Wow.

Sigh.

I just l-o-v-e it when a story grasps my heart as soon as I begin reading. I love it even more when it refuses to let go and squeezes every ounce of emotion from me.

So. Many. Feels.

The Edge of Belonging is a gorgeous, raw, and emotional time-slip novel with themes of family, friendship, faith, and spiritual healing. The imagery, writing style, emotions, and setting are spot-on, but for me, the key characters are what truly makes this story come to life. Each character's flaws, damages, and hurts make them so easy to connect with. Their healing pierces me the deepest.

Though readers have diverse lives and circumstances, it is effortless to connect and empathize with each life and circumstance portrayed. I enjoyed learning about Ivy’s journey and getting to know Pearl, Reese, and the other secondary characters, but Harvey… Harvey James is unforgettable. He made a home in my heart on page one.

It’s amazing how there are many tragic aspects of this story, but it’s far from depressing. It’s heart-breaking yet mending, painful yet sweet.

Beautiful cover art. Memorable characters. Brilliant storytelling.

This heart-breaking and heart-mending tale is on my 2020 Favorites list, and I’ll be watching for more work from this debut author. I did not want this story to end. ♡

I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy of this book.

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox is a multi=timeline novel set mostly in Tennessee. It shifts from 1994 to 1998-1999, and back to Present Day.

In 1994, Harvey, homeless and living by the highway, finds an abandoned baby girl. He connects with her immediately, trying to care for her in his lean-to by the side of the road. Abandoned as a boy, he hopes to make a family with this lost little girl.

In the Present Day, Ivy, who is in an abusive relationship with a controlling fiance, returns home to Tennessee to settle her grandmother's estate. Her grandmother has left her a message and pointed her to a journal which will explain more about her adoption. With the help of her friend Reese, she starts to try and find out more about the first three months of her life.

The beauty of this book lies in the simple message of family and what constitutes a family. Ivy's family has always been her parents, her grandmother, and her Uncle Vee. But who are they really?

This book also hits some hard issues. It looks at domestic abuse, sex trafficking, drug abuse, the foster care system, and PTSD. It shows how important it is to love each other, and how love can transform a life. And it shows how God answers prayers, but not always in the way you would expect.

The Edge of Belonging is well written and hard to put down. The characters are so well developed that they will permanently touch your heart. The message of hope amidst sorrow and tragedy abounds through the book. I highly recommend this to anyone who has experienced loss, or anyone who just wants to read a well written novel.

I received a free copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

The Edge of Belonging is one of my favorite reads of this year. I loved the journey all the characters take as they process what makes up the value of a person, and how God leads us to be part of a family because we are marked by Christ and we choose to love one another. As a woman walking through a lot of grief this year, this tender story also met me in my grief and made space for the fact that we do live in a broken world full of loss, but our hope is found in belonging to our Creator, here and forevermore.

I can't even. I don't even know what to say. The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox blew me away. Y'all! It had ALL. THE. FEELS! I couldn't fall asleep last night from processing it. This book had me ugly crying in a good way. It filled me up and now I am overflowing. The love that was expressed in this book was so Christ like. There was a romance, and yet so much more than that, These characters will be with me for a long time. In fact, it has been a while since a book as affected me so much. I guess you could call me a romantic, or a bleeding heart, but I think whether you or or aren't, this book will impact you. I can't believe this is a debut book. All, I can say is I look forward to more amazing stories from this author and I can't encourage you enough to get this book. This will definitely be my top pick of 2020 for sure.
*I received a copy of this book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox is a dual timeline story that bounces between present day and 1994. The story tugs at the heart of the reader. Harvey is a homeless man living in a lean-to on abandoned property who finds an abandoned baby and cares for her as his own. Without money, he attempts to get food and necessities for her from a church and ends up becoming the janitor and living with the elderly lady living next to the church. Present day, the baby is grown and has now come home to clean out the elderly lady's home after her passing and is trying to find out more about who she really is.
I loved this story. It is a story that will stay with me for a while. The story is well written and easy to envision. The characters are dealing with issues of their own, but form to make up a strong family unit. The topics of foster homes and abuse are hard to read but show how Harvey could become so attached to the baby immediately.
I received an e-book copy of this book from Revell Publishing through NetGalley, this is my honest review.

Tissue alert! This novel will tug at your heart strings and tears may flow – especially as the story comes to an end.
This is the first time I’ve read something by Amanda Cox and it definitely won’t be the last.
I love the author’s engaging voice. She was able to pull me right into her story world as she recounts the early beginnings of an abandoned baby who earns the name of Ivy. The story bounces between her tragic start and her life as a twenty-four year old counselor – her first few months of life of which she is blissfully unaware.
The death of her grandmother provides Ivy with the chance to escape an abusive relationship and learn about the power of love, strength of family and how our humble beginnings can shape the rest of our lives.
Each character is so wonderfully created that each one goes through something the reader can relate to. A devoted pastoral couple struggling with infertility. A widowed mother who lost her son to suicide and her husband to cancer. A homeless man who becomes a ghost in the night so no child – or person – will ever feel alone when tragedy strikes.
I could gush about this story, but it’s best if you go grab a copy for yourself.
You won’t regret it.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is such a heart touching story. It is multi generational, which I truly love and it also shows how people come together as a family without any.blood ties. It shows how wonderfully and completely God works in our lives. Although the plot was pretty predictable early.on it was still interesting to see how they got to the end. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely recommend it.

Such a tender novel that brought me to tears throughout the whole book! I was moved by the rawness of humanity and the satisfactory ending. What does an abandoned baby in the woods have in common with the homeless man that found her? A story about belonging.
Bravo Amanda Cox for bringing the topics of foster care, adoption, and emotional abuse in such a unique fashion. I'm glad Ivy and Harvey found their way to what truly matters. One of my favorite quotes was from Ivy's grandmother. "....Always know that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. And God does not make junk."

The Edge of Belonging is a Christian contemporary novel about finding family and belonging.

The Edge of Belonging was a good book. It’s about a young woman who struggles with knowing that she is adopted and who finds out the circumstances of her adoption. Part of the story is told in the present time, as Ivy Rose deals with a breakup and with her grandmother’s death and with learning more and more details about her past as a foundling. The other half of the story is told in flashbacks of what happened years before that ended with her adoption and the formation of her non-biologically-related family.

The story was sweet and inspirational. I wish all adoptees could have such a happy ending. I liked how the author split the story into past and present. I didn’t find it confusing at all, and even with the flashbacks, the story was revealed piece-by-piece, heightening the anticipation. There was also a little bit of clean romance. And I liked the way the story ended, with God meeting everyone’s needs the perfect, though unexpected, way.

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are entirely my own.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from Revell Reads. These are my honest thoughts.

Despite a single expletive, this book has soared onto my favorites list this year. This debut was fresh and different and deep. When I first saw the cover, I was blown away, but I wasn’t certain what to expect beneath that cover. Let me tell you, it wasn’t anything like I would have guessed.

The story began with a homeless man, and this was something I had never seen done before. This approach tugged in my heart right away. This was a time-split novel, and sometimes the new scenes took me away from what I wanted to keep reading about, but overall, this was very well done (even in those tense moments).

The theme of seeing the unseen people in our lives (those society deems less than worthy of our attention) was superbly on display. This is one reason this book is now a favorite. It takes the “look after orphans and widows” (James 1:27) and “will assemble the outcasts” (Isaiah 11:12) themes and creates a haven for those who are looked down upon by the vast majority of society.

This story is powerful and needed today. I think it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to grow in compassion and who wants to know how to see with new eyes what you’ve missed so many times before.

I loved the tension throughout. It was crafted by the constant unpredictability of the ups and downs of the story and the plot twists and surprises along the way. This helped create a wonderful, thick atmosphere for the story. Harvey’s and Ivy’s lives and problems, fears and hopes and goals fit well into this rich atmosphere.

My emotions were engaged well from page one, and I ended up weeping on a couple of occasions (which made my heart happy even as the words on the page ripped it apart).

Some of my favorite lines were:

“I have faith God is somehow going to heal what feels impossible.”

“There’s a better life for you out there than the one you’re living. All you have to do is take hold of it.”

“We all need a place to rest and be reassured.”

Triggers: losing a child/infertility, rape/sex trafficking, suicide (mentioned and inferred)

Amanda Cox may be new on the Christian fiction scene, but I think she’s whittling out a place to settle in for a while. I can hardly wait to discover her next story.

Content: one expletive

I was so caught up in reading that I couldn't take notes. The plot just carried me along and I didn't want it to end. I usually write more in my reviews but all I can say is that you should preorder it now! It was such a beautiful story of ashes turning into something beautiful and of love transforming the unloved.

I did receive an ARC via Netgalley but I freely give my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book of a young woman learning who her real parents were and why her adoptive parents took her. This also showed how a family can be found not born into. I loved Ivy and Henry James. I love how the story was told. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

For a debut author let me tell you Amanda Cox really

knows how to pack a punch!


You start reading and all is well you are sailing along fine, you start to get comfortable but in the back of your mind you're waiting,watching wondering . THEN......... all of the sudden take a deep breath, it hits you, a punch in the gut. You're sucker punched and you can't quite catch your breath.


The author really brings out all the emotions in you and I really

look forward to seeing what she'll come out with next!

Published September 8th 2020 by Fleming H. Revell Company.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A compelling dual timeline story that follows the life of Ivy Rose as she returns to her hometown, she discovers more about her past as she makes choices about her future.

Captivating from the very beginning this heartfelt tale, is a story of faith, family, and the choices that bring us together. This book kept me guessing all the way to the end, and I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to know what had happened as the two threads got closer to converging.

The characters are well crafted, I loved Harvey for his courage, unorthodox survival tactics, resourcefulness, and nurturing heart. I loved how this book introduces so many wonderful people in one small community who captured my heart, as I longed, laughed and cried along with them.

A stunning debut, with memorable characters, poignant storytelling, with equally engaging storylines. I loved how it explores the complex relationships, and the beauty of love in unexpected places. Well constructed and well worth your time. I highly recommend this masterpiece!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

There are books that open and begin reading and somehow you know. It’s like meeting that person you will marry. You know this book is going to be a good one. You know you will love the characters, you know your heart will probably ache and you might cry.

This was one of those books. Within five pages I knew I had devour this book.

What a unique storyline and so many questions. The set up is unique as well. As Ivy is trying to learn about her past the readers is reading about it and we know more then she does.

I really can’t recommend this book enough. I can’t wait to pass it on. I’m not sure if this is Amada’s debut novel, but I will definitely be picking up whatever she puts out next.

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This story goes from modern day to twenty plus years earlier, but is so wonderfully written that it is easy to follow.
Wonderful sweet story and wonderful characters.
Ivy has came back home simply because her grandmother asked her to settle her estate in her last wishes. Ivy knows she was adopted as a baby, but never knew the whole story. She's always wondered, but her parents didn't seem to want to discuss it. The topic seemed to cause upset for them.
Her grandmother left the truth for her, but Ivy discovers her grandmother's journal has been taken, but, by who?
Uncle Harvey seems to know information, but it's apparent he doesn't want to discuss it either.
Ivy has broken off an engagement with an abusive fiancee' right before returning to settle her grandmother's affairs. Her childhood friend, Reese, is there to help. I loved how the story was written with Reese and Ivy's feelings for each other.
I so loved the story of Harvey from the beginning to the end. I admire the pastor and Pearl for seeing past the exterior of Harvey and giving him a chance. I loved Ivy's new parents, Pastor Tom and Miriam. I felt Miriam's pain at her inability to bear a child.
This story covered many different topics (that aren't tasteful) and all tastefully.
Thank you to the publisher, Revell and Netgalley for who gave me a free ecopy and for allowing me to read this wonderful story. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

I like how the author alternated between past and present timelines seamlessly. Story starts out in 1994, readers meet Harvey a lonely young man who has learned to survive on the things people throw away, ne never begged for anything. He’s made his home in the woods. He’s quite content until someone throws something away that they never should have. Harvey’s not quite sure what to do with this new discovery. He wants to do the right thing.

Then the story switches to current time where readers meet Ivy and her insensitive, controlling betrothed, she’s just received word her grandmother doesn’t have long to live. She wants to be by her side. She will do what it takes to be there.

I liked how the author built up suspense on each timeline to keep you reading. I enjoyed each timeline and Harvey and Ivy learn to make their way through troubled waters.

Ivy searches for the journal her Grandmother left her after reading a letter she wrote, here’s a peek at the note, “I’m sorry. For the things you will learn that will hurt. For the ways we fell short. The ways, I most of all, let you down. With all the love in my heart”….“No matter what you decide know that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. And God does not make junk. Love Always grandma.”

Topic dealt with in this novel, abandonment, PTSD, infertility, homelessness, depression, abuse verbal and physical, suicide covered with a whole lot of love and grace. Readers see God working the impossible through all the characters. “God uses broken pieces to fit so beautifully into the missing spaces of other people’s lives.” Nothing is wasted. In the author’s bio is says that she works with a nonprofit youth organization that has had her interacting with hurting families for over a decade. This compassion and love she has for broken people shines through the hearts of her characters.

I loved this layered story, and the endearing characters that touched my heart. This book would be wonderful for your next book club pick. There is a plethora of things to discuss. The edge of belonging is a book you won’t soon forget. This is the first book I’ve read by this author it won’t be the last.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox was a compelling novel from the beginning. Ivy Rose goes back to her hometown to close her grandmother’s home and to oversee the estate sale. Among her grandmother’s things she finds clues to the truth about Ivy’s adoption 24 years ago.

I was most impressed by the development of the characters all through out the novel. Ms. Cox’s way of introducing characters and their secrets kept me reading long into the night. The novel was very well done and I would recommend it to my friends.

The Edge of Belonging is such a spellbinding, dual-time novel from Amanda Cox. I foresee Edge of Belonging winning an award for debut novels. For myself, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page. Heart-rending themes such as foster homes, homelessness, human trafficking, depression, and PTSD are dealt with from both the sufferer’s and a loving helper’s POV. The raw loneliness, hurt, and need that several of the characters experience is portrayed so poignantly. It seems each character in the earlier story (Harvey, Pearl, Thom, and Miriam) feels they are on the edge of belonging to some degree. In the later story, Ivy is the focal point who feels like she doesn’t quite belong, but her best friend Reese has often struggled with those same sentiments. I was thrilled to see how the book’s title applied to so many. I also loved seeing the hope and mercy that certain characters, especially Pearl and Reese, generously dole out to others. Again, so many of Ms. Cox’s characters show significant growth by the end of the story.
While it is easy to see early on where the stories will connect, there remains the fascination of just how
Ms. Cox is going to work it all out.
I usually like to pick a favorite character, but they were all faves. I love Reese for his steadiness and undying care. Harvey, for the way he supersedes his own fears to love another. And Pearl, for her radar to find and genuinely love lost souls.
Get your own copy of this must-read debut!
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher through Revell Reads via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and no positive review was required.

This book was a breath of fresh air. In this time of polarized writing and overused tropes The Edge of Belonging stands out as a unique and heartwarming story. The intertwined lives of a homeless man, an abandoned baby, an elderly woman, and pastoral couple toward wholeness and family was well written and wholly satisfying.
The dual timeline was not confusing and added depth to the characters. I loved the journey they each took toward faith and unconditional love as they navigated their individual life journeys.
Threads of faith, love, acceptance, and healing were woven throughout the story and grabbed my emotions from the very start. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I recommend it!
I was given an ARC courtesy of Baker Publishing Group/Revell through Interviews and Reviews and NetGalley. This is my honest review.