4 Star Book Review: One Last Stand by Melanie Campbell, Book 3 in the Whispers of Grace series | A Contemporary Christian, Women's Fiction Novel
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advanced reader e-copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links. You can view my affiliate disclaimer here.
Book Synopsis:
Cassie's reclaimed her life and Sharon has recovered from alcoholism.
They can finally rebuild their lives. . .or can they?
Cassie Peterson is a busy single mom excited about her future. She feels confident at work, her seven-year-old daughter is thriving, and the college education she longs for is on the horizon. Then there's Matt, the youth pastor of her church, where both Cassie and her mother attend. Matt and Cassie have been dating for nearly a year, and he's more than she ever hoped for in a man. It looks like all her dreams are coming true---until a startling letter arrives in the mail.
Cassie's mom, Sharon, never thought she'd be a ministry leader, but that's exactly what she's doing at her church. Frank, her co-leader in the Higher Focus Recovery group, is passionate about his faith, recovery and helping others---he might even help Sharon forget about the man she can't stop loving no matter how hard she tries.
When a scandal rocks their church leadership, Cassie and Sharon are caught up in the middle of the collateral damage. Can their family stand against the forces intent on destroying them? Or will their dreams crumble, piece by piece?
MY REVIEW: ★★★★/5
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Melanie Campbell delivers a sweet, tender story of learning to trust in God’s timing and plan, despite the doubts, fears and obstacles life places in our path.
Having read One Woman Falling when it debuted, I was delighted to return to the story of Sharon and Cassie, a mother and daughter who’ve overcome great obstacles in their past such as alcoholism and an abusive marriage to settle into life together as they move forward in their growing faith.
This story has beautiful elements of love, longing and trust as things that are seemingly going right, begin to take a wrong direction and threaten everything good that Cassie and Sharon have worked towards, creating natural doubts and fears. Campbell uses real life moments and the sinful nature of others to walk her characters through the mire and ultimately cause them learn more about themselves, God and each other along the way. She expertly displays the shortcomings of humankind, even those in church leadership, demonstrating the need for the grace and mercy God extends to all of us. I found her characters and their situations, thoughts and desires to be relatable and believable.
I truly enjoyed this story and found it to be rewarding and heartwarming. It was a lovely conclusion to the Whispers of Grace series. It’s a great read for readers who enjoy wholesome books with faith-based content and real life experiences. A definite recommendation with a note that I believe the story will be best enjoyed if read after the first two books in the series (for context).
Triggers: Lightly Touched On - post-divorce, abusive ex, alcoholism and addiction, family mediation, infidelity and judgment in church leadership
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author Image Courtesy of https://www.goodreads.com/
Melanie Campbell is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and ACFW. She wrote her first story when she was eight-years-old and has been in love with the power of storytelling ever since. She is also passionate about social issues and holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Oregon, which she obtained during her stint as a single-mom. She’s now married and lives in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley with her husband, their three children, and several spoiled pets.
When not writing, she does the bookkeeping and other office work for her husband’s painting business, obsesses over the well-being of their three daughters, and cooks healthy meals. In the spring, you may find her hitting the trails to one of Oregon’s magnificent waterfalls. Visit her online at https://melaniecampbellauthor.org.
