I thoroughly enjoyed this book so much! Tammy L Gray has a gift for combining lighthearted moments with deep impactful truths. I felt like I got to know the characters on such a real level and could empathise with them so well. I also loved how she was able to showcase the impact animal therapy can have on people and how she used the different dogs as analogies for what the characters were going through. And her kiss scenes are just the best! Easiest five stars this month!

Anyone remember the movie Breakfast Club where a bunch of kids from different backgrounds met in detention? This story reminds me a little of that movie in the diversity aspect, and how they tried to get along for the time they had together. This novel opens with Darcy Malone’s dreams being interrupted. I was hooked from the start. “I’m supposed to be on an airplane, flying to Central America to teach children to speak English. Instead, I’m sitting on the couch, nursing my third pint of Rocky Road ice cream, watching a Telemundo soap opera in Spanish.”

What happens when your dreams are shattered? Darcy had to be out of her apartment by the end of the month. Where to live? She must decide. This was not the path she wanted to walk, but alas there she was. This tests her faith and courage. I appreciated how Darcy tried new things, even when she was disappointed that God allowed this to happen. She had been planning on being on the mission field for a year. Now what?

As Darcy seeks answers, she starts to see the world differently, especially the kids she grew up with that had been part of her youth group at church. She slows down and has time to listen to that still small voice in her heart, she’s been too busy to hear. As she hangs out with her friends, she wonders if she ever knew the kids in that group? Did they really know her? Did she know herself?

This is a fresh new voice in this genre that shows kids coming of age and seeing the world around them with fresh eyes, getting the courage, and faith to try walk a new path. This is the first novel I’ve read by the author, it won’t be the last. I’m glad I tried something new! You don’t want to miss this one!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

This story is written in first person, present tense, which I love. Our heroine is a little blind. She’s unaware of her best friend’s crush, though readers will see it right away.

I loved this heroine’s gift for training and relating with dogs. She’s very competent. Lots of symbolism ensues with her efforts on behalf of the animals she tends.

One of the themes is how God answers prayer. Sometimes the end of our world turns into a new beginning—a place we belonged all along. For example, she thought her destiny was extreme poverty, but she ends up living in a very nice condo. (see summary above) Again, symbolic of a very generous and compassionate God who may surprise us with abundance even while we’re aiming for the bare minimum.

Our heroine’s goals are religious, but misguided. She thinks she’s doing the right thing, but hasn’t really asked God if it is. Excellent layering. Readers will relate because people are often motivated by what they think they’re supposed to do, or they’re motivated to choose the least glamorous option because others will more likely approve. But sometimes we fail to account for our God-given gifts. Readers will recognize hers.

Something else motivates her: avoidance. But she won’t have a choice in whether or not to face what she’d rather avoid.

Another area where this author excels is her ability to express male POV. We have Bryson and Cameron in this story, and yet they feel like different people. We’re never in their POVs, but we see them, we get them, nonetheless. Very well done.

An additional theme was that of trying to manipulate God into giving us the answer we want through good behavior.

With all of these insightful layers, you’d think the romance would suffer. It does not. Very well done.

The band elements, the music scenes, were so well written. It’s difficult to take readers into a concert, but this author does it very well. Readers are immersed.

By far my favorite novel this year. So enjoyable. I didn’t want it to end, but I couldn’t wait to indulge in reading another chapter whenever I got the chance.

Highly recommended!

Gosh, I love this series. I really loved the characters introduced in this second book. The story line is good and the love story aspect is a bit unexpected which I liked.

3.5 Stars

Readers met Darcy in the first book of this series and Love and the Silver Lining picks up where her life falls apart.

While I liked Darcy (most of the time) in this book, I had a more difficult time with Bryson. Maybe that’s because we don’t get his point of view other than what he tells Darcy. For a while, I also felt like the author was following the same formula in the previous book with two potential love interests and the heroine having to make a choice between the two.

I did enjoy the dog training aspect and Darcy’s journey with her parents made the book worth the time.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This was a lovely story! The characters were great, and I enjoyed their distinct personalities! This was a book that was hard to put down, Loved it!

It feels like Darcy's life is in a tailspin. Her personal and professional life is falling apart. Her friendship with Cam is her one area that holds her together. Much of the book is looking at the relationships and what has them falling apart. As things start to improve Darcy starts to look at her life with a more open view. By the end of the book her life is turning around and she is in love. I found the book interesting.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. I found this to be a very fun book to read. The story was engaging and that had a great plot! I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L. Gray blends women’s fiction with romance in a story of disillusionment, deconstruction, and unexpected love. When Darcy Malone’s plans for mission work in Guatemala fall through, her life changes dramatically, forcing her to grapple with a new, uncomfortable reality.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Love and the Silver Lining is the depth of Darcy’s struggles. She shares her hurt and disappointment from a first person POV that gives the reader an intimate peek into her thoughts. Because Darcy faces many difficulties in quick succession, she often feels her feelings without working through them, leaving her frustrated and stagnant. Laced into this season of her life, a budding romance simultaneously brings sweetness to her life and necessitates difficult decisions. Darcy’s forward motion and personal growth came slowly in a manner that made her journey authentic and inspirational.

Love and the Silver Lining lands as the second installment in Tammy L. Gray’s A State of Grace series, but works well as a stand-alone. Although this novel didn’t catch my attention until several chapters in when Darcy started working with the dogs, I very much enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

What to to when it seems like your dreams and all you prayed and planned for come crashing down?
I had eagerly been waiting for this story. I remembered how hard Darcy worked for her dream in the first book and wanted to see how it's all pan out.
It was interesting meeting characters from the previous story and seeing what they way up to, wondering how Darcy's relationship with Bryson and Cam will pan out and seeing her make those tough decisions that were long overdue.
It's a wonderful story as usual from the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are solely mine

In this latest edition by Mrs. Gray, readers will embark on a journey exploring a great storyline in which readers get to know these characters at a depth many writers don’t get to. This book focuses on Darcy, who thinks that she has everything in her life figured out (at least right now). When her plans fall through, she is taken for a loop. As she struggles, the author shows readers how applicable her struggles are to our lives and how if we just trust God, He will take care of us in every way. This book was read at a time when I needed to read this story and these words. This is an encouraging, uplifting story of even when we don’t know how everything is going to work out, God does and wants the best for us. In this story, there are also secondary characters (one in which I can’t wait to read their story) that show us that you should never judge a person by what small information you do know about them. The themes of forgiveness, love, and letting go of all the things that aren’t important are prominent in this book. I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

Darcy dream of going on the mission field falls apart the night before she is supposed to leave. The Guatemalan school that she was to teach at has closed. Darcy is beyond devastated and thrown through a loop because she just gave up her apartment and her job.
How does one jump back into life after such news? Darcy is struggling to find a purpose, wondering why God would allow this to happen and what His will is for her now. A life lesson for everyone is that we should listen to God regardless of if it is not what we want to hear.
Darcy is offered an opportunity to train and care for a group of dogs with the goal to find each of them a home before animal control takes them. A story filled with learning to let go, love, forgiveness and mercy.

Worth it!
This author has a way of taking the ordinary and beautifully weaving in characters who face real life trials to not only create a page turning story, but one that has heart and real application for the reader’s life. Normally I wouldn’t be drawn to a dog training heroine, but she rocked the story and overcome not only her dashed dreams, that we can relate to, but she was someone I was cheering to get her happily-ever-after. As far as the hero, if you like the “bad-boys” who are radically misunderstood and really are true underdogs with a loving attitude, then this book’s for you. And I’m pumped that there’s another story coming in this series.

I liked this book a lot! I read it as a stand alone book having not read the first in the series and it was fine.

Darcy experiences what many young people do- wondering what God’s plan for your life is and what He is trying to show you/tell you. I love that her doubts are realistic and her feelings are easy for readers to find common ground. Overall, it’s a great story for all ages.

Love and the Silver Lining
Great writing! Great story! A book that was hard to put down until it was finished.

Love and the Silver Lining surprised me several times. At the beginning, I thought it was going to be a typical friends-to-more novel. And it was … kind of. But there was also the other man, and that added both interest and complications.

The story is written entirely in first person, which is an inspired decision. Yes, some readers don’t like first person (although I’m not one of them). The beauty of using first person in this instance meant it was impossible to guess which man Darcy was going to choose: best friend forever Cameron, or his bad boy bandmate Bryson. Yes, it’s the other man/other woman trope, which isn’t my favourite.

One of the reasons I’m not a fan is that I often end up favouring the “wrong” character—the one who doesn’t end up with the girl. As such, I was very happy with Love and the Silver Lining, because it made the right choice. Well, the choice I thought was right for Darcy.

While I liked Darcy as a character, there were times she annoyed me. I assumed she was a teacher, as she’d given up her job and her apartment to go to Central America for a year to teach English to children in an orphanage—a noble cause, no doubt. But do Central American orphanages really need teachers with little or no experience? Given her reaction to not being able to go, I did question how good a teacher she’d have been.

As it turned out, her skills were in an entirely different area. Darcy is a dog whisperer. Well, not really. But she is a dog walker with a college degree in animal something, and a true skill for seeing why a badly behaved dog is acting out, and working with the dog to correct their behaviour.

I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, but I was impressed by the way Darcy worked with the dogs. I was also impressed by the way that became a subtle underlying metaphor for healing–healing for Darcy, healing for the dog’s widowed owner, and healing for Bryson, brought the two together.

Love and the Silver Lining isn’t a suspense novel, but there were more than a few low-key nail-biting moments as Darcy worked with the dogs and worked through her own healing. In the end, the novel was everything I look forward to and expect in a Tammy L Gray novel, and even managed to convince me the “other man” trope isn’t always awful.

The faith elements in the novel are present but understated. The novel starts with Darcy experiencing a crisis of faith: if God really had wanted her to go on a year-long mission to Central America, why did it fall apart at the last minute? This is a variation on the age-old “where is God when it hurts?” question, and while it doesn’t answer the unanswerable, it does show us how God can use any situation to pull us closer to Him … if we allow it to.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance, especially dog lovers. Thanks to Bethany House and Netgalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I loved this book! I don't recall ever reading anything from this author but I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her books. Love And The Silver Lining is book two in the series and I had no idea of that fact as I was reading it. I need to go back and figure out what book one is. I didn't feel like there was anything missing as I read so I am going to say that it is fine to read this as a stand alone title.

Love and the Silver Lining alternates between laughter and tears, between happiness and heartache, but isn't this true in all of our lives? Darcy Malone feels that she's being bombarded with so many changes and so many disappointments. Is it any wonder that she questions why God would allow all of these setbacks to enter her life?

I loved this book and I loved Darcy! She's fun and she's genuine, and her decision to find shelter for a group of abused dogs sealed the deal...I want to be Darcy's friend! Bryson Katsaro isn't so bad either, and he's the perfect example of looking beyond a person's outward appearance. He is caring and sincere, and watching Darcy and Bryson discover each other romantically is a sweet experience, but seeing their personal growth as Christians is a joy indeed! Sounds promising, but what about Darcy's best friend, Cameron? How does he feel about Bryson?

Author Tammy L. Gray knows how to plumb all of the human emotions, and she has written a beautiful story of hope, faith, and learning to let go. She also shares a perfect reminder that not getting what we ask for may be the biggest blessing of all! I highly recommend Love and the Silver Lining to all who enjoy contemporary Christian romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

"You said that sometimes the answer to prayer is NO. And like it or not, we have to accept that answer."

Love and a Little White Lie was the book which placed this author on my radar. This book just won me over to follow this author and make sure I read any new books which will be published.

There was broken dreams, hope for new dreams, emotions, and a romance I totally Love and Adore.
To be honest, there was a big part of this story where I almost felt like I was in Dawson's Creek. One girl, the best friend and the guy I want her to end up with. Then there was the blowing point for me - until that point, I liked the story, but then after that, I was so committed to see how it ends that I gave up 2 hours of sleep to see how it will end.

Darcy reminded me so much of not only me, but probably a lot of Christian whose well laid plans were totally thrown out of control and her questions about what really matters in life so honest and raw.

Bryson - oh man - I loved him. I loved getting to see the real him along with Darcy and was broken for him a few times along this journey. I loved how he also saw the real Darcy and in a gentle way pushed her out of her comfort zone to become the best Darcy she can be.

"That edge between daring me to step out of my comfort zone and certainty that I won't."

I enjoyed the first person POV from Darcy. It was done in a way where I still felt connected to the other characters as well.

I adored Charlie and all the rescue dogs and I would love to have my own Louis.

I'm really excited that there will be a third book, which I hope would be about Cameron - because I need a redemption story for him, I loved him in book 1, didn't like him so much here, but I know, that there is more to him and I hope we see that soon in book three (and maybe with Zoe as well).

This story had characters with messy lives, messy back stories and messy families. But it was also about trusting God with your life and to know He knows best!

"Answered prayers come in many forms, most of which we don't recognize."

Love and the Silver Lining, the second book of the State of Grace series, got me again. It’s refreshing to read about real-life struggle that Christians endure and seeing Gods work at hand through the situation. This novel does just that. I felt such a connection to the characters. That made it easy to read. It wasn’t too dark or heavy. Sometimes a lighter read is needed and this is it! I did receive a free copy of the book to read.