"The Edge of Belonging" is a poignant tale of lives broken through loss, homelessness, abandonment, infertility, and abuse, yet redeemed through love, adoption, and Christ. That list of topics may seem impossible for one novel to weave together. Yet, the unrivaled artistry of the book makes this book a masterpiece of fiction.

The book tells the stories of Ivy Rose, a young woman searching after the death of her Grandmother for the true story of her past before her adoption. The story flashes back in to tell the story of Harvey James, a homeless man who finds an abandoned baby beside a highway and determines to save her to keep her from the horrors he experienced with life in the foster system. As Ivy Rose works to uncover the secrets of the past, she confronts painful present realities and her need from healing.

The end of this book should not be read without tissues on hand. It's a powerful, tear-jerking through and through.

I loved this read, full of heart tugs, and love, in all different forms.
Such wonderful characters, human, yes, these people live their faith, and we walk with them as they go about their days and giving.
Even the title of this read resonates with me, as we shift effortlessly from past to present, and all the while we are page turning as a new born baby draws broken lives together.
If you read one book this year, you might want to choose this one, it is so good!
I could just picture Harvey, a man broken by life, and yet always there in the time of need! Pearl who has lost her loved ones, and then Miriam and Thomas, pastor and wife, facing fertility issues. In the end it is Ivy Rose God uses to meld these lives!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Edge Of Belonging Is An Incredible Story Of Love, Family And Belonging That Tugs On All The Right Heartstrings! It Is One I Will Recommend Over And Over Again!

Amanda Cox’s gentle storytelling and magnetic, multi-layered characters draw readers into a beautiful tale of life, hope and love. She carefully wraps the characters’ pasts of brokenness into sweet healing and offers a ray of hope as they surrender to the path God has designed for their lives. I was so very impressed and touched by the characters in which we, as readers, can each find a piece of ourselves. Each character’s humanity was evident as they made broken choices, encountered life-altering events and struggled with depression, grief, loss, abandonment and helplessness, in turn making their joys, triumphs, and sacrificial love that much sweeter.

As a woman who’s walked through infertility and loss, and as an adoptive parent surrounded by the fostering community, my heart swelled over the hope, building of family and connections made in this story.  From my own experiences, I’ve seen how God masterfully weaves stories together, even years later, and I cherish those blessings in my life. Amanda delicately, and masterfully, showcases God’s carefully designed plan in the details of Pearl, Harvey, Rose and Ivy’s stories.  Through these very tangible characters’ heartwarming story, readers are drawn into a tender tale that wraps around one’s soul.

It goes without saying that this story is well-written, well-planned and well-executed. It offers a smooth pace of transition between present day Ivy’s life and the story surrounding her birth and adoption 24 years prior. The faith based elements are strong but gentle and ushered in a way that even secular readers would enjoy. The beauty of the bond of family not genetically connected, a childhood friendship that blossoms into romance and the various view points this story offers are an added bonus.

This story is rich in God’s goodness, timing and love. How He places just the right people around us at the right time...How He loves us unconditionally. How He has predestined us with a purpose in mind. I cried, I smiled, I rejoiced. For my adopted daughter, it is always my hope and prayer that she find comfort, purpose and light in her story and I think this book adequately demonstrated that with Ivy. What a sweet and precious novel... One I’m proud to display on my shelf and honored to recommend as a novel worth reading.

This book was terrific! I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to see what happens between Reese and Ivy.
I did laugh at some of their antics in the book because that’s what friends do.
There were also some places that my heart broke for the characters too. I found myself wanting to pray for them as well. Have y’all ever done that?
Ivy’s story spoke to my heart so much because you see I’ve been adopted too and my parents were vague about it. They said something about it being a closed cases adoption but I did find out a few things through the woman who fostered me for awhile.
I love this quote that Ivy’s mom said “ You and Reese will change one way or another, whether you like it or not. You can’t hang on to what once was forever.”
So many times I wish I could hang on to the past but then we couldn’t enjoy what God has in store for us now could we?
Friends like Reese and Ivy are a rarity indeed. For once you find one you’d better hang on to them. For they will always be there for you no matter what.
This is a new to me author who I will be adding to my long long list of favorites! This story will pull you in from the beginning and not let you go. It will leave you thinking about it long after it’s over. I didn’t want it to end it was so good!
I highly recommend this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own

Once in a while, a great book comes along and leaves its readers breathless. The Edge of Belonging did that for me. I'll get this part out of the way now: Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a cape and goggles.

Ivy Rose Lashley wants to know who she is. She knows she's adopted, she just doesn't know how she came to the people who raised her, how she fits into the world, or how the people around her became her family. Her Uncle Vee has always been there for her, but she doesn't know how he became her uncle, because he's not related to her parents, or to the woman she calls, "Grandma."

When Grandma dies, she asks Ivy to clean the house and get it ready to give it back to the church. Many of the things that Grandma has need to go to the people who can use them most. Some of the things are going back to the original owners, some of them are going to the women's shelter, some of them go to Reese, her longtime best friend.

Amanda Cox is not shy about tackling hard issues including battered women, the flawed foster care system, infertility, abusive and narcissistic men, and men who love without reservation. Her characters have been taken from real life, and her settings are believable to the point that they are familiar to almost every reader. This is a great book, hopefully one that will win many awards. It certainly has my seal of approval.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

It's September 1994 and people consider Harvey homeless . He finds an abandoned baby girl. Emmett is in the fourth grade. I couldn't get interested in the characters or events

I am always intrigued by stories about adoption, and people seeking their birth families. The Edge of Belonging is a fictional story about a young woman named Ivy who was adopted. When her grandmother dies, she leaves behind clues for Ivy to discover how she came to be with her adoptive parents. The story goes back and forth between Ivy's present day search for answers, and the past where a kind man named Harvey James finds an abandoned baby. Harvey carries a lot of emotional baggage, but he loves the baby and is determined to provide for her. These two stories collide in the end, giving Ivy the answers she seeks, along with enough love to last a lifetime.

The Edge of Belonging is a very well written book. Good plot and character development. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Highly recommended!! The story of Harvey and Ivy was very poignant and enthralling. These are characters who will stay with you for a very long time.

Amanda Cox is definitely going on my new favourite author list with her debut book, The Edge of Belonging. This inspirational dual-timeline story grabs you from the first page. It never lets go until well after you've finished reading it. I'm still thinking about it.

Harvey James is homeless and lives in a lean-to in the woods. He has spent his entire life depending on himself without ever genuinely knowing love of any kind. When he finds an abandoned baby near his home, he immediately decides to care for her and tells no one. Who would let a homeless man care for a baby? This must be his secret to keep from the outside world. This little girl, who he names Ivy, is finally someone he can love and will love him back. How can he keep her a secret from other people when he needs to get baby food, diapers and clothes to care for her? This first challenge leads to a fantastic encounter for Harvey and the beginning of a story that will leave readers breathless.

While we find out how Harvey got Ivy, we see how Ivy has fared in the future. This interesting storyline collides in a way that will bring you to tears, both sad and happy. I loved this book!

I loved Pearl! Her interactions with Harvey were gentle and genuine. How their lives become entwined makes this a book worth reading. The topics of homelessness, foster care, suicide, PTSD, emotional and physical abuse are all touched upon and covered sensitively and realistically.

The title of this book is so appropriate and brings out the faith element of how we all belong to God. If you ever doubted God was involved in your life, this book will confirm He is there from the very beginning. Before you even know Him. God is always at work even when we don't see Him, hear Him or think He's even there. I can't say enough good things about this book. Read it. Be inspired. I know I was.

I received this book courtesy of Baker Publishing Group/Revell and NetGalley for my honest opinion.

"Normal" people belong to their family, but what if you have none, if it fell apart or is incomplete? Is there are way to find where you belong to?

Harvey lost his family when he was 5 years old. Ivy was abandoned as a newborn. Miriam and Thomas long for a baby and Pearl has lost her husband and her son. Tragedy wherever you look.

But God had good plans for all of their lives and is able to work all things for their good.

The Edge of Belonging
by Amanda Cox

Revell
Christian | General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 08 Sep 2020


I am reviewing a copy of The Edge of Belonging Through Revell and Netgalley:





After Ivy Rose returns to her hometown in order to oversee an estate sale, she soon learns that her Grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames, that she has infant provided a path to the true story behind Ivy’s adoption. Ivy is shocked and seeks clues to her past, but a large piece of that puzzle is missing.




Harvey James found an abandoned infant twenty four years prior, the abandoned newborn gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. Harvey desires to care for the baby, he named Ivy Rose, but he is homeless. After he comes entwined with two people who want to help him find his way, Harvey knows he has to keep Ivy a secret or risk loosing the one person he has ever loved.






Amanda Cox has written a beautiful dual timeline debut novel, that deals with loving someone so much, that you learn to let go.



I give The Edge of Belonging Five out of five stars.


Happy Reading!

A sweet story of being found and redemption. I quickly figured out the plot points, but that didn’t diminish too much from the enjoyment of the story. The characters were on the whole well-rounded and drawn - only Seth, the rouge initial finance felt like a caricature and someone I questioned whether Ivy really would have saddled herself with.

Lovely to see an intergenerational story and how family can be formed without blood ties.

Three out of five stars because of the easy-to-guess plot.

The Edge of Belonging wrote by Amanda Cox is such a beautifully told story of abandonment, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, kindness, and friends that become family. A book I didn’t want to end! If you are looking for something to remind you of goodness and faith, and who doesn’t need more of that in this world right now, then pick up this book!

Quotes from the book:

Ivy shrugged. “Sometimes a person just needs to know that they’re not alone in this worl. That someone else understand things that hurt.”

That’s the thing I’m learning – that we don’t have to have it all figured out. That it’s okay to stumble. Even to lose sight of where we’re going at times. God isn’t looking for pretty, he’s looking for real.”

Wow. Just wow. Adoption is such a precious gift, both for the adoptive parents and also the child. This book portrays the adoption of an abandoned baby is such a beautiful way and shows clearly that family is so much more than just blood. I also loved the faith story that was woven through the book. Highly recommended.

With powerful authenticity and deep realism, author Amanda Cox takes readers on an emotional and highly compelling journey to discovering the true meaning of family and finding true love in her debut novel, The Edge of Belonging. This time-slip novel follows the present-day storyline of Ivy Rose Lashley as the death of her grandmother leads to answers about the mysterious circumstances of Ivy’s adoption many years earlier. The second storyline takes readers back to 1994 when Ivy was born and how decisions made by a homeless man named Harvey change Ivy’s young life forever.

This extraordinary novel demonstrates how our family is the people who love us, not necessarily those who are related to us by blood. I absolutely loved everything about this book! The last 25% of the book had me in tears and touched me so profoundly like no other book has done in a long time. Even though The Edge of Belonging deals with some heavy topics, the romance in the novel balances out the storyline perfectly. Reese, Ivy’s childhood friend, is one of my favorite characters in the novel, and I know readers will fall in love with him, just like I did.

The Edge of Belonging is highly recommended for fans of dual timeline novels, women’s fiction, and readers who enjoy contemporary romance. The Edge of Belonging is sure to be on my top ten list of books for 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

A moving story that gripped my heart. Such a tender reminder of God's love and care for us as individuals. Knowing that we have a loving father looking out for us & going ahead of us.