A Home for Hope

Title: A Home for Hope

Author: Kimberly Sprayberry

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Christian Fiction

Source: Author provided

My Review:

Darcy is living her dream life and celebrating her one-year anniversary with her husband, Dillon. As they are enjoying their dinner, Dillon takes a call and ultimately decides to help a woman who is in a domestic abuse situation. Darcy is upset that Dillon is choosing work over her. Little did they know this one decision would radically alter their lives.

Steve has returned from the Navy. He is unsure what he wants to do with his future, struggling with guilt over the way he left his granny and was struggling with reaching out to his family. 

Steve's sister Cindy is newly married and in an abusive situation. Her husband is a violent drunk and she does her best not to upset him. She struggles with not being good enough and wishing she was better so Michael wouldn't get upset.

This novel weaves a very realistic portrayal of domestic abuse, grief, loss, foster care, and redemption. There is a bit of a mystery and a strong thread that brings the characters together. There is a strong faith element and the story line is solid.

I struggled to connect with the characters in this book. I found Darcy to be whiny and her screaming at every situation got on my nerves. She came across as very dramatic. I found the dialogue to be choppy, the repetition of phrases distracting, and the few timeline errors disappointing. At one point a character was 15 weeks pregnant, then later she was only 12 weeks pregnant. So, later as her pregnancy developed, it was really hard to know how far along she really was.

Overall, this was a solid story and worth a read. I appreciated the theme and message of the book and how the story ended. There were some sweet moments in the book and I loved little Hope. I have always had a heart for children in foster care.

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

Synopsis:

When tragedy strikes too close to home, can three broken people help each other heal?

Darcy Collins is living her dream of being a wife and, hopefully soon, a mother. But when her husband leaves on the night of their first-year anniversary to help a victim of domestic abuse, her dream begins to shatter. She wakes the next morning to police knocking on her door, and the search for her missing husband begins.

Steve Parnell, recently returned from his service in the Navy, is surprised to hear his sister, Cindy, is married. He's even more shocked to see her name on the news as a suspect, along with her husband, in the kidnapping of Dr. Collins. He quickly returns to Charleston to find out all he can about the investigation. It's there he meets Darcy.

On impulse, Darcy offers that Steve can stay with her until the investigation is over, and an awkward friendship is formed. The one bright spot in the midst of their worry is Hope, a young girl recently orphaned, whom Darcy agrees to foster. As the investigation drags on, Steve, Darcy, and Hope grow closer together, bonded by their shared grief.

Meanwhile, questions and fears abound. Is Darcy's husband still alive? Could Cindy really be involved in the kidnapping, or is she, too, a victim? Will Darcy be able to keep Hope if her husband doesn't return?

Where is God when hope seems so far away?