How far would you go to save your marriage? Once upon a time, Justin Harper dreamed of marrying the girl he loved and having a house full of kids. But that dream died the day he moved out, too angry and bitter to try a second longer with a wife who’d turned into someone else. If only he could force himself to stop loving her… wants a family after growing up without one. When her marriage with Justin collapses, she blames herself, torn between the soul-deep ache for another baby and her husband. She doesn’t want to have to choose one or the other.
Justin can’t give up. Maddie fears she has to. Will they find a way to compromise on their absolutes or has their dream marriage truly vanished?
“Man, keep tissues handy…” ~ Gigi Reads
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Wow this tugs at the heart strings. It is well written interesting has great characters and a wonderful storyline with a HEA. I recommend it to all. I received it as an arc and voluntary reviewed it.
This book was so wonderfully written with the great character and storyline development that I was unable to put this book down until I finished reading the very last page!
“I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book via Booksprout.” Well written story that was full of romance and lust.
Justin and Maddie have an awesome story! Justin, a former baseball player, and Maddie, his girlfriend from college and now his wife, have a great marriage and life. They have a nice house, love each other, have a wonderful son but they both want a little more. When the little more becomes an obsession, Justin leaves. As they work on their relationship without the obsession, both have reservations about what they can give each other, their guilt, and both need to decide what is important. A great book about love, family, hopes, dreams, and what is important. Loved the tie in with Rachel and Sawyer from the Oak Grove series. A great read!
I totally enjoyed Chasing Hope by Nancy Stopper, the second book in her Harper Family series. Infertility problems are affecting the marriage of Justin and Maddie Harper as Maddie obsesses on expanding their family of three. Being an only child of a single mom Maddie dreamt of having a large family. Justin is the big brother to three sisters, actually four if you include his half-sister from an affair of his dad. Like Maddie, he wanted a large family but all the pressure to get Maddie pregnant was taking a toll on him. After one fight too many, Justin decided he and Maddie needed a break, a separation. While separated, they each realized how their actions contributed to the problems they were having. Maddie’s obsession soon moves to wanting to provide a foster home to a young orphaned girl, close in age to their son. Through time, patience, honest conversations, and a little push from Justin’s sister Izzy before these two can heal and repair the cracks of their marriage.
I really loved reading this book and had trouble putting it down. Ms. Stopper wove a wonderful story, with lots of heart, charm and smexy. She drew me in from page one with her heartwarming characters and did not let go until I turned the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Maddie and Justin Harper have been married for awhile and have a young son named Aiden. Maddie did not have brothers or sisters growing up and has always wanted a big family. The Harper’s have been trying to get pregnant again for months with no luck. Maddie has been obsessing over trying to get pregnant with only having sex when it is “a good time,” reading everything on the Internet, doing crazy things to try and get pregnant, and staying in the house all the time depressed. One night Justin tells Maddie that he can’t take it any more and wants to take a break and is moving into the cottage on his mother’s property. He tells her he still loves her, but all they do is fight and his Maddie that he married is gone. Maddie is upset at first, but goes to counseling.
This was a wonderful book about two people who love each other and fight to save their marriage. Both made mistakes and once they stepped back it was easier to see what they did wrong. I loved how they started dating again to bring the spark back. I loved the book and strongly encourage you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.
Justin and Maddie had their hapily ever after, they loved each other, they had a solid marriage and a lovely son, or so they thought. Until Maddie gets obsessed with getting pregnant and they start to drift apart. They no longer talk to each other, Maddie is always sad and Justin avoid to get home. Can their marriage survive? Hope in their love and in their future is what must bring them together again.
5 Stars
I received a free copy of Chasing Hope by Nancy Stopper and this review was given freely.
Maddie and Justin struggle with infertility, a temporary separation, meeting half sister Rachel, improving business, contemplating foster parenting all while improving their communication. This is a complex romance set in Pennsylvania with realistic characters, realistic problems, a supportive family , an honest friend, and a few steamy scenes. It was inspirational to watch Maddie and Justin work back to becoming a strong couple. This story brought back fond memories of my temporary stint as a foster parent. Of course, I also enjoyed the double happy ending.
This was an awesome book. I enjoyed every page and cried a few times as well. What a wonderfully written story about two people trying to save their marriage and themselves. To have a dream of more children and not being able to get pregnant could ruin the best of marriages. In this story my hero, is Justin, for thinking of taking a break and for each of them to get their act together. As they were growing closer again beautiful child in the foster program brings them more issues especially to Maddie. If things didn’t work out as a foster parent would she go down that dark hole again and not be able to mend their marriage. Could both of them hope and get their dream of being a family again?
This is a book in a series but can be read alone. My biggest question is to myself which is…..why didn’t I read the first one? I look forward to more Harper Family Series.
A great read that will capture your attention and emotions right at the beginning.
This is the second book in the Harper Family Series and continues the story of Maddie and Justin. Get ready for a range of emotions and twists. This book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. Well written with well-developed characters and an engaging story. Two soulmates who have lost their flame try to reunite it again. Lots of soul searching and growth as they continue their journey. A great read that will capture your attention and emotions right at the beginning. Well done, Nancy. I read a reader copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.
Love is a battlefield. Risking one’s heart is dangerous territory. It’s emotional, empowering and ugly work, but it’s the battle that makes it worth the reward. Nancy Stopper bravely exposes the love in all it’s glory. Chasing Hope is one couple’s fight to stay afloat when life does not turn out as planned. Even within the most painful moments, hope always stands a chance. A count one’s blessing tale.
Because these characters draw you in and make you feel like their best friends. Maddie and Justin have been married a good long while. They shouldn’t have problems but when they reach a break down at least they reach for hope not run for the hills. This book is all the more haunting because it’s all to realistic. The storytelling is consuming and engulfs you with all of the feels. While sometimes sad it’s not depressing and often even encouraging. A heartwarming summer read.
Chasing Hope is Justin and Maddie’s story. What a wonderful addition to the Harper Family series!
As with the first story in this series, Chasing Dreams, author Nancy Stopper addresses a difficult topic in a way that is encouraging and heartfelt with characters that come to life as the story progresses.
Justin and Maddie have a wonderful 5-year-old son, Aiden, and Maddie has dreamed of having more children, as has Justin. But for Maddie, it becomes an obsession.
Having never experienced this kind of heartache myself, I can honestly say that I don’t know how I would react if I were in Maddie’s situation. Having said that, I definitely remember the moment I decided that one child was not enough and I wanted another. Would I have become as obsessed as Maddie? Would I have behaved as she did to the detriment of my marriage?
While I will never know the answers to those questions, Justin and Maddie jump off the pages as two very real people dealing with a very difficult situation. Is all the blame Maddie’s? No. Does Justin realize his part in how obsessive Maddie has become? Yes. Do they both want to repair the damage done to their marriage? YES! And THAT is part of what I really enjoyed about this story – they are BOTH working at dealing with their issues so that they will be stronger together!
Chasing Hope covers a range of emotions and reactions. More is going on than just an infertility problem. As I’ve mentioned, both characters have other issues effecting them and both are working on those as well.
This is a wonderful story with the right amount of angst, hotness and, most importantly, joy! Sometimes you just need a HEA story between two very real characters and this is a great one!
Oh, be still my beating heart, what an amazing, heart wrenching, poignant love story Chasing Hope is!
I knew it was going to be an emotional journey for Justin Harper and his wife Maddie to find the romance and balance, and the long forgotten feelings they do have for each other, again. The first book in the series hinted about the trouble in paradise, but I am not sure if I was emotionally prepared for Maddie and Justin, but I was so glad I was able to take the journey with them, see them grow, find themselves again, and re-kindle the deep love and passion they have always had for each other.
The problems with infertility, the physical burden the hormone treatments are, and the emotional roll-a-coaster the constant battle against nature trying to get pregnant is, it was realistic, it was heartbreaking, the pain, worry, and despair both Maddie and Justin were feeling were tangible.
Even though the story broke my heart to bits, and brought tears to my eyes, I loved it immensely. The feelings go deep, both Justin and Maddie have issues and problems, emotions, and communication, that they need to work with. The road to finding that balance, to find the inner fire again, to learn to relate and connect with their partner like they used to do, it is filled with speed bumps and detours, but there is never a question of the desire to fix things, to find solutions or the existence of deepest affection they have for each other.
The matter of their new-found half-sister didn’t get as much attention as I had hoped for. The tension around that issue has been building up from the original series, and the solution seemed a bit too easy after all the angst. But maybe the future books will return to the matter in more detail, as there was plenty of emotional turmoil with Justin and Maddie’s story as it is.
This story is so filled with passion, adoration, deep, profound emotions that it took my breath away. The author shows how with just one kiss one can create such tension and energy that it lits the whole story on fire. I wept for and with the characters, I cheered for them to find their way, I adored their little family, and wished from the bottom of my heart that they would find peace of mind, and learn to appreciate what they had, instead of wanting and obsessing to get more.
An ardent, beautiful, emotional story about life, love, joy, sorrow, and loss in a marriage with infertility. A powerful and sensitive topic done well with a tender and understanding, respectful hand. Just be ready to be swept away with the multitude of emotions from bliss and wonder to anguish and pain.
~ Five Spoons!
A well written book with an interesting story line. The characters are strong and the story flows quickly and smoothly. I enjoyed reading this story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love, love, love Justin and Maddie’s story. Nancy has taken an issue that plagues many families and brought focus to not only the issue but the steps that can be taken to work on rebuilding. Love the recurring family members and if you have read Nancy’s other books, you will love the connection to this one.
A well written story that held my attention throughout watching these two figure out their feelings for each other.
I really enjoyed this story! It was an emotional roller coaster that had you smiling one moment and crying the next. This is Justin and Maddie’s story. The two are married and fertility issues become a catalyst that threatens to destroy their marriage. It is a very well written story with great characters.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.*
The book has a good storyline that is gripping and captivating. The characters are intriguing, engaging, and well developed. I did like reading this book.
Amazing, fantastic read! Emotional, heart wrenching and heartwarming! Loved the characters and storyline. Enjoy!