Shadows of Hope

Title: Shadows of Hope
Author: Georgiana Daniels
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: Christian Fiction
Publishing Date: April 1, 2018

About the Book:
A story of hope in the aftermath of inconceivable betrayal and broken dreams

What if. . .
. . .you struggled with infertility but unknowingly befriended your husband’s pregnant mistress?

What if. . .
. . .the woman you were seeing behind your wife’s back gets pregnant, threatening your job and marriage?

What if. . .
. . .your boyfriend never told you he was married and you discover you’re pregnant?

Crisis pregnancy worker Marissa Moreau suspects her husband is cheating, but little does she know how close to home her husband’s infidelity hits. College student Kaitlyn Farrows is floundering after a relationship with her professor leaves her pregnant. Soon she lands a job and a support system at the local pregnancy resource center and things seem to be turning around. But when Marissa and Kaitlyn become friends, neither one knows they share a connection—Colin, Marissa’s husband and Kaitlyn’s former professor. When their private lives collide, the two women must face the ultimate test of their faith and choose how to move forward as they live in the shadows of hope.

Review:
Have you ever read a book that made you upset because you could see the big picture while the characters remained in the dark? This was me in a nutshell while reading this book. I wanted to shout at the characters to get them to say the right things so that they could all be on the same page. Emotionally speaking this book was a very difficult read. If you’re looking for something cheerful and lighthearted, it’s not the book for you. It deals with very real issues in a non-sugarcoated way. I think when it comes to reading Christian Fiction we are often spoiled by the way things always seem to work out in the end and we read those types of books expecting that. As a result I think it can cause us to expect those types of outcomes in the real world as well, and life doesn’t always go as we plan.

Kaitlyn made a mistake by entering into a relationship with one of her professors at the college, but she had no clue that he was also married. Marissa questions her husband’s fidelity but she is too afraid to ask him despite finding clues that would lead her to the truth. Colin is remorseful that he was unfaithful to his wife, but in trying to fix things with his wife, he can’t help the tug he feels for wanting to raise the baby with Kaitlyn. Despite trying counseling, Marissa and Colin’s marriage is in real danger.

Currently speaking I am still emotionally processing what I’ve just read. No, this isn’t one of your “feel-good” reads, but it’s definitely “real.” If you can’t guess by the actions of the characters, Colin is not a Christian, but Marissa is. Not being equally yoked to your spouse can have devastating effects on your marriage. (I’m not sure where Kaitlyn stands other than expressing her desire for God). The characters battle with very real emotions over the devastating effects of sin. The story is told from the perspective of all three characters so the reader is able to see how each of them is processing the drama of their situations.

In my mind I want to give this 4 stars because even though it was very well written, I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the ending. On the flip side, the author is facing the difficult battle of publishing a book that doesn’t quite fit the mold for what’s expected within the genre. Despite finishing the book over an hour ago now, I am still in an emotional fog. It was a good book not just because of how it was written, but because of how deeply it sucked me in. No one ever said this life would be easy, and I believe the author did a powerful job of expressing just that. Therefore, I don’t think I can give it any less than the full 5 stars.

Rating: 

Age Appropriateness: This book is geared towards adults, and for many reasons I believe this book needs to be left as such. This is not a book I would recommend to younger readers.