“Karen Kingsbury meets Nicholas Sparks.”
Sophie thinks she knows what she wants. Until she returns to the one place she said she’d never go again. And finds the one man she thought she’d left behind forever.
As she focuses on her career, Sophie doesn’t let herself think about what she gave up when she declined Spencer’s proposal five years ago. So when she’s called home to say goodbye to her … called home to say goodbye to her dying grandmother, she goes out of her way to avoid seeing him. Of course, that means he’s the first person she runs into. Much as she fights against it, being near him stirs up old feelings and makes her question old decisions.
Leaving college to help on the family orchard cost Spencer the woman he loved. But he couldn’t turn his back on his family. Now that Sophie’s back in town, Spencer’s determined to protect his heart. Only he senses something new in Sophie—something that makes him think maybe they could have a second chance. But when his family needs him again, he feels like he’s repeating the past. Only this time, he’s not sure what choice he should make.
Are the heartaches of the past too much to overcome? Or could God be giving them a second chance at forever?
Filled with faith, friendship, and the promise of forever, Not Until Forever is the first book in a heartwarming Christian romance series that will satisfy your desire for a binge read you don’t want to end. Fall in love with Hope Springs today!
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“Couldn’t put this series down! Found myself wanting to visit Hope Springs!”
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What is it about second chance love stories that make them so wonderful? I guess, for me, it is the hope that they inspire that even things previously lost could be found again.
That was definitely the case in this beautiful story. Sophie and Spencer found that the love they had for each other while in college was still strong in their hearts. Whether it would be possible to have a future together remained the question throughout the story, as their lives were focused on different things. There was great romantic tension between these two and past heartache to overcome.
I liked that this story was a second chance not only for love, but for friendships, faith, and even for grief to finally be acknowledged that had been stuffed down for many years. The author did a wonderful job of making me feel the deep emotions of these characters and I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Valeries books are the most wonderful Christian books she feels your heart with a feeling of peace and love. I open her books and immediately feel at home and feel the love and care Valerie puts into her books.
Only one problem I have with her books – you see I read in bed before going to sleep & when I open her books it’s like 3 or 4 AM before I realize it.
Don’t miss any of her books!
I got into this series by reading books 6 & 7 first, and I liked those so much that I decided to go back to the beginning and read book 1. I was afraid that I might not enjoy reading out of order, but I liked book 1 about Spencer and Sophie. Since I had read book 6 first about Spencer’s brother Tyler and his twin boys, it was fun to read about them in this book at an earlier age as “wild” toddlers. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the book nearly as much without them in it. They added a lightheartedness that was really needed in this story. I loved Spencer, but it was sad hearing about him going through so much pain after Sophie broke his heart. I was not as fond of Sophie because of the way she had walked away from Spencer, her best friend Vi, and her Nana. I warmed up to Sophie more as the story progressed, but I had to remind myself more than once that she came from a pretty dysfunctional family, and she had lost her faith, so she couldn’t be expected to be as lovable or as selfless as Spencer. The pain and awkwardness of them running into each other, being thrown together on more than one occasion, and the sadness surrounding Nana’s death, all added up to make the story rather depressing until the last few chapters. Thankfully, Sophie and her parents experienced growth in their relationship and major changes in their lives because of Nana’s death and the journal she left behind, and that made it all worthwhile. Since Sophie began seeing things from a totally different perspective, her priorities began to change. It was refreshing to see her finally realize how important Spencer was to her and how much she loved him.
This was a wonderful, clean, second chance romance. Sophie and Spencer were from the same small town and had dated in college. When Spencer surprised Sophie with a marriage proposal near the end of their college career, she wasn’t sure that is what she wanted. She wanted to get out of the small town and live in the big city and have a super successful career. She got all that but didn’t get Spencer.
Now, it is five years later and Sophie is back in their small town to visit her grandmother, who is dying. What if she runs into Spencer? What would she say or do? Are the best things in the life the things that the world doesn’t think are signs of success? Is true love what matters most? Can Sophie’s grandmother help her to see what is most important before it is too late?
I really enjoyed reading about Sophie and Spencer and the lessons they both had to learn before they could determine what they wanted most in life and the things that would bring them success and joy.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.
Loved this book,
Great book
This is the first book I’ve read by Valerie M. Bodden. Two people in a college romance Sophie and Spencer. Sophie felt drawn to success and a big career. She left Spencer as he proposed to pursue that. Five years later she’s back home at her dying grandmothers request. She bumps into Spencer at the hospital.
Such a wonderful story of showing us Gods unconditional love. This story is about Sophie learning that. Her and Spencer’s second chance. Wow is about all I can say. Read, enjoy, blessings.
I enjoyed reading this book because the characters were believable. Their doubts, fears, frustrations, hopes were all expressed in such a way that it made their reactions to the different situations in the story very realistic. It was also rewarding to see how they matured through the various challenge; learning to forgive, let go of past hurts and love in a deeper way.
I loved this book. It is a clean read. The characters come alive in Valerie’s books. It is also a romantic story of second chances. Very enjoyable book. Debbie Payne
Absolutely loved Sophia and Spencer’s story! No spoilers here though. This book is very well-written and made me want to read all of the series immediately! I honestly couldn’t devour it quick enough. Ms. Bodden writes real-to-life characters in real-life situations.
Sweet story of forgiveness and romance.
A sweet story that depicted fun, love, and real life. I was grateful for the reminder of the different facets of forgiveness. One of my favorite parts of the story was how she guided my feelings regarding certain characters and taught me about myself in the process. Thanks for sharing your talent, Valerie!
This has all the stereotypes so beloved by Christian romantic fiction readers. A small town, characters with a romantic history, one of whom has a spiritual crisis, both are suspicious of the other and you know how it will end. With that in mind, the characters do grow, come to terms with their pasts and find love and happiness. The writing flows well, the descriptions are just detailed enough and add to the depth of the story. The supporting characters have as much depth as is possible under the circumstances and there are kids in the mix. If you are a fan of the genre I would definitely invite you to read this one.