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I’d actually give it more like 3.5 stars but I rounded up because romantic suspense is not a genre I typically go for anyway so I’m not exactly her target audience, and to her credit, I didn’t have the ENTIRE thing figured out by the end so that was good. And it wasn’t as ‘cheesy Christian’ as some other fiction novels I’ve read. I enjoyed the plot involving the implications of DNA/ancestry sites as well as the idea of adopting embryos- I hadn’t thought of that before.
But there were some reactions of the characters that I felt were unnatural:
So when Oliver is in the hospital and Harper asks Ridge how he’s doing, Ridge says ‘Still in a coma.’ And then they change the subject. Ha! It just seemed so flippant. They were also so cavalier about Harper’s attack. I mean he had a knife and tried to abduct her but they act like it was just like someone spilled coffee on her best dress. And THEN later after all the ‘abductions’ and Ridge tells her to stay with him- she says ‘Oh I don’t want to bother you, I’ll be fine.’ *rolls eyes* oh really? You’re gonna be just fine? Are you delusional? A normal person in this situation would not just try to move on with their lives. You are in DANGER! It’s all very clear. The previous abductee literally said they were coming for you next. But no. Go hang out on your houseboat by yourself. I’m sure you’ll be fine.
I also wanted to address the issue with Harper not telling Ridge she was pregnant “right away.” The author made it seem like it was this great deception and she wasn’t honest and it was because she didn’t trust him, but hello! It hadn’t even been a WEEK since she found out herself. Especially with miscarriages being so common. She has no responsibility to tell anyone. That’s her own decision and it’s about her, not about how she’s treating other people. It’s a very personal thing, take a chill pill Ridge. You hated her just a week ago so calm down.
Then, I just want to acknowledge a couple writing style things I wish weren’t in there. Almost all the men were described as having ‘broad shoulders and thick black hair.’
And this one just made me chuckle. It was supposed to be a romantic moment where someone was feeding the other a fondue bite and she wrote that he “deposited the nugget of chocolaty goodness”. Hahaha. ‘Deposited’ and ‘nugget’ are not real romantic. I think we all know what those words are typically used together to describe....
Anyway... all that to say, I still enjoyed reading it and I think it’s a great book for her target audience. It’s a clean, romantic suspense novel. The end especially got intense. I ignored my children for a few minutes to finish it.
** I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
But there were some reactions of the characters that I felt were unnatural:
So when Oliver is in the hospital and Harper asks Ridge how he’s doing, Ridge says ‘Still in a coma.’ And then they change the subject. Ha! It just seemed so flippant. They were also so cavalier about Harper’s attack. I mean he had a knife and tried to abduct her but they act like it was just like someone spilled coffee on her best dress. And THEN later after all the ‘abductions’ and Ridge tells her to stay with him- she says ‘Oh I don’t want to bother you, I’ll be fine.’ *rolls eyes* oh really? You’re gonna be just fine? Are you delusional? A normal person in this situation would not just try to move on with their lives. You are in DANGER! It’s all very clear. The previous abductee literally said they were coming for you next. But no. Go hang out on your houseboat by yourself. I’m sure you’ll be fine.
I also wanted to address the issue with Harper not telling Ridge she was pregnant “right away.” The author made it seem like it was this great deception and she wasn’t honest and it was because she didn’t trust him, but hello! It hadn’t even been a WEEK since she found out herself. Especially with miscarriages being so common. She has no responsibility to tell anyone. That’s her own decision and it’s about her, not about how she’s treating other people. It’s a very personal thing, take a chill pill Ridge. You hated her just a week ago so calm down.
Then, I just want to acknowledge a couple writing style things I wish weren’t in there. Almost all the men were described as having ‘broad shoulders and thick black hair.’
And this one just made me chuckle. It was supposed to be a romantic moment where someone was feeding the other a fondue bite and she wrote that he “deposited the nugget of chocolaty goodness”. Hahaha. ‘Deposited’ and ‘nugget’ are not real romantic. I think we all know what those words are typically used together to describe....
Anyway... all that to say, I still enjoyed reading it and I think it’s a great book for her target audience. It’s a clean, romantic suspense novel. The end especially got intense. I ignored my children for a few minutes to finish it.
** I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
The bones of this book were good and fit the legal thriller category, however, I was very turned off by the crude language and vulgar content found herein.
The case centered on the topics of rape, prostitution, and abortion- all of which are sensitive issues. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading the thoughts and conversations of the scumbag men involved in the former two, whether true to life or not. I feel the author could have maintained the premise of the case without including the language and content he did.
Another thing I found difficult about this book, especially in the beginning, is all the background info. It felt like the snippets we were told of the characters’ histories could have been it’s own book- which turns out- it is. This book is a spin-off series of the author’s previous series and I would probably recommend reading that first if you want to understand this book better. I never read them and was somewhat confused and now, since I know how that series ended, I probably wouldn’t go back and read them.
The ending is a bit of a whiplash, and at first blush I appreciated the twists but in later contemplation found them to be presented a bit unbelievably.
SPOILER BELOW
Bo and Helen were all down in the dumps about most likely losing the case because of how her abortion would be perceived in their county/state. But then at the end of the trial Helen testified in her cross-examination that she actually didn’t have an abortion but had the baby and put it up for adoption. That was one of the twists- it was this “big secret” she had kept up until that moment. I couldn’t figure out if Bo even knew about it until then. Okay, cool twist, but putting a baby up for adoption is a way better scenario than an abortion- why not start with that? It’s what largely dismantled the prosecution’s case. And why would she prefer to have people think she aborted a child than put one up for adoption? Or at least tell her lawyer in the beginning when the perceived motive was wrong and could be proven?
Also, how would Zannick have ever found our Helen was his mother? Add to that his obvious malicious feelings toward her that weren’t exactly explained and that twist felt a bit soap opera-ish to just be thrown in at the end without much proper build-up.
SPOILERS OVER
So yeah there were good elements of this story but, to me, they were lost in the muddle of vulgarity. 3 stars because if that doesn’t bother you, you’d probably like this book a lot, but to others, you might want to pass.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
The case centered on the topics of rape, prostitution, and abortion- all of which are sensitive issues. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading the thoughts and conversations of the scumbag men involved in the former two, whether true to life or not. I feel the author could have maintained the premise of the case without including the language and content he did.
Another thing I found difficult about this book, especially in the beginning, is all the background info. It felt like the snippets we were told of the characters’ histories could have been it’s own book- which turns out- it is. This book is a spin-off series of the author’s previous series and I would probably recommend reading that first if you want to understand this book better. I never read them and was somewhat confused and now, since I know how that series ended, I probably wouldn’t go back and read them.
The ending is a bit of a whiplash, and at first blush I appreciated the twists but in later contemplation found them to be presented a bit unbelievably.
SPOILER BELOW
Bo and Helen were all down in the dumps about most likely losing the case because of how her abortion would be perceived in their county/state. But then at the end of the trial Helen testified in her cross-examination that she actually didn’t have an abortion but had the baby and put it up for adoption. That was one of the twists- it was this “big secret” she had kept up until that moment. I couldn’t figure out if Bo even knew about it until then. Okay, cool twist, but putting a baby up for adoption is a way better scenario than an abortion- why not start with that? It’s what largely dismantled the prosecution’s case. And why would she prefer to have people think she aborted a child than put one up for adoption? Or at least tell her lawyer in the beginning when the perceived motive was wrong and could be proven?
Also, how would Zannick have ever found our Helen was his mother? Add to that his obvious malicious feelings toward her that weren’t exactly explained and that twist felt a bit soap opera-ish to just be thrown in at the end without much proper build-up.
SPOILERS OVER
So yeah there were good elements of this story but, to me, they were lost in the muddle of vulgarity. 3 stars because if that doesn’t bother you, you’d probably like this book a lot, but to others, you might want to pass.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
You guys. I am just never going to Russia. After reading this and book 1 back to back, I’m even dreaming in Russian espionage. And escaping Russia is just the worst.
Jenkins is back in Russia trying to figure out if Paulina, who saved him in Book 1, is being tortured in a Russian prison and may try to bust her out. A Mission Impossible scenario.
Unlike the first one, this one does not include any courtroom drama, it’s straight up 100% action suspense. Dugoni pits Jenkins against a very formidable opponent. It worked well here and helps maintain the suspense. There are plenty of times Jenkins has outwitted Efimov but he’s never that far behind. You really don’t know what’s going to happen next.
You can tell there was a lot of thought and creativity and research put into this series to create fun and exciting yet still realistic situations and characters. It didn’t feel like a run of the mill espionage thriller, but was something new and exciting for me.
And hold on to your britches, folks, I think we’re going back to Russia in book 3!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Jenkins is back in Russia trying to figure out if Paulina, who saved him in Book 1, is being tortured in a Russian prison and may try to bust her out. A Mission Impossible scenario.
Unlike the first one, this one does not include any courtroom drama, it’s straight up 100% action suspense. Dugoni pits Jenkins against a very formidable opponent. It worked well here and helps maintain the suspense. There are plenty of times Jenkins has outwitted Efimov but he’s never that far behind. You really don’t know what’s going to happen next.
You can tell there was a lot of thought and creativity and research put into this series to create fun and exciting yet still realistic situations and characters. It didn’t feel like a run of the mill espionage thriller, but was something new and exciting for me.
And hold on to your britches, folks, I think we’re going back to Russia in book 3!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
This is book 8 in a series. I have not read any of the other books and still enjoyed reading this one. If you plan to read the other ones after this, you may be exposed to what I perceive to be possible references to earlier books. Nothing major- a relationship change and a wrongly accused suspect from a prior case.
Though a suspense/mystery book, this story is also a discussion of sorts on profiling, terrorism, and inciting hatred and violence on social media.
A bomb is detonated at an annual marathon in Duluth. A witness who claims to have seen the bomber posts the man’s picture on Twitter- also the man is of Middle Eastern descent. After a well-known Anti-Islam figurehead retweets it, the destruction of the man’s life (and other Muslims) ensues. Was he actually the bomber? Was it another Muslim in the community or someone else? How can the police stop the violence from spiraling out of control and conduct a legitimate investigation when operating from potentially biased information?
I believe profiling exists, especially in regards to terrorism. Obviously most Muslims are not terrorists. Can police and government agencies fight terrorism without profiling or being biased? I don’t have answers. Yet, it is an important thing to be aware of when we are making judgments about incidents.
That’s worth repeating: be cautious when making judgments about events, people, statements, incidents. As portrayed in the book- we, as the public, almost always have incomplete information. And we can’t accept blindly the claims of well-known “justice” fighters for any cause, because more often than not, they are pushing a particular agenda. This book shows us one example of the dangerous consequences of passing unchecked information as fact, or getting all worked up about something that has not been verified by the right sources.
In the context of the book, it focuses on profiling based on race. But considering the social climate of America right now I would apply this lesson more widely and say: the things we post on social media have real consequences and I believe Americans as a whole are being largely irresponsible with what they post and how they post it. We say we want to stop violence and hatred but scroll through your newsfeeds and that’s all you see. It’s basically still hatred even if you package it as the condemnation of ‘all that is wrong with the world.’ Regardless of our intentions we must be more cautious in our judgments and seek truth BEFORE we share all the things we deem “important.”
And I say all this to myself as well. We must humbly recognize that it turns out our thoughts and opinions aren’t actually as important or necessary as we think. I believe if we posted and retweeted less, we would have less violence and less hatred. The entire solution is more complex than that but it’s certainly not less than that.
Regardless of race, political, or religious affiliation, I believe the message of this book applies to all of us and is absolutely relevant to today. Seek the truth first, think for yourself, and be cautious in any judgment. Our words and actions have very real, and all too often, dangerous consequences.
Moral lesson aside, it was a well-written and suspenseful book. It’s the Jonathan Stride series, but I kind of liked how it wasn’t written from his point of view and I wouldn’t even say he was the main character throughout it all. Screen time was divided between several likable characters and helped drive the plot. I plan to go back and read others in this series- hopefully in order!
Oh just thought of something else. There is a common subtle theme of ‘purpose’ throughout this book. Each character looking for purpose or finding purpose. I found that really interesting to think about in the context of the overarching purpose of the book. What is the author getting at in regards to a person’s need for purpose? Especially when he writes one character who has a strong faith in God even amidst the pain and tragedy of her life. Although there are several Muslim characters in the story and their faith is talked about, it is portrayed as more of something they do instead of who they are to the core of their being. It didn’t feel as raw or as genuine as the Christian character’s faith but more of a traditional, obligatory aspect of their lives that held meaning but not in the ‘this is my whole worldview, what changed me, what moves me, what gives me hope’ kind of way. Or rather. Their purpose. I did not feel as if Freeman was advocating for a particular faith and haven’t felt that in any of his other books either. So I’m curious to know his intent in including this aspect of purpose. Something I’m still processing.
In case you need it spelled out: I would recommend.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Though a suspense/mystery book, this story is also a discussion of sorts on profiling, terrorism, and inciting hatred and violence on social media.
A bomb is detonated at an annual marathon in Duluth. A witness who claims to have seen the bomber posts the man’s picture on Twitter- also the man is of Middle Eastern descent. After a well-known Anti-Islam figurehead retweets it, the destruction of the man’s life (and other Muslims) ensues. Was he actually the bomber? Was it another Muslim in the community or someone else? How can the police stop the violence from spiraling out of control and conduct a legitimate investigation when operating from potentially biased information?
I believe profiling exists, especially in regards to terrorism. Obviously most Muslims are not terrorists. Can police and government agencies fight terrorism without profiling or being biased? I don’t have answers. Yet, it is an important thing to be aware of when we are making judgments about incidents.
That’s worth repeating: be cautious when making judgments about events, people, statements, incidents. As portrayed in the book- we, as the public, almost always have incomplete information. And we can’t accept blindly the claims of well-known “justice” fighters for any cause, because more often than not, they are pushing a particular agenda. This book shows us one example of the dangerous consequences of passing unchecked information as fact, or getting all worked up about something that has not been verified by the right sources.
In the context of the book, it focuses on profiling based on race. But considering the social climate of America right now I would apply this lesson more widely and say: the things we post on social media have real consequences and I believe Americans as a whole are being largely irresponsible with what they post and how they post it. We say we want to stop violence and hatred but scroll through your newsfeeds and that’s all you see. It’s basically still hatred even if you package it as the condemnation of ‘all that is wrong with the world.’ Regardless of our intentions we must be more cautious in our judgments and seek truth BEFORE we share all the things we deem “important.”
And I say all this to myself as well. We must humbly recognize that it turns out our thoughts and opinions aren’t actually as important or necessary as we think. I believe if we posted and retweeted less, we would have less violence and less hatred. The entire solution is more complex than that but it’s certainly not less than that.
Regardless of race, political, or religious affiliation, I believe the message of this book applies to all of us and is absolutely relevant to today. Seek the truth first, think for yourself, and be cautious in any judgment. Our words and actions have very real, and all too often, dangerous consequences.
Moral lesson aside, it was a well-written and suspenseful book. It’s the Jonathan Stride series, but I kind of liked how it wasn’t written from his point of view and I wouldn’t even say he was the main character throughout it all. Screen time was divided between several likable characters and helped drive the plot. I plan to go back and read others in this series- hopefully in order!
Oh just thought of something else. There is a common subtle theme of ‘purpose’ throughout this book. Each character looking for purpose or finding purpose. I found that really interesting to think about in the context of the overarching purpose of the book. What is the author getting at in regards to a person’s need for purpose? Especially when he writes one character who has a strong faith in God even amidst the pain and tragedy of her life. Although there are several Muslim characters in the story and their faith is talked about, it is portrayed as more of something they do instead of who they are to the core of their being. It didn’t feel as raw or as genuine as the Christian character’s faith but more of a traditional, obligatory aspect of their lives that held meaning but not in the ‘this is my whole worldview, what changed me, what moves me, what gives me hope’ kind of way. Or rather. Their purpose. I did not feel as if Freeman was advocating for a particular faith and haven’t felt that in any of his other books either. So I’m curious to know his intent in including this aspect of purpose. Something I’m still processing.
In case you need it spelled out: I would recommend.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
I’m not a Bachelor super-fan, but I have seen several seasons, including Ben’s two seasons, so when I saw he had a book out, I was curious to see what he had to say.
The writing (in terms of organization and repetitiveness) was mediocre, but considering he’s not necessarily an aspiring writer and this was his first book, I think it fit with the purpose of the book and spoke to his authenticity, transparency, and honesty.
I think it was courageous for him to use his platform from being on TV to write what he did. There are a lot of fans disappointed by ‘Alone in Plain Sight’ because it wasn’t a Bachelor Tell-All exposé. But I think what he wrote is evidence that he truly cares about his fans. Instead of giving them the juicy details they want, he gives them the truth they need.
“I want to speak to those of us who feel a bit lost, those of us who struggle with life’s disappointments and unanswerable questions. Rather than offer platitudes and cliches, I want to invite you to explore the dark questions with me, with the hope that together we can discover the light.”
In reality, especially this last year, I think we’ve all felt alone, disconnected, and isolated at some point. And that won’t go away with 240 pages of behind-the-scenes Bachelor stories. He cares enough to not allow us to just band-aid our isolation with shallow distractions but offers a remedy for our emotional wounds. A remedy you won’t really find in most Hollywood productions—a relationship with Jesus Christ. And I respect him for making the unpopular choice to write about his faith instead of his fame.
I knew he was a person of faith from his seasons [Sidenote: having his pastor come to the After the Final Rose show was one of the most awkward moments, right?!] , but when he utilized the fantasy suite, I wondered to what depth his faith really went. He didn’t touch on that decision in this book, but based on everything else he said, his faith does seem genuine.
He seeks to help us reconnect in an age of high visibility but little depth (aka social media; for him- also TV) . People only know what we let them see—usually the good stuff. What do we do with the rest? Can anyone love me with full knowledge of everything I am? Loneliness, isolation, rejection, and putting on a facade all result in questions like- Who am I? Why am I here? What’s the point? What am I missing?
Ben, through anecdotes from family and friends, his own personal vulnerability, and a broad look at the Bible, takes us on a journey to find identity, meaning, and hope, with a dash of love advice.
“Most of my life I’ve mistakenly believed that sticking a label on my forehead somehow tells the truth about who I really am… Every time I stumble upon a label I think might identify me, it eventually gets stripped away.”
I love that! 'As if labels equal truth!' Labels are rampant these days (look no further than identity politics), and we are constantly trying to evaluate which groups we belong to. Or we only see ourselves in terms of what we do- our job and accomplishments. But as Ben said, every label, group, job, and achievement will fall short and disappoint. Who are we when our labels fail us?
“What I need is an outside, objective view of me from someone who sees past all the cover I hide behind, and God himself is the only one I’ve found who can do that.”
“Who am I? I am a work in progress in the hands of the One who loves me. I have value and purpose and a reason for existing, not because of what I have done or what I will do, but because this is how God has made me and sees me. When everything else has been stripped away—all the guilt, all the shame, all the disappointments— I stand naked before God, and in his eyes I am beautiful and beloved.”
His chapters are categorized in 4 pillars: Reconnecting to self, to others, romantically, and to God. Within those parts are chapters that cover the brevity of life, the victim vs victor mindset, singleness, lasting love, sacrifice, belief vs doubt, and God’s pursuit of us. (And yes, a brief mention of his previous relationship with Lauren, and his soon-to-be wife Jessica)
Some noteworthy quotes:
“When our lives are focused only on ourselves, we are further disconnected from ourselves by settling for the smallest answer possible regarding what we want out of life.”
“My pride tried to hold onto the idea that I could fix myself, but by now I knew better. I had to get help. I could not make it unless God intervened, which is what I asked him to do. On my own I had not found any way to move beyond the darkness—only addiction, numbing, and disconnection.”
“God does not need a mountaintop for you to reach him. He is here, with you, now.”
“When we connect with him, we connect with something that has infinite, infinite power and majesty. Coming to him requires a basic humbleness where we recognize we are not the greatest and biggest thing to ever walk this earth.”
“No human being can ever fix the brokenness within our souls and make us complete. If we look for a savior within a relationship, we will always be disappointed, because we have assigned them a task that no one can possibly do. The worst thing we can do then is give up and move on and start the search for the perfect one once again who will check all the boxes and fill all the holes in our souls. It is an endless search conducted in the wrong place completely.”
“People need people to connect with them at their darkest points, sharing their pain, and letting them know they are not alone. People need God to help them make sense of this life and breath that they have been given, no matter how quickly it can be taken away. To give them purpose and connection with something greater than themselves and show them what it truly means to love others.”
All that to say, there are a few little things he says (or portrays) that aren’t exactly right:
“Only you can know who you are right now.”
“You need to begin living the story that only you can write.”
Both of these phrasings put us in control- we don’t define ourselves and we don’t write our own story. Our identity is given to us by God and he is the Author of our stories.
“This is one of the most profound statements I’ve ever heard. Live while you have the chance, because that chance will be taken away someday.”
I mean… it’s a true statement. And an important one. But I have personally heard a lot of more profound statements than this, he might need to read more! (This was more of a semantics preference than a true criticism.)
“…the answer is easy: Jesus. I get that, but that’s not the question I’m asking. I want to know what will make this life matter to the degree that, when I get to the end of my life and I’m on my deathbed, I won’t look back and say, ‘I thought there was more.’”
I had to chuckle a little at this one. He says, ‘Okay, I get that Jesus is the answer, but what REALLY makes life worthwhile, what is REALLY the ‘more’ of life?’ Ben. It’s Jesus. It truly is that simple. I suppose he was trying to get at more of an application of what we DO about it, but it still seems like he’s saying that Jesus as the answer isn’t adequate for him.
“You and I need to be able to look at ourselves and see ourselves as worthy and deserving of love because we are worthy and deserving of love.”
This one is a little tricky, but no- we aren’t loveable and we don’t deserve love. We deserve hell. That’s the harsh reality, but that’s what makes the Gospel such Good News! In God’s mercy, he doesn’t give us what we deserve. He offers us salvation while we are still dead in our sins! So then: He doesn’t love us because we are loveable; we are loveable because he loves us. We can ‘love ourselves’ as Ben frequently advocates for because we are God’s creation, made in His image, with worth and purpose- not because of anything we have to offer but because He has called us to worth and purpose. So the outcome of Ben’s statement is true, I just wanted to clarify more so the ‘why'.’
So there were a few things a little ‘off’ but then he’ll say something later that kind of clarifies—I just didn’t like the inconsistencies. However, I understand this book is not intended to be a book on theology. His acknowledgements at the end of his book listed a few books that helped shape his thinking while writing; it included Bob Goff’s books ‘Everybody, Always’ (reviewed here) and ‘Love Does’, as well as Donald Miller’s book ‘A Million Miles in a Thousand Years’ (reviewed here).
Knowing that, his style of writing and his ‘close, but not exactly’ statements make more sense as Goff and Miller had the tendency to do the same thing (although Ben thankfully did less of putting words in God’s mouth like the other two).
Though, ‘Alone in Plain Sight’ (and Goff and Miller’s books) has its missteps, Ben imparts the general gospel and says a lot of true and important things that point to Jesus. And if those true things lead you to a real relationship with Christ and lead you to care more about people, then I cannot keep you from that! Read this book!
But then, maybe also peruse some theology and apologetic books to learn more about the Creator and Author, the One who loves and redeems. People’s stories do connect with us and show us how God works in our lives, but there is so much more to know about the grace, mercy, and justice found in a deeper study of Scripture.
Because as Ben says, “God made us to know Him.”
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
The writing (in terms of organization and repetitiveness) was mediocre, but considering he’s not necessarily an aspiring writer and this was his first book, I think it fit with the purpose of the book and spoke to his authenticity, transparency, and honesty.
I think it was courageous for him to use his platform from being on TV to write what he did. There are a lot of fans disappointed by ‘Alone in Plain Sight’ because it wasn’t a Bachelor Tell-All exposé. But I think what he wrote is evidence that he truly cares about his fans. Instead of giving them the juicy details they want, he gives them the truth they need.
“I want to speak to those of us who feel a bit lost, those of us who struggle with life’s disappointments and unanswerable questions. Rather than offer platitudes and cliches, I want to invite you to explore the dark questions with me, with the hope that together we can discover the light.”
In reality, especially this last year, I think we’ve all felt alone, disconnected, and isolated at some point. And that won’t go away with 240 pages of behind-the-scenes Bachelor stories. He cares enough to not allow us to just band-aid our isolation with shallow distractions but offers a remedy for our emotional wounds. A remedy you won’t really find in most Hollywood productions—a relationship with Jesus Christ. And I respect him for making the unpopular choice to write about his faith instead of his fame.
I knew he was a person of faith from his seasons [Sidenote: having his pastor come to the After the Final Rose show was one of the most awkward moments, right?!] , but when he utilized the fantasy suite, I wondered to what depth his faith really went. He didn’t touch on that decision in this book, but based on everything else he said, his faith does seem genuine.
He seeks to help us reconnect in an age of high visibility but little depth (aka social media; for him- also TV) . People only know what we let them see—usually the good stuff. What do we do with the rest? Can anyone love me with full knowledge of everything I am? Loneliness, isolation, rejection, and putting on a facade all result in questions like- Who am I? Why am I here? What’s the point? What am I missing?
Ben, through anecdotes from family and friends, his own personal vulnerability, and a broad look at the Bible, takes us on a journey to find identity, meaning, and hope, with a dash of love advice.
“Most of my life I’ve mistakenly believed that sticking a label on my forehead somehow tells the truth about who I really am… Every time I stumble upon a label I think might identify me, it eventually gets stripped away.”
I love that! 'As if labels equal truth!' Labels are rampant these days (look no further than identity politics), and we are constantly trying to evaluate which groups we belong to. Or we only see ourselves in terms of what we do- our job and accomplishments. But as Ben said, every label, group, job, and achievement will fall short and disappoint. Who are we when our labels fail us?
“What I need is an outside, objective view of me from someone who sees past all the cover I hide behind, and God himself is the only one I’ve found who can do that.”
“Who am I? I am a work in progress in the hands of the One who loves me. I have value and purpose and a reason for existing, not because of what I have done or what I will do, but because this is how God has made me and sees me. When everything else has been stripped away—all the guilt, all the shame, all the disappointments— I stand naked before God, and in his eyes I am beautiful and beloved.”
His chapters are categorized in 4 pillars: Reconnecting to self, to others, romantically, and to God. Within those parts are chapters that cover the brevity of life, the victim vs victor mindset, singleness, lasting love, sacrifice, belief vs doubt, and God’s pursuit of us. (And yes, a brief mention of his previous relationship with Lauren, and his soon-to-be wife Jessica)
Some noteworthy quotes:
“When our lives are focused only on ourselves, we are further disconnected from ourselves by settling for the smallest answer possible regarding what we want out of life.”
“My pride tried to hold onto the idea that I could fix myself, but by now I knew better. I had to get help. I could not make it unless God intervened, which is what I asked him to do. On my own I had not found any way to move beyond the darkness—only addiction, numbing, and disconnection.”
“God does not need a mountaintop for you to reach him. He is here, with you, now.”
“When we connect with him, we connect with something that has infinite, infinite power and majesty. Coming to him requires a basic humbleness where we recognize we are not the greatest and biggest thing to ever walk this earth.”
“No human being can ever fix the brokenness within our souls and make us complete. If we look for a savior within a relationship, we will always be disappointed, because we have assigned them a task that no one can possibly do. The worst thing we can do then is give up and move on and start the search for the perfect one once again who will check all the boxes and fill all the holes in our souls. It is an endless search conducted in the wrong place completely.”
“People need people to connect with them at their darkest points, sharing their pain, and letting them know they are not alone. People need God to help them make sense of this life and breath that they have been given, no matter how quickly it can be taken away. To give them purpose and connection with something greater than themselves and show them what it truly means to love others.”
All that to say, there are a few little things he says (or portrays) that aren’t exactly right:
“Only you can know who you are right now.”
“You need to begin living the story that only you can write.”
Both of these phrasings put us in control- we don’t define ourselves and we don’t write our own story. Our identity is given to us by God and he is the Author of our stories.
“This is one of the most profound statements I’ve ever heard. Live while you have the chance, because that chance will be taken away someday.”
I mean… it’s a true statement. And an important one. But I have personally heard a lot of more profound statements than this, he might need to read more! (This was more of a semantics preference than a true criticism.)
“…the answer is easy: Jesus. I get that, but that’s not the question I’m asking. I want to know what will make this life matter to the degree that, when I get to the end of my life and I’m on my deathbed, I won’t look back and say, ‘I thought there was more.’”
I had to chuckle a little at this one. He says, ‘Okay, I get that Jesus is the answer, but what REALLY makes life worthwhile, what is REALLY the ‘more’ of life?’ Ben. It’s Jesus. It truly is that simple. I suppose he was trying to get at more of an application of what we DO about it, but it still seems like he’s saying that Jesus as the answer isn’t adequate for him.
“You and I need to be able to look at ourselves and see ourselves as worthy and deserving of love because we are worthy and deserving of love.”
This one is a little tricky, but no- we aren’t loveable and we don’t deserve love. We deserve hell. That’s the harsh reality, but that’s what makes the Gospel such Good News! In God’s mercy, he doesn’t give us what we deserve. He offers us salvation while we are still dead in our sins! So then: He doesn’t love us because we are loveable; we are loveable because he loves us. We can ‘love ourselves’ as Ben frequently advocates for because we are God’s creation, made in His image, with worth and purpose- not because of anything we have to offer but because He has called us to worth and purpose. So the outcome of Ben’s statement is true, I just wanted to clarify more so the ‘why'.’
So there were a few things a little ‘off’ but then he’ll say something later that kind of clarifies—I just didn’t like the inconsistencies. However, I understand this book is not intended to be a book on theology. His acknowledgements at the end of his book listed a few books that helped shape his thinking while writing; it included Bob Goff’s books ‘Everybody, Always’ (reviewed here) and ‘Love Does’, as well as Donald Miller’s book ‘A Million Miles in a Thousand Years’ (reviewed here).
Knowing that, his style of writing and his ‘close, but not exactly’ statements make more sense as Goff and Miller had the tendency to do the same thing (although Ben thankfully did less of putting words in God’s mouth like the other two).
Though, ‘Alone in Plain Sight’ (and Goff and Miller’s books) has its missteps, Ben imparts the general gospel and says a lot of true and important things that point to Jesus. And if those true things lead you to a real relationship with Christ and lead you to care more about people, then I cannot keep you from that! Read this book!
But then, maybe also peruse some theology and apologetic books to learn more about the Creator and Author, the One who loves and redeems. People’s stories do connect with us and show us how God works in our lives, but there is so much more to know about the grace, mercy, and justice found in a deeper study of Scripture.
Because as Ben says, “God made us to know Him.”
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Seeing as though Hannon used to write mainly romance, it should come as no surprise that the romance vs suspense in this novel is a little lopsided to the former. I'm not a huge fan of romance novels so that downgraded my experience. To her credit, she did throw in some red herrings and presented a lot of possibilities for who the primary antagonist was so the ENTIRE book wasn't predictable. More on that later.
I tend to be harder on Christian fiction authors than I probably should because I do appreciate that they write clean books. But I just feel like a lot of authors are seemingly out of touch with realistic dialogue and characters. Point of Danger was not the exception.
Disclaimer: this review is a little harsh in a (mostly) sarcastic way. If you regularly like Irene Hannon's books then I don't think what bothered me would really bother you which is why I gave this 3 instead of 2 stars. 3 means someone might like it. 2 means don't read it.
Alright, buckle up everyone.
This is going to seem nit-picky but if I'm going to dock stars for unrealistic dialogue, I'm going to back it up. Skip this if you don't care. I have a big vocabulary and I know a lot of people with bigger vocabularies than my own and no one uses the words "retrieve" (we don't retrieve our purse, we just go get it!), "garb", "courtship", "entered my orbit" in their regular day to day exchanges. Other times she missed the mark: Eve says immediately after a kiss- "Epic, as the younger crowd would say..." Eve tells her sister, "I'll put on up-tempo music and groove to the beat while I paint." Eve was voted "Most Likely to Beat the Odds" in high school (is that a real superlative schools do??) Eve thinks that listening to her sisters banter "was always a hoot." Eve tells Brent that she's going to read that night and starts describing the book she's reading "I'm immersed in a heartwarming series set in a charming seaside community". Eve tells her sister while sitting in the sun at 7 pm "Didn't anyone ever tell you that ultraviolet radiation is harmful to your skin?" Brent thinks that he's not interested in romance until "a gorgeous redhead with a passion for commendable principles entered his orbit five days ago." Another character with a controlling husband who suggests they eat breakfast at Bob Evans is "dismayed" by this and thinks "He knew she didn't like heavy, calorie-laden breakfasts. Knew she was working hard to lose weight after her late-term miscarriage. And Bob Evans wasn't the place to follow a diet. Worse yet, he'd insist she join him in the high-carb, high-fat splurge he could afford, given the physical nature of his construction job."
Have you rolled your eyes yet?? Maybe the million references to her spinning classes will do it for you. Or that basically every paragraph uses a cliché. Or her description of the sun being "the golden orb". Or that someone leaves a fake bomb on her porch (which is a felony) but THEN the culprit UPS the ante by calling into her live radio show saying Eve had an affair with a married man. Now THERE's a personal attack. It's getting SERIOUS now! "First a bomb, now a personal strike" I mean what's next?? Intentionally spilling their COFFEE on her SHIRT?!? Who knows where the strife will come from next.... Oh, and don't worry about Eve, though. She carries "pepper gel" with her wherever she goes. What the heck is pepper gel?? Literally every other human would use pepper SPRAY. Pepper gel makes me think she lathers her hands up with some peppery hand sanitizer and rubs it on her attackers face. Prove me wrong...
Let's also mention the texting that she uses in the book: "Was going 2 contact u" "She needs 2 b gone" I mean... really? For one... if people actually still text like this they need to ditch the Motorola brick phone and blow their minds with an iPhone. You would have to go out of your way to text those messages. It's not quicker, it's barely shorter, and it's not cool. Just type the words out bro.
Also questionable- (Sorry guys, looks like I have more to say than I thought I did) So someone leaves Eve a threatening note and they misspell the word "knife." I'm pretty sure everyone knows how to spell knife. It's literally the first word you learn how to spell when you learn that a k can be silent. I get Hannon wanted to present the note to seem different or to reveal a clue about the writer, but let's choose a little harder of a word for them to misspell. This was just comical. Sorry to spoil this one for you- the writer was NOT a kindergartner...
On a more serious note- the character who has a miscarriage defends to her husband about the necessity of her having a job by saying "sitting around here moping after the miscarriage wasn't healthy for me." 'Moping' is not the correct term here. It's called grieving. Having gone through a miscarriage myself, I would never have referred to my grieving time as "moping" around the house. Losing a child is devastating, especially considering it was mentioned this was a late-term miscarriage. I found this pretty insensitive and flippant though I'm sure she didn't intend it that way. Someone should have caught this and corrected it.
As for the overall plot and characters. I didn't really know this was going to be a romantic suspense novel until about 2 pages in when Eve (who wasn't really likable because she has no flaws) is described with lush lashes, full lips, and a graceful neck and Brent (who had no personality) is described with coffee-colored eyes and powerful shoulders. Oh yeah. These two definitely fall in love. And that ends up being the primary focus of the book. Sure there is some mystery about who is threatening Eve and a decent twist happens, but considering the author does a crappy job of tying up the lose ends of that ordeal at the end, I'm pretty sure she only cared about the redhead and loner detective getting to Tuscany together and just added the rest in for fillers.
So. Yeah. If you haven't figured this out by my opinions yet... I don't think I was the target audience for this book. I respect what she does and appreciate authors who write clean, Christian books. But this one was just a little too out of touch for me. I strained my eyes from rolling them too much.
But if you read and like a lot of Christian fiction/romance novels, this will honestly probably be a good read for you, don't let my cynicism stand in your way!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
I tend to be harder on Christian fiction authors than I probably should because I do appreciate that they write clean books. But I just feel like a lot of authors are seemingly out of touch with realistic dialogue and characters. Point of Danger was not the exception.
Disclaimer: this review is a little harsh in a (mostly) sarcastic way. If you regularly like Irene Hannon's books then I don't think what bothered me would really bother you which is why I gave this 3 instead of 2 stars. 3 means someone might like it. 2 means don't read it.
Alright, buckle up everyone.
This is going to seem nit-picky but if I'm going to dock stars for unrealistic dialogue, I'm going to back it up. Skip this if you don't care. I have a big vocabulary and I know a lot of people with bigger vocabularies than my own and no one uses the words "retrieve" (we don't retrieve our purse, we just go get it!), "garb", "courtship", "entered my orbit" in their regular day to day exchanges. Other times she missed the mark: Eve says immediately after a kiss- "Epic, as the younger crowd would say..." Eve tells her sister, "I'll put on up-tempo music and groove to the beat while I paint." Eve was voted "Most Likely to Beat the Odds" in high school (is that a real superlative schools do??) Eve thinks that listening to her sisters banter "was always a hoot." Eve tells Brent that she's going to read that night and starts describing the book she's reading "I'm immersed in a heartwarming series set in a charming seaside community". Eve tells her sister while sitting in the sun at 7 pm "Didn't anyone ever tell you that ultraviolet radiation is harmful to your skin?" Brent thinks that he's not interested in romance until "a gorgeous redhead with a passion for commendable principles entered his orbit five days ago." Another character with a controlling husband who suggests they eat breakfast at Bob Evans is "dismayed" by this and thinks "He knew she didn't like heavy, calorie-laden breakfasts. Knew she was working hard to lose weight after her late-term miscarriage. And Bob Evans wasn't the place to follow a diet. Worse yet, he'd insist she join him in the high-carb, high-fat splurge he could afford, given the physical nature of his construction job."
Have you rolled your eyes yet?? Maybe the million references to her spinning classes will do it for you. Or that basically every paragraph uses a cliché. Or her description of the sun being "the golden orb". Or that someone leaves a fake bomb on her porch (which is a felony) but THEN the culprit UPS the ante by calling into her live radio show saying Eve had an affair with a married man. Now THERE's a personal attack. It's getting SERIOUS now! "First a bomb, now a personal strike" I mean what's next?? Intentionally spilling their COFFEE on her SHIRT?!? Who knows where the strife will come from next.... Oh, and don't worry about Eve, though. She carries "pepper gel" with her wherever she goes. What the heck is pepper gel?? Literally every other human would use pepper SPRAY. Pepper gel makes me think she lathers her hands up with some peppery hand sanitizer and rubs it on her attackers face. Prove me wrong...
Let's also mention the texting that she uses in the book: "Was going 2 contact u" "She needs 2 b gone" I mean... really? For one... if people actually still text like this they need to ditch the Motorola brick phone and blow their minds with an iPhone. You would have to go out of your way to text those messages. It's not quicker, it's barely shorter, and it's not cool. Just type the words out bro.
Also questionable- (Sorry guys, looks like I have more to say than I thought I did) So someone leaves Eve a threatening note and they misspell the word "knife." I'm pretty sure everyone knows how to spell knife. It's literally the first word you learn how to spell when you learn that a k can be silent. I get Hannon wanted to present the note to seem different or to reveal a clue about the writer, but let's choose a little harder of a word for them to misspell. This was just comical. Sorry to spoil this one for you- the writer was NOT a kindergartner...
On a more serious note- the character who has a miscarriage defends to her husband about the necessity of her having a job by saying "sitting around here moping after the miscarriage wasn't healthy for me." 'Moping' is not the correct term here. It's called grieving. Having gone through a miscarriage myself, I would never have referred to my grieving time as "moping" around the house. Losing a child is devastating, especially considering it was mentioned this was a late-term miscarriage. I found this pretty insensitive and flippant though I'm sure she didn't intend it that way. Someone should have caught this and corrected it.
As for the overall plot and characters. I didn't really know this was going to be a romantic suspense novel until about 2 pages in when Eve (who wasn't really likable because she has no flaws) is described with lush lashes, full lips, and a graceful neck and Brent (who had no personality) is described with coffee-colored eyes and powerful shoulders. Oh yeah. These two definitely fall in love. And that ends up being the primary focus of the book. Sure there is some mystery about who is threatening Eve and a decent twist happens, but considering the author does a crappy job of tying up the lose ends of that ordeal at the end, I'm pretty sure she only cared about the redhead and loner detective getting to Tuscany together and just added the rest in for fillers.
So. Yeah. If you haven't figured this out by my opinions yet... I don't think I was the target audience for this book. I respect what she does and appreciate authors who write clean, Christian books. But this one was just a little too out of touch for me. I strained my eyes from rolling them too much.
But if you read and like a lot of Christian fiction/romance novels, this will honestly probably be a good read for you, don't let my cynicism stand in your way!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Unrealistic and unrelatable. Maybe I'm not the target audience. I don't know. But this book had all measures of dysfunction. The premise is basically a mother with 4 grown children who all make bad choices and have to overcome "the odds" to have a happy and successful life. But these are not your run of the mill bad choices- these are all BIG life decisions and they all know the mother disapproves and they all know their choices are risky and not very wise but they all STILL do them! Am I the only one who cares and respects my parent's opinion about big life decisions? I don't know how we're supposed to feel about the characters in this story, but this book feels like a story about 5 stupid people (yes five- the mother makes her own poor choice) and it's really hard to root for any of them. There are some things people have to go through, mistakes they make, to learn from them- yes, I understand that. But sometimes bad choices are so bad that, hear me out, you actually DON'T need to do them. Because your choices affect more than just yourself. And you are an intelligent human being who can see the logical, most likely, consequences and say- 'Yeah, I don't think I want that life. I guess I'll just pass on this.'
I am the first who is willing to suspend 'realism' for the sake of a story because every story needs conflict and character development, but this story was just too much. And honestly there was no character development that I saw. They were the same people before and after the bad choices and worse consequences. There was no growth.
And I know this is simplistic to say, but it's what I was thinking the whole time I read the book so I'll put it here for sake of sharing my observations. If these characters knew Jesus and desired to live a life pursuing His glory, literally all of these 'hard/bad' choices would be irrelevant and gone. Christians absolutely have hardships and tragedies in their lives- knowing Jesus doesn't equal perfect lives, but frankly, there are a lot of hardships that come as direct consequences to stupid choices and if you try to follow Christ, **chances are**, you aren't going to sleep with a drug-dealing coke addict you lawyered out of jail who won't get a job, takes all your money and puts your life in danger. *shrugs* Am I wrong?
In summation. This book did not interest me. It only evoked frustration, eye rolls, and silent beggings of 'No... just please... don't do that...' But that's just one man's opinion.
Against all odds... you might like this book....
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
I am the first who is willing to suspend 'realism' for the sake of a story because every story needs conflict and character development, but this story was just too much. And honestly there was no character development that I saw. They were the same people before and after the bad choices and worse consequences. There was no growth.
And I know this is simplistic to say, but it's what I was thinking the whole time I read the book so I'll put it here for sake of sharing my observations. If these characters knew Jesus and desired to live a life pursuing His glory, literally all of these 'hard/bad' choices would be irrelevant and gone. Christians absolutely have hardships and tragedies in their lives- knowing Jesus doesn't equal perfect lives, but frankly, there are a lot of hardships that come as direct consequences to stupid choices and if you try to follow Christ, **chances are**, you aren't going to sleep with a drug-dealing coke addict you lawyered out of jail who won't get a job, takes all your money and puts your life in danger. *shrugs* Am I wrong?
In summation. This book did not interest me. It only evoked frustration, eye rolls, and silent beggings of 'No... just please... don't do that...' But that's just one man's opinion.
Against all odds... you might like this book....
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
"I've given up on hope," she said quietly, then lifted her chin. "From now on, I fight."
Nina Esperanza (meaning 'hope' in Spanish) has endured terrible abuse in the foster system and applies for emancipation and a name change at the age of 17. She has given up hope in a system that has failed her and resolves herself to be Nina Guerrera (meaning warrior or fighter.)
Fast forward ten years and Nina is an FBI agent, dedicating her life to stopping people from hurting others, to keep others from experiencing what she did- which was torture and rape. She got away but the culprit was never caught. After a video of Nina goes viral, he comes back into the picture, becoming known as the Cipher. He desires to finish what he started with Nina and sends the FBI on a very public, cross-country, cat-and-mouse game of puzzles and clues, adding new murders to his rap sheet that is longer than they realized. Can they get ahead of him and stop him before more people die or before he gets Nina back- the one who got away? Will Nina, The Warrior Girl, who has been fighting her whole life, be strong enough, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to take on The Cipher, the man from her nightmares?
Reminiscent of Criminal Minds and Steven James' serial killer series, The Patrick Bowers Files, Maldonado uses her extensive law enforcement and FBI career history to fashion a chilling, action-packed thriller you'll become highly invested in. The antagonist is one sick dude who preys on 17 year old girls. Honestly, if my daughters were teenagers I probably wouldn't have read this book because, though it's not really graphic, it does have some grisliness in what the author describes and the chapters told from the POV of the Cipher- the twisted mind of the psychologically demented killer. It will make you *almost* wish he was real so that you could watch him be destroyed.
I found most of the book to be very believable, easy to follow, and very suspenseful. Guerrera and her team members all have distinct personalities and some depth which sets this up to be a nice series as we follow them on future cases! There were some parts where I thought- how did you not figure that out yet or why didn't you notice that, but I give them a pass because overall it was fairly minute and who I am to say that in the moment I wouldn't have done the same thing. No one is perfect, and they eventually figured those things out. They at least weren't plot holes that got overlooked.
So if you're into psychological serial killer thrillers, this is for you! If getting into the mind of a twisted rapist makes you too uncomfortable, you better pass.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Nina Esperanza (meaning 'hope' in Spanish) has endured terrible abuse in the foster system and applies for emancipation and a name change at the age of 17. She has given up hope in a system that has failed her and resolves herself to be Nina Guerrera (meaning warrior or fighter.)
Fast forward ten years and Nina is an FBI agent, dedicating her life to stopping people from hurting others, to keep others from experiencing what she did- which was torture and rape. She got away but the culprit was never caught. After a video of Nina goes viral, he comes back into the picture, becoming known as the Cipher. He desires to finish what he started with Nina and sends the FBI on a very public, cross-country, cat-and-mouse game of puzzles and clues, adding new murders to his rap sheet that is longer than they realized. Can they get ahead of him and stop him before more people die or before he gets Nina back- the one who got away? Will Nina, The Warrior Girl, who has been fighting her whole life, be strong enough, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to take on The Cipher, the man from her nightmares?
Reminiscent of Criminal Minds and Steven James' serial killer series, The Patrick Bowers Files, Maldonado uses her extensive law enforcement and FBI career history to fashion a chilling, action-packed thriller you'll become highly invested in. The antagonist is one sick dude who preys on 17 year old girls. Honestly, if my daughters were teenagers I probably wouldn't have read this book because, though it's not really graphic, it does have some grisliness in what the author describes and the chapters told from the POV of the Cipher- the twisted mind of the psychologically demented killer. It will make you *almost* wish he was real so that you could watch him be destroyed.
I found most of the book to be very believable, easy to follow, and very suspenseful. Guerrera and her team members all have distinct personalities and some depth which sets this up to be a nice series as we follow them on future cases! There were some parts where I thought- how did you not figure that out yet or why didn't you notice that,
Spoiler
Like the waste collection man not replying to her in Spanish once she switched over, or detaining the people who found the clues. Or not looking into the fighter names of potential suspects from the fight club- I would think Odin would be a pretty big red flag before it was written as suchSo if you're into psychological serial killer thrillers, this is for you! If getting into the mind of a twisted rapist makes you too uncomfortable, you better pass.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Validated and anxious. That's how I feel after having read this book.
Validated because a lot of the situations she describes are ones I've experienced or I highly expect to experience. Validated because she says, "our children sin against us, annoy us, and mess up our stuff. We want to hold it against them, complain about them (if only to ourselves), and feel put upon by their sin." With 5 kids under 6, I think her trenches might be deeper, but we both have the same sentiments of motherhood.
Anxious because she gets my hopes up with all these great ideas of how to communicate right expectations to your kids about their behaviors and attitudes, of how to discipline your children, of how to instill godly principles first and foremost. And now I have all these ideas that I have to remember and implement consistently and correctly in order to produce solid children and I don't want to mess it up.
She says she doesn't have it all together- that she does "a lot of on-the-job failure and correction."
But as I read I was thinking, 'Um. Pretty sure you're a saint if you do all these things with your 5 children regularly.' Maybe she has it together and maybe she doesn't, but I suppose who wants to read a book about all kinds of mom-fails with no helpful suggestions. That's just our real lives, we don't need to read a book to get that. The point of the book isn't to compare myself to her as a mom. We're all figuring this out as we go. I appreciate that she wrote a book to share the things she has found helpful and successful in rearing her children to be first and foremost followers of Christ. Similar to Paul Tripp's parenting books, we have to remember it's about treating their hearts, not merely modifying their behaviors.
It's a short book with short chapters. I thought she was funny and enjoyed her writing style. It's not meant to be an exhaustive book on parenting and is worth a read. It was kind of a kick-start for me, an attitude-check on how I viewed my tasks as a mother of two now. My daughters aren't old enough to do all of the things she suggests yet, but when I'm dealing with a rebellious 2 year old, it helps me take a breath and filter the situation through the right lens.
A couple more 'sound bites':
"The state of your heart is the state of your home. You cannot harbor resentment secretly toward your children and expect their hearts to be submissive and tender. You cannot be greedy with your time and expect them to share their toys. And perhaps most importantly, you can not resist your opportunities to be corrected by God and expect them to receive correction from you."
"If you accept your lot and rejoice in your toil, God will give you the kind of overwhelming joy that cannot remember the details. Motherhood is hard work. It is repetitive and oftentimes menial. Accept it. Rejoice in it. This is your toil. Right here. Those are their faces. Enjoy them. The days of your life are supposed to be full of things like this… You will not even remember the work of all this planting when the harvest of joy overwhelms you."
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
Validated because a lot of the situations she describes are ones I've experienced or I highly expect to experience. Validated because she says, "our children sin against us, annoy us, and mess up our stuff. We want to hold it against them, complain about them (if only to ourselves), and feel put upon by their sin." With 5 kids under 6, I think her trenches might be deeper, but we both have the same sentiments of motherhood.
Anxious because she gets my hopes up with all these great ideas of how to communicate right expectations to your kids about their behaviors and attitudes, of how to discipline your children, of how to instill godly principles first and foremost. And now I have all these ideas that I have to remember and implement consistently and correctly in order to produce solid children and I don't want to mess it up.
She says she doesn't have it all together- that she does "a lot of on-the-job failure and correction."
But as I read I was thinking, 'Um. Pretty sure you're a saint if you do all these things with your 5 children regularly.' Maybe she has it together and maybe she doesn't, but I suppose who wants to read a book about all kinds of mom-fails with no helpful suggestions. That's just our real lives, we don't need to read a book to get that. The point of the book isn't to compare myself to her as a mom. We're all figuring this out as we go. I appreciate that she wrote a book to share the things she has found helpful and successful in rearing her children to be first and foremost followers of Christ. Similar to Paul Tripp's parenting books, we have to remember it's about treating their hearts, not merely modifying their behaviors.
It's a short book with short chapters. I thought she was funny and enjoyed her writing style. It's not meant to be an exhaustive book on parenting and is worth a read. It was kind of a kick-start for me, an attitude-check on how I viewed my tasks as a mother of two now. My daughters aren't old enough to do all of the things she suggests yet, but when I'm dealing with a rebellious 2 year old, it helps me take a breath and filter the situation through the right lens.
A couple more 'sound bites':
"The state of your heart is the state of your home. You cannot harbor resentment secretly toward your children and expect their hearts to be submissive and tender. You cannot be greedy with your time and expect them to share their toys. And perhaps most importantly, you can not resist your opportunities to be corrected by God and expect them to receive correction from you."
"If you accept your lot and rejoice in your toil, God will give you the kind of overwhelming joy that cannot remember the details. Motherhood is hard work. It is repetitive and oftentimes menial. Accept it. Rejoice in it. This is your toil. Right here. Those are their faces. Enjoy them. The days of your life are supposed to be full of things like this… You will not even remember the work of all this planting when the harvest of joy overwhelms you."
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
I have now read all the books in this series. And this was another winner. Steven James is an excellent writer who weaves a tangled web of mystery quite well, maintaining suspense, adding tasteful humor, giving his characters depth and intelligence, and challenging the reader in all sorts of moral or spiritual dilemmas. I wish we could read more thrillers like this- James proves you can write fantastic, gripping thrillers without adding all the language and sexual trash most authors use that do nothing for their stories. I appreciate James’ work and hope he continues to write more for us!
For this book in particular I echo what I wrote for book 2 that I prefer to read everything chronologically and not read prequels to already established characters in a series. As things wrapped up in the end, I struggled a bit making sense of some of the more technical explanations and wished it had been a little easier to grasp. But overall, another great book in the series and gave the reader a lot to think about.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
For this book in particular I echo what I wrote for book 2 that I prefer to read everything chronologically and not read prequels to already established characters in a series. As things wrapped up in the end, I struggled a bit making sense of some of the more technical explanations and wished it had been a little easier to grasp. But overall, another great book in the series and gave the reader a lot to think about.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!