True to You by Becky Wade

Published by Bethany House Publishers May 02, 2017

Genre: Christian, Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Publisher’s Description

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he’s diagnosed with an inherited condition, he’s forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother.

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John’s already dating someone and Nora’s not sure she’s ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they’re seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

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Story Notes

Becky Wade’s latest foray into the world of fiction will leave her readers pondering their ability to forgive, take on tough issues, and love again.

Again I have been presented with a new-to-me author, and this one I am most certainly going to add to my “must read” list. I had an idea of how I thought this story would go and although I had some aspects of it right, Ms. Wade just blew all of my preconceptions out of the water and delivered a story that really made me consider the issues at hand. She began with a young genealogist/librarian named Nora Bradford who has decided to focus all her attention on the books, TV dramas, and village she loves rather than her love life, which in recent years has taken a devastating hit. Her fiance Harrison fell in love with another woman and has since married her and started a family – all in the same town where Nora lives. Finding more comfort in her books and projects, Nora has decided that God will have to bring her the right person, although she’s not sure He can as she believes He betrayed her with Harrison. Enter John Lawson, former Navy Seal and current emergency preparedness instructor who literally sweeps Nora off her feet. Only one problem: John already has a girlfriend. But when John discovers Nora’s occupation he immediately employs her to find his biological mother. John is mysterious about his reasons for finding his mother, but that doesn’t stop Nora from jumping feet first into this quest for information. As they follow all the clues to find out John’s history they will find real friendship, and perhaps, something more. I loved the way which Ms. Wade presented this story – well developed plot and characters with excellent dialogue and some great vocabulary thrown in that made the story really fun. And it was interesting to see that she ended each of her chapters with a text message or email that gave a hint of where her story was going next – what a great idea! I loved the razzing that went on between the sisters that was fun but never went beyond teasing to hurtful words. I could tell Ms. Wade really wanted you to get to know both her main characters and the sub characters who are in their lives. She was careful to have the three sisters respond respectfully and graciously in spite of their grandmother’s unkind diatribes while making sure their grandmother knew she was wrong. I further enjoyed her way of writing the growing romance between Nora and John – they both are attracted to each other but are unsure how to proceed given that John has a girlfriend and Nora is wary of relationships. I was glad to see that Ms. Wade had John break things off nicely with his girlfriend, Allie, before she allowed him and Nora to get together. Their relationship was so well described it made me feel I was one of Nora’s sisters watching it play out. I loved their conversations and how John was always asking Nora if she had really just used an advanced vocabulary word in everyday speech. But when their search for John’s mother brings good as well as heartbreaking news, their relationship with each other and with God will face the greatest test of all: trust. How good it was that Ms. Wade did not shy away from the difficult topics of rape conception and whether a child of a rapist can have any tendencies passed on in genetics. I was happy to see she made it very clear that our faith in God, our families and our choices are what define us rather than the circumstances of our conception or birth. And Ms. Wade also took on the topic of trust with both John and Nora. John had to remember that God made him exactly the way He wanted him and that He could be trusted to redeem that which John’s father had destroyed. Nora had to learn that God is the one she must trust first of all if she is going to have any hope of a real relationship with John. She will have to lay aside her anger and hurt if she is to find her true identity in God. The “Redeeming” theme that Ms. Wade’s story carried is what made it to very special to me. Too often we forget that we have all been redeemed by a Savior and everyone is a new creation in Him. And when we come face-to-face with a situation that demands that we decide if we believe that’s true, that is how we see the enormity of what was done for us. I truly look forward to sharing this story with others as well as the stories of the other two Bradford sisters as I hear this will be the first in a trilogy called “The Bradford Sisters Romance”. I have also placed several of Ms. Wade’s former works on hold at my library to enjoy very soon as well.

I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.