please read disclosures & policies

purchases via affiliate links offset the cost of this website. thank you!

Y’all know I cannot resist a good binge read and while I do recommend the following series, I do not advise binge reading these books! Grace Revealed is a collection of stories with heart and depth which requires pondering and savoring. Pace yourselves, reader friends, these stories are worth it!

Blue Columbine

Reeling from professional failure, Andrew Harris needs a fresh start. When he moves back to Colorado to join a Denver law firm, he runs into Jamie, his childhood sweetheart. She is still the kind and faithful girl he remembers—not to mention beautiful and still single. With her by his side, Andrew is confident he can overcome the demons that he tries to keep hidden.

Jamie Carson is thrown off balance when Andy resurfaces in her life. Though her faith in God has remained solid, even through her mother’s long illness and after her death, Jamie battles loneliness. Andy fills her days, whispering significance to her heart. But his rejection of the faith she thought they’d once shared, and his alarming drinking habit keep her heart from plunging into deep, murky waters. Or do they?

Andy pursues an intimacy Jamie knows she must guard against. But as the line between loyalty and love blurs, things get complicated—until a devastating blow breaks their relationship. For Jamie, one thing becomes clear: Andy needs a miracle, and she isn’t it.

Will Andrew allow the hand of grace to redeem his legacy of addiction, or will he and Jamie both remain casualties of heartbreak?

goodreads | amazon | bookdepository

 

my thoughts

Jamie Carson is a sweet, girl-next-door kind of character. She is loyal to a fault and despite her best efforts, Jamie is enabling her oldest friend’s destructive habits. Andy is a charismatic guy with a nasty habit and a huge chip on his shoulder. I loved Andy’s character not because of anything he did but because of Jamie’s faith in him and love for him. The road to redemption in this story is not an easy one but a journey well worth taking.

Everything I know about alcoholism (which isn’t much), I have learned through television, movies, and books. Blue Columbine provides readers with a raw and in-depth look at the physical, emotional, and mental toll alcoholism takes on lives. Understanding the beast of addiction is a valuable step towards compassion for those caught in its snare. I highly recommend this story!

I purchased this title. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

Red Rose Bouquet

The dark places in life have taught her this much-some things simply cannot be forgiven. Cheryl Thompson learned over a decade ago to guard her shattered heart with a veil of cold indifference. Life since that day has been an endless cycle of detachment and loneliness, followed by superficial relationships. Break up, rinse, and repeat. Until something in her snaps. This life…she can’t do it anymore. She returns to her childhood home in the Colorado Rockies to help her Nana, only to discover a man capable of thawing her iced-over emotions-a man she knows she doesn’t deserve, so she pushes him away. But he keeps coming back.

Brock Kelly lived high as King of the Slopes in the world of snowboard cross racing. Medals. Money. Fame. But after a visit to an orphanage in Mexico, he gave up his adrenaline-packed lifestyle to follow a calling from God he didn’t know he had-helping kids who’d been damaged emotionally. When his best friend’s baby sister returns to town, he recognizes the hollow look in her eyes and sees the pain beneath her icy armor. It seems God has issued new call on his life. One he is not prepared for. Falling in love with a woman who keeps secrets is dangerous all on its own.

But when Cheryl finally tells Brock what she’s never told anyone else…no wonder she is the way she is. It would take a miracle to heal that wound, and a love bigger than Brock had ever imagined to walk with her through the process.

goodreads | amazon | bookdepository

 

my thoughts

What a beautiful story of second chances! Brock Kelly has abandoned his former bad boy ways and opened his heart and home to kids in need. As perfect as he sounds in a nutshell, Brock is an authentic character with plenty of dings and dents in his armor. Cheryl Thompson (who readers meet briefly in book 1) is a difficult character to warm up to. Without a doubt, she earns her icy reputation!

Breaking down Cheryl’s frigid walls to understand the wounded woman within is a feat of patience for Brock and readers alike. Her raw pain and aching need for love and forgiveness had my heartstrings all tied in knots. For me, Red Rose Bouquet served as a timely reminder to love those who display unlovely behavior because we never know what secret struggles are just below the surface. I highly recommend this story and appreciate the author’s willingness to approach and embrace difficult topics.

I purchased this title. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

Finding Evergreen

He thought he’d found the thrill of his life; she, the romance she’d hadn’t dared to hope for. Falling in love had been easy. Being married? Totally different story.

Married within a year of meeting, Ethan and Brandi add a foster daughter to their newly established family. Their story is enchanting—inspiring. Except when the fairytale fails. The stresses of unmet expectations and wounds from their pasts knife into their marriage, severing what they believed would be forever.

Hope for a broken marriage. Healing for their wounded spirits. It would take both to find evergreen. Are they brave enough to try?

goodreads | amazon | bookdepository

 

my thoughts

Anyone who reads book 2 of this series will see trouble coming from a mile away for these two yet what’s true for road trips applies to good stories as well, it’s all about the journey! This story is an absolute treasure! Troubled marriages are far too rare in stories, we need more fictional families who teeter on the edge of the d-word then fight back authentically and passionately. Can y’all imagine how encouraging that would be for the real world folks who are going through the same thing?! 

Ethan and Brandi’s story is sure to strike a familiar chord with readers. To some degree, we have all experienced or witnessed similar situations unfold in our little corner of the world or perhaps even in our own homes. Brandi and Ethan each have valid concerns, emotional baggage, and unmet expectations. Finding Evergreen is a testament to foster families, rocky relationships, and fighting for love against all odds. I highly recommend this story, especially to those who are married or anyone who has ever sympathized with the older brother in the story of the prodigal son!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

about the author

Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. The draw to fiction has tugged hard on her heart since childhood, and when she began pursuing writing she set on stories that reveal the grace of God.

Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.

She would love to hear from you! Please visit her website or connect on Facebook!

website | facebook | twitter

 

also available

 

Do y’all need a break between “deep reads” or is that just me?!