I thought it was a really enjoyable book - the story was well crafted and the description of a marriage breakdown felt believable. For me on a purely personal note the very heavy God references were unnecessary and too much of a distraction. I enjoyed the story, and the book - but I wouldnt choose another novel by this author as I'm not sure we were a good match.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. How do you move on after the death of a child?

How do you move on after your husband's adultery? As Savannah determines if it is even possible to move forward, the past forces her to face the present. An emotional book full of past mistakes, present pain and finally, hope for the future.

Favorite Quotes:

This miserable moment… it feels freeze-framed. Forever cemented in memory—this one defining moment in my life when I realize all I’ve done, everything I’ve poured myself into, has been for naught.

I don’t want to hate Kevin. And I don’t, always. Just most of the time.

We’ve been in and out of counseling for the past ten years. Christian counseling. Psychiatric counseling. Family and couples counseling. I can quote books verbatim on how to put a family back together after loss, how to grieve, how to pray for your husband. I must have missed the one on how to keep him at home.

Brock Chandler is all straight white teeth and sparkling eyes and smiles like a movie star. And his voice sounds like Matthew McConaughey’s. Suddenly I can’t find mine.

He knew that kind of pain. That searing forest-fire heat that eventually fizzles to dormant embers but remains a threat, a slow burn, never fully extinguished and easily flammable.

Her idea of gardening is buying a flower arrangement from Whole Foods, putting it on the table, and waiting for it to die.

…we walk toward the house in step. It’s a practiced rhythm we’ve forgotten somehow, but it has not forgotten us.

My Review:

I was astounded by the level of deft handling, observant insight, and thoughtful sensitivity given to an abundant amount of heavy personal issues and unfortunate circumstances. While my eyes may occasionally burn and sting, I am rarely moved to actual tears while reading, although this emotive and heartbreaking story had me sobbing, and more than once. I was often annoyed with the characters’ selfish tendencies for denial, indecision, and procrastination, but most of us walking this earth are guilty of those same foibles at various times in our lives. The premise and storylines were relevant, well-crafted, painfully heart-squeezing, and surprisingly engaging. I’ve never read Ms. West’s work before and despite my discomfort and tendency to eschew religious themes, I was quickly immersed and fully invested in her superbly written tale, although I was conflicted in whom to root for. Her writing style was smooth, easy to follow, and kept me reading far later than I expected. I fully enjoyed and appreciated her wry humor, which was often stealthily dropped in unexpected places. The characters were realistically flawed and as fleshed out and knowable as my next-door neighbor, maybe even more so. I was definitely a Brock fan all the way through and far from joining team Kevin until he tore off a piece of the self-righteous preacher’s wife, and from then on I had to take him seriously, I just had to, as he sorta became my hero. The ending was highly satisfying and although extremely sad, it was also the best possible outcome.

I was hooked from the first line, “My husband is leaving me.”

Divorce is not an easy topic to discuss. It’s a death of main character Savannah’s dream that affects all family members and those she’s in relationship with. I liked her transparency, vulnerability and her struggle to do the right thing. Her question was,” What is the right thing?”

Catherine explores this topic with a keen sensitivity to the pain of living with anger, regrets, poor choices, and broken relationships; including the one they all had with God. I was blown away by this gifted storyteller who allowed readers to walk in the shoes of these complex characters dealing with an almost impossible situation. All the while showing how each member comes to the end of themselves and gives up control of their lives. As they surrender readers see how this author masterfully weaves in little nuggets of pure and lovely hope of new beginnings seen amongst the scattered broken pieces of life.

Catherine writes brilliantly witty, heartfelt dialogue, that held me hostage as I walked with this family through their pain, anguish and struggles with faith, hope and the inability to love anyone including themselves; while their world is turned upside down yet again. The family has become numb. So many questions. Is there really a God? How can they go on when they haven’t recovered from the last tragedy?

These characters search deep into their souls to find answers to these questions and those they are too afraid to ask. I loved that this story is not preachy. It vividly shows the power of grace, love and the possibility of being set free from pain and suffering . Readers see that by giving up the anger and pain we were never meant to carry all things become possible.

I loved how the author kept the reader guessing as to how this story would end. There were so many possibilities. I enjoyed the surprises, twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Woven into the story line where fun moments in book stores, libraries, a mystery to uncover, there are unexpected family secrets revealed, giggles moments and a clean romance intertwined with family life and an adorable young soul named Mazie, that makes you smile when she talks about her guardian angel.

The author includes discussion questions for your book club. This is a beautiful story that will linger in your heart long after you close the book. I highly recommend this for your next book club pick and/or just a great memorable read!

What a heart rendering story! This story is probably every woman's worst nightmare. Loss of a child, infidelity, suicide (more than once within same family). How much can a person take?
Savannah is a wife and mother to two children. One is college and a sixteen year old away at a private school. While she knew her marriage was no longer what it once was, she was shocked and heartbroken when her husband finally admitted to having another woman--younger, of course, that he cared more for than he does his wife. He has moved out of the family home to be with his mistress. Their children are also heartbroken and angry with their father. I have admiration for Savannah for not succumbing to what many women finding themselves in this position do, bad mouth their children's father to them and stir up hatred in their hearts. She realizes her children need their father in their lives and wants them to have a good relationship with him.
Savannah escapes the empty, quiet and painful house to spend some time in Birkshires, her parents vacation home. There, she meets the elderly neighbor woman, Clarice, who has so much wisdom to offer. Her nephew Brock, a well-known author, and his young daughter, Maysie, are staying with her.
Will Savannah ever be able to truly forgive her husband as she knows she is commanded to by God's Word? Forgiveness helps bring healing.
So many tough topics for an author to tackle,and Catherine West did it very very well.
My only disappointment in the story was the very small smattering of Christianity. I was expecting more. Even so, a wonderful story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Savannah's marriage is over. Her husband's affair isn't even quiet. Her church community no longer feels like community. She needs a break. So, she seeks out the sanctity of her parents' lake house, always full of good memories. There in off-season Berkshires with the friendship of the neighbors, her heart stretches while her faith opens her heart even more. And her heart might lead her in the most unusual of ways. Although, for a woman of faith: Are miracles really so unlikely? A heart-warming book with five stars.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Savannah and Maisey. Very heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about life's challenges, loss, and redemption.

Great read.

An emotional roller coaster ride that some may find difficult to read but will find closure in the end.

Savannah Barrington has just lost the one person she never dreamed would betray her. Her husband, Kevin, has had an affair and has decided to leave her for his younger love. Now with Kevin gone, their daughter Zoe in college and son Adam at a boarding school, the house feels as empty as ever. Savannah decides to go stay at the lake house her mother owns up in the Berkshires for a change of scenery. While there, she is introduced to a young girl who is the spitting image of her first daughter who died in a bicycle accident several years ago. The girl’s father turns out to be a famous author that both she and Kevin always loved to read. They are staying with his aunt, who has been prepared to help Savannah heal through tending her late husband’s greenhouse. But healing won’t come easy, it will take faith and forgiveness. Can Savannah find the strength to forgive her husband and move on?

I have been wanting to read a book by Catherine West for a long time and I am glad that I finally did. This book was really hard for me to read because half way through my three year old son had a freak accident that could have easily resulted in death. It really shook my husband and I to the core and it was hard to pick up the book and continue reading when the main character was feeling the same emotions that were going through me at the time. Fortunately, he is ok and the book had a silver lining at the end.

I love getting to read a great story that is clean and relatable. I understood the emotions of the characters and have seen what they were going through first hand. There is a lot of family drama and struggle in this book and it makes it very real. West also did a great job of setting her scenes so that I could easily find my way into the characters world. I am going to go get a couple more of her books for future reading!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Catherine West has written a novel, which I received a copy of from NetGalley for review, which is well written, heart-rending and beautifully written. Not like your typical romance novel! I was drawn into Savannah Barrington's story as her husband leaves their marriage, long after the death of their oldest daughter, which has torn the family apart. As she flees to her parents' lake house to take stock and decide on her next steps, as well as deal with her depression, she meets a young girl who she at first sees as the image of her lost daughter. Savannah's anguish is heartfelt and will keep you riveted. Will she be able to move on? I highly recommend "Where Hope Begins"!

Where Hope Begins by Catherine West is a difficult yet wonderfully written book, keep a box of tissues (or ten on hand). WARNING: hold on cause this novel takes you on one hell of a roller coaster of a ride I’m pretty sure by the end you will endure every emotion possible, death, life, hope, betrayal, adultery, love, hate, suicide the list goes on. What appears to be perfect on the outside is truly perfectly imperfect on the inside. This was the first book by Ms. West that I have had a pleasure of reading and WOW! I am looking forward to diving into what else she has to offer. I would give this book ten stars, a must read (despite the emotional ride, it is well worth it). This is one of those novels once the last page has been read and the book closes the story, the characters stay with you. I’d like to thank Ms. West & NetGalley for the opportunity of receiving an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Debbie Krenzer
Debbie Krenzer's Reviews > Where Hope Begins
Where Hope Begins by Catherine West
Where Hope Begins
by Catherine West (Goodreads Author)
12691311
Debbie Krenzer's review Jun 21, 2018 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: net-galley-books, ebooks

This is a story of a couple who have been together for 24 years and they have a lot of issues. A LOT of issues. A tragic death of a child, growing apart after so many years, suicide attempts, adultery and just everyday dealings with two children 16 and 20 years old.

There are also a lot of great quotes throughout the book. The characters are also somewhat pretty religious. There is a lot of talk about God.

The author uses the story of Alice in Wonderland throughout the book to describe the marriage of Savannah and Kevin which fit in perfectly.

**Tissues needed** It took me a while to get through to the end of this book. I had to keep stopping and handle my blubbering. Yes, I cried. I cried a lot!!! It was such a sorrowful, sweet ending.

I loved everything about this book. Not my first book by this author which I discovered when investigating her other books. And this will not be my last. Two books read by this author and, for me, both 5 stars. How could I not?

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This moved too slowly for me and I wasn’t able to connect with the characters. I really wanted to love this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow, there are no words to express how I feel about this book. The story of a family torn and hurting and yet being renewed by love, faith and hope grabbed me into it's emotional raw world. It is painfully honest yet beautiful. I don't remember reading a more enthralling yet magical book. The author relates how the words just flowed through her while writing this book. It is obvious to me that it is a book that God gave her to write.
I can't recommend it highly enough! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 stars!
My goodness! This book gave me all the feels! I absolutely loved this book.

Adultery, loss of a child, and suicide. I love books that deal with real life and hard topics. But this book also has hope and restoration. This book took me through a rollercoaster of emotions. But it was such a beautiful story. So good!

*I was given an ebook copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed here are my own.

n Where Hope Begins, Savannah's husband has left her. She is still lost in her grief from losing a child years before and escapes to her parents' lake house to try to begin to heal. This is a story about a family that is hurting and stuck in their grief. It's definitely not a light fluffy second chance book.

I struggled with liking the story line. I love second chance stories, but I wasn't happy with the direction this one went. Kevin, Savannah's ex- cheated on her and left her for the other woman. My feelings on the subject definitely clouded my opinion of the book especially regarding the ending. I don't care what they went through grief wise, nothing justifies infidelity, ever. Have enough respect to walk away first. I get the whole forgiveness argument, but forgiveness doesn't mean you go back or trust again. I was rooting for them to find their way out, but not with that ending. There were aspects that I liked. Brock and his daughter added some light to the story. The story is well written, it just wasn't for me in the end.

I have mixed feelings on this one, perhaps because I recently lost a loved one to something similar that happened near the end of the book. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of handling tough subjects.

A family of wounded souls still reeling from a father's affair and his desire for a divorce seeks answers when there seem to be none. Each character struggles with their own bitterness toward this recent tragedy, and others the family has held onto, including the loss of a child. As each member, especially Savannah, the mother who lost a child, struggles to find her new normal in her parent's lakeside home, a next door neighbor who is a famous writer and a father, helps Savannah find a bit of hope even amidst his own tragedies, as Savannah comes to realize how her lack of communication only drives people further away, and her to greater anger and bitterness.

This novel is a little bit too cliched in dialogue, especially the male characters who talk as women want them to, like in a romantic drama, and it can be very dark and despondent at times, especially with references to suicide attempts and a tragic accident leading to the death of a child. This book is for the reader who wants a heavy drama that begins with tragedy, bitterness, and anger from multiple characters over divorce interspersed, with hints of spirituality and advice, and ends in a quick, neat bow of hope and things working out.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy. Be sure to have tissues close by! Such a good read. The way she writes is captivating.

Wow! I finished this book a couple of nights ago but I needed to let all of the emotions Ms. West evoked in her story rest for awhile before I could write a legible review. I had to take breaks as I read because the emotions were so raw and genuine.

This book evoked all the emotions. I was Savannah ten years ago, and Ms. West got every emotion that a woman who finds out about her husband's infidelity right on the money. At least for me and other women I know.

Ms. West is one of my favorite Inspirational women's fiction authors because she isn't afraid to tackle tough topics that most Christian's, and loads of churches would rather just sweep under the proverbial rug and never discuss. Besides dealing with infidelity within a Christian marriage, this book tackles grief, addiction, along with suicide. Each are difficult on their own and quite overwhelming when all put together.

In dealing with issues like these the big questions are is forgiveness possible, and can this relationship be restored? Ms. West shows both the human and spiritual answer. As you read this book you will see undertones of reaping what you sow and how that impacts those around you especially the people you live with day to day. Another undertone is how trying to solve things yourself rather than leaning on God for healing and how that action can and will alienate the one person you love the most.

My Bottom Line:

This is a definite must read! You may want to stock up on Kleenex before hand, because you will cry and not just teary-eyed the ugly cry.
Ms. West placed the sweetest little girl named, Mayise in the story. Her sweet, bubbly personality just bursts onto the page. I love when little kids show up in books and Mayise is one of my favorites.
This is a book that you will have to take your time reading. Not just because of the raw emotion but because you may miss something.
While Ms. West shows all the raw, and genuine pain, like a composer she produces a melody of redemption, healing, and true forgiveness that will stay with you for a lifetime.
You need to read this book!

Where Hope Begins kind of tells it all in a way. It is a very touching story. It is a story of suicide, divorce, betrayal, forgiveness, family, loyalty, love and Faith. Along with all of that you can expect some major bends and curves in the road. It is strikingly emotional because it is meant to reach out to you and have you join in the story and become emotionally invested and Ms. West did that perfectly.