Season of Hope by Carol James is a heartwarming and absorbing novel that is a perfect fit for readers who enjoy stories of redemption, forgiveness, and small-town charm, and are looking for a poignant exploration of the human experience during a tumultuous period in American history.

Hope is a single mother in the days before single parenthood was socially acceptable, let alone common. Her son, Mattie, is the result of her farewell to her boyfriend, Nate, before he departed to fight in Vietnam.

But Nate died. And so did her parents. And now Hope thinks God is punishing her for her sin. The result is she’s not big on church … until the interim pastor moves into the guest house over the garage in the house she and Mattie share with her aunt.

Josh comes from a well-to-do family and has his own battles to face. He also fought in Vietnam, an experience which changed his life and motivated him to become a pastor.

Seasons of Hope sits between contemporary and historical romance. Technically, the Vietnam War was long enough ago that it’s considered historical. But it’s still something that happened in my mother’s lifetime, something I can remember being told about as a child. As such, it also feels somewhat contemporary (for which we can probably thank Paul Hardcastle and “19”).

It’s not a common era for historical fiction. I have read some fiction set in the 1970s, but not a lot. The era is familiar, which certainly gives the novel a contemporary feeling. But so much has changed since then in terms of technology and social norms. Those areas certainly gave the novel a historical feel.

The plot was excellent. Hope and Josh make a great couple, with plenty of conflict but not too much unnecessary angst. (There was the beautiful ex-girlfriend and a big misunderstanding, but that was fortunately worked out quickly enough. I am not a fan of the other woman or big misunderstanding tropes).

What I liked most was the realism. Both Hope and Josh were characters who allowed false guilt regarding the past to influence and sometimes rule their presence (I say false guilt, because God forgives our sins before we even ask. As such, feeling guilty after we’ve repented is false guilt … even though it’s also all too common).

Seasons of Hope is a solid Christian romance with believable characters and an important message of forgiveness. Well worth reading.

Thanks to Pelican Book Group and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This is a touching story from a past era that deals with young love and loss. Hope is left behind after her boyfriend goes off to the Vietnam War. He has not returned seven years later and considered MIA. Her parents were killed about the same time so Hope feels like she is being punished by their deaths and unworthy in God's eyes. She is left with her six year old son Mattie and is overprotective of him. It takes a young new pastor, Josh, at her church for the summer to help her overcome her fears and see herself as worthy of God's love. Josh befriends Hope and Mattie but it is really hard for Hope to open up and see Josh as a man, not just a pastor who she puts on a pedestal. This is an emotional touching story of how Hope finally sees that God did not left her but it was the opposite...and how much God loves us in spite of our mistakes. Lovely story of faith, forgiveness, trust, and love with many twists and turns to reach a sense of peace.
I received a complimentary ARC from the Pelican Book Group, White Rose Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Season of Hope is a Christian book for readers who love a clean story. The book covers the topics of forgiveness, trust, secrets and redemption. It is recommended as an uplifting story for those who love this genre.

This is a wonderful book! It is well written and holds your attention, once you start reading you don't want to stop. I fell in love with little Mattie and loved reading Josh and Hope's story. This is a book you don't want to miss. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Pelican Book Group via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Heart cleansing:
I really enjoyed this tender and emotional story about receiving second chances in life and living in the freedom that comes with them. Both Josh and Hope had made mistakes in the past and were still dealing with hurt and doubt. I enjoyed seeing them deal with their issues and how Hope was able to restore her faith in the Lord. They had to overcome a number of obstacles to be together but I liked how their issues seemed authentic and I was so glad when things finally worked out for them.
Whilst being set in the mid 70's, this story still felt highly relevant and applicable to today. There was a strong Christian message of redemption, forgiveness and hope. I thought there was just the right amount of drama and tragedy mixed with a sweet romance. All in all, a fabulous book!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Thank you NetGalley & White Rose Publishing for this beautiful, faith inspired ebook!

This was my first book by author Carol James and it won't be the last!
She did an amazing job writing Season Of Hope!
I seriously never put my Kindle down! I started this morning and finished just now!
Its that dang good!
An amazing awesome book about trust and forgiveness.