Thursday, May 21, 2015

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer


 

About the book: When Grace Sings (WaterBrook Press, March 2015)

When trouble roars into quiet Arborville, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target for discord and exposed secrets. Can they continue to seek the God of all grace amidst the fog of confusion?

Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas will ever fully accept her. Her family roots here aren't what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over. The bed-and-breakfast she's operating needs to succeed so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder not knowing his real motives for being amongst the Plain folk.

But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa's insecurities and sets Briley on the trail to uncovering a web of hidden truths.

Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang in the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined. They must trust in a loving, heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.

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Read my review of When Mercy Rains, the first book in the Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy

My Review: This is another excellent book by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I love her ability to take a serious topic, or in this case topics, and turn it into a story of grace, mercy and forgiveness. Heartbreak, betrayal, and secrets abound in this story, just as they did in the first. The author adds sparks of humor and moments of sweetness to keep the story from being too heavy and the plot flowing effortlessly.
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The characters were, again, excellently developed and written. I enjoyed meeting up with Alexa again. Her sweet, unassuming personality made me want to befriend her from book one. Briley was such a rogue from the beginning, but I was eager to see how his character would develope and I was not disappointed. I was uncertain how I felt about Anna-Grace in the beginning of the story. I wasn't sure how her past would meld or grow into the current situation, and I guess I'll have to wait and see! However, I did come to love her as much as I loved Alexa. Steven seemed very selfish to me. I struggled to like him because of his choices, but in the end, I hope it works out between Anna-Grace and Steven.

The message of the story is best stated by Alexa: "God's grace is a precious gift. I think grace is the purest form of mercy, offered even when it's undeserved or rejected." Each character in the story either has to offer grace or accept grace as given to them. As Christians, we are supposed to offer grace as grace was offered to us as sinners by Jesus. 

Overall, I loved this book and look forward to more from the Zimmerman Family.

**I received this book for free from the publisher through the Litfuse blogging program in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.**

About the Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of twenty-nine novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and nine grandchildren.

Find Kim online: website, Facebook, Twitter

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