WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU………….“I don’t have anything to give a good woman, Laura.”Jake Beckett is a man frozen in the loss and grief of the past – a man who accepts that the existence that he has is the penance that he must pay.“My faith died a long time ago, Jake.”Laura Howard is a woman also mired in the past – a woman who has battled the monsters, but who fears that she may have lost the war.Two … lost the war.
Two strangers struggling to fight their way out of invisible chains, they must travel together toward safety, freedom and peace.
Faithful, Tennessee is the destination. For both of them, maybe, finally, a home, a sanctuary, a place where they each can find peace.
And in each other, maybe they can find passion, laughter, acceptance.
Love.
But the past always follows and evil can find the best concealed path.
And sometimes, the only way out is through.
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You ever start a book that just sucks you in, Journey to Faithful by Anna Bishop Barker does just that. From the beginning where FBI Agent Sam Beckett helps Laura Howard & Esther escape a cult and turns them over to his brother to Jacob to hide, I couldn’t put the book down. The pull between Jacob & Laura was obvious. Waiting to see if he could deal with his issues and open up to this sassy woman while also waiting to hear from Sam and wondering when or if the cult men would show up. I’m so excited to read the sequel to this book!!
4.5 stars
When Jake Bennett’s brother, Sam calls him saying he needs a favor, he has no idea how it could change his life. This small town Doctor has closed himself off and just lives for work and his family. So he is not going to let his brother down. Jake is sad, lonely, lost, and still grieving, but keeps it bottled up.
But when this favor ends up with him taking two women back to his hometown of Faithful, Tennessee and watching out for them, he is unprepared for his own reaction. He doesn’t like change or anything that throws him off balance. He is more of a man of action than words. But he had no idea what he was getting into.
Laura Howard is naturally beautiful, sassy, smart, and brave. She’s been on her own awhile and has her own past issues and insecurities. She recently became involved in a situation with Sam that has left her and her friend, Esther needing help. Esther Has her own challenges, and definitely needs some time to heal and figure out her own life. This is their journey towards safety, freedom, acceptance, and family. And it is being led by a man who is not sure of anything.
Jake hasn’t had such a strong reaction to a woman in years. But he doesn’t think he has anything to give to someone. And Laura struggles with her own faith in the future and her own self worth. But being in close proximity makes resistance futile. They find a connection and chemistry neither expected or are sure they are ready for. But they will both have to decide if they can share their secrets and demons, and if they are willing to take a risk. Neither is sure they are a safe bet due to their own doubts. But those around them would love to see two good people find some happiness.
There are interesting side characters in this town and more stories that need telling especially Sam, Delilah, Kyle, John, and Esther especially. Jake’s grandmother, Mercy, and her friend, Grace cracked me up. They were spitfires with good hearts, and stole every scene they were in. . I even fell in love with the dogs. It was told in multiple point of views giving us access to many of the characters. There was a layered danger and suspense plot running in the background along with the romance and struggles with faith.
This was a heartfelt, sexy, funny, emotional story of hope, healing, loss, love, family, faith, and living life to its fullest. This author vividly created the scenes and the town of Faithful and gave the characters depth and complex back stories. I really liked both Jake and Laura and could understand their reservations and feelings. I enjoyed getting to see a more vulnerable side of Jake under his stoic, guarded facade. And seeing the women find a place where they had the potential to blossom. There really was a lot going on in this book. There were twists and surprises that kept the story interesting and added more drama.
Many things were resolved, but there are still a few lingering story elements to bleed into the next book in the series. I am truly interested to see where she takes the next couple of books because I am already interested in the characters. My only real issue was with some stylistic choices as far as transitions, timing, and flashbacks that took me out of the story a bit. But overall, I enjoyed this journey and immersion into life in Faithful with a group of strongwilled people with close ties and plenty of issues to deal with. It kept me tense, made me laugh, surprised me at times, and touched my heart.
Ohhh!!! I loved taking the journey to Faithful and settling in! I quickly became enamored by the people there and the sense of home and family and comfort that flowed from the pages.
Jake and Laura’s story delivered on so many feels — I loved watching them connect and how bit by bit, their hearts healed and their souls had life breathed back into them. I was giggling at their antics, swooning at Jake’s dancing and other seductions, crying for so many things, and heart-racing in fear.
The bad-guy story line was pretty twisted and evil, and makes you hurt in a variety of ways. And that balances well with my excitement in seeing more happily-ever-afters in Faithful.
I loved how even though this book dealt with some intense and heavy issues, it was an easy read, and one I looked forward to getting back to whenever I had to pause for real life stuff.
The title of this book has a double fold meaning. Yes, physically our characters are traveling to Faithful, but it is the hearts and souls of Jake, Laura and Esther that are seeking sanctuary in the small town. Each one is deeply scarred by extreme circumstances.
Jake is our reluctant hero, thrown into the mix by his brother Sam, an FBI agent. Sam needs someone he can trust to get Laura and Esther to safety. Who better than his conflicted older brother, a doctor in the community of Faithful?
The tone of Anna’s second novel is much more solemn than her first (Going Under) there is not much call for levity in this plot line, but otherwise she stays true to her writing style, moving the story along steadily, slowly revealing the demons that haunt our trio.
Anna’s rich intertwining of our background characters leaves one wondering about them and hoping for more. Kyle and Aponi, Delilah and Sam, John and his children, even Mercy and Grace, all left me with the feeling they could warrant their own stories. Thus, is the sign of a great story teller.
I expect no less from Anna than smart writing, epic storylines and steamy love scenes, I was not disappointed. I was rooting for Laura and Jake, hopeful for Esther ( who my heart broke for, I seriously wanted to just hug Esther.) I’m almost positive I am related to Mercy and I’m intrigued by John and what his story might be. Anna left me wanting more and I will be impatiently waiting for the next installment of this series.
Take your own Journey to Faithful, one click, you’ll be glad that you did ….
Anna will leave you wanting more of Faithful, too.
Make sure that if you’re going to read this in one sitting you need to have your alcohol and tissues (and a fan for the sexy scenes) at the ready- particularly by the 2nd half of the book. The bad guys were really creepy. The suspense was built and left me wondering when I’d get the answers. Journey to Faithful was a roller coaster of emotions, but still left with wanting more of the story. There were a few things that I felt probably would have made it even better, even though I can’t quite put my finger on it. But either way, be prepared for the feels.
Anna Bishop Barker and I have run in the same FB circles for a while, and I’d been watching her journey as an author for a while too. I’d been meaning to read her books (she’s now published four of them) for quite some time, but my TBR pile is daunting, to say the least. So, when I won a copy of the first two Faithful series books in a giveaway, I knew it was time to jump in. Besides, book three was due to come out soon, and you guys know I’m a series junkie, especially a romantic suspense series! In a nutshell, I’m impressed with this author’s talent. Her first book was a solid start, and I’ve already seen growth in her writing from book to book.
Journey to Faithful: For a first book, and a romantic suspense, this book was a solid start to launch her writing career. There was angst, suspense, and sexy times. Now, I will say that I was hoping for a bit more of the story as opposed to so many sexy scenes, but that’s a personal preference, and I don’t take stars (or propellers for the blog) away for that. The author did a good job introducing us to the setting and to the characters that will carry through the series. Side note: just because this is a series doesn’t mean you can’t read any or all of them as standalone titles. But again, series junkie here, and I always believe you get the best reading experience when you read all of the books in the correct order. Yes, that’s truly just my own two cents about series books. OK. Back to the book. I fell in love with the little southern town of Faithful in this story. And there were just enough bread crumbs and very good character development that I began falling in love with the townsfolk of Faithful as it progressed. As first books go, had I not known this was Ms. Barker’s first published book going in, I wouldn’t have guessed that it was.
I give Journey to Faithful a solid 4 out of 5 stars!
I love the small-town Southern feeling Anna Bishop Barker created in her little town of Faithful, TN. It makes the reader wish they lived there and was friends with the residents. She draws the reader into the story from page one and takes them on the journey along with Laura, Esther, and Jake from Wyoming to Tennessee. Each of Ms. Barker’s characters are beautifully broken and in need of mending, some due to cruelty from others, some due to choices thrust upon them by people who should have loved them.
Ms. Barker’s characters are well-developed, warm, and realistic. She does an excellent job of making the reader want more from not just the main couple in Journey to Faithful, but each of the characters they interact with and are related to. The author hits all the emotions: pain, guilt, fear, grief, passion, and love.
When Jake sets out to help his brother, Sam, an FBI agent, he has no idea that the two women he is transporting will change not only his life, but the lives of those around him. Broken by his past and grieving the deepest loss imaginable, Jake is a workaholic small-town doctor who hasn’t let anyone into his life in years. Laura, who suffers from her own demons, touches something in his soul he tries to ignore. But fate won’t allow either to ignore their attraction, and while danger still lurks and threatens Laura and Esther, Jake and the people of Faithful step up to the challenge to protect those they have made their own.
So find some shade, grab a cold lemonade (because you will need something to cool you off when Jake and Laura get together) and settle in for a trip to Faithful. You’ll be glad you did.
OMG, Anna did it again!!! I totally love Jake and Laura’s story. It is so full of all the things! All the emotion and suspense and love. I laughed. I cried. I cussed. I screamed. I stopped short of throwing things, other than a tantrum in Ms. Barkers Facebook group. Really, the pages flew by. My only wish was that it was longer. I could have read about Jake & Laura FOR DAYS not just a couple hours. But this is a trilogy, so hopefully we will get more Jake & Laura sprinkles in the next book of the series. I can’t wait for it!!
GENRES: romantic suspense, romance
SERIES; Yes, book one of the Faithful Trilogy
WARNINGS: explicit language, graphic sex, some violence and disturbing content.
AGES: 18+
RATING: 5/5
Thanks & Happy Reading!!!!
=D
@dany.the.nerd for Readers’ Isle
Journey to Faithful is the story of Jake, a doctor, that suffered an unimaginable loss in his past and returns to his small hometown. After agreeing to help a veternarian friend and his FBI agent brother Sam, he thinks he is helping a fellow agent of his brother’s. Instead he finds himself traveling with not only a foaling horse but two women trying to escape from a crazy cult like group disguising itself as a church. Sam risks his life and his job to help these two women escape, handing them off to Jake for protection, before covering their tracks.
Along the way Jake finds himself feeling for the first time in a long time and it is all because of Laura. Neither were looking to get involved, but can’t deny their attraction to one another. Can he keep Laura and Esther safe? Will Sam return safely to his brother and hometown? Can Laura help Jake heal?
I had read Anna’s debut book Going Under and loved it. I was honored to be given an advanced copy to read and fell in love with not only the characters but the town of Faithful. I laughed, I cried, had quite a few Awww!moments. It is definitely worth the read, as is Going Under. If you are looking for a new author or series? I highly recommend checking this and Going Under out.
5 stars
I absolutely loved Journey to Faithful! The characters were well developed and memorable. The story is one of good versus evil and the lengths people will go to protect those who have been traumatized beyond humanly possible. Offsetting the evil is the goodness of the people of Faithful. Every emotion is felt reading Journey to Faithful from love to fear to laughter to tears. As well, your senses come alive with Ms. Barker’s wonderfully appetizing descriptions of good Southern food. The steamy scenes did not disappoint at all! Overall, the first book in the Faithful trilogy was a knockout! I cannot wait to read the second book! Kudos Anna Bishop Barker!