Joe Murphy's wife has been gone six months and he is drowning in grief, and the lack of parental guidance for his three children.  Joe sends out a plea, online, for prayer.  Shawna is touched that Joe asked for prayer before he asked for help.  Her compassionate e-mails become Joe's lifeline, and their tentative conversations turn personal, as they begin to connect on a different level.   Finally, they get the nerve to ask about physical locations and discover they both live in Roanoke, VA, only blocks away from each other.  Because of their faith in God, they know this connection is not a mere coincidence.

But, life has its mountains; Shawna is black and Joe is white.  When they meet, they are amazed to find their offline connection is more rewarding than anything the internet offered.  Joe and Shawna find themselves contemplating a future that's new, different, and totally unpredictable.  But, how do they tell their kids?   The plan is to share family outings, which will allow the families to bond.  They refuse to let God's blessing default because of pigmentation.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING is tender, illuminating, and even sexy as Murray weaves this tale of two very different souls whose prayers were answered in a surprising way.  The lessons shared are bittersweet as the story, which somehow rang with a candid truism, emphasizes the many obstacles encountered when trying to blend families. The characters are believable and they make the obstacles more pronounced because of their diverse backgrounds and eclectic personalities.  A plus for me was the  persistence and dedication Shawna and Joe had to their own happiness without sacrificing the happiness of their children.   Murray makes readers feel this story.

Reviewed by aNN Brown
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers