Shade believes her prayers are answered when she meets a Christian man who offers her marriage and a name for her newborn child. But when her husband suddenly dies years later, she uncovers secrets from his past—secrets so profound they derail the lives of both her and her daughter. Seeking to rebuild her life and independence, Shade moves to a small Michigan beach town and falls in love. The … love. The relationship, however, can never be. Her internal struggle to honor her vow to God, while denying her own desires, throws her on a path of attempted redemption.
Print book length, approximately 380 pages.
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I loved the surprising and wonderful twist near the end of the book. I admired Shade’s utter determination to take responsibility.
The Essence Of Shade by Deborah Jean Miller is an epic contemporary Christian novel that will consume your heart and soul. The handprint of God runs throughout.
The novel is about sacrificial love. It is a love that is trying to atone for past sins. “Suffering was her penalty for the sins of her past.” Guilt weighs heavy but it is a burden we were never meant to carry. Confession is good for the soul and brings peace. We need to receive the grace and forgiveness of God. It is important to forgive the face in the mirror too.
There is loss within the tale. It is a loss that unleashes a terrible hidden secret life. Guilt that a hurt went unseen weighs heavy as a character rails at God. “You don’t even care… Where are You? Do You even exist?” In our hurt and pain, it is all too easy to direct our anger at God. God stands firmly beside us in our suffering. He was there in the hurt and pain. He never leaves us but we cannot always see Him.
The sins of the fathers seem destined to be repeated. Somehow the cycle of sin must be broken, but at what cost?
We witness love in action as a character shows a pure love for the lost, the lonely and the vulnerable.
Life may be hard. This advice is given, “Keep God at your side, and He’ll walk you through.” Sometimes we cannot see the road ahead. We need to put our hand in God’s and trust Him to guide us through. “You can’t do without God. Don’t push God away.” Whatever we are facing, it is far better to face it with God. Do not walk alone through life.
Every chapter started with scripture reminding the reader of the importance of the Word in our lives.
Deborah Jean Miller has created a marvellous novel. I hope my review has done it justice as it was packed full of godly themes and advice that it is difficult to cover them all. The whole novel is permeated with the fragrance of God’s love. Pure love conquers all.
”Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.NIV.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The ending had quite the surprise twist! Loved it!
Very well written and wonderful story
Love this story!
I was surprised by the ending. It was sometimes difficult to read because the main character was going in the opposite direction of what you wanted. It was sad and disturbing. Fortunately it ended well.
I don’t get surprised very often, but this on really snuck p on me!
I enjoyed this book very much. Shade was a likable character as was Brent. I couldn’t wait to see if they would get together romantically. That’s why I stayed up later that usual reading. There were times when I thought Shade was being too hard on herself, and if I may say so, rather stupid. All in all, I would recommend this book.
My heart hurt so much for the character Shade. She had wounded childhood and a marriage to a much older man who never let her be herself. Then she sees some of the same problems with her daughter and Grandson but the decisions she makes will hurt her for a long time. Very good story.
There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this book. There was something referred to throughout the book. I have to say I was totally floored when it came out. I understand she was a new author – she was GOOD! A little too much drinking for what seemed to have been an inspirational book otherwise. (But I’m old)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The sadness of abandonment, the struggle of feeling worthless, and the life changing effects of love and knowing your worth to your Heavenly Father, combined to make this story beautiful. I highly recommend this book!
The Essence of Shade by Deborah Jean Miller is my newest must-read recommendation. It has all the requirements of a great story.
Love- love is prevalent throughout the book.
Conflict- every great story has multiple degrees of conflict.
Mystery- life is full of secrets just like this book. Many are inconsequential, some are huge and life altering.
Romance- enduring unrequited love.
Food- I love the addition of deliciously described food.
Shock- a bombshell from out of the blue.
Add all this together and you get a thought-provoking page turner full of life and it’s ups & downs, humor, great characters, wonderful recipes, beautifully described settings, and so much more. The generational relationships are especially poignant in this book.
I can confidently recommend The Essence of Shade to readers of women’s fiction, faith based fiction, and even cozy mysteries.
Enjoyed the book. It had a good twist in it.
This book captivated me from beginning to the end. I didn’t see the ending coming. Loved it.
An ok read with an unexpected twist. However, lot of unnecessary repetition. Seems somewhat shallow overall. Has HEA ending but seemed sort of off. Books I really enjoy I read again later, but not this one.
This author is very talented I would have given it f ive stars if she had gone in a different direction with Shade. I didn’t like how it ended with Shade which almost ruined the book for me