My thanks to NetGalley and Abingdon Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I have enjoyed this series and was saving this one for when I was heading into a book slump and needed to be lifted out of it. Unfortunately, the book slump was stronger than this book for me and the book slump continues.

My issues with this book are as follows.

1) The characterization is all over the place. The internal dialogues don't match the outward actions of the characters or how the characters are first shown to the reader. The relationship between the grandmom and h is strangely depicted. At first, they seem devoted to each other, but then it seems that the grandmom acted like she was reluctant to take in her orphaned granddaughter, even though she searched high and low for her?

2) This is a Christian book and God doesn't really come into it until about the last 10% or so of the book. That is also when the book starts to pick up, leading me into...

3) The pacing is ALL off. Drags, repeats, then drags some more until the last 10% or so. Then it just ENDS. Too abrupt, it needs more to really make it feel complete and satisfying. I think rather than being told that the H and h spent months talking on the phone and seeing each other, getting to know one another, we should have been shown their relationship deepening and the h's meetings with the minister as she grew in her faith. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere.

4) God doesn't always speak to us in a life-or-death situation. People can and do come to Jesus without having their life flash before their eyes. They also have the life threatening situation conversions as well, but to have both the H and the h have the life threatening conversion is a bit much.

5) We NEVER get the H or h's backstory fully. We get hints of it here and there, but we never get the full story of why his and her eyes tear up when certain things happen and it's just weird and incomplete.

6) For a section of the book, the h was trying to pursue the H and he kept basically rejecting her advances, but she didn't give up. She always got what she wanted! Not a healthy attitude to have imho. She dropped it, eventually, but it was painful to read.

Not a horrible book, but not the right one to bring me up out of my slump. There is some kissing, no bad language and God is sprinkled throughout until the end when He makes a bigger appearance. The grandmom has dementia, so that could be sad for those who have experienced a loved one going through it.

Recommended for romance readers who like Christian themes in their reading material. 2, not a great book but ok, stars.