Love and a Little White Lie Review

Happy Monday Bookish Friends :)

Did y'all have a good weekend?

Mine ended up actually being pretty good, despite getting off to a rockier start. I was able to spend more time with my Bible, and I managed to finish a few really great books as well.

I've actually been pleasantly surprised by just how many amazing books I've read so far this month, and I always love those kind of reading months.

For today's post, I thought it would be fun to share my review with you all of one of these amazing reads I finished in the last few days.

This particular title was especially fun to review, as it was another book by this author that was actually one of my very first NetGalley reads back in 2016, and you can check out that review here.

Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: August 4th, 2020

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

After hitting rock bottom, January decides she has nothing to lose in working at her aunt's church--while hiding a lack of faith. A minor deception until she meets the church's guitarist and sparks fly. Can she avoid disaster--especially when a handsome landscape architect has an annoying ability to push her to deal with feelings she'd rather keep buried?

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I knew from reading Tammy L Gray's My Hope Next Door that this book was probably going to be something I would end up enjoying. However, this book completely blew all my expectations away, and I could have honestly sat and read it again the second that I finished it.

I've long appreciated Christian authors that write about characters who aren't perfect, and Tammy is truly a master at this. I love reading about characters first coming to know Jesus, and I thought that January's journey was heart wrenching, beautiful and authentic. A Christian's walk of life is never without struggles, and January quickly learns this through the many amazing people she comes into contact with. Cameron is a struggling musician; who feels called to do much more than he's currently doing. He's frustrated in his season of waiting, and I'm sure lots of us are able to relate. Dillon has been struck by not just one, but two horrific tragedies, and he's questioning where the God he's grown up serving could be amidst it all. Lastly, January's aunt has always been her sounding board, but she's also hiding a world of familial hurt, and needs to learn how to truly let go and let God. 

Perhaps my favorite part of this beautiful contemporary was the way that God uses many different people and circumstances to draw January closer and closer to Himself. It was a lovely illustration of the fact that His plan is always perfect, and He can accomplish it by means we never could have thought possible. 

While I wasn't quite sure I was going to end up loving the romance, as anyone who's read my reviews in the past knows I'm not a fan of love triangles, but it ended up taking me by surprise. January's journey puts her into contact with two amazing guys, and I actually really enjoyed the way everything plays out. I loved the fact that the romance more plays a secondary role to the plot development of January learning to fall in love with faith and our Heavenly Father, and the author did a beautiful job of weaving in the romance around this.

I was prepared to enjoy this one, but I wasn't prepared for it to end up being one of the best books I've read this year. I ended up making myself take my time with it, as the story was amazing and I wanted to truly savor each and every page. It felt completely realistic, and like something that could actually happen, and I can't possibly recommend it enough. I appreciated the fact that it has its fair share of humor and lighter moments, but that the story also goes a lot deeper and more intense then I initially expected when I picked it up.I already know I'm going to have to reread it in the very near future as I'm not ready to say goodbye to all these characters who truly came to feel like old friends.It's truly one of the most realistic portrayals of the Christian walk of life that I've ever seen in a Christian fiction novel.

Before I end up writing a book about just how much I enjoyed it, I'm simply going to wrap up here and say go ahead and pick this one up, you will definitely not be disappointed.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Bethany House and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Bethany House) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)