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Forward to What Lies Ahead by Chloe S. Flanagan Review

Happy Friday Guys!

I hope everyone had a great week, and is looking forward to the weekend.

I'm hoping to find lots of reading time this particular weekend, and I'm feeling even more inspired to read than normal as I've started 2018 off with such amazing reads so far.


Earlier this week, I shared my review for Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren, and today I'm excited to share with you all another really good inspirational fiction book I had the pleasure of reading this year.


Forward to What Lies Ahead by Chloe S. Flanagan:



Source: Complimentary copy from the author

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: November 15th, 2017

Genre: Inspirational Fiction

Synopsis:

Sometimes being strong isn’t enough. 

Ever since she was a teenager, Regina Whitman has relied on her tough, independent spirit to survive and to protect the ones she loves. Even when heartache and disappointment strike, she finds the strength to press forward, rebuild her life, and do meaningful work. 

But just when her outlook seems brightest, a tragic and shameful secret from the past catches up with her, jeopardizing her future and threatening the lives of the people around her. 

In the face of overwhelming danger and darkness, can Regina learn to trust God and embrace the love she doesn’t think she deserves? Or will the painful guilt of her past destroy her?


********synopsis from goodreads*******

My Review:

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

If there's one thing I'm always looking for in Christian fiction, it's authenticity. I'm not a fan of reading Christian novels that speak of perfect people doing perfect things, and I'm so happy to say that this was definitely not the case with Chloe S. Flanagan's debut novel, Forward To What Lies Ahead.

I went into this novel a little unsure of what exactly to expect, but I was completely blown away by the heart wrenching, beautifully written story contained within its pages. Just when I'd think that I had the plot figured out, another twist would come along that would keep me guessing, and then even if I had it figured out, it would still end in a way that I did not see coming in the slightest. 

One of my favorite parts was the character of Regina herself. She's been dealt some pretty horrific circumstances, and its made her the type of person that closes people out, and never truly lets anyone see the real her. However, when her life starts to spiral out of control, a tenderhearted elderly neighbor helps her to see that she'll never be able to let go of the past and move on, until she's asked for God's help to do so. The journey her character goes on from start to finish was beautiful, heart breaking, and endearing, and I loved every moment of it. I also loved how she never played the victim, and was willing to admit that her choices had consequences, whether anyone else thought so or not.

The romance was truly wonderfully done, and a key point to the overall story. As not only did the romance keep the reader intrigued, but it showed the growth and strength that Regina's faith had gone through to get herself to the point of being able to trust her heart so completely once again.

This emotionally turbulent, faith based novel was a roller coaster ride from start to finish, and I found myself really loving it. I gave it four out of five stars, and it actually would have been a five star read for me if I hadn't had a few issues with the pacing of the novel. A pretty big plot point occurs in the first few chapters, and it seemed to me that it was jumped over pretty quickly, and this did happen a couple of other times throughout the story with smaller plot points as well. Overall though, I loved this beautiful story, and it's emphasis on God's healing hand, and his unwavering strength and stability. I highly recommend this one to anyone who's a fan of inspirational fiction, and I will definitely be looking forward to the amazing things to come from this author, if her debut novel is any indication.

Thanks so much to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.


Thanks so much for reading guys, and I'll see you all again on Monday! Have a great weekend!



Comments

  1. Kirby,

    Thank you so much for the kind and thorough review. I love how you really "got" Regina as a character. Your review here and on Goodreads is very much appreciated.

    Hope you had a great birthday.

    Blessings,
    Chloe S. Flanagan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Chloe! The amazing things I took with me from your book will stay with me forever, as it definitely had a deep impact on me. Thank you so much for the opportunity to have read this. I can't wait to read more of your books in the future :)

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