After his father passes away, Christian is denied his inheritance, disowned by his brothers, and thrown out of the family mansion. Life takes a terrible turn until he embarks on a life changing trip to Ethiopia to meet Lalibela’s wisest man. ~ My Review ~For such a short read, this was heavy with wisdom and littered with inspiration. Given today's culture, we should do well to take a step back and look at the bigger picture instead of being emotional at the moment. I understood the paradox as the monk softly challenged Christian. Some challenges were more physical than others, such as hunting for food, or carrying buckets of water. But others could be learned in the midst of children playing or as even as simple as eating a meal that we don't care for. This was a simple and beautiful read that surprised me at the end. We may not all have the circumstances or fortune to fly across the world to Ethiopia but Dhliwayo's words takes you there and for a brief while, lets you in on the secrets of Lalibela's Wise Man. ***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.*** About the AuthorMatshona Dhliwayo is a Canadian based Philosopher, Entrepreneur, and author of books such as The Little Book of Inspiration, Creativity, The Book, 50 Lessons Every Wise Mother Teaches Her Son, 100 Lessons Every Great Man Wants You to Know, and Lalibela's Wise Man. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7978664.Matshona_Dhliwayo Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatshonaD?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matshona.dhliwayo
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Blurb: Samantha had everything a wife and mother could ask for in life. A loving husband, a beautiful daughter, and a baby on the way. Her life is thrown into a tailspin when her Army Sergeant husband Dakota goes missing in Afghanistan and assumed dead . . . It's because of him she lost everything . . . . . . It's because of her he's able to go on Other books by T.K. Chapin: If Only Christian Romance Series - Diamond Lake Series (Book 1) One Thursday Morning (Book 2) One Friday Afternoon (Book 3) One Saturday Evening (Book 4) One Sunday Drive (Book 5) One Monday Prayer (Book 6) One Tuesday Lunch (Book 7) One Wednesday Dinner Firefighter Christian Series - Embers & Ashes (Book 1) Amongst The Flames (Book 2) Out of the Ashes (Book 3) Up in Smoke (Book 4) After the Fire Contemporary Christian Romance - Love's Enduring Promise Series (Book 1) The Perfect Cast (Book 2) Finding Love (Book 3) Claire's Hope (Book 4) Dylan's Faith About the AuthorT.K. CHAPIN is an award winning Inspirational Christian Fiction author who designs his stories to inspire and tug on your heart strings. He believes that telling authentic stories of faith, love and family helps build the faith of believers while inviting non-believers into the reality of God. Each story highlights how God can work in the lives of those who follow Him. Chapin gives all credit for his writing and storytelling abilities to God. The majority of his stories take place in and around his hometown of Spokane Washington. Chapin & his wife reside in Southeast Idaho and have three children. When not writing, he enjoys traveling, swimming and spending time with friends & family. ** Visit his website (get a free Gift) - www.tkchapin.com ** Follow him on twitter - www.twitter.com/tkchapin ** Connect on Facebook - www.facebook.com/officialtkchapin Blurb: Her heart sought shelter. Her soul found home. Ella Whitaker rescues a newborn from the dying arms of a woman of ill repute and at long last she has someone to love. In need of a wet nurse, she arrives at Belmont Plantation just as Federal soldiers demand to speak to the owner. Thinking quickly, Ella masquerades as a Yankee officer's widow in order to have a roof over her head and a home for the child. Major Westley Remington has dedicated his life to serving his country. The Civil War has divided his family, torn his thoughts of glory, and left him with a wound that may never heal. Westley returns home on medical furlough to settle his father’s estate at Belmont Plantation, only to find his home is being run by a fiery and independent woman—one many believe to be his wife. Now he is faced with a conflict he’s never been trained to fight, and one she has yet to conquer. Buy Links: In His Eyes http://amzn.to/2ptw3wi Links of other books by Stephenia H. McGee: The Whistle Walk http://amzn.to/2pCPYr8 Heir of Hope: http://amzn.to/2qBA4g1 Leveraging Lincoln: http://amzn.to/2ptELuw Losing Lincoln: http://amzn.to/2p5Vstq Labeling Lincoln: http://amzn.to/2p65pH Editorial reviews"The character development is impressive and the plot kept me riveted. I couldn't wait to see what happened to Major Remington and Ella--and once you begin reading this book, you won't want to put it down either." ~Andrea Boeshaar, Author "A Thousand Shall Fall" and "Too Deep for Words" "With dynamic, realistic characters and colorful descriptions, I was more than just reading a story on a page, I felt like I was participating in the story. I laughed, I cried, and loved every moment. I hated to see it come to an end...I loved how this story seamlessly included the gentle reminders of God's love for us and the importance of our reliance upon Him, without coming across pushy or like you are reading a sermon. It's was ever so soft, just like a whisper." Joy of Reading Blog "In the post-Civil War South, we have a Union officer who is physically wounded from battle, emotionally wounded from the loss of his parents, and spiritually wounded by his lost relationship with his God. Into his world steps a spunky, spirited red-headed southern belle. Let the sparks ignite!" Dennis E. Hensley author, Pseudony About the AuthorWinner of the 2012 RONE Best Inspirational Book of the year (2012) and author of six Historical novels, Stephenia H. McGee has a fascination with hoop skirts and ball gowns, Greek revival homes and horse-drawn carriages, quirky Southern sayings, and home-grown recipes. She currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and two boys, (accompanied by their two spoiled dogs and mischievous cat) where she writes stories of faith, redemption, and stories steeped in the South. Social Media Links: Visit her website at www.StepheniaMcGee.com and be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get sneak peeks, behind the scenes fun, the occasional recipe, and special offers. FaceBook: Stephenia H. McGee, Christian Fiction Author Twitter: @StepheniaHMcGee Pinterest: Stephenia H. McGee
It's the exciting start of a brand-new series by a contemporary romance fan favorite!
After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now. Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother. The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another. ~ My Review ~
You know that line in "The fault in our stars," by John Green, where Hazel says, "I fell in love how you fall asleep. Slowly at first, then all at once?" I get that. I LOVE that line. (Sidenote, read the book or watch the movie, it's wonderful and well...heartbreaking). And I felt like this book was the same for me.....and how John Lawson fell for Nora.
The pacing moved a little slowly for me in beginning but somehow, without noticing, I was soon sucked into the world of Nora Bradford, her sisters, and John. Without knowing the exact moment of when, where, and how, I fell in love. I wanted to know more about the Bradford sisters. I wanted to simultaneously guard John's heart from his diagnosis, and will him to own up to his past and present, and a future he can't envision. Becky Wade has a way with her words and I loved her descriptions of the scenery, the way her characters stood, their thoughts, their prayers, and always, their faith. This story about a man and woman has been told so many times over, but I absolutely love the part that both characters pushed and pulled God into their hearts. After all, isn't that the greatest love story ever told? It took a little while for these two to get their "happy ever after," but I appreciate the story about God's grace, and how no matter what our past was, who and what we were born into, our identity - the one that matters, the most - is that of being a Child of God. We all have faults and imperfections, but to stay grounded in faith through it all, despite what may......that's how we become true to ourselves, and for our partners, it's how we become True to You. ***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I am not required to write a positive one. These thoughts and opinions are my own.*** About the author
Becky Wade is a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market before putting her career on hold for several years to care for her three children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance! She's the Carol Award, INSPY Award, and Inspirational Reader's Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, the Porter Family series, and the Bradford Sisters Romance series.
Social Media links: Website: http://beckywade.combeckywade.com/home/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckywade/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckywadewriter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckywadewriter/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beckywadewriter/
Becky Wade's 'True to You' Prize Pack and $100 Giveaway
Blurb: Journey back to a time when neighbors knew each other's names, and a handshake meant a person's honor. The bestselling Eagle Harbor Series continues with Book 5, Love’s Winter Hope. When Jessalyn Dowrick’s husband left her and their three daughters to head west five years earlier, she had no choice but to pick up the pieces of her broken life and continue without him, eventually supporting herself as Eagle Harbor’s seamstress, and secretly hoping her husband would return. But days soon slipped into months, and months into years, all without word of Thomas or a cent of the money he’d promised to send. While working day and night to build a new life that his wife would be proud of, Thomas wrote Jessalyn every week, asking her to come to South Dakota. But she never arrived. In fact, she never answered a single one of his letters. When he returns to Eagle Harbor in search of answers, he finds a woman who thought him dead . . . and soon regrets he didn’t come after her earlier. As winter closes in and storms trap Thomas in town until the harbor opens in the spring, will he be able to convince his wife he’s worth a second chance? Love's Winter Hope Amazon http://geni.us/hMnm Apple http://geni.us/EHappl Google Play http://geni.us/EHGP5 Nook http://geni.us/EHnook5 Kobo http://geni.us/EHkobo Come visit the historical town that readers can't get enough of. Eagle Harbor Series--Where Love Finds Its Anchor Book 1: Love's Unfading Light (Mac and Tressa) Book 2: Love's Every Whisper (Elijah and Victoria) Book 3: Love's Sure Dawn (Gilbert and Rebekah) Book 4: Love's Eternal Breath (Seth and Lindy) Book 5: Love's Winter Hope (Thomas and Jessalyn) Book 6: Love's Bright Tomorrow (Isaac and Aileen--winter 2018) Prequel Novella: Love's Violet Sunrise (Hiram and Mabel) Short Story: Love's Beginning (Elijah and Victoria) Buy Links: Love's Unfading Light: Amazon http://geni.us/aWuz7d0 Apple http://geni.us/Appl1 Google Play http://geni.us/EHGP1 Nook http://geni.us/EHnook1 Kobo http://geni.us/EHkobo1 Love's Every Whisper: Amazon http://geni.us/o2WQ. Apple http://geni.us/appl2 Google Play http://geni.us/EHGP2 Nook http://geni.us/EHnook2 Kobo http://geni.us/EHkobo2 Love's Sure Dawn: Amazon http://geni.us/5hbq Apple http://geni.us/appl3 Google Play http://geni.us/EHGP3 Nook http://geni.us/EHnook3 Kobo http://geni.us/EHkobo3 Love's Eternal Breath: Amazon http://geni.us/dSxzxAD Apple http://geni.us/appl4 Google Play http://geni.us/EHGP4 Nook http://geni.us/EHnook4 Kobo http://geni.us/EHkobo “Step over here, where there’s some room.” He glanced around the cluttered shop, then raised his eyebrows. Well, there would be room just as soon as she moved the stack of shirts. She bent and gathered them in her arms, then placed them on the table between the socks and mackinaw coats, which of course sent half the pile of socks plopping to the floor, but at least they took up less space than the shirts. She measured his arms first, from wrist to wrist, never mind that his reach spread wider than the table where she’d just stacked the clothes. Then she did the length of his torso, from his shoulder seam down to his waist, ignoring the hard muscles beneath his shirt as she stretched the tape down him—or at least trying to. But when she wrapped the tape around his chest, much as she did when measuring one of their daughters, her breath hitched, and she stilled. Of course her left hand didn’t reach the tape she’d stretched behind him with her right. She’d known her hands couldn’t touch. So why had she measured him this way? Habit? He looked down at her, not moving, barely even breathing. His face loomed over her own, her head tilted back to see the blue of his eyes. She needed to step back, put distance between her and this big, burly man who owned too many of her memories. If only that big, burly man didn’t have the power to trap her beneath his gaze until she forgot how to move. “Do you do this with the other men that order shirts from you?” he rasped. About the AuthorNaomi Rawlings is the author of multiple historical Christian novels, including the Amazon bestselling Eagle Harbor Series. While she'd love to claim she spends her days huddled in front of her computer vigorously typing, in reality, she spends her time homeschooling, cleaning, picking up, and pretending like her house isn't in a constant state of chaos. She lives with her husband and three children in Michigan's rugged Upper Peninsula, along the southern shore of Lake Superior where they get 200 inches of snow every year, and where people still grow their own vegetables and cut down their own firewood--just like in the historical novels she writes. Author Links: www.naomirawlings.com https://www.facebook.com/author.naomirawlings/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5339357. SynopsisIn a culture that bombards women with "thinspiration" messages and pressure to "do it all" while wearing the mask of perfection, women are left feeling alone and overwhelmed. How can they stop comparing themselves to others? How can they live out who they really are? Lee Wolfe Blum offers stories from everyday women who have answered these questions with their lives—and found true beauty in the process. In Brave Is the New Beautiful, Blum weaves reflections from her own journey with inspirational stories from everyday women who chose to take off their masks and live authentically. Through call-to-action questions and ideas, she encourages readers to be brave enough to be who they really are and the beloved that God knows they are. ~ My Review ~This book got to me. I cried at the stories of these brave women as they battled cancer, their fears, their relationships, and a slew of situations that would make anyone back down, run away, and hide. Reading through Lee Wolfe Blum's own account of depression and feeling unwanted, I saw myself in every bit of her words. I saw the anger resurrect within me. I felt the hug and comfort that emitted from these pages. I know I am loved. I know I am wanted......sometimes, it takes a stranger, or a book to make us believe in those words. In my own situation, my parents praised me as the prettiest and the most independent of their daughters. I believed for a long time that it was only my outer appearances that gave me worth. As years and the poundage went on, I felt less of who I was. Who had I become? What was I becoming? And maybe it was also an unconscious shift that I didn't want to be looked at anymore....... It wasn't until my first child and my first bout of Preeclampsia and the NICU experiences that I began to realize that I was more than my appearance. I was tougher and stronger than even I gave myself credit for. And so I ugly cried my way through this entire book, but only because I remember my anxious need to fit into a mold. I remember the moment I knew I was loved for being me. I remember that that quiet moment I gave myself to God. Blum reminded me that this journey I'm on is not about striving to be perfect, or godly. We're not in competition with each other. She - and the stories of women she told - tells me that it's okay to be messy, to ugly cry, to step back from what we know is hurting us, and taking us away from God....it's okay to be afraid. It's okay to peel away the layers of the falsities we make ourselves up. It's okay to step up and say this is me, and this is who I truly am, because brave is the new beautiful. ***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I am not required to write a positive one. These thoughts and opinions are my own.*** About the AuthorLee Wolfe Blum is an energetic and passionate speaker who loves to help women find hope in healing from perfectionism and addictions. She works as a mental health practitioner in the field of Eating Disorders and Chemical Dependency. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three boys. Find out more about Lee Wolfe at leewolfeblum.com. For more on this tour and author, click here.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
No longer could I say I was lonely. But oh, how I wish I could! Who could have done such a thing to the Creator of the world? Who had so much hatred for Him?
Excerpt
I am empty. Bereft. No one visits, no one comes near. The garden is a comfort in some ways. The beauty of the flowers, the trees, and the sky above. But I am lonely. Not like my brothers and sisters nearby. They have been used. They are filled with the bodies of their masters’ loved ones.
Yes, I am a tomb. The rock I am made from was created by God the Creator long ago. Sometime later, Joseph of Arimathea bought me and had men work on me until a beautiful place became hollowed out for my master's body and for his loved ones when they went to be forever with their Creator. About the Author
Faith Blum is a 20-something author of multiple books in various genres. She loves to write, read, play piano, knit, crochet, sew, watch movies, and play games with her family. She lives in Wisconsin with her family on a small family farm where they raise goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and have 2 dogs and a varying number of cats.
Faith’s goal in her writing is to encourage Christians in their walk with Christ. If you enjoyed this book, go to her website to sign up for her Monthly Newsletter so you can get an email with fun facts, giveaways, and so much more every month. You will also find links to her other Social Media sites on her website. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her.
Faith is offering a really neat giveaway for this tour. The ParLaGrace etsy seller has an April special right now for a really beautifully made block that says He Lives. Isn’t it pretty? You can enter the giveaway here:
SynopsisWhat every parent needs to know in a world full of drugs, drinking and gasp! Sex. Written from her experience as a Christian "wild child", now a mother and the wife of a recovered addict, Leah Grey sheds light on her childhood rebellion and how her life was ultimately saved- by finding her true identity in Christ. If you're a Christian parent struggling with how you're going to successfully raise children in an increasingly sex-crazed, sin-filled, oh-my-goodness what can we do kind of world, this short book is one you'll want to read! With chapters like, "Wake Up and Smell Satan's Coffee", "The Truth about the Technological Era" and "We All Get It Wrong Sometimes" she addresses the problem of insecurity in our children (and their parents!) and how it leads to drugs, drinking and sex, what godly boundaries look like and where our children are really being influenced. This is not a parenting book filled with "to-do" lists and "top ten ways to"... it's one girl's testimony to the importance of teaching children how to find identity in a broken world. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” -Romans 12:2 (NIV) ReviewWe all have an opinion on parenting. We all base assumptions on what we see at the playground, during and after the school drop off/pick up rush, at restaurants, etc. Everywhere we see a family, we unconsciously compare ourselves to how other people parent. As if there was a bar of measurements or a winning look that screams, PERFECT PARENTING DONE RIGHT HERE. In truth, we all have our bad days and our good days. And even though we know in our hearts we're doing "alright" for ourselves and for our children, this comparison thing drives us. Leah Grey tells us a few things: 1.) You need to stop comparing your parenting styles to other people's parenting styles. 2.) There is no perfect way to parent. 3.) Let's reexamine this thought about doing "alright" as parents. Wouldn't you want to be better? Being better parents means putting, and asking, and letting God into our parenting, and maybe trusting that He can do so much more for our children than you and I could ever imagine. Our children aren't really ours but God's. We truly only have our children for a short amount of time, and God has them for a lifetime, and then the rest of eternity. Over the course of their time with us, we need to make sure to put God into every aspect of their life, so when the time comes to 'let go' of the reins, their foundation in Christ has been set. At the end of each chapter, there are discussion questions that let us reexamine how we are to our children. Do we engage with them? Are we on our phones all day long? Sidenote and this one hit me hard: that we - those of us in our early thirties - "we are the end of an era. The last generation to know what it's like to play outside all day long....the last to use an encyclopedia, or to the library....the last to hear stories about World War I and II, straight from the mouths of veterans." Just sit on that for a moment. Our parents never needed to worry about social media and how that affects our teens. Our parents never needed to worry about having complete access to the things we shouldn't have access to, on our persons. Our children will never know the type of innocence you and I may have experienced in our childhood. And then that part about Paul Harvey's speech....CHILLS. I was shocked and saddened and it's no wonder that motherhood has taken up flak in today's society. Let's move on. Leah sounds like that awesome friend who is honest about her past realities of being a wild child and then finding Grace in the beautiful mess. She's the kind of friend who will not only pray for us, but hold our hands to tell us that we need to be putting God first, and foremost in our lives. We need to actively seek Him, and have our children come to Him daily. Don't you want that kind of friend who cares about our souls and our children's souls? I know I do. I love the friends that I can message or call up and say, 'please pray for me.' They don't hesitate. They pray. That's the kind of thing you need in your motherhood tribe. The kind of friendship that tells you to stop comparing yourself to the way other people parent. The kind who will lead us back to the truth and tell us to ask God for wisdom. The kind of wisdom that no one else can give. We need to have the kind of friend that will stand in front of us, look at us in the eye, and say, "we're not okay." *I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. About the AuthorLeah Grey moved to New York City full of hopeful aspirations until her husband went into long-term treatment for addiction. Unable to afford to stay, she picked up her childhood dreams and moved back to her rural, Canadian beach town with her two young children. From rooftop city skyline views to her parent’s basement, in the darkest time of her life, she created Grey Ministries to support, encourage and empower women with loved ones who struggle with addiction. With a practical faith-based approach, she challenges popular beliefs about addiction while teaching women in crisis how to find God’s peace within the storms of life. In March 2016, she launched her website, LeahGrey.com and online peer support community, “Live, Love, Hope”. Join by visiting http://leahgrey.com/livelovehope. SYNOPSIS Some people can only dream of living out their fantasies. Cupcake shop owner Denie Shaw is the exception to the rule. This young, witty and charming woman seems to have a perfectly balanced life. Years of making bad relationship decisions had given Denie, owner of Icing, the opportunity not only to become a strong, successful business woman, but also managed to involve her three best friends in her crazy cupcake adventures. Denie’s sweet life gets turned upside down when she meets her crush, Tom Billingsly, right wing for the Cleveland Monsters hockey team. Together, Denie and Tom strike up a relationship that seems to have all the right ingredients. Will Denie allow the fear of heartache to guide her choice, or will she take the leap of faith and trust God to provide a solid recipe for her life? ReviewIsn’t it always the case when we decide to ‘swear off’ something, like dating, or men, or giving up sweets to try a new diet/fad that suddenly, that which we swore off, comes by, looks up at us with its hopeful eyes, and we fall head over heels before we remember we swore off said thing, and the reason why we did it in the first place?? As was the case for Denie. She decided, after her last relationship completely drained her, that she was done. She didn’t want to fall in love and have her heart shattered all over again. Unless he was her “dream crush wearing a number 29 on the back of his hockey jersey.” And lo and behold, there he was, just as excited about the prospect of being with her. This was such a cute little story! I love Debra Sue Brice’s writing. She wrote out Denie’s internal monologues of fear, of love, of brokenness and conviction that I was rooting for Denie’s happy ending. She was real to me. And I wanted her goodness recognized, and her happiness realized. In fact, I almost wanted to maim a certain hockey player but goodness, you’re just going to have to read through this one to understand the level of anxiety I had! I have met very few people that matched Denie’s goodness and love for her friends and family, and her amazing faith in Christ. That’s the thing when we try to move forward knowing that pain is inevitable but it’s the love that Christ has for us that we know we are also equipped with support, and strength that we didn’t realize we had. Very few of us understand the gravity of Grace. This is a beautiful and simple story about a girl and a guy in a chance meeting and falling in love. It’s a story about a girl finding peace in God’s grace. It’s about a guy who finds God and what his newfound faith could become. And to top off the fact that this story has cupcakes?? Which are a favorite of mine, fyi. Well, that’s just the Icing on this sweet romance. About the Author:Debra Sue Brice is a first grade teacher, avid baker, fanatic Cleveland Monster hockey fan, and successful equestrian. She was born and raised in Ohio and author of several novels including, Crossing Boarders and Icing. You can find her at her website: http://www.debrasuebrice.com/ Facebook: @DebraSueBrice Twitter: @DebraSueBrice This is going to be one of those "too much information" thing but I feel like I need to say it in order for you, the future reader, to understand why this particular reader found this book wonderful. Of course, set in parts of Canada that I will never visit, and part of New York that I can only dream of, this book, along with the 'will they/won't they' story line, this story is already wonderful. I love the humor, the wit, the charm of both Langston and Cecile. I could feel the energy emanating from the pages when they first met. The thing that I will always gravitate to are stories with faith in its pages, and people that we may never relate to but they have the same testimonies and fears as us. I lost my virginity at 23 with my now husband. But this was three years before we got married. I know, TMI, right?? The thing is, I still remember vividly going home, crying over my Bible, and absolutely convinced that I'm going to hell. My roommate thought I was silly, and thankfully, I'm married to my 'one and only.' But that day feels like a blot in my entire existence. During my low anxiety filled moments, I often look back and think this is my punishment for premarital sin. There are very few books that I've come across that I think, "aha, that's me!" I'm not a huntress. I'm not a seducer. I'm not even that nerdy for some hot guy to stumble into me. But aside from the immense musical talent, of which I do not possess one iota of, I saw myself in Cecile. (Also, I'm a total sloucher, and beauty is subjective no matter who you are, but this is less about physicality and more about people's motives, and personality). I could see the cracks in her Type A personality. I can remember the need to please God, but then remembering the pleasures of sex, and forgetting God just for a little bit. I still remember accepting that my life, as it is, isn't a punishment from God. I loved peering into Cecile's diary. I could see her naive faith grow and transform throughout the book. I appreciate that Maria Corley took anxiety and guilt, and weave them in so slowly throughout the book. Society often depicts anxious depressed people in dark rooms, and clad in black. But, people with high functioning anxiety are always misunderstood as people pleasers, perfectionists, strong, emotionless, OCD...I could go on and on...... Ms. Corley, thank you, for this well written novel seemingly about two people doomed to be in the "star cross lovers" category. It was more than I thought it was. It was more than love. More than a book about faith, and music, and family. More than witnessing a broken soul.......it was about taking hold of all that we are: our faults, our sins, in being loved by God no matter what, and our anxieties, and trusting in our self, our place in the Universe,........and Letting go. Take a bow, honey. This was a lovely read. *I received this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts, and opinions are my own. Synopsis |
Book Pick:I use Goodread's rating scale1 star – didn’t like it
2 stars – it was OK 3 stars – liked it 4 stars – really liked it 5 stars – it was so amazing, it's on my reread pile! Categories
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