This author has tackled a difficult subject and she has done so in a way that gripped me from page one. By the last few pages, I was bawling like a baby. What a touching story of hope in difficult circumstances.
I loved how the characters paths were interwoven. Cleverly done.
This story is written in the first person which makes it all the more intense.

great read filled with emotion and strong characters.
This one was hard to put down.
This was different kind of read for me. I was glad to get the chance to dive into this story. A story filled with raw emotion at times as each of the characters find thier way seperately and with each.
A beautifully written touching story that is filled with grace and redemption.

I received a complimentary copy.
My review will appear on retail sites

'Swimming in the Deep End' shares the stories of four different women. With four different 'voices' I was concerned that the plot might suffer, or that one woman's voice would rise above the others', to their detriment (or that, frankly, I couldn't keep them straight). Thankfully, none of those were the case!

Nelson writes thoughtfully and poetically. Each word was chosen for a reason, and I found myself savoring the writing style and hesitant for the plot to move forward -- but it did, much like how time marching onward.

My heart ached for each of the women and their respective struggles. You just never know what goes on beneath the surface, and plenty occurred within this story. It's a perfect example of how God weaves a tapestry; we here on earth see the underside of it, and it seems all messy and knotted, but God sees the picture weaving together. One day we will see that side and praise!

A hard, but encouraging, read, to be sure. Recommended.

I received a copy of the book from JustReads Publicity Tours. All opinions are my own.

Well, this wasn’t exactly a light read. I knew what the book was about when I started it, though. This is one of those stories that tugs at the heart strings with its realism, that doesn’t gloss over the messes that we sometimes make in our lives. There are a number of secrets that people keep in this story, and some of the consequences are quite heavy. Without giving anything away, I would say that this book reinforces my belief that we should be honest with our children about our own upbringing and our own shortcomings. I will also say that I was sad at one of the twists in the story, but it was necessary for the characters to be able to arrive at the ending that they did. Also, there was one big surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming! Don’t worry, this was good surprise.

I feel like this book could serve as a cautionary tale for teens, but adults should be aware that this book deals with serious issues like teen pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and mentions of sexual assault.

I received a copy of this book from Kregel Publications via NetGalley and am under no obligation to provide a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This is a truly character driven story that evoked the full gamut of emotions in this reader. The story covers many issues including destroyed dreams, teen pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, adoption, estranged family members, marital discord, tragic death, grief, and secrets. There are four different points of view: Jillian, who struggles with choices from her past and how the secrets affect her life, Izzy, who is Jillian's high school aged daughter who discovers she is pregnant as well as dealing with the grief of the death of her baby daddy and her part in it, Margaret who is the mother of Travis, Izzy's boyfriend who dies in a tragic accident and Stacey who so wants to be a mother, but is still dealing with her own grief and secrets.

I do not want to ruin this story for anyone so will talk about my feelings while reading this book. The characters in this story felt so real. The problems and their reactions to various situation were genuine and I could feel a real empathy for them. The girls in the house were all young and trying to make the best of the situation they found themselves in. I wish there was such a place around here as it really seemed to be helping these young women and their babies. As I read, I became invested in the stories of all the characters and yes, tissues were needed. The church families involved were amazing. There was acceptance of the girls and their situations, support of the home and a lot of prayer and forgiveness. If only we could always move forward without guilt and regret at things in our past that we can not change. There were a lot of twists and turns in the story. I thought I had it figured out, knowing what Izzy was going to do, then bam, she did what? There were times that I got frustrated with the characters and their actions and/or decisions, then the next minute I was cheering for them.

This was a book that once I started reading it, I didn't stop until I finished. It was a relatively quick read, and one that I enjoyed very much. It is an emotionally packed story that will stay with you long after you finish. This is a great book for anyone who loves emotional dramas, that are realistic and will have you reading instead of doing whatever you were supposed to be doing that day or night. I received a copy of this book from Just Read Publicity to read and review. The rating, ideas and opinions are my own.

Swimming in the Deep End is powerful, moving, and realistic women's fiction that examines the heartache and joy of unplanned pregnancies from every angle. The author uses the first person point of view of generations of women burdened by the crosses of their own mistakes and from their families of origin in the context of an unplanned teen pregnancy, a tragedy, and a young couple whose hearts are ready to love a child - if only they could.

Through it all, the joy of new life and the unique, precious value of each life is uplifted as well as the goodness of God and the goodness of those from whom we may not expect either acceptance or love.

Without glossing over the heartache of grief, guilt, and sacrificial love, Christina Suzann Nelson shows the reader that there is joy to be found when we love, forgive, and support one another.

Highly recommended!

Emotionally gripping, bittersweet, compelling and heartwarming … Swimming in the Deep End is an engrossing read that I highly recommend. In a realistic and thought-provoking way, it shines the light on emotional themes of teen pregnancy, abortion, infertility, and adoption.

I grew up loving women’s fiction and have long been frustrated at the lack of these stories in Christian fiction. With the release of Swimming in the Deep End, Christina Suzann Nelson has joined the ranks of a handful of authors who write quality fiction in this genre – right up there with Cynthia Ruchti and Kellie Coates Gilbert.

The use of four different voices works very well – mothers of soon-to-be-parent teens (Jillian and Margaret), the teenage girl herself (Izzy), and an infertile young woman (Stacey) – and gives insight into all their thoughts and struggles in a personal way. This story plumbs the depths of almost every emotion imaginable and I never wanted to put it down. Guilt, regret, and fear are major themes – emotions that we can all identify with, even though the root cause might be different.

Christina Suzann Nelson is a gifted writer, with a prose that flows effortlessly, complex characters, and multilayered storylines. Jillian, with her guilt-ridden secret from 20 years ago and her craving for control as her comfortable world fell apart, is a character that I wanted to wrap my arms around. Another character that grabbed my heart is Irene, manager of the home for teenage girls in a crisis pregnancy, a home filled with faith and hope.

It was impossible not to shed some tears while reading, many of which were tears of happiness. This story is filled with imperfect Christians, just like us, who learn that God works to fulfill His purpose in every situation. These words, spoken to Jillian by her husband, especially spoke to my heart: “Sometimes, especially in the tough times, we have to come to God even if it’s only in obedience.”

Swimming in the Deep End is a story of the highest quality, a “best of the best” read for me. I hope many more stories flow from the pen of Christina Suzann Nelson. Very highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Wow wow wow! SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END shredded my heart over and over again! Izzy is the perfect teenage daughter. Or at least that’s how her mom, Jillian sees her, but when Izzy gets pregnant, it’s as if Jillian’s secret past comes back to haunt her. Wow, all I can say is, this story blew me away!

Keep the tissues close by as you are reading THE SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END by Christina Suzann Nelson. Once I started reading, it was very hard to stop! The twists and turns made it impossible to put down, as I had to know what was going to happen to Izzy and all of the other girls. What an awesome story. All of Christina’s characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartache a person can stand before they completely break down and shatter.

SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END is a quick read and unputdownable! There were quite a few times when reading it that I wanted to reach into the pages and slap a few of these people with their wishy washy ways of thinking. I found myself laughing one second and then tearing up the next. If you are looking for a beautiful story to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END.

The twists and turns in SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure it out. One minute you believe you know where Izzy is going with her life and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just happened. I had my ideas, I had it all figured out, or so I thought, and BAM…….wrong again! Once you start reading, trust me, you aren’t going to be able to stop! When everything is finally revealed, well, you won’t believe it! What an emotionally packed story that will stay with you long after you finish!

I liked that this story has a lot going on as the story unfolds. The characters are interesting and it's hard to put down!

Swimming in the Deep End has so many dimensions; Christina Nelson addresses life-changing, heart-wrenching decisions regarding teenage pregnancy, adoption, abortion, all told from the various characters’ point of views, and how those issues affect marital and family relationships. Yet it remains a powerful novel showing how these characters’ lives are interwoven, with a few surprises sprinkled in. At times you’ll find yourself crying, other times rooting on one of the precious pregnant women, and there will be some happy tears too!

Although many will find the subject matter very emotional, especially for those who have experienced some of these difficult issues, I believe there may be some healing potential in these pages. God’s love, forgiveness, and grace shines throughout. This book will tug at your heart strings long after you’ve finished.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

From reading other reviews it seems as though I am in the minority when it comes to my thoughts about this book. First, this is the first book by this author that I've read. I was originally asked by Kregel Publicantions to review this book and then signed up for the review tour with Just Reads because I already had a copy.

Overall this is a good read. Ms. Nelson pulls at the heart strings which keeps you reading. Hidden secrets create an intrigue to find out what drives the women in the book to make the decisions they do.
With that said. It is my opinion that Ms. Nelson use of terms and phrases in reference to the mother choosing adoption such as put up, and placed are an attempt to be politically correct. The usage of these terms are offensive to me as an adopted child.

I was not put anywhere, nor was I placed on a shelf and forgotten about. I wasn't given away either. My birth mother gave me, a precious child to my parents as a gift because they could not have a baby on their own. She also gave my parents the gift of family. Using those words and phrases in my opinion takes away the beauty of adoption, and devalues the love the birth mother has for her child.

Close to the end of the book Ms. Nelson calls the pregnancy a mistake. God allowed the pregnancy which doesn't make the pregnancy a mistake, because by calling it a mistake you are then saying the baby is. My youngest daughter got pregnant in her final year of high school, she married the father and we have a beautiful eight year old granddaughter who is the apple of our eye. The timing of the pregnancy wasn't perfect but the child is never a mistake because God ordained the creation of the baby.

My review may sound as though I am being overly critical of this book, but being adopted, having found my birth mother, knowing the truth about my conception which mirrors one in the story, and how much my birth mother loved me gives me a completely different perspective than an average reader. I have also committed to being truthful with my reviews without tearing apart the author.

This is a good emotional women's fiction novel. The themes are hope, forgiveness of others and self, the pain keeping secrets cause not only to the one keeping the secrets but those that love them. The subject matter is pre-marital sex, abortion, adoption, child loss, and grief.

Wow. This book will break your heart open but in the breaking you will see the light hope.

I was drawn into the brokenness of this book. The secrets that have been kept buried but needed to come up for air to set the characters free.

My words are not enough to express how deeply this book touched my heart. This is a must read. If you are looking for a book that will move you pick this one up and be prepared to take a look at some tough truths.


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

I don't often read women's fiction novels, but the description of this one intrigued me so I jumped at the opportunity to review it! This is an absolutely wonderful book that I very much enjoyed reading. Swimming in the Deep End does touch on some tough subjects (teen pregnancy, abortion, family issues, grief after the loss of a loved one) but I felt that all these topics were handled with fabulous grace in a manner that most readers would not find offensive.
This book is told in first person POV alternating between the perspectives of four different women, something that I wouldn't normally like all that much, but for this story it worked beautifully and each character had such a unique voice that I never once got confused about which character's head I was in! The faith story was so real, heart-stirring, and incredibly moving, it grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go! This is truly a wonderful read! I enjoyed it so much, and am so glad I read it! I highly recommend Swimming in the Deep End to anyone who is looking for a deep, powerful read that will touch your heart and soul and leave a lasting imprint long after you close the book! I have Christina Suzann Nelson's first book on my Kindle and I look forward to reading it (as well as anything she writes in the future) because I absolutely love her writing style!


I received an ebook copy of this book from the publisher which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

Wow, to call this book “moving” is an understatement! Don’t attempt to read this book without some tissues handy nearby! The characters are clearly going through the trenches, and the only way this story couldn’t affect you is if you never open it up. I literally needed a few moments to compose myself before considering writing my review. This is such a powerful story and absolutely one that won’t be forgotten.

A common theme throughout this story is that of regret. No one is immune from it. While the circumstances that produce it or the way they handle it may be different, the presence is clearly felt. One line that really stuck with me was “you’ve got to learn how to give up the guilt. It’s only good when it helps you make wise decisions. You can’t change the past” (loc 3935). How often do we look at our situations in life and dwell on our desire to wish we could change the past? It won’t do us any good and yet we find ourselves stuck in a never-ending cycle. It isn’t until we are able to fully let go and let God that we can begin to find healing.

Crisis pregnancy is nothing new. Without a doubt it has the ability to rip a family to shreds and leave permanent scars on those involved. Unfortunately the world preaches abortion as if it’s the simplest, most logical solution. What they don’t tell you is that often the guilt from such a horrible procedure, can leave the mother emotionally broken for the rest of her life. And here’s where my tears start back up. Yet when a mother makes the decision to parent or place her child in adoption–that’s where love shows through. I don’t know if the ministry home that the girls lived in in this story is real or not, but I do know places like it are truly in existence. It is because of a similar ministry that I have my husband and several sibs-in-law. His birth mother loved him enough to give him what she thought was his best chance in life. It wasn’t because of a lack of love, but because of the fullness of love, that she had him placed in my in-laws arms as a newborn baby. Knowing a bit of that, you can imagine what an emotional ride this book was for me!

It’s hard to share about this story without spoiling anything. In a very real way I’m still processing it, and dealing with leaking eyes. I know there are a lot of books that I sit here and recommend, but I honestly don’t think I can recommend this enough. It’s going straight into my favorites pile. It deals with some very difficult topics, but the process to redemption is fully worth the ride. If you give it a chance, this book will not leave you unchanged. Don’t forget the tissues but absolutely pick it up.

*I received a copy of this book through the author and JustRead Publicity Tours through NetGalley. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

An emotional story all about the love of a mother. There are 4 mothers that we follow the journey of. Mistakes are made and have the mothers wondering where they went wrong. Get ready for the tissues at the end!

This book is written in a way that tells the same story from four different points of views, that deals with some emotional and some difficult issues. It took me a little while before I really got into this story, mostly because I had a hard time relating to some of the aspects in this book. Overall, I enjoyed this story. Be warned, you will need a box of tissues when reading this beautifully written emotional book.

Wow. This story was very well written. Keep the tissues handy as Ms Nelson has written an extremely emotional story. The issues are hard, & gritty. There is no soft & easy life. Rather which choice is the better choice when there is no best choice available? I enjoyed her ability to show each characters thought processes, & what led them to think the way that they did. It was a deep book that I would highly recommend. I would clarify that there are some trigger issues, so please use discretion before reading if you struggle with a past abortion, adoption, unplanned pregnancy, or having ever lost a child.

Swimming in the Deep End, by new author Christian Suzann Nelson, is a tale I will not soon forget!

This book is set up to tell the same story from four different perspectives. First, you meet Jillian, mother to Izzy, a teenager who has a life ahead of her in competitive swimming. Jillian daily struggles with a secret, she has kept hidden for twenty years. Then, you are introduced to Izzy, whose life is about to change, when she discovers she is pregnant. Izzy and her boyfriend, Travis, must make some serious life decisions!

Next, you hear the story from Margaret's perspective, a single mother, who has been struggling to raise four sons. Margaret does not know which way to turn when her son, Travis, dies in a automobile accident. Finally, you meet Stacey, a young woman who is unable to become pregnant. Stacey and her husband have moved to a new home, after their efforts to adopt ended in failure. It has been two years and they are finally ready to give adoption another chance!

This book will have you reading page after page to discover where each of these characters land. By the end of this tale, you will learn some jaw dropping details about one of the prominent figures you meet along the way. You definitely will see God at work in each of these lives!

It took a while for the story to grab me but about a third of the way into the book, I was hooked. This is an emotionally packed novel. Nelson's writing style is such that I felt the turmoil and pain of each of the four main characters, such as the “perfect” Christian mother devastated by her unwed teen daughter's pregnancy.

There are many issues covered in this book, including destroyed dreams, teen pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, adoption, estranged family members, marital discord, and tragic death. All of that in one novel may seem overwhelming. Yet Nelson pulls it off, weaving together all of those issues as the novel progresses. I was amazed at how Nelson developed the plot to include healing in all of those areas through God's grace and peoples' love. And there was a surprise at the end I did not see coming but made perfect sense, even though it was emotionally hard to accept.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy emotionally packed character driven stories. I feel I must offer a caution, however. I have never experienced any of the issues included in the book first hand and yet the novel had a great emotional effect on me. I can't imagine how a reader who has experienced a failed adoption or a teen pregnancy or any of the other issues included would be impacted by this novel. I think you would find healing in these pages but first your heart might hurt deeply.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The author addresses a very sensitive topic. I did enjoy the book and felt the story line fell into place.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.