Just finished reading Leaning On Air.. The rich description of both characters and circumstances pulled me into their story. The book authentically depicts the joys and heartaches of everyday relationships. Woven throughout is the beautiful thread of hope even in our darkest seasons.

Leaning on Air is a contemporary Christian romance set in the beautiful Palouse prairie area of Washington state. Celia and Burnaby, an ornithologist and a veterinary surgeon, marry, and one of them is autistic with an aversion to being touched. What could possibly go wrong?

The story features nerdy romance and the sweetest children. One of the kids, five-year-old Cobb, has a few point-of-view chapters. As for the nerdy romance, if you’re not into physics or ornithology, don’t worry, Bostrom explains all the sciency stuff readers need to know. And it’s not dry. It’s interesting!

Leaning on Air is also a story of grief. Grief strikes, and every flaw in Celia and Burnaby’s marriage is magnified. I felt so sorry for them.

The faith element of the story is subtle and comes through strongest in a parable of a god-horse from little Cobb’s point of view. Because the Christian message is so nuanced, the story might hit home for agnostics or for readers who simply feel “spiritual” but don’t identify with any one religion.

I think readers who enjoy clean, contemporary romance will devour this story. It’s so well-written and memorable.

I read an advanced copy of Leaning on Air through NetGalley, and I’m happy to share my honest opinion.

A beautiful story which masterfully tackles what it means to love and grieve and sometimes get caught up in not knowing how to do both simultaneously. Bostrom instills her characters with realistic struggles and hope and grace and reactivity - children are childlike in their belief and conclusions; adults mystified by the mystery of what it means to trust God more than each other. I was caught up quickly in the story and couldn’t wait to see it through.

Bostrom’s novel is inspired! Through her characters' entangled stories, I relived depths of human pain at a deeply personal level, but I also received needed nurture for my oft-wavering faith. I read nearly non-stop as the author carried me to a place of healing through wildflower and relational beauty and an otherworldly portrayal of marital oneness.  I can’t explain it, but Leaning on Air inspires me to trust.
Thank You, NetGalley, for making this advanced reading possible.

Cheryl Bostrom's sequel novel to Sugar Birds explores the developing adult relationship between her two main characters, exploring its beginnings, its fragility and brokenness, and hoped-for reconciliation - a powerful parallel to the novel's setting in the Palouse hills. Bostrom's meticulous research informs her vivid descriptions of the unparalleled beauty of the farmland and its wildlife. Palouse productivity and fertility depend upon the cooperation of the region's farmers to restore and protect its God-given potential. So too, Celia and Burnaby’s marriage thrives only with careful cultivation. Leaning On Air explores how belief in God's unshakeable presence in our lives preserves the covenantal bond between Creator and Created, the marriage commitment between husband and wife, and the care of the land we steward for future generations.

This book took my breath away!
It evoked every emotion I have ever felt. An eloquent writing style, that keeps the story alive and moving from one event and emotion to another. Without knowing where I was going with one,, a new adventure was developing in front of me. Just when I thought I had it figured out…something new. From beginning to end, and after completion, this book took hold. Valuable life lessons. Trust. Forgiveness. Thank you Tyndale and Net Galley.

I did not want this book to end! The story and characters were both compelling and engaging, leaving me wanting more. It’s a story of love, grief and heartbreak, which mimics real-life and provides the hope that we all need. *Thank you to Tyndale and NetGalley for the ARC.*

I really enjoyed this book.

The setting: this author’s beautiful descriptions of Washington State's Palouse capture the imagination and will make you want to jump in the car and go have a look for yourself.

The story: rich relationships, love of nature, greed and fear, all merge in this interlaced plot. The author has skillfully woven a story of struggle, disappointment, redemption and renewal in unexpected places and through complex characters. Thought-provoking themes will have you pondering them long after you turn the last page.

Thank you to Tyndale and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy.

“ Perhaps only a writer who also possesses the gifts and sensibilities of a poet, naturalist, and photographer can produce a novel equal in scope to the multi-award-winning Sugar Birds. In Leaning on Air, Cheryl Grey Bostrom weaves a compelling story of mystery and romance into an elegiac field guide to the magnificent natural world of the Palouse. Both unpredictable and plausible, this intricately layered tale soars like the red-tailed hawk at its heart. Bostrom paints her plot and characters in deft brush-strokes that beautifully capture the language of creation.”

I finished Leaning on Air last night, and WOW. I am speechless. The story grabbed me from the very first page and did not let go. I was mesmerized. In this unique, layered love story, two different personalities, one autistic and the other not, learn to relate after being separated by misunderstanding and loss. Deeply complete main and secondary characters fill this book, and their interactions reveal the understanding this author has of intimate relationships, it is SO SO good.
(Many thanks to Tyndale/Net Galley for the pre-publication copy.)

Wow. After the first book by this author, I didn’t think any story could top it, but I was wrong. Bostrom takes her writing to another level in Leaning on Air. A relational story of hope and new beginnings. Her best so far!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale for this early opportunity to read.
Jan Maria

I loved Cheryl Grey Bostrom’s first novel, the multiple prize-winning Sugar Birds. But Leaning on Air is at another level. I have never physically been to the Palouse region of Washington State, and had never heard of it, but after reading this book, it feels like my home away from home. I do understand rationally that the characters in this book are not actually real people, but Celia and Burn have become people I care about, think about, and even pray over.
This book is that good.
As a writer myself (non-fiction only) I found myself copying lines from the book that were simply too beautifully written to just read once or twice. This novel is like a fine painting you want to hang on the wall and look at over and over again.
This is a love story based on overcoming tragedy and, as in real life, what we end up with is the overwhelming power of love to conquer all opposition. The nuanced plot and its various twists and turns will have you urgently trying to resist turning the pages to see what happens, and then happy you didn’t, when you discover the marvelous resolutions that await the patient reader.
Without giving too much away, there are many breathtaking (literally, at one point I had to remind myself to breathe) scenes. Those involving a young child who expresses himself through his artwork are something you will cherish and never forget.
Cheryl Grey Bostrom made a major splash with Sugar Birds. I am predicting a tidal wave of love for Leaning on Air.

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

A young couple overcomes obstacles to be together and then fall apart after a tragedy. There are blessings and hurdles in their restoration.