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Thursday, January 7, 2016

Tyndale Review- Step by Step by Candace Calvert

Y'all. It's Thursday and my legs HURT. Last night, our youth group had the great privilege to enter and use our gym in the new ministry recently completed for our first Wednesday there! From 6:30-8:00, 50+ kids from 6th grade through college age started out the night with basketball and an "on land" version of sharks and minnows, ending with two intense games of dodgeball! What fun and what an amazing blessing to open this center to our community. Plus I got to brush up on how terrible I am at basketball. Of course that doesn't mean I'll stop reading!

In fact...


I got this one in the mail two days ago. LOVE the cover.


But when I went to review it on Amazon...


THAT showed up. I LOVE Candace Calvert. I LOVE this book. I HATE this cover compared to the one I received. Thoughts?


                        *Summary*


A man with a limp and a past.
A woman yearning for peace and a future.
Can they learn to leave their "survival" in God's hands?

Three years after a tragic accident left her a widow, ER nurse Taylor Cabot is determined to move on, checking off one item after another on her survival list. Her relationship with a handsome plastic surgeon even gives her hope for the last point―“fall in love again.” At least until crisis chaplain Seth Donovan steps back into her life, reawakening unanswered questions about her husband’s death.

While in San Diego to train community volunteers, Seth hopes to learn why Taylor is backing away from the crisis team and from their friendship. But nothing prepares him for the feelings that arise when he sees Taylor again . . . and sees her moving on with another man.

When a community crisis hits home and puts lives at risk, emotions run high and buried truths are unearthed. Will hope make the survival list?
            _______________________________________________

                             *My Thoughts*

I discovered Candace Calvert's Medical Christian dramas when I first joined the Tyndale Rewards program. It was titled 'Life Support' and when I was done, I was surprised because I am generally squeamish with medical novels and I didn't know what to expect.

I decided to add her to my list of authors to look for when reviewing books. When I realized the first book in her "Crisis Team" series involved a character I had read of in her earlier book, I was down. Obviously, I loved it because here I am reviewing book 2!

If you're worried that this novel is going to be a "go for the doctor!" novel, you're dead wrong. (No pun intended!) Candace's experience as an ER nurse really adds a reality to this novel that a writer without that experience wouldn't have. I felt like I was living their experiences on the boardwalk, in Taylor's all white living room, petting Lucy the red retriever puppy,listening to Sloane's snarky comments. It was all so real, I felt like my real life was the book and I was leaving reality whenever I stopped reading!

One thing about this book is that if you don't want to feel anything, don't read it. It's as simple as that. I felt every bit of the heartache going on in Taylor and Seth's lives. The redemption in the book had a Karen Kingsburyish feel that I found refreshing and the ending was truly stunning. Some people might consider the middle of the book a little slower then others but I thought it was the perfect pace for the story.

I found the story to be woven with faith but not "preachy" in the least. Candace got the point across with grace and hope that will inspire you, just as it should.

My one pet peeve: the cover. I opened my package from Tyndale with fervor, unwrapping a gorgeous cover that seemed soul deep and had my clinging to every page like a leech. It was so rich and pretty, just the cover had me swooning. When I went to review it however, there was another cover there as well. This cover was completely different with a guy that looked like "a biker dude" on the front when there was only one scene in the book featuring a motor cycle. By the time I got done ranting about how upset I was, my 13 year old non-reading sister was even upset about it. Maybe that's just me, but really, that first cover was soooo much better.

Overall, I would say that this has easily made it to my "best books of 2016 list". It's even better then book one and I can't wait for Sloane's story!
           ____________________________________________________

                *My overall thoughts*

When I finished this book, my exact reaction was yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! I did not feel disappointed in the least. 
         _______________________________________________________

                                   *My Rating*

  I give Step by Step by Candace Calvert...

                                       



                                  5 stars!! 

                     *Audience*

If you are a lover of Inspirational Christian fiction and slight suspense, you'll love Candace! Her books are a part of such a unique genre, I can't even come up with an author to compare her to. I will say that I felt like this novel had an Ashley Baxter, Karen Kingsbury novel feel to it, which I loved.


*I received this book from the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given. All thoughts were my own and I was not compensated in any other way.



Happy Reading,
Nicki

2 comments:

  1. I SO appreciate this wonderful (spot on, beautifully written!) review of my newest story. Thank you.
    AND (you may breathe now): the cover you like IS the new cover. The "biker dude" is gone. I'm thrilled with the new images (Tyndale is re-working the e-book cover of By Your Side as well) and the new "series look" for these books honoring our crisis chaplains. Thank you again for your kind words(and reference to Karen Kingsbury)--honored.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nicki, Love your review. I am on page 81 and I am loving the story so far.
    Keep the Faith,
    Donna
    More Than a Review

    PS - and I agree with you on the cover :)

    ReplyDelete

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