Are there places too dark for love to reach?On the run after another betrayal, Tamara Jensen believes she’s too broken for love… then come the signs.A breakdown strands her in Vancouver, Washington on the corner of 99th and Highway 99. Across the street is the Highway 99 Diner where she lands a job as a waitress—however starting over is hard with all the broken trust.Joe Phillips, the diner’s … trust.
Joe Phillips, the diner’s short-order cook, is rugged, handsome, sweet, and is determined to push past her walls—but he has secrets of his own. Tamara finds comfort in his friendship as she struggles with a past that haunts her, and a darkness she cannot shake. She could give her heart to Joe, if not for the fears that plague her.
Their friendship deepens and Tamara begins to hope again until she’s forced to make a choice no woman should ever have to face. Then the signs reappear and lead her down her darkest path yet.
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Ninety-Nine Signs is a contemporary Christian romance that shows the gritty side of life and its pitfalls without being preachy. I found this angle refreshing. It was more honest than many squeaky clean Christian romances.
Tamara has her vices. One of them is cigarettes, and she’s running away from another failed relationship. Her car breaks down across the street from the Highway 99 Diner. Joe is the diner’s short-order cook who comes to help. She ends up getting a job waitressing there. Every time Tamara sees the number 99, she thinks that it must be a sign. She hopes it will lead her to better things, but as time passes, she becomes disillusioned.
God speaks to Tamara through dreams, signs, and people she meets, but she doesn’t always understand what He’s trying to say. It doesn’t have a complicated plot, but the story held my attention because the characters were so real. I especially like how the theme of listening to God gets woven into the story, not just with Tamara, but with others too.
I received a copy from the publisher, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This was an amazing story. Christian based, very true to Biblical teachings, shows man’s frailty and God’s sovereignty. I read it straight through, it gripped me emotionally and spiritually. It also spoke to my past of abuse and shame-based thinking.
I started this series with the 0.5 book Reasons. I loved this second installment and finding out where the 99 came from. The Christian under theme in these books is amazing. I really like the blend of trouble, darkness, and peace. The characters created in these books are so real and personable. The story up and down, joy and melancholy. I cannot wait to see what the next book has in store!
The characters and situations are very realistic. It was hard to see how the main characters could ever come together, but the authors expertly weave an excellent tale that shows how God works in our lives for our good, if only we let Him.
This story is a vivid, real-to-life, powerful and emotionally deep story of the search for love and belonging and the heartbreak that comes when betrayal ripples through relationships.
@elishebahaxby
Tamara was running and looking for a sign of what to do next. When she called out to God to help her, she looked up to view Vancouver. Grabbing her Camel 99s and listening to “1999” by Prince over her car radio, she decided maybe the 99 was a sign. Car trouble landed her in front of the 99 Diner at the corner o 99th Street and Highway 99. Yes – this was her sign to stay.
A year later she is still watching for signs and slowly beginning to see a real pattern. But can she interpret them and learn what God has in store for her?
This is an extremely good book with some mystery and some romance. Please check it out to see how the “99 Signs” point Tamara to a better future.