Star Youngblood has always been a fighter-a necessity after her mother married a monster of a man. Now, she’s finally on the path to the stable life she’s always wanted. Her employer, Priscilla Kelly, is a sweet woman ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis, and Star will do anything to help her. Even if that means going toe to toe with Mrs. Kelly’s neglectful son.After being betrayed on the mission … field and devastated by the tragic death of his father, Paul Kelly gave up on God. He lives life on his own terms, biding his time as a corporate pilot until he can save enough money to begin his own flight school closer to home. His mother is all he has left, and he wants to be near her. He just didn’t expect her health to decline so quickly. When he discovers his mother has taken in a stray-a woman he’s not at all sure can be trusted-his protective instincts kick into high gear. Paul’s handled a lot of turbulence, but he’s never gone up against a force like Star.As Paul and Star strive to protect his mother in their own ways, they soon find their own hearts are at the greatest risk.
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Star Youngblood is rebuilding her life. A horrible childhood sent her into alcoholism and addiction. She’s now a Christian, has been sober for a year, and is supporting herself by working as an aide and housekeeper for the elderly Mrs. Kelly, who has become surrogate mother. Star’s troubles start when Mrs. Kelly has a heart attack. Her son, Paul, returns and takes an instant dislike to Star.
Then Mrs. Kelly decides she wants to complete the trip she’d planned to take with her husband—to Ireland. She invites Star along as her caregiver, a move which raises Paul’s ire and suspicion. He ends up tagging along, more to keep an eye on Star than to care for his mother.
Star has problems, but she has identified them, is working on them, and most are a direct or indirect result of her childhood mistreatment. While I couldn’t Star’s background from personal knowledge (thankfully), I could respect and admire her progress into becoming the woman God created her to be. Paul Kelly? Not so much.
I will admit that I had a lot of unChristian feelings for Paul. Sure, he’d given up on Christianity, but he’d also turned into an unkind and suspicious person. I also suspected he never had a deep Christian faith to begin with, as the event that caused him to lose his faith didn’t seem a big enough deal to abandon faith in God. (Abandon the church, sure. But not God.) That low baseline meant Paul had a lot of room to grow and improve— and he had a lot of improving to do if he was going to be worthy of Star.
Janet Ferguson did a brilliant job of redeeming Paul. By the end I was convinced that he and Star would make a great couple. This is a credit to the excellent writing. Overall, Star Rising is an excellent example of Christian romance, with an emphasis on the “Christian”. The Christian elements are well integrated into the plot so they’re essential, but never preachy.
Recommended.
Note that Star Rising is the third novel in the Coast Hearts series, but can easily be read as a standalone story.
I loved this book! Star (protagonist) has had a very difficult past. She is now caring for an elderly lady who makes a tremendous impact on Star’s life, but then along comes Mrs. Kelly’s son, Paul, who has lost his faith and is bent on getting Star out of his mother’s life as he sees her as an intruder. The back and forth dialog between these two characters is great! It’s also amazing to watch the attitudes of both of them change throughout the book. I couldn’t put it down!
Star Rising is an unforgettable story filled with witty humor, characters who come alive, and a deeper meaning that will resonate in readers’ hearts. Ferguson has once again outdone herself!
Although Star Rising can easily be read on its own, I would advise reading Ferguson’s previous novel The Art of Rivers to gain a bit of background on Star and her friends. This book takes Star to Ireland with her employer Priscilla Kelly and the last minute addition of her son Paul who intends to protect his mother from Star.
I’ll admit that I didn’t like Paul at all from the beginning and even enjoyed some of his hilarious mishaps, thinking he was only getting what he deserved. The author changed my mind about Paul, gradually letting me inside his mind and his pain as I watched Star’s determination and care for his mother and even him work their way into his heart. I loved Star and her struggles to continue following Christ despite occasional urges to revert back to her past addictions. Her heart was full of love and I could see the Holy Spirit working in her throughout her story.
As I have come to expect, Janet Ferguson has filled this book with memorable characters who each have personal issues that need to be overcome. I love how she covers difficult subjects with such aplomb and doesn’t leave her characters floundering in their problems. Star Rising is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to all.
I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by the author. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
“Prayer is not telling God what we want like He’s our personal vending machine. Prayer is asking God what He wants.”
Janet Ferguson is an amazing writer. Her ability to capture the human emotion and write it in a way that you feel what the characters are going through is amazing. After reading The Art Of Rivers last year I knew I would always read what she writes.
Star Rising did not disappoint.
Star got her story! She had a horrible background and childhood but one of the most amazing things about her was how she rose above them and did not come out bitter, angry or vindictive. She loved fiercely and was loyal to a fault. She detoured on the way but when she met God, she held onto him tightly and He helped her rise above her past. Her life shows the kind of work God does in the heart of a person when we allow Him.
Paul! For a while I did not like him! He was dealing with a lot and that made him make very wrong decisions. He’d lost a lot and was one angry fellow. But God never stopped pursuing him. The story winds around how God brought him home. The work God does in the heart of a person is nothing short of amazing.
I loved the themes of God pursuing us and bringing us to Himself despite ourselves. I saw the value of prayers and a Godly support system around one. Star at one point had to made a heart wrenching decision that was right because she wanted to honor God. That takes God’s work on a heart to do what she did. This book brought to mind what is most important to God; the hearts of men. He’s invested, interested and loves us unconditionally and wants us to be with Him and in Him and our lives are in total choas when He is not the center.
I loved how the author brought to mind the essence of us as Christians to have our “talk” match or “walk”, no hypocrisy.
I recommend this book to everyone!
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
Star was such an enigma. Her life had been completely transformed when she turned it over to Jesus. No longer an addict, she still bore the scars of her traumatic childhood. Literally and figuratively. I loved watching her struggle with the need for an escape from bad circumstances and then overcoming them. I also appreciated so much how the author imparted the details without making it painful or offensive to read by doling them out a little at a time.
Paul was the guy you hate but then like a little and then hate again – he was so judgemental and harsh. A man who had once served as a missionary, he was so disillusioned and hurt he turned his back on God. Yet even though he claimed he no longer believed, he couldn’t quiet the voice in his head that recalled scriptures at the most inconvenient of times. This is his story of redemption.
Star Rising was such a wonderful book. As with The Art of Rivers. It touched my heart. The spiritual message permeated the book and turned it into a beautiful parable that illustrates truths that are relevant to many. There was a sweet romantic element and yet Star had to make the hard decision to choose Jesus and His will or the man she loved who rejected Him.
This blend of serious situations and light-hearted humor will touch your heart. If you have not yet read The Art of Rivers you might want to read it first to get to know some of the characters and learn details about Star’s backstory that were only alluded to here, though it isn’t completely necessary. This story does stand on its own.
Read my review of Star Rising by Janet W. Ferguson at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
This is a beautifully written story. It’s a wonderful story full of hope and redemption. The author brought the book to life with her words, I could see the scenery and feel all of the emotions. This is definitely a “Must Read” book. I received an ARC copy of this book and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
In her brand new release, Janet Ferguson takes readers on a trip to Ireland. A trip that doesn’t start out very promising for Paul Kelly. There are some fairly humorous moments (as long as they’re not happening to you).
Janet Ferguson delves into Star Youngblood’s difficult upbringing and Paul’s lack of faith while organically moving their relationship of contention to one much, much more amiable.
I adored Star. Her desire to do the right thing and listen to God’s voice in her new life (the one she’s spent the past year clawing her way toward) is inspirational. She’s a faithful friend and a warrior when the situation calls for a protector, yet vulnerable with a desire to find her place. All of those qualities make her the perfect person to challenge Paul.
Faith, family, falling in love, and gorgeous scenery are just a few reasons you don’t want to miss Star Rising.
Disclosure statement:
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pretty boring