From the moment we meet the matriarch of the Reynold's family, it is hard not to be completely drawn in by Ruby. Though she's far from an honest character, with plenty of secrets she's keeping and lies told even to those she loves, you can see that she's a woman who loves with everything she has... even if her methods are a bit flawed. In fact, all of the women (and the men too) are flawed and frustrating at times, but it helps to make them all the more relatable.

At the beginning I really thought this was going to be a bit lighter of a read... what with Ruby's quirky character and all. While there were certainly plenty of laughable moments too, it really did take on some more emotional themes as the story went on. I found myself unable to walk away. It was such a good story about family relationships, and the toll that secrets can take. As a fan of romance, I appreciated that there was a hint of that, but it definitely leaned more towards women's fiction (with a whole lot of faith).

Overall, I thought this was a great read. Fans of small towns and southern fiction are sure to want to check it out.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Lovely novel which proves the power of faith when you cannot see your way out of the storm. Easy to recommend to loved ones.

As this family deals with their various traumas, secrets and even a hurricane approaching they learn to put their trust in God. Ruby, the head of the family, did whatever she could to have a family and now that her daughters are grown, exactly what she did will come to light. Faith, the older sister, is dealing with the survivors guilt and sadness’ that comes with losing her younger sister when they were kids and it is resulting in her not having a good relationship with her daughter now.
When Ruby calls and asks for help in taking care of things with the family home and her health, they all find strength in the Lord while waiting out a hurricane. As they prepare the house, God helps prepare their hearts and mends their relationships.
There us lots of family drama in this one with a reminder to hang on to Jesus no matter what storm you may be facing.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

What We Found in Hallelujah
By: Vanessa Miller
Thomas Nelson-FICTION, Thomas Nelson
Release Date: 11/29/22
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural Interest, Women's Fiction

Many of us lean on our faith and family as valued sources for inspiration and encouragement. Author Vanessa Miller writes beautifully about those topics.
In her new novel, the small beach coastal town of Hallelujah, South Carolina serves as the glorious setting for three women's story of resilience, survival, and redemption amid the storms and seasons of their lives.

Miller quickly immerses readers fully into the atmosphere of place and personalities of three Reynolds women, Faith, Hope, and Ruby. Her words deeply capture mother-daughter relationships and family secrets. The situations these women face are complex and shake the family dynamics and structure.

With each page read, I felt as if I knew the characters even more. I am impressed with how Miller gives each their own vivid voice, and she doesn't hold back on the intensity of the elements of pain, uncertainty, and love that each feels. This is the second book that I've read and savored by Vanessa Miller. She brings an abundance of richness and understanding of all that family means to her novels.

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson-FICTION, Thomas Nelson. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

At the center of this novel are sisters, and also hurricane season, which works as a metaphor for the wild emotions evoked. Sister relationships, mother-daughter relationships, relationships with men, and all set against an awareness of women of color, the setting a small town on the coast of South Carolina.

One of the things I realize appreciated were the subtleties highlighting the different outlooks of Ruby, the matriarch of the family, and her view of the world as a Black woman half a century ago, and the outlooks of Faith and Hope, two of her daughters, both successful businesswomen who are on their way to creative as well as financial success. And how hard the work is to get there--sometimes at the cost of one's family time.

There are family secrets, the ups and downs of relationships, and a host of interesting characters, but for me, the centerpiece was Faith and her teenage daughter Crystal, so alike and so very different--Crystal's expectations again very different from her mother's 20-25 years ago.

Another thing I thought the author did beautifully was evoking Christian faith, often a dicey subject. Those whose faith is right out there aren't given a free pass because they are believers, which I really appreciated. It was faith that sustained them when things got rough.

The book is inspirational, fast-paced, full of interesting characters, atmospheric, and imbued with goodness of heart. That's a read I can especially appreciate these days

I read 𝒮ℴ𝓂ℯ𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒢ℴℴ𝒹 by Vanessa Miller earlier this year & LOVED it so I was excited to get into this story. Miller has a way with words where she brings her fictional characters to life with the difficulties they’re going through. While all the characters are lovable, I felt so much compassion for Faith and Crystal (mother daughter). Faith struggled to trust and understand her husband and daughter while Crystal was desperate for attention from her mom. The mother-daughter relationship reminded me sooooo much of that of what I had with my mom growing up as a teen where she just didn’t understand me while we were both so similar. *hugs to Crystal— I see you boo!**

What We Found in Hallelujah is a story of love and loss, one that exposes some deep family secrets, marital & parenting struggles & family dynamics! It’s a story of restoration, healing and forgiveness, one I won’t forget anytime soon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

Hope has avoided her hometown of Hallelujah, SC for years. It holds only memories of betrayals and loss. But when she walks in on her boss and lover kissing her best friend the same day she receives a panicked call from her mother, Ruby, she decides to go home.

Her sister, Faith, is facing domestic crises of her own; she discovers her husband has withdrawn money from her business account the same day a woman sends a photo of herself with him. She decides she needs to take her daughter, Crystal, to see what's going on with Ruby.

November in Hallelujah has strong associations with loss, due to their father's death and the disappearance of their sister, Trinity. Now they're reunited in Hallelujah in November, with another rare late-season hurricane barreling toward them. As both sisters work to deal with their current challenges, they realize they need to address the past as well. And they need to rely on their faith to do so.

This novel is a page-turner. It's a little dramatic at times, and Ruby is an unreliable protagonist. But readers of fiction with Christian themes will enjoy it. #WhatWeFoundinHallelujah #NetGalley

Secrets and storms seem to be the two constants in the Reynolds women's lives. Ruby. the matriarch, has a crisis on her hands and needs her two oldest daughters to come back home. Hope and Faith are both determined to stay away from Hallelujah, South Carolina for their own reasons, but return home to help their mother. A good story filled with small-town drama, late November hurricanes, health issues, secrets, and overcoming it all through the help of the Lord. Recommend for lovers of Southern or inspirational fiction.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The setting for this incredible story is small town SC, right on the coast. Ms. Miller's writing is so vivid that you can see the beach and feel the approaching hurricane. As a resident of South Florida, I'm all too familiar with the anxiety of an approaching hurricane - What We Found In Hallelujah captures it accurately. And the characters are written in a similar vein. Ruby, the matriarch, calls her daughters home. The reasons why are not what they seem. And each of her daughters has their own drama. But they center on family in the midst of a hurricane, along with a heavy dose of prayer.

Ms. Miller, thank you for the privilege of reading What We Found In Hallelujah. I actually read it while we were dealing with the outer bands of Nicole! Really enjoyed getting to know Ruby, Faith, Hope, Chris, Crystal, Nic, Colton, and the others. I'd love to "meet them" again in a sequel!!

I was offered the chance to read and review What We Found in Hallelujah by Vanessa Miller through First Editions. This book is published by Thomas Nelson. I took them up on the offer and I am so glad that I did! This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. I am not sure why she hasn’t come up on my radar before because she has 56 books out! I’m sure there are some of them that will move my soul as much as this one did.

The storyline in this book was realistic, interesting, and compelling. I had a hard time putting it down to do my daily chores. I hurried whatever I was doing so I could get back to this book. This is a book written about the faith of a family that has endured terrible loss and how that family has fallen apart from each other and God, then found their way back. It is not over the top religious. It does speak of faith and how we move on after tragedy and putting our faith in God to handle all of our problems. I found this book so uplifting and it not only filled my soul and heart, it brought me to tears in many places remembering my own journey through life and my relationship to my Lord and Savior. 

The characters were just like you and I. They were beautiful and flawed at the same time. They were so well thought out and developed. I felt like I knew these people. They were a family I fell in love with even with those flaws. The beauty of this book shone through every page. The love a mother has for her daughter, the love spouses have for each other, that love you have for your church and your pastor and that love you hold in your heart for the rest of your life for your first love. The characters in this book learned what was important in life. The importance of letting past hurts go and the importance of family and your faith in God.

I’m not trying to be all preachy here. I just was touched in so many ways while reading this book. I don’t think you have to be Christian or religious to read What We Found in Hallelujah. This book without the religious aspects is still just as important because it brings to light how we should love and treat others in our life. For anyone who loves a heartfelt book, family drama and a little mystery thrown in will enjoy this book. I would highly recommend it. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a copy of this book from #FirstEditions, #ThomasNelson and #Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Strength. Endurance. Faith.

Can the Reynolds survive another “storm”?

This heartwarming story of two sisters heading back home because a “storm” is brewing. Hope and Faith go home to help their mother, Ruby out, supposedly. The sisters really do not want to go back home because of the family secrets and family drama.

This story is about mother-daughter relationships, forgiveness, redemption, and family secrets. Can their faith be restored after all the years of hurt, drama, and abandonment? The characters were likable, realistic, and relatable. I could comprehend the mother and her daughters. I felt like I lived right next door and I grew up with Trinity, Hope, and Faith. The setting was in South Carolina where I exactly live right now but in a fictional city. It was so realistic that I could picture some of the scenes in the story. I really like how the author incorporated a lot of southern charm.

This book was personal to me and it made me think about my life and my relationship with my own children. When will my pain stop and my praise return? Also, this book brought me back to my childhood with the Jiffy cornbread and Glory greens. Lol

I recommend this book to avid readers and book clubs. I give this book 4 stars.

Did the Reynolds girls found what they needed in Hallelujah?

All families are complicated and everyone holds secrets. Vanessa Miller has crafted a story of a family struggling with their relationships as a result of tragedy, secrets and miscommunication. What a wonderful story of struggles to forgive and finally, redemption. Thanks #NetGalley #ThomasNelson

There was a lot of brokenness in this family, most of which stemmed from secrets and an unwillingness to tell the truth. The three main characters spent so much time avoiding the hard discussions that they made their lives infinitely more difficult.

As the Reynolds women work together to prepare for the storm, they begin to repair the things that had been broken, weaving a stronger foundation for them to build on.

The stories of the present is interwoven with what happened the year Trinity disappeared and Ms. Miller did a great job of showing how some echoes of the past were being replayed in the present. As the Reynolds women learned to deal with the issues in the present, they got clarity on what had happened in the past.

What We Found in Hallelujah was a fun read filled with lots of family drama. There were so many layers that I was surprised at some of the revelations when they came to light. Most of them made sense as I could see how the author had laid the foundation for them. However, the explanation of what happened to Trinity felt a bit implausible (I can't explain further without spoilers, sorry!).

Readers of What We Found in Hallelujah will be reminded that we all face storms in this life but when we hold on to Jesus, we can make it through our storms.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

In the latest novel from prolific writer Vanessa Miller, three women must find the strength to endure the storm and the faith to believe in a miracle.

This is a fascinating, intriguing, story of family that has kept many important truths hidden, secrets that changed the course of lives and relationships, and has to a certain extent, put their own relationships with God on the back burner.

It is a beautifully written story demonstrating the power of faith, prayer and forgiveness. However, I was frustrated by the mother’s secretive nature, which caused even more problems instead of solving them. The two sisters were over-the-top competitive, and both had strong personalities which also created dilemmas for the family.

You just never know what life will throw at you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson. All opinions and comments are my own.

I read Something Good by Vanessa Miller earlier this year and knew I would continue to read her work. Her books remind me of the books I would “borrow” from my mother, the books that felt like I was in “grown folks business”. But now that Im one of the grown folk, it hits different parts of me.

It’s something about Ruby’s generation that loves secrets. Years and years worth of keeping them inside until they spill over.

My heart broke for Hope, Faith, Trinity & Crystal. Those secrets that they didnt know were secrets stood in the way of their growth and healing.

I really enjoyed this story centered on family drama.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

Loved the cover and the title was intriguing, so I wanted to read this book about an African American family based in the fictional small town of Hallelujah, South Carolina. As with many stories about families, there were secrets that were slowly revealed throughout the novel. The three sisters – Hope, Faith and Trinity – haven’t been home for about 20 years, but two of them return at the desperate request of their widowed mother. Both Hope and Faith have difficulties going on in their personal lives, and Trinity has been missing since she was 14, nearly 20 years ago.

There are marital issues, health issues, friction between the sisters and their mother, all against the backdrop of an impending hurricane that is predicted to cause major damage. Faith’s teenage daughter and husband arrive in Hallelujah, Hope reconnects with an old boyfriend who has recently returned to the area, and questions about parentage as well as the mystery of missing Trinity plague the family in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Despite the skillful writing, I was frustrated by the mother’s secretive nature, which caused even more problems instead of solving them. The two sisters were over-the-top competitive, and both had strong personalities which also created dilemmas for the family.

This is a 3.5 star story of truth and trust, communication and forgiveness. Authentic personal relationships with God were treasured by several family members, and helped to create a realistic contemporary novel.

Vanessa Miller’s What We Found in Hallelujah is a thoroughly enjoyable work of realistic fiction. Estranged African-American sisters Faith and Hope Reynolds have not returned to their childhood home of Hallelujah, South Carolina, in years, due to bad memories: the tragic disappearance of their younger sister, Trinity, and the subsequent familial fallout resulting from that incident, and for Hope, the cruel racism inflicted by a past boyfriend’s mother, as a result of her dark complexion, as well as her uncovering of a family secret that makes her question her identity. However, when the sisters receive a dire call from their mother about the loss of their childhood home, Faith and her teen daughter, Crystal, and Hope hurry home to help. There, they face the challenge of an actual hurricane, as well as a metaphoric storm of deeply buried secrets, the rekindling of lost love and bitter resentments, and of course, the necessity of needing to bring closure to Trinity’s disappearance. Miller keeps a steady pace throughout the story, developing her characters well via humor, dialogue, inner monologue, and many poignant moments: a worthwhile read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The main thing this family found in Hallelujah was to trust in God. The family has dealt with trauma, family secrets, lies and hurricanes on the beach in Hallelujah North Carolina. Ruby, the mom would do anything to have a baby of her own when she was first married. She got what she wanted but it came with a price when her daughter Hope was an adult. Poor Faith, the other sister still harbors guilt about the tragic loss of her sister Trinity, who she was in charge of the day she disappeared. Faith struggles with her own family and can't seem to bond with her teenage daughter who looks and reminds her of her Trinity. The families all come together to help Ruby when she calls for help and they find strength in the Lord when waiting out a hurricane.
This book was just ok for me but it was well written with family turmoil and drama
Thanks to #netgalley, #thomasnelson & @authorvanessamiller for an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed the storyline even though it was predictable. The author did a good job weaving the characters together in the story.
I loved getting to know the family members.

My first, but definitely not my last Vanessa Miller book! What We Found in Hallelujah is a beautifully written story about the love of family and the love of Jesus. And how, we can’t do this life without clinging to both of them! When Faith and Hope are called home to small town Hallelujah, South Carolina, both just want to avoid being there. Faith’s marriage is crumbling and her teenage daughter hates her. Hope’s boyfriend just cheated on her and her job is on shaky ground. Neither one wants to go home and deal with their mama or her drama and lies. But they do. And along the way, they discover family again. Such a profound story. But also very fun and well-written. Can’t wait to read more!