Joel Bennett has always known Serena Hayes as his sister’s gregarious best friend. In the three years since Lacey began college, Serena became a regular houseguest, but lately, she’s absent more than not. When Joel discovers she’s in an abusive relationship, protectiveness from within roars to life. With only a part-time job to support her and nowhere to go, Serena fears leaving her current … current relationship would jeopardize her chances of graduating college. After a brutal attack leaves her no choice, she courageously moves out. On her journey toward regaining confidence, self-worth, and independence, Joel falls in beside her, encouraging her. The way he emulates Godly love and compassion draws her close—not just to him, but to the God who can satisfy her longing for love better than any man,
Attraction sizzles between them, but events from their pasts cast shadows of doubt.
When the unthinkable happens, can Serena open her heart to a second chance at love, or is she destined to be alone?
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Serena is very focused on graduating from college and finding a job. Her boyfriend Chris seemed nice but deep down he is an angry person. I didn’t like him at all. When he emotionally and physically abuses her, I knew she needed to leave. Serena is afraid to tell anyone and that traps her in a relationship that is dangerous. I liked that the setting was campus life. It gives an insight to what college students go through. Serena has a full load and I think at times she was trying to overachieve. Deep down she is looking for approval and it causes her to make wrong choices.
When she shows up at her best friends place bruised and bloody that is the turning point in the story. I loved Lacey and her brother Joel. They are great for Serena and their compassion helps guide Serena to rethink her relationship. There is a good faith element in the story which illustrates the importance of listening to God. Joel was a good character but his anger is something that bothered me. He has carried around this attitude about his father for a long time. At some point Joel will have to face his father before he can really be happy.
This is not your typical feel good young adult story. It tackles tough subjects and the author does not hold back from showing the seriousness of abuse. People say all the time they don’t understand why the victim doesn’t leave. Sometimes they have no where to go, are afraid for their safety and have the idea that it will get better. Serena is an example of how God protects us and as we listen to Him, He directs our path. The lessons on forgiveness, trusting God and believing in yourself are fully represented in the story. I liked the ending and thought the author did a great job of directing readers to never give up.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
All Serena Hayes wants to do is graduate college but her dreams are put in jeopardy by her abusive boyfriend. She’s afraid to leave him but after a brutal beating, she screws up her courage and breaks up with him. She puts all her faith in the Lord and anytime she needs guidance, He answers her prayers. With the help of her best friend’s brother, Joel, she begins the slow journey to healing. Joel stays by her side and reaffirms her faith in God and mankind. She can’t deny her attraction to him but when her past puts Joel’s life in peril, will Serena be able to let go of her past and embrace the love promised to her by God?
A Worthy Heart is a beautiful faith-filled story detailing domestic violence and following your heart. Sara Beth Williams tackles something many college-aged women deal with, no matter their backgrounds or beliefs, but never talk about. Descriptive narration combines with complex character arcs to make A Worthy Heart one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Christians will be uplifted by Serena’s faith in the middle of an abusive relationship and her courage to follow God’s plan for her life. The romance between Serena and Joel is sweet and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. Fans of Hallee Bridgeman and Carol Moncado will love this book. I look forward to reading more by this up and coming author. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I read this in Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5 stars
Sara Beth Williams has given readers a story that will absolutely touch their hearts. In a powerful story of fighting for yourself, relying on a God who is big enough to get you through anything life throws at you, and how second chances can sneak up on us during the times we are least expecting it, Williams shows readers that you really can get out of a tough situation.
There is no denying that abuse is a hard topic. It’s tough to write, it’s tough to read, and even watch in real life if we know someone who suffers from it. And while Williams doesn’t get gruesome with her details, she writes enough for readers to know exactly what is happening. It absolutely broke my heart, and the way Serena dealt with it for so long, it just made me angry. Here’s the thing – there are so many women suffering from this very thing that do not feel like they can escape either. Or they tell themselves it won’t keep happening, their boyfriends/husbands love them, etc… But this book, well it gives these women hope. Hope that there is people out there who can help them. If for nothing else, read this story for that!
Aside from that, it really is a well written story. The characters are wonderful – especially Joel. What a caring, protective hero that readers will most likely swoon over. He doesn’t judge, and sometimes he doesn’t ask – he just takes action. I love seeing a man’s protective instincts, and Joel certainly shared his throughout the story. At one point I thought those instincts would get him in a bit of trouble – I guess you’ll have to read for yourself to see if he did or not!
At the end of the day, Williams reminds readers of God’s ability to turn something horrible into something good. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time, and I hope to share it with others who could benefit from its powerful message. I encourage you to do the same! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a story dealing with physical and emotional abuse and how it so easy to stay in that kind of a relationship. It is easy to think that when they say they are sorry and it won’t happen again, you want to believe them. Even when you come out of that kind of situation, it is hard to get back to who you really are and trust again. You want to be able to think that you are worthy of a normal true relationship or even worthy to be loved.
If only we realize that someone loved us so much that He gave His life for us so that we could be made new with a clean and pure heart no matter what we did or what our past is. We fall short, but through Him we can have love and forgiveness. We can forgive ourselves and those who hurt us and begin again. A wonderful book that I highly recommend.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
A Worthy Heart by Sara Beth Williams is a powerful contemporary Christian novel about the awesome love of God.
God loves us unconditionally. He loves us even when we do not love ourselves. He loves us even when we mess up. And He loves us even when we do not feel worthy of His love. God’s love is nothing to do with how we see ourselves. God’s love is about how He sees us. If we are caught up in sin, God’s love sees us as we could be. He swoops in and rescues us from a life of disconnection from Him. When we go searching for God, we will find Him.
God sends others to journey alongside us. He knows just who we need and when. The church provides support and fellowship for us. Believers lift each other up.
There is the difficult topic of domestic abuse. It takes place in the form of emotional, physical and verbal abuse. A character squashes another into believing that they are unworthy and it is their fault that the abuse is happening. Lies are spun that are believed. “He always promises to stop. And I believe him every time.” The abuser is verbally sorry in order to hook the victim in. “It won’t happen again. He apologised profusely.” Some relationships are toxic and we may need help to untangle ourselves.
The novel is about true friendship. Friendships that look out for each other and build one another up.
Healing is another theme – spiritual, emotional and physical.
There are fractured families within the novel. God longs to adopt us into His family. Earthly fathers may fail us, our heavenly Father never will.
God hears our prayers. He rescues us from our situations as He hears our cries for help. We must be sure to listen and to obey when He speaks. Sometimes it is a time for action. Sometimes it is a time to just sit and wait.
A Worthy Heart was a powerful and emotional read. At times the reader’s heart breaks. It is wonderful to see love in action as God’s love covers the whole novel.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
This book is so good! It is very well written and holds your attention. It is full of emotions, drama, suspense and romance; and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens I received an ARC copy of this book and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
A Worthy Heart is a good book tackling tough subjects. This Christian fiction story examines abandonment, reconciliation, domestic violence, and forgiveness. Well written with fully developed characters, I feel this story will touch many people with the inspirational message included in this book. From the book: “Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” I really liked the Christian based theme. I would highly recommend this book for Christian fiction readers, romance fans, those searching, and anyone that enjoys a good story.
This book was provided through Celebrate Lit, the publisher and author for me to read. The opinions expressed are my own thoughts.
A Worthy Heart is a wonderful read about a young couple who have to overcome the odds to be together. She is in an abusive relationship. Serena feels that she can’t leave because she doesn’t know if she could graduate college after leaving or where she would go. But when she’s left with no choice after a really bad attack she finds out that God is there.
It’s through Joel that Serena begins to see God and see that maybe He does care and can care for her. But she also is drawn to Joel. They’ve known each other forever and yet do they really know each other?
This was a wonderful quick read. While it does have abuse it’s the healing from that abuse and the love that comes out of the darkness that makes this book wonderful. I highly recommend you give the book a chance and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
AS I began reading this story, I quickly found myself caught up in the world of Serena, Joel, Lacey, and their family and friends. Domestic plays a role in this book, so consider that before you pick up this book to read. The author does an excellent job of including enough information about abuse without becoming overwhelming.
The message of God’s love shines through the pages of this book, The fact Joel willingly waits when God tells him to speaks volumes. Including prayer and Joel’s constant reliance on Godly friends also brings an excellent balance to this book.
I wanted good things for Serena and Joel, and I received that by the end of the book. I have to say, I would love to read more about these characters, including their friend Tara. So check out this book for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
I have had the pleasure of reading previous books by Sara Beth Williams. I was excited when I had the opportunity to read her book, A Worthy Heart. I was definitely not disappointed. I enjoyed this book. It deals with some heavy issues that many readers would be able to relate to. I personally felt a connection to Serena. I could understand what she was going through and was often hoping she would make the best choice for her. I love how Joel was so protective of her. I was hoping they would see the bond they both shared. Great story.
I am giving A Worthy Heart four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean and sweet romance. I will be looking forward to more books by Sara Beth Williams in the near future.
I received A Worthy Heart from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
This story is about domestic violence and faith from friends intervening to help Serena realize that she has done nothing wrong to warrant how her boyfriend, Chris treats her. She indeed has a worthy heart and deserves to be treated accordingly.
I really enjoyed the characters of Serena and brother and sister, Joel and Lacey Bennett. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
I loved this book!! Sara Beth handled domestic violence in a sympathetic way. What I really liked, though, was the message that even if other’s think we’re perfect, no one is, and no one is “unworthy” of love, especially God’s love. God can and does forgive us all of our sins, if we just repent and turn back to Him and His ways. I love that Serena figured this out, and is still figuring it out at the end of the book. Isn’t that just like us? It doesn’t happen overnight, we continue to grow in our knowledge of Him throughout our lives. We don’t stop until go Home to be with Him. Having known a few people that were in this type of relationship, I think Sara Beth handled the topic extremely well.
I received a free copy of this book, was not required to review, and all of this is my own opinion.