Three women find their lives touched by addiction in this Christian novel that tackles some heavy stuff. I thought it was done well. I was invested in the women's stories and I really hope there is a sequel.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know what it would be like to be an identical twin, nor have I lived in a dysfunctional family where there are so many hurts and pains. However, I do know that the author, Christina Suzann Nelson has written a beautifully touching story of healing, forgiveness, love, and hope.
This book was so captivating and deeply moving. It was a story of three women’s lives and how they all connected. It’s also a story that portrays what the use of drugs and its never-ending pull, can do to individuals and their families.
The whole world of foster-parenting, all the ins and outs, fears, and struggles, are foreign to me. I believe it takes a tender-hearted person or people, to be a foster parent. The author truly presents all aspects of this difficult and yet, what could be a rewarding, process.
The thing I love about Christina Suzann Nelson’s writings is that she brings such realness and depth to all her characters. I also appreciate the way she writes about some tough issues and how others deal with them. She doesn’t sugar-coat the pain and hurts her characters experience, yet she brings beautiful and poignant resolutions and makes it just The Way It Should Be.
I hope you too will pick up this book and read it, it might open your eyes like it did mine.
I was given this book by the publisher and in no way did it influences my review, all opinions are my own

This is a well written book that hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. It is full of emotions and you can feel every one of them. This books deals with real life problems and shows no matter how far you fall there is always hope. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Bethany House and Christina Suzann Nelson via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Captivating Women's Fiction Novel.

Three women, Tiff, Eve and Zara, are connected by substance abuse. Tiff mourns the loss of her teenage daughter by helping the homeless. Zara and Eve are identical twins. Eve is a drug addict.

As there paths converge, it's clear that life is messy and can be painful. Each of the women takes a risk to love others fearing the outcome.

The descriptions of men, whether an abuser or a loving husband, were well done. It was rewarding to see how the marriages of both Tiff and Zara were impacted by drug abuse and how they ultimately worked through those struggles.

This novel treats the topics of drug addiction and the foster system in a realistic rather than idealistic fashion. My heart goes out to those with family members addicted to drugs and my praise to those willing to give of their time and heart to be foster parents.

The cover is a perfect representation of Zara and Eve. Both beautiful. One has just fallen and will hopefully be able to sit upright again.

"God has a plan that is far outside of my own reach. And no matter what it looks like, I'm learning to see that His way is the way it should be."

Parenting a child in foster care system is rarely an ideal situation. Helping someone to recover from drug abuse takes a tremendous amount of fortitude. Moving on from poor life choices can feel impossible.

This is the story of three women. Zara is a newlywed who hopes to be a mom someday, but she discovers if she has a baby boy, he may die young like her brother. Due to family trauma and her twin's choices, she lost track of her sister. Little did she know that Eve already has two kids, but she is struggling to get out of the hold of drug addiction and her controlling boyfriend. Zara is asked to foster the two kids, but she is unsure. Tiffany suffers from guilt over the loss over her daughter who could not get out of drugs clutches, so she is doing everything she can to help other moms not to suffer the same fate. She steps in to help Eve and try to help the sisters.

Having three different story angles added such depth to the storyline. Zara is reluctant to only be a temporary solution - she knows she will come to care for the kids and be devastated when they are leave. To understand Eve's part of the story, the reader gets glimpses of her journal and begins to understand how she started down the road of drugs and how she is petrified of being stuck in her wrong choices. Tiffany and her husband have struggled to find their footing after the loss of their daughter. She puts herself in danger to try to help the homeless who are seeking out drugs. He feels like he is losing his wife too.

As someone who has never been a part of the drug scene or really known someone who struggles to overcome addiction, I can easily become judgmental. I can assume that a person could overcome their situations if they only "tried harder." The same is true for parents who have kids in the foster care system. I do not relate well. I appreciate how Eve is portrayed - we come to understand her decisions do not coincide with how much she truly wants to be with her children. This book reminded me of the importance of loving those who God puts into our path. We need not shy away from potentially tough situations. Being willing to step in to be a safe place for a child matters.

For anyone who is considering becoming a foster parent or who is supporting someone who is fostering, I highly recommend this book. I feel like it does not sugar coat the potential tough situations. But the book also shows that if the adults are trying to work for the best interests of the children, the system can work. This book appreciates the social workers and those who are trying to help. While maybe not a happy ending, this book did end on a hopeful note.

I really appreciate the author and Bethany House Publishers allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. This one will stick with me for a long time as I will continue to ponder how I can make a difference in the lives of those in my own community who may need a helping hand. To learn how to love my neighbor as myself can be hard. But I want to try. This review reflects my own experiences and opinions.

What a powerful read, one that tugs your heart and doesn't want to let go.

Zara and Eve twin sisters had a difficult up bring and now we meet them when they are grown with what is now happening in their lives. One has just gotten married, she and her husband have bought a small farm and beginning their new life together. The other Eve has more or less followed in her mother's footstep, and is now clinging to life.

Add to this group a spunky 5 year old girl, and a toddler boy, and a dreaded illness hanging over their heads.

I loved how this story unfolded and kept giving, their was fear something would happen to these children, or one of these characters would end up dead.

I loved the epilogue, and now I want more information! A phone call?

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

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book by this author I've read and it's very good. The writing flows well and the characters are likable. The story is definitely realistic and hits on several important topics that are quite common in today's world.

Zara is newly married when she receives a letter informing her that the niece and nephew she doesn’t even know need a place to live. Zara’s twin sister Eve hasn’t had it easy and is battling addiction.
Tiff is a woman on a mission, having lost her daughter to addiction.
These three will interact and change each other’s lives.
Written with such insight you can feel each women's pain, hope, past , scars and healing on every page
I had so many emotions reading this book, gratitude, blessings, sorrow, insight and compassion.
I think I’d like to be a combination of all these ladies when I grow up... Tiff’s resilience to try and make others not follow her daughters path, Zara’s determination to overcome her childhood and buy a farm and make seedlings into products and Eve’s grit to overcome her demons and her strength to fight for a better life for herself and her kids
While this is my first book by this author it definitely will not be my last. This one will stay with me for a long time
A huge thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

"The Way it Should Be" is a story about twins, Zara and Eve, who grew up in the same house hold, with the same issues, and how each of them turned out. Zara, successful, recently married, and childless, struggles with her new life as a married woman wanting to be enough for her new husband, while Eve, a junkie with two kids, struggles to find where their next meal will come from. In a random twist of fate, these two estranged sisters end up interwined in one another's lives again. I loved this book and could not put it down. I wasn't sure who to root for through the whole story but was really satisfied with how it ended. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone.

I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them. She does a nice job of creating realistic characters and writing emotional storylines, and this one was no exception. It was easy to connect with the characters and stay engaged. Tiff is resilient and Zara is determined, and you can't help but root for them. I also enjoyed Eve's strength and conviction to overcome and provide a better life for herself and her kids. There are some difficult subject matters, and the author does a fine job of tackling them.

This is a deeply emotional story of a family composed of twin girls, a younger brother and a mother. The boy is suffering a lethal disease, dying a painful death when the girls were young. They were forced to raise themselves with the help of their grandmother because their mother’s depression left her unable to cope.

We then go ahead several years to find them as adults with vastly different lives. While one worked to change all that had been her past, the other failed to thrive and fell into a world of drug dependency and the violent world that users live in.

The story that ensues is hugely emotional and upsetting. Being a mother I felt all of the emotions that Tiff experienced. The underlying belief of god seems to have given the twins the strength to do what is right and to take care of themselves and those they loved.

The book ripped my heart apart time after time when I just wanted to crawl inside and hug everyone. The author did an amazing job of portraying street life it surprised me how many people in my life where so close to falling into the lives that so many of these characters lived. As a community we need to reach out and help homeless people.

Well done to the author and I hope each of you that read this book find yourself on a different level of understanding and compassion. Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for allowing me to read this ARC.

SYNOPSIS:
This story focuses on the lives of three women seemingly disconnected at the start, but more connected than they can imagine. Newlyweds Zara and Chad Mahoney are asked to foster the children of Zara’s sister Eve after she ends up in the hospital. Zara, the product of a broken family has never met the children of her sister and is hesitant to say yes. Eve has been in an abusive relationship and has just connected with a woman named Tiff, who wants to help Eve make a better life for herself. Tiff and her husband Bruce’s daughter Lindsay struggled with an addiction to both heroin and meth in high school, which lead to a life on the streets and no contact with her parents, who believed her to be dead. For Tiff, Eve is a chance to do what she was not able to for her daughter and help her overcome what she is facing.

What follows is a wonderful story of forgiveness, strength, and courage necessary to make the changes needed for a better more fulfilling life.

REVIEW:
I was greatly struck by the way this story highlighted and embraced the realities of a woman struggling to leave an abusive relationship, while also struggling with drug abuse. My heart moved for Eve as she fought to gain her children back, struggling against the pull of her addiction and the desire to do what needs to be done to reunite her family. Her courage was moving and a beautiful part of this story and provided insight into the struggles of addiction and domestic abuse. I am truly impressed with the author’s ability to capture these moments.

Zara’s willingness despite her own insecurities and reservations to step up and take care of her sister’s children spoke to a desire to know her sister and be a part of her life. Zara’s thoughts of how life with her husband Chad will be are challenged and rather than succumb to the pressure, Zara steps up. Engaging with her sister’s children is an experience The interaction between Zara and Eve and Eve and Tiff highlights the various ways that relationships are tested by knowing someone who is struggling with drug addiction.

Tiff was a character it took me a little time to warm up to. Her strong desire to right previous wrongs with her daughter lead her to make impulsive choices that threatened her relationship with her husband and son. I questioned her motives, but as the story progressed, I came to realize she was making those choices for the right reasons.

This was such an uplifting read despite the heaviness of the topic. Eve, Zara, and Tiff showcase strength, courage, and vulnerability in the face of real and honest trials. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a powerful story this is! I could not put it down once I started it.

The story centers around twin sisters who have had a difficult life. Zara is recently married to Chad and eve is a mom to Charlotte and Sammy, struggling with addictions.

The aspects of family, ministry and foster care are so strong in this book. I look forward to checking out more of this authors books.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE by CHRISTINA SUZANN NELSON is a book that gives us hope even in the midst of harsh subject matter. It is well written, inspirational, and the Christian message is strong.
When newlyweds, Chad and Zara Mahoney, are asked to foster Zara's twin sister Eve's two children, their life takes on new meaning in more ways than one! Zara and Eve come from a dysfunctional family whereas Chad comes from a loving family. Zara is afraid she will not be a good mother and Eve seems to be going the same way as their mother, who is on drugs. The characters are very real and we are drawn into their fears and struggles. I particularly like the portrayal of Chad and Bruce, strong and caring men, as opposed to Joey and other men in Eve's life.
Tiff and Bruce Bradley have lost their daughter Lindsay to drugs and Tiff works among addicts, hoping that someone showed the same kind of unconditional love to her daughter when she lived on the streets. Tiff sees the mistakes she made as a mother and she and Bruce go the extra mile to help Eve get back on her feet.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you. It is a book about life and relationships, unselfishness and hard decisions, and in some instances second chances.
I highly recommend the Way It Should Be to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.