Here's what you need to know - this is a powerful story that must be read. It will touch your heart in ways you don't expect.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A heartbreaking story that is also filled with hope for redeeming time lost. Beautifully written! I highly recommend this one.

I did not finish reading The Way It Should Be... I don't know why, however while this may not be a book for me, it might be for you.

No content warnings as I didn't finish the book.

This book was okay, but given the description I wasn't expecting such a strong Christian message - I was expecting more of a women's fiction book. 3 stars.

So good!

Description
After years of estrangement, the lives of Zara Mahoney and her twin sister, Eve, are suddenly and completely intertwined again. Eve's troubled lifestyle causes the state to take custody of her two children and contact Zara and her husband, asking them to consider foster care. Newlywed Zara thought she'd finally been given a fresh start and feels wholly unprepared to care for a niece and nephew whose existence she wasn't even aware of.

Meanwhile, Eve may have a real chance to start over this time with the help of Tiff Bradley, who's dedicated to helping women everyone else has given up on after facing a heartbreaking tragedy in her own family.

Over the course of one summer, all three women's hearts and lives hang in the balance as Eve desperately works toward a new life. Can they redefine their expectations of how life should be to find the hope they--and those they love--so desperately need?

Wow! This was a good one that I have been holding on to. It was also my Hidden Gem read for March.

This one hit home a little bit for me. I have been estranged from my sister for almost 12 years, so I totally understand the guilt, pain, and hesitation on Zara's side. I have also worked with a branch of DHS and have seen the trauma, happiness, and pain of children in the system.

This is the story of identical twins, Zara and Eve. The girls did not grow up in the best of conditions, their mother is in jail herself. But after the death of their brother from Hunters Disease, Zara left and never looked back. Eve was left at home and drugs became her coping mechanism. After learning Zara is a carrier for Hunters Disease she made the decision not to have children. But after events happen Eve's two children are sent to live with Zara and her new husband. Telling herself she couldn't love and raise someone else's child, Zara realized it didn't matter where they came from, all they needed was love. It also brought her sister back into her life.

The ending was good, Eve had a lot more strength than she thought and Zara had a lot more love than she thought. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

I loved this book! This was my first book by this author, and I loved her writing style.
The characters were well-developed and interesting.
I liked how there wasn't a quick fix to tough topics. The topics were handled honestly but carefully.
The only thing I didn't like was the plot twist at the end. It would have been fine if there was a second book. But, I guess it's good the author created characters/plot that had me wanting to know more.
Fans who are looking for "real life" fiction, such as Karen Kingsbury, will enjoy this book.
I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

This is my first book by Suzanne Nelson that I have read.

This was in fact a very good story and a lovely book to read. I couldn’t warm up to the main character to begin with, but started to like her slowly as the story went on. I absolutely loved her husband’s character - I mean, who wouldn’t? He was so supportive, loving and thoughtful.

The author has done an absolutely great job of how addiction affects people in different ways and how understanding (and even learning from) those who are having trouble with addiction could help us to help them… rather than neglect them. I love how the troubled sister’s life is given a second chance and I love how the book teaches the readers that everyone (whether good or bad) deserve a second chance.

I would have loved to know more about the girls’ relationship with their mother or more of their background as the book was completely silent on this and left me with many questions.

It’s certainly a book that I would recommend and thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for giving me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

As I read the final page in this tear-jerker of a story, my heart was in my throat. And yes, my eyes were suspiciously damp.
Christina Suzann Nelson has written a story that shows the realities of addictions.
It shows us the gritty, raw effects of dealing with those addictions.
The heartbreak that some kids have to go through, when, thru absolutely no fault of their own, they are caught in the middle of this really hard stuff.
Eve and Zara are twin sisters that haven't seen each other in a very long time.
Eve is badly beaten, and her kids are quite traumatized.
Zara and her husband are asked to take in Eve's two little kids and give them a safe home.

This story really gripped my heart. It opened my eyes to things I hadn't thought of before. It makes me want to do something to reach out and help those less fortunate.
This is a book that you will NOT want to miss.
Be prepared to leave part of your heart in its pages.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thank you to NetGalley, Christina Suzann Nelson and Bethany House Publishers for an early read of this book, for an honest review.

I had never heard of this author before, but she's one I won't forget. What a great storyline and the true emotions of sisters and how they do/don't get along at times.

This was an excellent read and I would recommend it highly for anyone who is looking for a great read.

This is an emotional, beautifully written book. I loved the message of faith throughout the pages.
Many thanks to Bethany House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a spiritually genuine book of womanhood!!!!!!!! I enjoyed the sisters characters and the sisterhood between these women characters. I recommend this book.

Addiction does not just affect the addict, it also affects the family. This book is a punch in the gut but in a good way. It is dirty and raw but it is also about family, live and redemption.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Zara left behind a painful childhood and found happiness with a good man. She is unexpectedly contacted to care for the children of her twin sister--children of which she was unaware.

Forgiveness, acceptance, and rebuilding after trauma are the lessons on this sweet novel.

Christina Suzann Nelson has such a way of pulling at a reader's heartstrings and getting them emotionally invested in the story she tells. The Way It Should Be was absolutely no exception. This book takes on a lot of tough topics and doesn't seem to sugar coat things (such as the challenges of fostering a child), but it was done so beautifully that readers cannot help but feel for the characters--- each and every one. This is only the second book that I have read by the author but with her fantastic storytelling skills, I know it will certainly not be the last. If you love a heartfelt story, grab the tissues and check this one out.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Covering many issues, this book is full of heartbreak and loss and finding ways to piece yourself together again. It was hard to read at times because I could really feel what the characters were going through. They felt like real people in front of me.
Whilst it was challenging at times because of this, I found it hard to put down and I know I’ll be thinking about it for weeks.

The Way It Should Be is a heartfelt, beautiful story of twin sisters, long drifted apart, and an unexpected reunion following a dramatic event. Lots of love, regret, addictions, good deeds, charity, child fostering and forgiveness elements in this book, woven into a lovely story. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Wow! Wow! Wow! This is a page-turning, do not put down until finished family drama kind of book! Christina Suzann Nelson had me enthralled from the beginning of the book right up until the end. This is the kind of story that when it does end you want more!

Wow. This is an AMAZING book. It is not neat and tidy but real.

The ending was conflicting for me. It didn’t really end the way I wanted it to, yet it did end the way I wanted it to. If you read it you will understand what I mean.

The relationship between the two sisters reminded me a lot of my relationship with my sister, not so much now but in the past so I could relate to the feelings Zara had.

I can’t imagine dealing with an addition like this, the need to have it and feeling like you will die without the drug. But the author does a wonderful job of making the reader feel the conflict.

She also did a great job bringing Jesus into the book without being preachy. So many “Christian” books leave him out or the characters don’t even go to church but these characters did, or had the real life situation of struggling to get to church and dealing with kids when you get there.

If you haven’t read a book by Christina I highly recommend this one.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free book.
After reading Nelson's book last year and this one now, I am learning that she likes to tackle tough topics, and I am here for it. One of the main character's in this book is suffering from a heroin addiction. This is a tough topic to write about and get right. Nelson wrote Eve and showed how addiction affects thought processes. She wrote Tiff to show the grace and dignity that all people suffering from addiction deserve. This book is tough. Zara and Eve are twins. Zara gets a letter asking her to foster Eve's kids - and she knew nothing about them. Tiff wants to help those on the streets because of personal events in her life - which is how she gets connected with Eve. I liked how the issues weren't glazed over. The author dug deep into all of the character's thoughts and feelings. She showed how marriages change, children are affected by trauma, and the work that is involved with the foster system. I appreciated how she ended the story. Not everything was wrapped up neatly, though I wasn't a fan of Tiff's ending because it did seem easy and there wasn't enough time for a follow through. This book really shows the ministry of Jesus, and I hope others can read and understand more about the disease that addiction is.