferred instead of the timing He knows is best. What if the cake you asked for is still being made—through heat you never would’ve agreed to, in ovens that feel like fire, not formation, with ingredients you would’ve sworn would ruin it—only they look wrong before the heat has finished its work?