Mercy McClain joined the Teaville School Board to provide the protection for the children that she felt was lacking when she was growing up there. As the board prepares to hire a new teacher, the latest candidate reminds her of someone. Aaron Firebrook may have the last name of her childhood tormentor, but his demeanor is entirely too gentle to be the brute she dreaded seeing every day. How could it be possible?

Aaron Firebrook returned to Teaville to make amends to everyone he had wronged as George. He even has a list. At the top of the list is Mercy McClain. Born with one normal arm, and a stump of the other one, Mercy was an easy target, and growing up, George took aim daily. He knows why he did it, and has NO desire to enlighten anyone on that score. All he wants is to make things right. When he realizes that the beauty on the board, is none other than Mercy, he sees the job he covets going out the window before he can do anything about it.

Determined to stay in town and do what he can, Aaron takes a job as a math tutor and gardener at the town orphanage, where children taken from the soiled doves in the red light district are given homes, and the love their lives had been lacking. Reporting to work, he is stunned to discover that Mercy also works there. As she follows him around, waiting for his anger to be unleashed on a child, Mercy begins to see that maybe change is possible. The Aaron she sees patiently working with his charges, has no resemblance to the angry bully of her childhood.

When things in the mansion start to disappear, and one of the older boys shows signs of delinquency, can Mercy and Aaron work together to solve the thefts, save the boy, and in the process, find mercy and forgiveness for their pasts?

This series has been so strong, and this third book in the Teaville Moral Society series, poses the question, Can a particularly awful past ever be redeemed? Themes of forgiveness, trust, mercy, grace are woven throughout, and readers will be stunned by the depth of pain Aaron (George) still carries into adulthood. I know I was! Mercy had every right to hold a grudge and not live up to her name, but the depth of her faith and caring shone. In spite of her handicap, she was a light to everyone around her, and her willingness to stand up for what was right in the face of the wealth and privilege of some of the TMS members was wholly admirable.

Of all the Teaville Moral Society books, this one wrung the most tears from me. If you love heart-rending reading, with a romantic bent, pick this one up. If you've read the other three books in this series, you'll definitely want to read A Chance at Forever. This historical romance, set in 1900's Kansas, has love to spare, faith to lean on, and forgiveness to set hearts free. Beautifully done, Melissa Jagears! I absolutely recommend this one!!

First off why did it take me sooo long to read this one???

and second, I read this book in one day…one day!!! That’s a rare occurrence for me!!

What does that mean??? I couldn’t put it down. Like at all! definitely a must read

I received this book from Netgalleyfor an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

https://booksnbaubles.com/a-chance-at-forever-by-melissa-jagear/

What a great read rich in historical detail and with such a great message. This book deals with orphans. bullying, second chances and so much more! I loved the characters and watching them grow and develop, such an enthralling and well written read! I highly recommend.

Great book! I liked the characters and thought the story was interesting. There was humor, romance, and spiritual content to make a well-rounded novel. I always enjoy books by this author and am looking forward to the next one!

I just read a quote that helped me understand a lot of what is going on in our country today, and I am speaking specifically about bullying. The quote was, "Hurt people, hurt people." This was specifically true of the main character, Aaron Firebrook, in the latest book by Melissa Jagears called A Chance at Forever. Aaron's past full of the horrors that people can heap on a child turned him into a child bully. In his later years, though, he had a complete change of heart, through the mercy of friends and the forgiveness of God, and returned home to the place where he bulled a number of people.




Aaron's story of overcoming his past, plus the words spoken through his actions, helps one of his targets see that a person can have a change of heart. Mercy McLain sits on the school board when Aaron applies for a teaching job. She doesn't speak out against him, but does want to sit on the pool of candidates for awhile while she figures out what she should do. Through day to day living, Mercy sees that Aaron is a good teacher and has overcome his bullying ways. Just when she is about to recommend him, someone else discovers he is the boy that terrorized the town during his growing up years.

Melissa speaks about prostitution, shame, marriage, relationships all through the message of redemption and second chances. If you are prone to loving a great story with a good message, you are going to love this book.

Highly recommended.

A Chance at Forever is book 3 in a series by Melissa Jagears. This story is of a man named Aaron and a woman named Mercy. Their story involves restoration for past hurts. It involves orphans and hard topics like the destruction of the red-light district. Can forgiveness be had and past hurts be let go of and forgotten because what is lived in the now is worth it? This topic was interesting to me and I was drawn into it and I’m glad that I read it. This is the first book that I’ve read in this series and I felt that it stood alone well. I really look forward to reading more from her in the future!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this sweet, clean story about love, restoration, and second chances. Aaron’s transformation, by the love of Christ, from a vengeful bully to a kind, loving man was interesting reading. I liked all the characters in the story and their interactions were believable. I plan on reading more from this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Bethany Books/Net Gallery.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

I suppose I'm not the kindest judge of romance novels [1], but while this book at least was not actively offensive in its treatment of the subject of bullying, it was not the most enjoyable novel to read either.  At its heart, this novel is an uncomfortable combination of several plots, and the relationship at the center of the novel is somewhat troubling.  The fact that this is a Christian historical romance keeps the novel from being too troubling in many ways, but at its core this novel is about a former bully who had an abusive childhood trying to do good deeds to earn the goodwill and forgiveness of his former victims and an attractive but rather high-strong young woman with one hand who had been the victim of his taunts so many years ago.  The whole idea of the reformed bad guy trying to earn forgiveness and also find love with someone he had victimized is not one that I find appealing, and the whole theme of the Teaville Moral Society seems a bit tacked on and inessential, adding distractions to a plot that already seems a bit scattered.

The plot of this novel is at least realistic, in that we see a small town with a few central characters, someone who has been converted to Christ and would probably be considered a new/novice Christian trying to live right after having spent so much of his life living the wrong way, and seeing a young woman who is disabled but portrayed as competent and also beset by difficulties and struggling to show forgiveness and graciousness to a former tormentor.  To say that this is an unlikely romance is an understatement, but at the very least the novel deserves considerable credit in making him a math tutor of marginal competence and a gardener of even less competence rather than making him some kind of billionaire in disguise as seems all too common in this sort of literature.  In fact, if the novel had not framed the male lead, who goes by his middle name Aaron as a way of turning over a new leaf, as having been such a terrible bully who still struggles with seeing violence as the answer in the dramatic mid-novel crisis, the novel would at least have been somewhat realistic in its romantic portrayal.

Yet that would not have made this a stellar novel, although a better one.  There are at least a few ways this novel could have been a better one.  Not trying to shoehorn the titular moral society and use Aaron's unfamiliarity with it as a way of allowing for a bit of dull explanation would have kept the main plot a lot more tight and focused.  Not making the main characters, especially Mercy, so clueless about what is going on with others, would have made the novel's plot more plausible but would have likely turned this into a novella rather than a full novel.  Showing the conversion of Aaron from bully to someone seeking redemption in a slightly works-based way would have made the novel something other than a romance novel.  There are at least some of the raw materials here for a great novel, but it is by no means as great a novel as it could have been.  I can't really recommend this novel, because the troubling aspects of the continued presence of abusers and their victims after they have supposedly changed is too dark a matter for this slight and trivial of a treatment.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/08/29/book-review-loving-luther/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/08/04/book-review-dangerous-men-and-adventurous-women/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/06/08/book-review-the-captains-daughter/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/03/31/book-review-behind-the-scenes/

A Chance at Forever is the third (and hopefully not last) novel in The Teaville Moral Society series. It follows A Heart Most Certain and A Love So True. There have also been two novellas in the series, With This Ring (which I haven’t read), and Tied and True (which I have). But A Chance at Forever is a standalone novel, and you don’t need to have read the earlier books to enjoy this. (But you should read them anyway.)

It’s been six years since school bully George Firebrook left Teaville. Now he’s back in town as Aaron Firebrook, aspiring math teacher. But Mercy McClain is in the school board, the same Mercy McClain he teased mercilessly for having only one arm … and for always being happy in spite of her disability. That’s part of why he’s returned, to try and make up for the sins of his childhood. Now he has to convince people he has changed, and that’s going to start with Mercy.

Mercy McClain knows she’ll never marry and have children. Her disability has seen to that. But she can still love the children in her care and make sure they aren’t bullied the way she was as a child. And she’s not convinced George Aaron Firebrook has changed from the bully she knew. She’s not pleased when he’s hired as the orphanage gardener. She’s gradually swayed by his work ethic and his obvious concern for the children, especially for Jimmy the troublemaker, and Owen.

Mercy is a great heroine. She’s got issues, but she’s also got a strong sense of self and she’s not willing to let anyone present the orphans with less than ideal role models. That places her in an awkward situation when she realises Aaron isn’t her biggest problem, and that speaking out might cost her.

Aaron is a strong hero. He was a bully as a schoolboy, but he’s a Christian now and trying to make amends. There are also reasons why he was a bully. This explains why he wants to make sure other Teaville children don’t face the same problems. So the job at the orphanage is perfect, even if Mercy would rather he wasn’t there. But the path of true love doesn’t run smooth, and first Aaron has to deal with bumps in the path like Owen and Jimmy.

I know I’m usually a contemporary Christian romance fan. But A Chance at Forever (and the other Teaville Moral Society stories) are the best kind of historical romance. I love the way the series uses historical settings to address some very modern issues. How do we, as Christians, deal with the less desirable members of society? The alcoholics, the drug addicts, the prostitutes, the homeless? How do we deal with that?

Quote from A Chance at Forever: The whole problem was sinful hearts, plain and simple. From the men who took advantage of the pleasures of the district, to the disdain and apathy of those who never stepped in to minister to those ensnared within it.

This is the problem highlighted by the #MeToo movement. It’s just framed a little differently.

See what I mean about historical fiction being an excellent vehicle for highlighting present-day problems? As you’ve probably guessed, I thought everything about A Chance at Forever was outstanding—the plot, the characters, the writing, and the Christian message. Recommended for all Christian fiction readers.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This is book three (four if you count the novella) in the Teaville Moral Society series. All books are a stand alone book. You do connect with characters from the previous books in this one, however you do not have to read them to understand what is going on in this one.

Mercy McClain is a unique woman, she loves the Lord and the orphan children of Teaville, however when her tormentor from her childhood returns to Teaville will she be able to accept him as a changed man or is he still the bully she knew years ago?

Aaron Firebrook has a lot to prove. When he returns to the town that he was a bully in for so many years does he have a chance to prove he has changed or is he destined to fail?

I love the fire between Mercy and Aaron. The way Jagears tells a story with such deeper meaning is great. Aaron is a known bully, there is no excuses for him being a bully, yet you do see through his eyes that a lot of bullies are that way for a reason no one may be aware of, it may actually be a cry for help.

Sometimes forgiveness is hard to give and receive.

Mercy McClain has endured years of taunts, teasing, and being brushed aside. Mercy displays great courage and learns important lessons in compassion, forgiveness, and self-worth. Aaron Firebrook wants to atone for his past behavior and make a positive impact on his community. Years after the fact, he is paying the consequences for bullying his classmates.

Often abusers are also victims of abuse but bullying others won't heal those wounds and there's only One who can. This story gently touches on those unspoken hurts while wooing readers with a precious tale of forgiveness, compassion, and romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

A Chance at Forever by Melissa Jagears

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Story Notes

Melissa Jagears’ third installment of the Teaville Moral Society brings of story of pain, regret, forgiveness and love for two people who never expected blessings to come from their hurtful past.

This was a lovely book that had many lessons to teach, the most important being forgiveness and letting go of resentment. We all carry hurts from our past that rise up at the oddest moments to try and cripple our Christian walk and Mercy McClain is no different. Born without a right hand, Mercy has known her fair share of taunting and hurtful statements. But her greatest tormentor was a childhood school bully named George Firebrook, who took the greatest pleasure in making Mercy cry from the words he spoke, yelled and even whispered to her every day. A tragic blessing moved Mercy beyond George’s reach at the end of the year, but now as an adult Mercy is using her past to help the orphans who are in her care. But the past always comes back to find you, and Mercy’s will come in the form of a school teacher application by G. Aaron Firebrook. (George) Aaron Firebrook is returning to Teaville years after his troubled childhood to try to right his many wrongs. Praying he will get the chance to plead forgiveness from those he hurt most deeply, Aaron interviews with the school board of Teaville as a Math teacher to support him as he seeks out those from his past. But he never dreamed that his favorite bully victim would be on the board, which almost certainly guarantees that he will not be given the position. Until a final decision is made, however, he must seek out another job and hopefully convince Mercy McClain to forgive him, even if she never becomes his friend. Angry and feeling hurt all over again at the reappearance of Aaron in her life, Mercy is hard pressed to give him the benefit of the doubt or accept his words of regret. How can someone who was so terribly mean, and quite good at it, really have become a better person who now cares for others? But Aaron knows his ultimate forgiveness comes from God and he will do whatever it takes to prove he is a new man in the Lord. He will take a short term job as the gardener at the orphanage and offers to help the director with a troubled teen boy named Jimmy who’s bent towards trouble rivals that of Aaron as a child. As Mercy watches Aaron’s unrelenting care for Jimmy and another boy named Owen, she will see a much different person than she knew before. But it will take time and a deep searching of her heart before she is willing to accept his apologies and offer the forgiveness he seeks. And, wonder of wonders, she will also discover that love can be found in the most unlikely of people. What she has been hoping and praying for her entire life will be hers if only she has the courage to reach out for it. And Aaron will finally come to realize that he is worthy of love because God has made him so, not because of the things he does. As he spends time with Mercy, his desire for her to love him back will drive him to find ways to show his affection for her – even standing up to others who are as hurtful and mean as he used to be. It is his love for her that finally breaks through her long held shield of pain to the loving forgiveness both of them have needed since they were children. The plot and development of this story were fairly good and I enjoyed reading it. I was a little lost in certain parts of the book as I had not read the first two books in this series and there seemed to be references to earlier happenings. My only issue with this book was the ending, which felt a little too well boxed. There were many questions still to be answered at the end of the book and the Epilogue attempted to cover them but it just felt too rushed. I would have preferred a better development of what happened to Jimmy after he was released from jail as well as a little more story about Owen. Other than this the book was good and I would love to read more from this author. Her examination and treatment of resentment, bitterness and forgiveness were very good and I was pleased with how she developed them well throughout the story. I hope to be able to find the first two books of this series soon so I can clarify my questions from reading this book. I will recommend this book/series to others and hope they will enjoy it as well as I.

One Note: the photo on the front of the book is a little weird as Aaron is supposed to be a big man while Mercy is supposed to be a rather small woman . This shows them as almost the same height and build – they should have used more realistic models.

I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

A Chance at Forever

by Melissa Jagears

Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers

Christian

Pub Date 06 Mar 2018

I am reviewing a copy of A Chance At Forever through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:

Join me on a trip to early twentieth century Kansas where we meet Mercy McClain a young woman determined to protect Teaville’s children from bullying, the bullying she herself had experience as a child. Mercy finds fulfillment and satisfaction working in the local Orphanage as well as serving on the school board. Aaron Firebrook has been one of the people who had been the meanest and cruelest to her in childhood applies for the teaching position she can’t stand the idea, and is completely against it.

Aaron is aware that he deserves the mistrust Mercy feels towards him but he’s returned to his hometown a changed man and he is seeking to earn forgiveness of the people he wronged in his younger days. He is not expecting for Mercy to like him but he wants her to see he only wants to help these children.

Can Mercy let go of the resentment and allow old wounds to heal?

Find out in A Chance At Forever!

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

Aaron Firebrook has changed and desires a chance to prove it. In seeking forgiveness for his childhood of bullying, he asks a victim what they want from him, and they suggest he become a teacher.



He returns to Teaville to apply for a teaching job where he can follow through with his agenda of seeking his victims out for reconciliation; but he runs into Mercy McLain who is on the school board and one of those he hurt the most because of her missing hand.



Mercy convinces the board to interview more applicants before deciding on Aaron. In the meantime, Aaron lands the gardener job through Nicholas Lowe at the orphanage home where Mercy resides with her brother and sister-in-law who are the directors.



This final installment in the Teaville series is the best I think. Aaron struggles to convince Mercy he's changed and Mercy struggles to reconcile the man Aaron has become with the bully she knew in her childhood. To complicate matters, are the orphans they have to deal with including one that Aaron asks to adopt because one of his victims left the child to his care.



Seeing Aaron and Mercy's romance evolve through the eyes of the children, makes for a very enthralling romance. I received this novel from netgalley for my honest review. I give it 5 stars for your reading shelf.

Can a person really change? What are morals? Those are some of the interesting thoughts that I had while reading this book. There are examples of cause and effect. Someone who is abused can become a bully. This book is about choices, the choice to change or live a life of unhappiness.

Mercy is an amazing character. She illustrated compassion throughout the book, but knows where the boundaries are. You cannot remain compassionate and let people use you. That is her dilemma in this story. Is she being swayed unfairly because of her compassionate nature? In spite of it all, she is positive, trusts, and is someone you would want on your side.

Aaron comes from a complex past. He is a contrast between being in control or being controlling. I loved that he was trying to give restitution for his mistakes. It takes a man of integrity and character to make things right, or at least try to.

I mentioned morals in the first paragraph, because there are characters who give the impression of having high morals, but their characters reveal that they are only moral as long as it is of benefit to them, or just pretend to have morals. This book gave me a lot to think about. What philosophies do we speak, and what do we really believe?

I should also mention that this is a fun book to read, besides thought provoking. The characters are well written, the pacing is great, and there is always some dilemma that needs to be taken care of.

It is clean with kissing. There is mention of prostitution and non-graphic violence. The book contains Christian themes.

Source: I requested a copy from Netgalley to read. Thanks to Bethany House for approving my request. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

We are in the early 1900’s in Kansas and the author puts faces on bullies, and by doing so we try to understand how someone does what he does. We also see how these bullies respond when God is finally in their lives, and watch transformations, and keep reading as you will be shocked!
This book touches on some tough subjects, alcoholism, prostitution, bullying, and those that judge and don’t live their faith, but wait there are others that seem to be willing to share all that they have to help those less fortunate.
I love that one of the main characters has been born with a disability, and you really never notice it throughout the story. The other main character was abused as a child and took out his frustration and feelings on others, why should they be happy if he wasn’t.
With this complex cast of characters, we are soon caught up in this small town and the drama of one person feeling they are superior to another because of where they are born, and where they were made to live.
I really love the way these people touch the lives of the misfortunate, and in the end, make their own lives better, a don’t miss read!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

A Chance At Forever is a book of forgiveness, tolerance of others not like yourself, condemnation and GOD's love and peace. Forgiveness (of one's self - their past or of another - how they may have treated you or how they have treated someone else - that is what we have here), tolerance of others not like yourself (there are those who are disfigured or in other ways someone could not treat you just like everyone else - who you are - where you are from - what you do for a living and so on - that is alllll happening here), condemnation (imagine being the person who condemns others - being intolerant for example - then all of a sudden you are changed by the mercy of GOD and now you condemn yourself - or you have someone who knows you from your old self and condemns you still. that is what is happening here.), GOD's love and peace (HE shows up in the middle of all this mess and show how forgiveness and tolerance and acceptance can get peace and love from those who condemned you - if you where the condemner GOD's love and peace enters you life and when you forgive and tolerate their past you are given the peace and love.) and then there is love..................

In A CHANCE AT FOREVER, MELISSA JAGEARS brings up such issues as marriage, relationships between parents and children, prostitution and its effect on children, anger, shame and forgiveness. Although the subject matter is harsh, the story she tells is one of redemption and second chances. I really enjoyed this heart warming and well told story which is solidly based on biblical principles and radiates hope, even in the most dismal of situations.
When Aaron Firebrook goes back the the high school in Teaville, where he traumatized the children with his awful bullying, to apply for a position as a maths teacher, he doesn't get a very good reception from a woman on the board who turns out to be Mercy McClain whose life he made a living hell at school. Mercy was born with a deformed arm which made her an easy target.
Aaron, or George as he was known at school, has turned over a new leaf, made a sincere commitment to the Lord and has come back to Teaville to try and make up for his rotten behaviour. It is understandable that Mercy is extremely wary of having anything to do with him herself, and is adamant that he should not be allowed to have anything to do with children. However, when she sees his behaviour towards young and old alike at the orphanage where she works with her brother and sister in law, she is no longer sure how to feel.
There are twists and turns in the story and the Christian message is strong. I can highly recommend this most enjoyable novel.

A charming picture of how God can grab ahold of a person and change their heart, A Chance at Forever offers hope for anyone how wonders if they can become a better person. And for those who has bared the brunt of hurtful, hateful words.
Melissa Jagears handles a topic as relevant as ever today in a way that is both entertaining and filled with a message that needs to be heard. Words hurt. They last. They shape us. But sometimes, the people behind those words are hurting too.
Faith, forgiveness and…mercy are powerful tools in life. Ones that help us overcome our pasts, our insecurities, or our fears. And the conclusion to the Teaville

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I love reformed bad boys, and in a Christian historical romance, it can be a bit difficult to pull off. However, Melissa Jagears did a great job of showing the journey from a childhood bully to a repentant man, in a way that tugs on the heartstrings and gives hope to those of us who wonder if redemption is possible when we've hurt someone badly in our past. While I felt that some of the tension was a bit overdone and dragged on far too long, the writing and colorful characters created a depth to the story that made it highly enjoyable from beginning to end.

Aaron Firebrook has returned to his hometown a changed person. Having been a merciless bully in his youth, he journeyed west and found faith through a persistent preacher who wouldn't give up on him. Now on a quest to right the wrongs he did to people in his past, his next step in his penance is becoming a teacher. Having received a request from one of his old victims, who had difficulty walking and speaking as a boy, he seeks to help those who struggle with learning and protect them from those who don't understand. His biggest roadblock in achieving this comes in the form of yet another former victim - Mercy McClain, a member of the local school board. Missing her arm below the elbow, she was tormented by him in the 5th grade and has never forgiven him. The question is now - can she forgive him and see that he has changed, or will she let old wrongs affect her decisions today?

As I said, I like reformed bad boys in my romances, and I loved hearing Aaron's backstory, his path to becoming a better person, and seeing the steps he continues to take towards redemption. Mercy was a character I found difficult to like, unfortunately. While I appreciated what she did for a living and recognized she had a difficult time growing up, I felt she had a holier-than-thou attitude towards a lot of people and didn't live up to her name in the slightest. It took a *very* long time for her to forgive Aaron in the book, and as someone who was bullied when I was young, I have to say - if someone who bullied me when we were 9 came back into my life in our 20s, I wouldn't try to keep them from getting a job, adopting a child, or moving on with their life. I would like to think I would be a bigger person that that. Mercy had some redemption to do in this story as well, and I think she learned that she had faults too. I would just have liked it to happen a bit faster. Too, many characters in the story behaved in, what seemed to me, an unreasonably harsh manner towards Aaron. By the end, I wanted to give Aaron a giant hug. Overall, they were a nice couple, but it was a big struggle getting to that point.

This is my first full-length book by Melissa Jagears, and I would definitely read another of her books again. I have the first Teaville Moral Society sitting on my bookshelf in my home, and I think now is a good time to finally delve into it.