RITA Award winner, Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements.Former bad girl Katie Stone can feel the weight of her reputation settle over her as she drives home for the first time in years. Feeling deeply guilty about her past mistakes, Katie wants to do the right thing for once. But the small town where she grew up is not nearly as forgiving as she’d hoped. Despite it all, she’s determined … she’s determined to help her parents cope with her mother’s recent illness, and Katie finds a surprise ally in the man next door.
Asher Powell never minded being the son of a small-town pastor until a recent breakup leaves him wounded by lifelong members of his church. He remembers his new neighbor as a mean-spirited high school troublemaker, but he senses that her newfound faith and desire for forgiveness are sincere.
Through an unexpected friendship, two people from different worlds find peace, hope, and a second chance they never dreamed was possible.
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An inspirational read, with real-life issues and reliable characters. I love when Christian fiction has flawed characters and real-life situations that readers can relate to. I enjoyed watching Katie face her mistakes. We see her come to terms with her past and get to a place where she can truly forgive herself. I loved the message in this book that we are not our mistakes, its how we learn from them and how we move forward. Katie is the kind of character you root for. I loved the relationship between Asher and Katie. Facing his own mistakes and regrets, Asher is drawn to Katie. It was not insta love and it was not rushed, the relationship was realistic and relatable. First book by this author and I was not disappointed, overall great read.
Nice little story of redemption and love.
Too much God for me, I like a more light handed approach. The story was good beyond that. The rough parts were real and handled well.
Cute story. Great author.
Good story. Great example of how we think no one would ever forgive us for our wrong doings. But Katie found out that even after past mistakes, she can ask the Lord for forgiveness. Then she can go about making things right. Good read for anyone who feels that they are good enough.
Great read!! Realistic characters and scenarios with a great plot that didn’t drag on for too long. Love her writing style in which no one you get too know dies – a rarity in contemporary Christian fiction. Great job, Tammy!!
After running away four years earlier due to her guilt and shame, Katie returns to her small-town Georgia home when her mother falls ill. Meanwhile, Asher Powell, a pastor’s kid and old classmate, has moved into the house next door. Still trying to overcome his own past regrets, Asher recognizes the positive change in Katie and slowly the two form a friendship. When Katie is confronted with her past head-on, even her newfound faith can’t release the stronghold of regret until she seeks forgiveness from those she wronged as well as herself.
OK, I swooned a ton.
I sobbed a little (or maybe a lot)
But most of the time I was simply smiling.
I wasn’t smiling because everything in this book was worth smiling about. No, it was because this book was utterly fantastic. Tammy L. Gray has written some wonderful stories, but she has hit her stride with this one. My Hope Next Door is not only well written, but every aspect down to some of the smallest details are wonderfully developed. When I read, I am a lover of details and this story filled that need. More importantly, the Lord was front and center throughout. As dark pasts, heartbreaks, and heavy guilt are confronted, the only True Redeemer is acknowledged as the sole source of redemption and forgiveness. In addition to a well-written story with a strong faith message, not one character in this book is superfluous. Each character has a role and are critical to Katie and Asher’s journey to redemption and, ultimately, love. This is a story that will stick with you and may even return to on occasion. I, wholeheartedly, recommend this book, as well as any other Tammy L. Gray penned stories.
I love Tammy L. Gray books, and this one was no different. Tammy has a way of taking hard topics for the church to confront, and crafting them in to a story that leaves you feeling hopeful that change and freedom are possible. Growing up in “the church”, and also coming from an addictions background, I know first hand how destructive looks, words, and actions can be. What I love about Tammy is that she doesn’t pretend that this doesn’t exist, but tackles it head on and exposes that Christians struggle and are not perfect…and that is OKAY!
In My Hope Next Door she tackles the struggle of two people who come from VERY different backgrounds, and how difficult it can be to overcome the obstacles of trust and honesty in a relationship.
This story didn’t pull at the heart strings like many of Tammy’s other books, but it was still so good at exposing real issues and the emotions that go along with that. I also love that she shows how passionate we can be in a relationship without crossing any lines. Just because Christ is in you doesn’t mean temptation doesn’t beat at the door, and she weaves that into her stories perfectly. I definitely recommend this book!!
What an incredible book! My Hope Next Door is a beautifully put together story of being changed by the grace of God and hoping for and finding second chances. There are so MANY different aspects of the struggles of the characters in this book that spoke to my heart. I love that Ms. Gray is not afraid to deal with the grit of real life in her books and then show the powerful redemption and hope that God offers to each of us in the situations we face.
In My Hope Next Door, she deals with the struggle in pursuing that second chance when it feels like God’s the only one who wants to offer you one, when every one around you is expecting you to fall again and telling you so. Even while Katie is trying to trust God for a chance to make things right from her past, she also doesn’t want to truly face her past. She’d rather ignore and try to fix it with a good deed than actually face it and deal with it. But God has a plan and His plan involves her coming face to face with her past so she can begin to heal and forgive herself.
Ms. Gray also deals with what church life is like for someone who has grown up in it and the expectations that others have of them as well as the dynamic of the people in a church who aren’t always kind to one another. There are just so many things addressed in this book and it’s all done in such a way that it speaks to your heart and you walk through each character’s journey with them. She opens your heart to the compassion we should have for each other and the grace of second chances we should be ready to help each other find when needed.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.**
I liked that the main character struggled to overcome her past and made amends with her dysfunctional family.
Very well written and enjoyable.