Hollow Places

Title: Hollow Places

Author: Michelle Massaro

Publisher: Orange Grove Press

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

My review:

I was a bit turned off when I first started to read the story, but once I got a bit more into the story it made so much more sense, and fit the story. So, if you feel the same when you start it, let me encourage you to give it more time, it is a great story.

Hollow Places was a page-turner and I had a difficult time putting it down. I was drawn into the heart of the story by the engaging characters and a storyline that revolves around a social worker (Alli) and a foster kid (Thomas) and his placement in the group home that David is the youth pastor at.

I enjoyed David's character. He shows that even though he is a Christian he is not perfect. He has struggles like everyone else, and doesn't try to be something he is not. He is a great guy and he captures your affection quickly with his love of children. He does not come off holier than thou and is great at making connections with others.

Alli is not a Christian and struggles with who she is. I love her character’s growth as the story develops. I also loved Thomas, he is the typical foster kid. There were not any characters that I did not like. One of the things I loved about them is that they were all relatable, which you don't always find in books.

A few things that were my favorites from the story were Alli’s character growth, the time it took for David and Alli’s relationship to grow, and the ending. I appreciated the themes of identity, belonging, trust, and healing from the past that were thread throughout the story.

The only thing that bothered me was you meet David’s dad, but then nothing is resolved and you never see anything happen with him again. It makes you wonder what the point was.

We all have hollow places, and Alli and David are no exception. Will they allow God to do the work He needs to do and fill their hollow places? Or will they, especially Alli, continue to ignore the nudges He is giving them?

This is the first book that I have read by Michelle Massaro, but it will not be my last. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves contemporary romance books. Fans of Denise Hunter, Irene Hannon, Susan May Warren, and Becky Wade will enjoy this story.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

★★★★/5

Synopsis: 

The mask she wears is the only identity she knows. But somehow he sees right through her.

Social worker Alli Johnson has built her identity around helping foster kids navigate the system she grew up in. But when one of her clients is placed at a religious group home, she’s forced to face the trauma that robbed her of her sense of self. And a too-hot pastor who sees past her defenses.

Delivered from years of pent-up rage, youth pastor David Porter wants to help others find the sense of peace God’s given him—especially the hurting seven-year-old and his spirited social worker. But he’s out of his depth with one, and dangerously attracted to the other.

As Alli and David’s mutual concern for the boy’s well-being draws them together, their differences—in background, perspective, and faith—tear them apart. They’ve both been shaped by terrible pasts. When pain devours a soul, it takes a limitless love to heal the hollow places left behind.