If you're already a fan of Francine Rivers then this novel will meet all of your expectations! If you haven't read any of her books then I would suggest starting with Redeeming Love, which is her BEST book by far. Rivers is my all time favorite author, so I would suggest any of her books. I was so excited to see that she released a new book that I was willing to spend the $15 on ibooks to read it right away.
It usually takes a few chapters to get into a book, but I immediately felt invested in the main characters. Grace Moore is a young single mom who decided not to give up her son for adoption, but is living with the family who wants to adopt him while looking for work. She is struggling to decide what's best for her son and herself, while dealing with the consequences of her past. Her divorce left her with a world of problems that all come up while working for Roman Velasco. Roman is a wealthy modern artist that keeps to himself in his giant mansion in the hills outside of LA. His bad attitude, terrible habits, and unwelcoming personality have sent all of his previous assistants running. Since Grace is desperate for work she sticks around much longer than most, until Roman pushes her too far.
Both are dealing with tragic pasts that have left them with deep scars in drastically different ways. Grace became a people pleaser who wanted nothing more than approval from everyone around her. Roman ran from everyone who ever tried to show him kindness. They refuse to open up to eachother because of their brokenness, but they find out that their pasts are more similar than either expected.
I could not put this book down. I read while breastfeeding (so that's a lot of reading), and I finished it in two days. Finishing a book in two days with a newborn says something. I absolutely loved the characters, the back stories, and the ending. Although it was semi-predictable, I still enjoyed the entire book. I kept wondering how I would have responded in the situation Grace was in as a single mom. I had just had Sawyer when I started reading this, and I can't imagine doing it alone. I also can't imagine the pain of having to decide whether to give your child up for adoption. Grace's determination was so encouraging to a new mama.
I would say this is a MUST read, but like I mentioned before Francine Rivers has many other books that you should read first! I'll link Masterpiece as well as my other favorites below.
xoxo,
kelsey
