Here is my (first ever!) bullet point review:

This book totally messed with my mind (primarily in a good way).

I was kept guessing throughout - but I will say, when it came down to the final chapters I discovered that was right all along! :)

I appreciated the author's first foray into suspense. It was well done overall.

I was especially thrown off for a long time (likely intentionally) by the "back cover" synopsis - it took me forever to make sense of it all, to connect the dots.

Main character Denilyn Rossi is interesting and compelling. She has truly been traumatized and you are rooting for her the whole way through. She's not unrealistically tough OR wimpy/whiny/does not play the victim...even though she of course is.

I will gladly recommend this book!

I was provided a complimentary copy of Convergence by Shiloh Run Press in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great read, once you get into the story. It is written in the first person, with some chapters referring to one character and some to another. You also jump from past to present to future dates. Each chapter is marked clearly so it is easy to know whom is talking and in what time frame, however you must stay focused or you will be lost. I feel it would be easier to keep up in an actual paper copy so you can flip back and forth to each chapter to see the actual dates, however I still enjoyed it in e format.

There is much suspense, mystery, drama, healing and more in this book. Just when you think you have it all figured out, wow you are so wrong.

4.0 out of 5 starsInteresting read.
March 6, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
At first this book was a bit confusing, until I had the characters and their 'voices/outlook' down in my mind. Once that was done, I really enjoyed the rollercoaster of a ride this author gave me. The characters were likeable and real. The twists and turns kept me reading until the end. The underlying theme of faith as comforting. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Strange occurrences remind a psychologist of a horrific event from her past, and she must deal with the post-traumatic stress. As she does so, she turns to her faith for guidance and also goes with her instinct to confront the incidents. Seasoned author Ginny L. Yttrup tries her hand at the suspense genre in the well-meaning but ultimately unsuccessful novel Convergence.

Dr. Denilyn Rossi spends her days teaching and working on her latest book about psychology. At least, she’s trying to do both. Eight years earlier, after her book about cyberbullying hit the bestseller list, Deni became a celebrity and the victim of a stalker. She suffered a brutal attack but survived and has spent every day since healing both inside and out.

Despite undergoing a divorce and changing jobs from practicing psychologist to the head of the psychology department at a university, Deni managed to pull her life back together. The man who attacked her is behind bars, and she’s well-respected and well-liked by colleagues and students. All seems to be moving in a positive direction, except for the fact that Deni can’t shake the feeling that someone is following her again.

At first she thinks the sensation is brought on by the upcoming anniversary of her attack and that her convicted attacker is up for parole. As a psychologist, she knows that both events can cause post-traumatic stress disorder. But the more she pays attention to the feeling, the more she realizes she may not just be experiencing stress.

Her close friends encourage her to seek guidance from her faith in God, and Deni does. She also reminisces about her friend, Adelia Sanchez. Years ago, Deni, Adelia, and two other good friends led whitewater rafting expeditions, until an accident made them leave the water. Memories of Adelia, of her failed marriage, and the life-changing encounter with the man who stalked her follow Deni everywhere she goes these days.

Her faith provides her solace, true, but she also knows she can’t just sit back and wait for circumstances to play out on their own. She believes she’s following God’s will by creating her own solution. Deni just doesn’t know if this time she’ll succumb to the danger.

Author Ginny L. Yttrup delves into the genre of suspense for the first time, but unfortunately her debut leaves much to be desired. The story flips between Deni in the present day, Deni in the past in the weeks leading up to her attack, and Adelia. The constant ping-ponging between timelines and characters will leave readers confused at times, despite Yttrup starting each chapter with the date and the character speaking. Early on Yttrup establishes Deni as the protagonist; however, Adelia’s portions come later in time than Deni’s, and readers won’t know until the last third of the book why the story was structured this way.

Successful suspense books depend on bursts of information followed by bursts of action; in the case of Convergence, Yttrup has taken a more thoughtful approach. This allows for readers to get to know Deni and to understand how she depends on her faith to get her through difficult times. In and of itself, this portion of the writing works well. Framed by a larger story that tries to be a suspense/thriller novel, the more introspective portions of the book just stick out. They slow down the story, and many readers may get impatient.

Yttrup also errs when it comes to releasing information; the characters in the book often know much more than readers do. Characters discuss important events without naming them, and readers will have to infer much of the information for a long time before they’re given confirmation. The cloak-and-dagger device only works for so long; after the halfway mark, it becomes tedious, as does the book.

Fans of Yttrup’s other work may want to pick this one up. It does a respectful job of showing how a person’s faith works organically within his or her life. Strictly as a suspense or thriller, though, the novel doesn’t work at all. I believe Convergence Borders on Bypassing it.

Yttrup gives readers a flawed character driven psychological thriller. Deni was attacked ten years ago and feels she is being stalked today. We don't find the details of the past attack until well into the book. Much of the text consists of Deni's thinking.

I had difficulty with the plot structure of this book. The narrative flips back and forth between three different time periods and I felt that produced a disjointed plot. Another issue I had was the withholding of information. The narrative is written in the first person with long passages of Deni's thoughts. I was dismayed that at three quarters of the way through the book, we find out something about Deni that is an essential part of her life and who she is and what is happening to her. As a reader, I felt blindsided. Yttrup purposely let us think we were part of Deni's life when we were really being fooled.

There is another plot technique Yttrup used that really irritates me. At the end of a suspenseful scene, all looks lost and all goes black for Deni. At the beginning of the next chapter, all is well, Deni has somehow miraculously survived the black and is alive and well.

One other issue is that we are left hanging at the end of the novel with respect to one character, the one who attacked Deni years ago. He is active in the plot up to nearly the end then just disappears without his participation being resolved.

Readers who like a novel heavy on psychological suspense, mostly experienced through Deni's thoughts, may like this one.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This book has a lot of twists and turns and unexpected reveals. However, the jumping around in time and between characters was confusing for me. The main character expressed so much dread before "letting God take control" that it felt tedious at times. I guess that is the way it is in real life though... Wallowing until we decide to change our reinvent ourselves. Some of the plot points were somewhat unbelievable, particularly with regard to children. The religion was heavy handed at the end, but I understand the idea of letting go and letting God. Readers of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train may like this read.

Convergence by Ginny L Yttrup is a thrilling, edge of your seat suspense novel. It dives deep into the plot twists that revolve around the lives of two different women. Before their lives converge, it can be a little confusing trying to keep track of the women and what is going on in their lives. Flipping between the past and present, and between Denilyn and Adelia's perspectives author Ginny L. Yyttup manages to build surprises into the plot that I really like! I felt for Denilyn - the trauma she had experienced in the past and the fear that she was either being stalked again or her PTSD was making her think she was. I could relate to both the main characters, their stories, and their choices.

I like the fact that this a clean mystery/suspense thriller and that there are Christian references. I would certainly recommend this book as it is well written, with vivid imagery, and great first person narrative. I love the way I got caught up in the story and thought I knew what was going to happen...only to be proven wrong!!

Trigger PTSD for assault victims

Denilyn Rossi is an author, a teacher, a psychologist. With all that going for her why is she living in fear. The traumatic event that almost cost her her life is in the past. The culprit in prison. She has family and friends protecting her, surrounding her in love, support and understanding. Yet, she hides and lives in constant hypervigilance. The inner strength she had had is gone. Her belief in a higher power is gone. She either needs to face her fears and find that higher power again or live in hiding.
Meanwhile, only her dearest and longest know friends ate aware of her struggles. Yet, someone that seems to know her has the strength and determination to make her life a living nightmare. She will have to find the strength, determination and faith to face these challenges and come out on top.
Great read. The topic is fantastic, bullying is never ok!

Convergence, a suspense/thriller novel from Ginny L. Yttrup, is a very interesting read that will at some moments keep you on the edge of your seat. This is my first book by this author.  Danilyn is a psychology professor at a small college and once had a stalker who was caught and convicted and is still in prison. Her marriage did not survive all the fear because of the stalker. But it has been years and now she finds herself being stalked again. Of course she is paralyzed by fear once again and can not deal with this. Her best friends since college days are there for her to help her with her fear. There are many turns before this book will converge to its final conclusion. It will keep you guessing as to who the culprit is. I received this book via netgalley and this review is a pleasure to give.

What a terrific novel! My time reading this novel was most enjoyable. The thing that surprises me is that, for such an educated woman, Denilyn Rossi had ignored the signs of the murderer’s psychopathy. Another thing that surprised me is that of Denilyn & Keith’s marriage. I would have thought Keith would have understood his wife’s nature from the beginning, & not have been so surprised that she was so different than he. He married a psychiatrist, yet he was a man who disliked intimacy. He didn’t want to be bothered by Denilyn’s “drama” as he called it. He didn’t want to have conversations about her traumas, both past & present. He just wanted to be happy-go-lucky, like a good-time guy. So why did he marry Denilyn? It took him a year to figure this out. And what about Denilyn, Dr. Rossi? How did she not see what kind of man she married, she of the “big brain”?
I think the title “Convergence” was a perfect name for this novel. The characters of Denilyn & Adelia converged at the conclusion. There’s quite the surprise for the reader at that point, both in terms of Adelia’s life & Denilyn’s.
This novel was a deep psychological profile of Denilyn Rossi, the traumas she sufered the last 9 years of her life, & how she became victorious over them. I consider this novel a Christian novel. God is glorified. Denilyn learns to hold fast to God, believe in His Will for her, & to step out in faith according to His Purpose.
Thank you, NetGalley & Barbour the publisher, for the opportunity to read & review this novel.

I’m not generally a fan of “half” ratings but I feel like this book may be a 3.5. I’m torn between 3 stars and 4.

This book is well written and enticing for sure, but there was a bit lacking.

For instance, I knew incredibly early on who the “bad guy” was, and I was hoping for some twist to shock me but I never got it. I’m not sure if it’s super obvious, or I was just more perceptive? If you have read, or do read this book let me know what you think!

My other issue with this book is the presence of “god”. I’m not a religious person, so the incredibly frequent mentions kind of put me off. I know it doesn’t really detract or add to the story line as a whole, it just kind of made me uncomfortable. Which yes, I know is a “me problem”, but it still affected my feelings towards the book.

I did like the premise, and overall story line. I think with a little more mystery, and twists the story could have been a 5 star. I also think there should have been more instances that caused us to question the lead character.

The idea for this book is excellent, the execution just didn’t hit the spot for me.

I was hooked from the dedication alone. Not many authors can do that. The whole book delivered too, it wasn’t just a hook and let down. It was the real deal that had me compulsively reading until I finished. I did figure it out before the ending, but I needed to know how it would all go down. I think fans of Terri Blackstock will really like this book. While written from first person point of view from a female, I do think guys would like Convergence as well. I found Deni to be like-able and I enjoyed getting to know her better as the book unfolded her layers. It isn’t super creepy but it did raise my heartbeat more than once. Never underestimate a female or a mother. I highly recommend Convergence!

I did receive a copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

'You drown not by falling into the river, but by staying submerged in it.' Paulo Coelho
Wow! Incredibly well written novel that had me wondering from the beginning if it would ever make sense to me. Denilyn, a psychology professor and published author, has a past that is slowly unraveled throughout this book. Stalking, assault, accidents, psychological abuse and more keep you at the edge of your seat the whole time wondering who really is behind it all. It is only as she learns that trust is a choice not a feeling, faith is believing in what you can't see and to be on the offensive is the best way to finally experience freedom!
'Sometimes in stillness, when we've quieted our minds, we hear from God'.
I received this advance copy through Barbour Publishing, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. All impressions and opinions are my own.

Convergence is a powerful book that really takes you inside the victim and the journey to have freedom from fear. Yttrup tells the story backwards and it really keeps you engaged because as a reader you want all the details but they unfold slowly, but beautifully.

Denilyn Rossi was a victim of an attack and of stalking. Both have taken so much from her. She lives in fear and now seven years after the attack, the threat resurfaces. But Deni refuses to live in fear any longer. As the story unfolds you get a full glimpse of who the stalker really is and how it is about control. Deni decides to take that control back. Convergence is about how she masterfully takes that control back. The ending is so satisfying.

It is a unique book but one that is a must read. I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest feedback.

A psychologist suffering from PTSD is convinced that her life is in danger again, even though the man who attacked her eight years ago is securely behind bars and she's surrounded by her husband, friends , colleagues and therapist . Someone is stalking her - a vaguely familiar looking man who may be connected to her past life as a guide on one of the most dangerous rivers in the country. She hasn't been back to Three Rivers since the Kiawha claimed the life of one of her closest friends - or did it ? But she's certain that her stalker is somehow connected to that place and time, and that her friend's misadventure on the river may in fact have been murder. It's difficult to keep track of the action, since much of it is told in flashbacks. The characters aren't especially well drawn, but the thrills and chills of rafting class 10 rapids have the same adrenaline-fueled energy as the sky-diving scene in the book's opening pages.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

CONVERGENCE is about Denilyn Rossi, PsyD, former practicing Clinical Psychologist, and current Chair of the Department of Psychology, Pacific Covenant University. Deni is seeking to find her stalker in order to end her fear and lead a life of freedom. Deni couldn’t have said it better when trying to describe the behavior of the stalker as “hoping to make sense of the nonsensical.” The timeline jumps back and forth between 2009 and 2017 which keeps the reader turning the pages to develop a complete picture of the motives of each of the characters.

I understand that this is the author’s first foray into the genre of suspense, and as the title suggests, it is a highly imaginative mix of mystery, Christian values, and psychological thriller. I look forward to reading more by this talented author as she refines this particular genre of writing.

Convergence is an intense psychological thriller about the lives of four friends who were friends while in college together studying psychology. I had a little problem getting into the story at first but soon got caught up in it. The story takes place in California where three of the friends are living and still friends. We are not told what is happening with the fourth friend, Adelia, right away. Danilyn is a psychology professor at a small college along with her friend Ryan. Their offices are next door to each other. The story is told in a dual timeline. Eight years ago, Dani and her friend, Jaylon, were in private practice together. Dani had written a book about bullying and while on tour, a strange man gives her the creeps at a book signing. Later, she and her husband, Keith, see the same man at church. When she starts receiving gifts of jewelry from an unknown person, she begins to get concerned, especially when he appears outside of her office. Keith can not handle the situation and leaves her. The stalker is found and put in prison. Dani could not go back into private practice afterwards. Fast forward, eight years later and she begins having similar feelings that someone is watching her. But her stalker is in prison.
While Dani's story is being told, the fourth friend, Adelia, is on a trip to Three Rivers White Water Rafting park where the four friends would go on their summer break from college and work as guides on the river.
As things escalate, Dani's life is in danger once more. Her life is a prison to fear and what is going on around her. She finally has to reach a point to deal with it for her sake as well as her family and friends. Only she can't do it on her own. She has to call on God-someone she has pushed away for a long time.
I am not going to go into further detail. This is a complicated and multi layer plot that will keep you guessing. I have to admit that I went through the different people who could be after Deni. It soon becomes apparent that it is someone close causing her problems. But who? All seems to be centered around the last summer at Three Rivers. Near the end, we find out that there are details about her life that we did not know. There are details around the friends that we don't know. Get ready for a wild ride.
I receives a complimentary ARC from Barbour Publishing and Shiloh Run Press through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions stated are mine only.

Well-executed clean domestic psychological thriller.

With the past existing as a haunting shadow and the present moving along with only the force of a Midwest tornado, the lives of two women converge.

Ginny is a beast with the pen. Covering topics such as PTSD, fear, and human relationships, Convergence features the immense warfare, both spiritual and physical, one goes through when trying to survive in this world.

With all of the formulaic elements of suspense and Christian fiction, Ginny has woven an immensely powerful tale.

Highly recommended for Christian readers who want to join in on the fun of reading thrillers, while remaining rooted in their faith.

This book has a good storyline and likable characters. It was easy to read with some mystery and a touch of spirituality. For me, it wasn’t enthralling but it kept me interested enough to finish it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review