I LOVED this novel ~ I read it back in 2015, so I don't recall the details, but have read other Varina Denman books since then. She is a gifted author. Thank you for allowing me to read this copy.

How many chances are here for you to fix your life, when you are unmarried, pregnant, uppity high class girl trying to find her voice at least? Well, might this situation actually be your best chance, after all!

Fawn Blaylock used to be the IT girl of Trapp, Texas. Before she found herself pregnant with a local rich bad boy and kicked out from her parent's house. Now she finds herself at the "mercy" of people she was used not to socialize with - former friend Ruthie Turner and her family, who are not the poster Christians (even of Ruthie and JohnScott have found God recently). Fawn believes herself not worthy - after all, she has sinned and, spending her life in the city ruled by gossip, she tends to take that gossip as a verdict of personal worth.
She is also torn between two men - Tyler, her baby's father and her first man, and JohnScott, a small city football coach, who suddenly seems to be everything one can look for in a man. But she is pregnant!
JohnScott is attracted, too. Fawn is much more than her pretty facade, and he is touched by her insecurity and inner strength. But is he enough?
They both need to see themselves the way God sees them, not how the people see them.

Again - this is a beautiful read by Ms Denman. I find her voice unique amongst the Christian wroters because of certain "civility" (I don't know the better expression, but she is free from certain Christian pathos and sugar-coating), emotional intelligence and understanding for her characters. They are real, because they are struggling and in a need of hope - and maybe because of that humanity they feel personal and relatable to.

Fawn Blaylock was an unpleasant character in "Jaded", the first book in the series, but here we can get her and cross our fingers for her in her quest in maturity and love.
Fawn is a victim of the secrets in her life - some of them are revealed in the first volume, some here - and what secrets are they! No wonder she lived her life the way she did!
Even if I find the villains being "too much" to be real (especially Tyler, who spirales down too fast), I understand the unspoken weight of the past sins and how they can be a base for the present sins.

Fawn is a very relatable heroine. And JohnScott - oh. He is totally manly with a streak of insecurity, which makes him even more attractive in my books.
I love Ruthie and Dodd's story continuing. And I can't wait to read the third volume about Lynda, Ruthie's prickly yet caring mother!

This is a series of a high quality. Highly recommended for anyone both willing to look at the mirror with honesty and willing to love the God's image in us!

Over the past couple of years, I tried two other times to start and read this book. My friends loved it, but I had a hard time getting into it. Finally I gritted my teeth and dived in a few days ago, determined to mine until I found the gold.

Well, I did end up liking Fawn a lot. Ruthie was my favorite character, and I may go back and read her story just so I can see how she fell in love with her man. JohnScott was good, but I just couldn't get past the whole he-was-her-teacher thing. It just didn't work.

If Fawn had narrated the whole book, I probably would have given it four stars, or perhaps 3.5. I found myself skimming over the non-Fawn parts to get back to the Fawn parts. I might have liked more JohnScott parts, because in the end I didn't feel like I knew him a lot. But absolutely no Tyler parts...and why the brief parts in Clyde's view and Fawn's mom's view? Keep it simple.

Pluses: Fawn loving her kid in spite of everything; the strong pro-life message. Ruthie. Velma. Fawn and her mom finally talking (shocker! Parents and kids talking to each other! Long overdue for those two, but at least it happened.)

Fails:
First and foremost, Tyler. Such an unbelievable character. I mean, Fawn was supposed to have been in love with him, and yet he is a stalking creeper? A rich kid and privileged, yet carving a brand on his own arm? Nobody noticing he is stalking her? He acted like some bum, always drinking and hanging around and acting possessive. Shoving her around in public, then showing up at her house with tons of gifts. Ultimately, I think it would have made a lot more psychological sense for him to have raped her and gotten her pregnant than to think he was someone who had some sort of "social standing" that her dad would want. And the ending... <spoiler> I do watch some Criminal Minds. Someone that focused on a target, someone escalating that fast and devolving that fast, is not going to just be knocked out, go to the hospital, serve a little time, and then be okay. He'd be ready to make a showdown. It was an illogical outcome and not something I could see coming. </spoiler>

JohnScott. Also not deeply consistent. Saying he is caring for her but not finding out what Tyler is up to? Coming over to her place all alone when he knows he feels attracted to her? Portrayed as a nice guy...but I missed a lot of real chemistry between them. More scenes of the going to shoe polish the windows and the showing up at the hospital in a dust storm, and I'd feel much more sure of their relationship.

Reality. Oh my goodness, the ending! The accident/crash was just not believable. Explain it. Show me how it could have worked. The scenes were heavy on the emotion and low on the detail. I felt every bit of Fawn's panic for her child and her need to get to the truck, but...the crash happened off-camera, so to speak. It was never explained and was totally unrealistic. <spoiler> There is no mention made of a child seat when she gets there. She is pulling the baby out of a truck that just rolled over a cliff. Does she have to struggle with seat ties? With a smashed carrier? Did he have a car seat at all? Otherwise, how could he live? </spoiler>

Profanity. Tyler uses out and out profanity. Not cool. Not acceptable in any Christian book, spelled out, and definitely not needed in that context.

Nudity/steaminess. Tyler watching her remove her bra? Gross! Deciding her chest had improved? Her talk about her breast milk soaking her pads in her bra? Then...JohnScott going to "make out" with her on a date? Talking about tongues in kissing? A guy showing up with his jeans unzipped? This is just way over the top for what I expect in a clean Christian novel. None of it was appropriate in real life for unmarried Christians, especially ones who aren't even sure yet that they want to date with marriage in view. Even appropriate stuff, though, I don't want to see. It's fun to see couples kiss and hold hands and giggle together. To see them rub their hands all over each other, devour each other's faces, and lay on top of each other is something entirely out of order in public and not something I want to read about in a book. Definitely not in a Christian book.

In the end, this book had way too many inconsistencies for me to enjoy it, and the flat characterization of the creepy, horrid villain was a huge misfit in a contemporary romance. I may or may not try another later book by this author to see if her writing improves.

I received a free copy through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review.

By Andrea Renee Cox

There were not many things I liked about this book. The hero was really well crafted, and the theme of forgiving oneself shone through. However, the antagonist seemed more apt to be in a suspense/horror book than a romance, there was a bit of nudity and ogling a woman's naked body, and the Lord's name was used inappropriately at least twice. Perhaps this style of book will be enjoyed by someone else, but it was not to my taste.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not asked to write a positive review. These opinions are my own.