Woah! I just finished this book in one day. I was hooked from the first few pages. I have expected the book to be one I put down 1/3 in. But it wasn’t. It read so fast and the story was so unbelievably realistic. I was impressed the way the author really developed such a solid story with such well developed characters. I loved how she did it from different characters perspectives. That added depth and variety that helped keep the story moving. I could feel what the characters felt. The irony made me tear up at certain points. The only thing I would have changed, and what made me give it 4 stars instead of 5 was the way that Marissa’s parts were all written in 1st person (all others were written in 3rd person). This really drove me nuts. It didn’t flow smoothly back and forth between points of view. Other than this the story was a solid 5. So good. Loved the little bit of spiritual theme throughout. It was just enough. Not over the top and fake but real! Can’t wait to read other work by this author. 
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was in no way obligated to write a review. All opinions are my own.

Well written...believable...Real...Thought provoking...Raw...five stars.

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.

Forget the guy for a minute in this all too common triangle. Look at Marissa, she's almost sorta got her life together. She's got a job she loves, a husband who is sometimes home, but she's lacking the one thing she wants. The glue that flaked away in her marriage, a child. Look at Kaitlyn, twenty-something college student who falls for her professor. Entangled in a brief affair she finds herself pregnant, after he calls everything off. Never knowing he was married, but she's still pregnant and now facing life as a single mother. These are stories that are part of our everyday world. Miscarriage, infertility, even unplanned pregnancy are all things that so many women in our society deal with every day. Let's toss the guy back into the mix. I know, I know he's a skeez but wait a minute. Colin is almost a typical guy. His marriage isn't what it once it was, he and Marissa have lost their common ground and even their focus. He finds himself attracted to a young woman and doesn't think before he acts. He tries to fix it but it's already too late, Kaitlyn is already pregnant. It's easy to want to bash him for all of this. It's easy to find yourself more closely aligned with one woman or the other and go on a full scale bashing spree. Don't. The truth is they all played a part in getting there, each of them have something about them that we can identify with, and they each have to find a path to the next step.

I'm gonna be honest, while the story was engaging and drew you into the mix of these characters it tended to drag in places. I liked how the story flow switched between the three main characters but sometimes I felt like they weren't connecting with the story and with me. I didn't get a good feel for Colin as a person. I mean I got him as the cheating husband, I got him as the ex, and even to some small margin as the professor but I didn't understand his motivation in any of the bigger picture. I'm not sure if it's because he wasn't solid in his identity so I didn't grasp it but. . . Colin just came across as a self-absorbed jerk that had a fringe of emotions and feelings that he never really explored. Marissa was so deep into her own head that she took all the emotion that no one else had and owned it in spades. I mean, I get that she had a lot to work through from her life but she was an emotion drain that started to come across as a touch whiny. A lot of the same situations came up over and over with no real resolution, much less forward momentum on them that it just dragged. Perhaps about fifty less pages would have been a bit more concise?

I know I sound hateful right now but I really did enjoy this book. I would have liked to have a better understanding of Colin and who he really is as a person, and even to some degree Kaitlyn as there's so much about her as a person I'm interested in knowing. Marissa, her I'd love to see her in some intense therapy to deal with her life as a whole though not with Tristan. Tristan and Colin is another avenue that I need to see explored because that right there played such a role in this whole shebang that was never truly addressed. I would love to see an addition to this story. Where they all actually end up. I've not read this author before but I enjoy her writing style, I enjoy that she takes on the hard topics from a Christian perspective, and I look forward to reading more by her.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing, NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Shadows of Hope by Georgiana Daniels is a heartfelt tale that pulls you in and holds your attention from beginning to end. She allows you to walk with both Marissa and Kaitlyn through the most challenging of events. I found myself rooting for both. I appreciate Ms. Daniel's sensitivity regarding the subject matter and the way she tells a heart-rending story with great love and compassion. A wonderful story!

I'm pleased to see a novel written from a Christian worldview that portrays not only flawed characters dealing with difficult circumstances, but also grappling with the realization that sometimes there isn't always a neat and tidy resolution. In our post-modern culture, I value an author (and a publisher) who bravely explores the painful reality that we live in a broken world, without glossing over the consequences of poor choices. In my opinion, Georgiana Daniels did this really well. Strong character development, escalating stakes, and challenging, real-life situations are all written within the lens of what it means to be a Christ follower and wrestle with the pain of betrayal, disappointment and failed expectations. Bravo!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary advance copy. All opinions stated here are my own.

There’s only one word for “Shadows of Hope” by Georgiana Daniels……Wow! This was a book that I couldn’t put down. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen with Colin, Marissa and Katelyn. The ending was different than what I expected, but it showed the reality of this book.  First time I’ve read this Author and will again in the future!

I could not stop reading this! I needed to know what was going to happen next and how! I either loved or hated the characters, which is a sign of a good author to me. The struggles of the characters were so real and my heart broke for most of them and I cried in a few places. If a book makes me feel enough to cry, I love it! The narcissist character was tough to follow at times, yet fascinating. I loved how everything didn't turn out as a happily ever after, yet it still ended on a positive, happy note. I can't wait for more books by Georgiana Daniels!

This was such an interesting story on so many levels.  You have a man who has cheated on his wife and wants to play it off as just a phase he was going through.  Mainly, because he felt so put upon by her demands to have sex to conceive a baby.
     Wow, I think I could make a list right now of guys calling him a candy-ass.  Really?!  His wife had a miscarriage of their child he won’t talk about adoption.  Yes, it was true his wife was forcing him to have sex.  Do you all hear the choir of real men singing out, “Dude, Buck it UP!”  She basically, forced him to cheat is the way he looks at it.  But when the guilt finally hits him he is pissed at her that he should call it off.  Come on really!?
     Not because he is deathly afraid that he is her professor at the college she attends, that he is up for tenure, or that oh I don’t know, ‘Could lose my job’ factor. No, that he is forced, because of his vows and his guilt of his wife may one more time have a meltdown like when they had the miscarriage.  His resentment and contempt are so high you could almost feel it coming right off the pages.
     Not once does he speak of love?  When the woman he has the affair with needs to talk he ignores her.  She is a woman, Kaitlyn Morey, is twenty-six-years-old.  She is what is called a retread.  She continues through different methods to contact him but he ignores her.
     Kaitlyn works at the Bean.  A coffee house which happens to be the one where Marissa, Colin’s wife and her best friend and business partner, Tristan Hart, have been meeting for their morning meeting and coffee since the office coffee pot broke.  Since the New Heights, a pregnancy resource center, ran mostly on grants and donations it would be awhile before they got a new one since other things were needed first.  Since Kaitlyn never knew that Colin was married Marissa never knew about the affair.  They have become friends after almost a year of coffee meetings at Kaitlyn’s work.
     Now Kaitlyn was in need of the services the New Heights provided.  See what a tangled web Colin cheats for every one of his selfish needs to have his cake and eat it too.
     I give this the star rating I do because I thought it was a good story but we really got, no closure.  We don’t know do they divorce, work it out, or do they live apart?  Except a poor baby is in the mix.  I give this: 4 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com. 

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Marissa works at a pregnancy crisis center, while she, herself is unable to have the child she and her husband, Colin have long desired. Month after month is a disappointment. Their marriage has grown cold and distant, yet they both still yearn for a child of their own.
Marissa begins to suspect a larger problem in her marriage and goes so far as to spy on Colin. Her coworker, Tristan tells her that the truth usually isn't as bad as the not knowing. Was he ever wrong about that one.
Colin is a professor at a college and had became involved with one of his students. The guilt drove him to break things off. Little did he know that Kaitlyn had earth shattering news for him. After repeated attempts to tell Colin her news, she was finally able to tell him they were expecting a baby. Colin seemed most afraid that the university was going to find out as he was up for tenure.
While both Marissa and Kaitlyn are professing Christians, it seemed shallow. They both prayed and Marissa sometimes attended church with her mother. Colin wanted no part of Christianity.
Marissa had met Kaitlyn at The Bean, the coffee shop she frequented. Upon learning of Kaitlyn's pregnancy, she encouraged her to come to the pregnancy center for help. This led to the two becoming friends and Kaitlyn even working part time there. All the while, neither had any idea that Marissa was married to the man who was the father to Kaitlyn's unborn child. Marissa had not taken Colin's last name when they married, which seemed strange to me, but it's one of the reason no dots were connected.
Kaitlyn had no idea Colin was married, but once he confessed that to her (after being told of her pregnancy), she realized she did not want to be with a man who could do that to his wife.
Colin seemed weak to me. He first wanted his marriage to work out, but when he thought Marissa would never forgive him, he then told Marissa they could be together and raise their child. It seemed he didn't care who he was with. Just a needy man who wanted to be with a woman. Colin needed a slap upside the head. In the end, he did want to work on his marriage.
Marissa knew Tristan had feelings for her. Feelings he never acted on. But, she seemed uncaring and leaned on him in her crisis.
This was a fast paced story and I loved it until the end. I would have given it five stars if not for the ending. I don't want to reveal what my disappointment was as to not spoil the ending for others. It just was not at all what I expected.
I was given a free ecopy of this to read by the publisher, Barbour Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Well written. Gripping. Hard to put down. So many good things in this awesome book. This is my first experience with this author but I know I will be looking for her books in the future. Kaitlyn and Marissa meet, interact and become friends. Marissa is there for Kaitlyn after she finds herself pregnant and dumped by her boyfriend. Marissa is struggling with infertility and a failing marriage. Unbeknownst to Kaitlyn in the beginning is that her boyfriend is married and also that he is married to her friend, Marissa.
I love that these two women journey and grow through their struggles together before finding out the truth. I love the honesty of this story, there is no perfect happy ending all tied up in a nice little bow. Life isn't always like that, but lessons were learnt and that is important.
Colin, the boyfriend and husband is my least favourite character. However I do like that he wasn't suddenly redeemed. Seeing his thought processes and journeying with him was also enlightening. Even though I do not believe that he grew the way the women did throughout the book, his character did evolve and change in some ways. His character was selfish and self-involved but the author didn't make excuses for him or try to make his behaviour in anyway acceptable. Very well written.

Eva Lapp is a unique protagonist, she is not a starry-eyed young lady planning a wedding and dreaming of a family of her own while waiting to marry the man of her dreams. In fact, her story is quite different which is probably why I enjoyed it as much as I did.
I felt so bad for her when she’s forced to leave her childhood home, but once I saw the possibilities of a fresh start for her, I liked the direction the author was taking her in. Yes, even by placing Eva in a position of managing a cafe she was quite frankly not cut out for. I found that to be a clever way of meeting and getting to know some of the other characters. What characters they are, too!
Overall, I found the characters to be well-developed, interesting and facing real challenges as best as they can with the circumstances they are in. If you enjoy Amish fiction and would prefer something with more mature characters, than I recommend this one.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book and have given my honest opinion.

Title: Shadows of Hope
Author: Georgiana Daniels
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc. 
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Shadows of Hope" by Georgiana Daniels

My Thoughts....

What a very thought provoking read that will leave you with food for thought long after the read.
There are a lots of good question in the ending of this novel that were right on point. Be ready for a read that deals with 'marriage, betrayal, infertility, drama, friendships, secrets, faith, pregnancy forgiveness and moving on.' 

I found these three characters Marissa, Tristan , Colin and Kaitlyn were all well developed, portrayed and believable giving the reader a decent story in the end. I did enjoy how this author was able to give Christian guidance in their daily life for some of the characters.

This is definitely one of those stories [infidelity] where the choices one makes and the consequences that are left in how this all affects everyone involved when it's said and done. I also believe that there are many women who can relate to what has happened in Marissa's position. Bye the end did we have a 'love triangle?' "How will God work this all out in all these peoples lives? Will Marissa and Colin’s marriage survive this infidelity?" 'Will God's love heal this relationships?' 'And what about forgiveness? Can they forgive themselves?' 'Will God forgive them?' 

Well, to find out the answers to all of these questions you will have to pick up this interesting read "Shadows of Hope" to see if there is any hope left for these people. 

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a difficult subject matter and provided an insight into a dying marriage.  It did not end the way I thought it would and I was glad for it.   Marissa and Colin both seemed to have lost their love for each other long before he cheated.  The loss of a child creates a whole hurt that some people embrace and define the rest of their lives.  They had already disconnected in so many ways that even when Marissa thought there might be hope for another child, for them, she never told her husband .  
They lived two separate lives in the same house, he had his job and she had hers and very little interaction between the two other than deception.  I know that Marissa seemed to be blindsighted by her husbands unfaithfulness but she shouldn’t have been.  
When she opened herself up to a friendship with a client things seemed to be looking up for Marissa until her friend became the other woman.  The way the story came together at the end was dramatic and I would have liked a little more closure on the ending, but I was satisfied with it.
Life is not always a neat tidy little package of God has our backs.  He is there to catch us, but life is hard and we are not guaranteed happily ever after.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me review the e-version of this book.

Overall this book is nice realistic type of fiction. I was intrigued. 

Note: I received a free e-copy of the book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to the author and publisher for giving me a chance to read it.

Infertility Brings a Marriage Crisis

Marissa wants more than anything to have a baby. It’s hard for her working in a crisis pregnancy center seeing all the women pregnant even if they didn’t want to be. She and her husband, Colin, have tried so hard to get pregnant that it has affected their sex life and their marriage. 

Colin, a professor, started having an affair with a student as a release from the pressures of his marriage. Kaitlyn is desperately in love with him. She doesn’t realize he’s married and dreams that he loves her enough to marry her when she finds she’s pregnant. Kaitlyn knows Marissa, but doesn’t realize she’s Colin’s wife. When Marissa suggests that she visit the pregnancy center where Marissa works, Kaitlyn finally begins to think she’ll survive this crisis. 

The story is told from three viewpoints: Marissa, Colin, and Kaitlyn. Marissa’s is first person, the other two are third person. All three characters come alive in their portrayals of their problems. Marissa seems the most wronged, but she isn’t without responsibility for her situation. She desperately wants to be pregnant and doesn’t accept the toll it is taking on her relationship with Colin. What Colin did is wrong. It’s not clear he loves Kaitlyn. She was fun and a chance to get away from the pressures of his marriage. 

I found Kaitlyn naive for a woman approaching thirty. She may not realize Colin is married, but she does realize as a Christian that having an affair is wrong. She gives herself and expects the result will be marriage not an unwanted pregnancy. 

I recommend this book. It is well written. The characters are believable and the ending has a surprising twist. It’s a cautionary tale for husbands and wives allowing problems to come between them. It’s also a book for single women expecting to win a man by giving their body and expecting it to result in marriage. 

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

As you might guess from the book’s description, this is a pretty compelling story. It’s well written, and it’s a plot that you really want to see through to its conclusion once you’ve started reading. That said, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the story until its very last pages. Aside from the obviously painful circumstances, my heart was tempted to wish for something my conscience couldn’t sanction, and at times it seemed the story might be heading that way. Then, as the ending drew ever nearer with the biggest bombshell still waiting to drop on the characters, I wondered how on earth the story would have any kind of a resolution.

As I reflect now, I think the only word for the ending is ‘right’; anything else would have been either unrealistic or bruising to my conscience. Hallmark, it’s not, and some readers might be disappointed by the way the story concludes, but it will make you think. And the more I think about it, the more I’m impressed by this story.

First of all, it’s presented from three different points-of-view. Marissa’s point-of-view is written in the first person, whereas Colin’s and Kaitlyn’s points-of-view are written in the third person. This has the subtle effect of allowing the reader to identify with Marissa and her pain first and foremost, but also have insight into the secondary protagonists/antagonists, Colin and Kaitlyn.

Secondly, the author did an exceptional job of making all three characters realistic. It would have been so easy to make Colin a two-dimensional villain, but he’s more than the sum of his mistakes, grievous though they may be. And while Marissa is the innocent party in the fallout of the affair, she's not without blame in the breakdown of the marriage. I found their motivations understandable, even if they didn’t excuse their actions, and their emotions complex and authentic.

Kaitlyn stands in the middle ground, having made the unwise decision to enter into a relationship with her professor, but without the full knowledge of his situation. She’s an unwitting antagonist—a twenty-six-year-old woman who can’t change the decisions that got her where she is, but who is determined to make the right decisions as she goes forward. As the friendship grows between her and Marissa—and it’s a lovely friendship—waiting for the moment when they would realise their connection wound the tension tighter and tighter.

This is the kind of story that takes you out of your comfort zone and lets you experience the mess that unwise decisions can lead to—the kind of mess that leaves permanent stains. How do believers handle those kinds of situations, especially when at least one of the people involved ISN’T a believer? Where do they find hope and strength to move forward? These are the kinds of questions you’ll be pondering as you read this book, along with the ‘if only’s we can all learn from.

This is a powerful  and sometimes heartbreaking book.  I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through Net Gallery.  This is my honest and voluntarily given review.  Mariah is worried about her marriage to Colin.  He's always comes home late, turns away from her when he is texting, and doesn't want her coming to the university.    Mariah is worried that he might be cheating on her.  Before Kaitlyn can tell Colin that she is pregnant, Colin breaks up with her.  Colin is worried that Mariah and the University will find out about his relationship with a student.   When Kaitlyn turns to a Pregnancy Resource Center, Mariah offers her support.   One of the things that I loved about this story is that the story rotates between the three main characters. I especially liked the relationship that builds between Mariah and Kaitlyn.  I am very glad that I read this book.  I had a hard time putting it done.

Shadows of Hope, written by Georgiana Daniels, is a heartrending and thought-provoking story.  The characters have depth and reality and their emotions and strengths resonate well with readers--their feelings are profoundly human. The story line is strong...Daniels has chosen a rather gritty subject and has handled it well. Infidelity and infertility wreak havoc on the best of relationships and the situations with Marissa and Colin are portrayed tactfully and realistically, not just fixed in a 'Pollyanna' manner--the struggles are real and the answers are not easy. There is a thread of faith that runs throughout the novel and reminds the reader that it may never be too late for new beginnings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

Life doesn't always go the way we want it to and our dreams don't always come true. How we deal with the setbacks and tradgedies will determine our future. This book deals with infertiltiy , marital breakdown and unwanted pregnancies. Any one of these issues would make life difficult, but dealing with all three is almost enough to destroy any woman's confidence.