Happy New Year Everyone :)
I hope that 2022 is off to a great start for you all, and I pray that you're finding ways to grow closer to Jesus this year.
That's definitely my goal for 2022, and despite so many hardships lately, I'm determined to try my best to reach for Jesus instead of this world.
In the coming days, I'm excited to share with you all my 2021 reading wrap ups. However, for today's post I'm kicking off the New Year with a review for a title that was actually one of my most anticipated reads for 2022.
Back in June, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first title in Jody Hedlund's Waters of Time series.
I absolutely loved it! I adore time travel novels, and I can't begin to express how excited I was to see one of my favorite tropes collide with one of my all time favorite genres.
You can check out that review below:
I couldn't wait to read the second book, and find out more about these beloved characters, and today I'm excited to share with you all whether or not this one lived up to the hype I had for it going into it.
Keep reading for my full review.
Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund:
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Genre: Christian Fiction/Speculative Fiction/Time Travel
Series: Waters of Time
Synopsis:
In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he's never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he's desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.
When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug--including sending her back into the past to find it for them.
Bestselling and award-winning author Jody Hedlund plunges you into the swiftly flowing river of history in a race against the clock in this breathtaking, emotional second Waters of Time story.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
Come Back To Me was one of my favorite reads of the year, and I couldn't wait to dive back into this world and these characters in Never Leave Me. So many elements of this book were ones I once again found myself enjoying, and I did end up reading the majority of it in only one sitting. I loved the period details in the past especially, and the way that Ellen is able to reunite with her family, and finally realize the truth behind what her father and sister gave their present lives searching for.
I also appreciated the fact that this one is just as suspenseful as the first, if not more, and it seemed at every single corner the characters found themselves involved in a new nefarious situation that the reader had no idea how they could possibly find their way out of.
Unfortunately, I have to say that I did not end up enjoying this one nearly as much as I did the first book in the series, and it just seemed like a few elements being more well rounded could have made a good story a great one. I really felt like the characters weren't as developed as well as they could have been, and so many decisions they ended up making seemed weird and not something that made sense to me. The ending is really rushed, and left so many questions unanswered, and I wanted so much more from where the story had begun.
The faith element in this one felt really weird, and not at all authentic. It didn't seem to play that big a part of either Harrison or Ellen's life, and I was heavily disappointed by this, as I really enjoyed how effortlessly the faith element was blended into the first book.
Perhaps though, the biggest issue with this book for me personally was the heavy sensual emphasis that wraps itself around Ellen and Harrison's entire relationship. It was way more than was needed, and left me uncomfortable even wanting to read certain passages. It didn't really feel like a Christian fiction title in those instances, and I found that disheartening.
Overall, this one definitely had its ups and downs, and while I didn't think it was as good as the first book, there were still many moments I did enjoy.
Final Rating: 3/5.
I'm glad I took the chance on it, but I don't think it will be a reread for me personally.
Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to advance read and review this!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great rest of your day :)
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