Synopsis

Two couples in love. Two sets of impossible circumstances. One powerful God of grace.

After a devastating tailspin in her late teens, Lauren Anderson’s life is finally back on track. Then a chance meeting with Carter Douglas, her first love and the man who broke her heart, threatens to throw her well-balanced world out of control.

Now a TV meteorologist, Carter is determined to make amends with Lauren. After all, she still owns his heart. But his old demons are forcing him toward the same decision he faced in the past. Is he courageous enough to make a different choice this time around?

When Lauren’s elderly grandmother, Rosie, begins having nightmares about a man named Ephraim–a name her family has never heard before—a fascinating and forbidden past love comes to light. As Lauren and Carter work to uncover the untold stories of Rosie’s past in 1950s Wichita, they embark on a journey of forgiveness and second chances that will change their lives—and Rosie’s—forever. Along the way they’ll learn that God wastes nothing, his timing is perfect, and nothing is beyond his grace and redemption.

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Praise

“A reading experience both heartfelt and heart-tugging, a timeless exploration of young and enduring love and the grace found in second chances. Amanda Wen is a rare and remarkable storyteller, and this is a novel I will not soon forget.” –Amanda Barratt, Christy Award-winning author of The White Rose Resists

“A stunning journey of loss, love, and yearning. . . . Past and present are deftly woven together in this dual-timeline narrative that will leave readers flying through the pages.” – Amanda Cox, author of the 2021 Christy Award Book of the Year, The Edge of Belonging

Review

This story has all the feels – love, loss, challenges, and family dynamics.

There are two stories being told in this novel. The first is of Lauren and Carter. They meet 13 years ago in the theater and due to circumstances they split apart and have not seen each other until now, and that was by chance in the makeup aisle at the drug store. Sometimes you meet the right person but not at the right time and that is their situation. Carter had family issues he was dealing with and Lauren had her own issues that resulted from their breakup. But perhaps the second time around will be better because they have both had time to grow and deal with their issues.

The second story is one that really touched my heart and is about Lauren’s grandmother, Rosie, and her first love during high school in 1955. Despite living in Kansas, interracial relationships were not accepted and especially not by her parents. I loved reading about the love affair that Rosie had with Ephraim, how they hid it from everyone, and what they taught each other. Rosie’s grandchildren would never have known about this part of her life if it weren’t for a bible that they brought to the memory care unit to ask her about it in one of her more lucid moments. Dementia is not a kind disease and having lost a parent to this, I could understand what Lauren and Garrett were dealing with and the emotions that ran through them not knowing if it would be a good or a bad day.

If this book teaches us nothing else, it is to grab life while you can and enjoy every moment because you never know what tomorrow will bring. Lauren and Carter learn this through incidents with their families and their own lives. I also appreciated the fact that Lauren could admit to counseling even years later because her issues weren’t gone and had flared back up.

These stories are also about hope and that God has a bigger plan for all of us, more than we can ever imagine. Faith may be tested for several characters, but holding on to hope will get them through. It is a time of growth and reflection for several characters as well.

I loved this book and was sad to see it end. It reminded me to have faith, believe in myself, and remember that no problem is too large that it can’t be solved.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple writing contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions contests. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

Wen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She also frequently interviews authors for her blog and is a contributor to the God Is Love blog. Her debut novel, Roots of Wood and Stone, releases from Kregel Publications on February 2, 2021.

In addition to her writing, Wen is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team. She serves as a choral accompanist as well. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Wen lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

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