Book Review and Giveaway: Angels Unaware by Rachel J. Good

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​About the Book

Sometimes God sends angels into our lives…

Chocolate chip cookies are the perfect way to make friends. At least, Mark Daniels thinks they are. He hopes to forget his painful past and start over in new neighborhood. Everyone is warm and welcoming—everyone that is, but the dragon lady next door. She rebuffs all overtures of friendship and declines Mark’s invitations to church.​

​Jasmine Avery doesn’t trust men, especially not handsome ones who come bearing gifts. She’s been badly hurt and has walled herself off from love. Reluctantly, she agrees to attend church with Mark on Easter Sunday, not realizing how it will change her life and her future. But soon after she discovers the secret to a happy life, her whole world turns upside-down. Will these unexpected changes prove Mark can’t be trusted either? Or can she and Mark overcome their past heartbreaks to forge a new life together?

​My Review

​Angels Aware by Rachel J. Good is a lovely book, which I enjoyed reading. It is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Good. And I can recommend it, though with a few reservations.  
 
The pace of this book felt very fast as Mark, the main character, moved from annoyance to friendship to love. The narrative is quite clear that it is taking place over a longer period of time, but for some reason the way it is written makes the timeline feel very short. In my head I knew it wasn’t but I had trouble remembering that the action in the story was taking place over a longer period of time.
 
Mark is the hero of the book, and the story is told entirely from his point of view. In a romance, I am not a fan of only one character’s point of view. And it’s because I don’t always believe the character’s interpretations of their interactions with the non-POV character. Sometimes people see what they want to see and not what is actually happening.
 
And I wanted to hear Jasmine’s story, her thoughts as she discovered how God is there for us and learned to love Him. In my opinion her background made her a much more intriguing character than Mark and I wanted to know her personally and not only through Mark’s eyes. I feel that by not including her POV Ms. Good missed an opportunity to really dig deep into the themes of the book.
 
I know this sounds like I didn’t enjoy the book! I did like it. It is a quick read and both of the main characters are struggling with their pasts and seeking to forgive themselves and others. Mark’s faith is present from practically the first line of the book and Jasmine also grows her faith. There are a few spots that hit my emotions regarding fear and forgiveness, and how easy it is to isolate ourselves in fear, and I appreciated those as they gave the emotional weight of the story more depth.
 
I give this book 3/5 stars and recommend it to people who like a quick, emotional read regarding faith and forgiveness. For those who do not like a single POV in their romances, I’m not sure it would be the best book for you, though I would encourage you to give it a chance. And as I enjoyed the writing style and how prevalent the themes of faith and forgiveness were throughout the book, I will be trying more books by this author.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

​About the Author

Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness.She is also the author of the Sisters & Friends Amish series and the Amish Quilts Coloring Book. A former teacher and librarian, she has more than 2300 articles and 30 books in print or forthcoming under several pen names. Rachel also juggles freelance editing and illustration careers. She loves reading (of course!), traveling, and spending time with her five children and three grandchildren.

​Guest Post from the Author

One of the important lessons in ANGELS UNAWARE is looking beyond the surface, seeing with new eyes. In the story, Mark has many opportunities to do this. When he first approaches Jasmine with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, she’s unwelcoming and prickly:


The door opened a crack. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Mark turned. The woman’s narrowed eyes and belligerent stance made him quake. He took a step back. “I…um…here…” He held out the plate of cookies.
“What’s that?”
Mark took a deep breath and regained his composure. He smiled and started his usual spiel. “Hi, I’m Mark Daniels, and I just moved into the neighborhood—”
“I know.” She didn’t sound too pleased. “That’s not what I asked. What’s that in your hands?”
“Oh, these? I baked chocolate chip cookies and thought I’d share some with you.”
“Do you know what sugar does to your system?” she demanded. “I never touch sugar.”
That explained why she was so thin. So much for cookies then. Mark wracked his brain for another offering. “A meal perhaps? I make great spaghetti and meatballs.”
She drew back. “A meat eater? It figures.”
Oh, terrific. Mark cringed at the acid in her tone. He’d just offered a meat dish to a vegetarian. So much for his diplomacy mission.


After a start like that, many people would have given up. But Mark feels led to share God’s love with this neighbor, and he tries again and again. Eventually he discovers she’s hiding some deep personal pain. His persistence brings unexpected rewards to both of them.


I wanted to write this story because we usually avoid people who criticize us or hurt our feelings. Yet, often those who are unkind are actually aching inside. And they need God’s unconditional love and forgiveness, because only God can heal their pain and suffering.


After God touches Jasmine’s heart, Mark can see her softer, kinder side. And she’s proof of that saying, “An angel resides in every heart.”


Could your grouchy neighbor or critical boss be an angel in disguise? Maybe these annoying people have been sent into our lives to help build our character or to teach us a lesson. The Bible warns us to be hospitable to everyone, because we never know when we’ll come upon an angel “unawares.”


“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Heb. 13:2 KJV


Each person you meet has been sent into your life for a reason. Sometimes these angels come into our lives in unlikely disguises. We don’t always realize their purpose until much later. Looking back, though, we can see God’s hand in the encounters.


Other times, we discover – like Mark did – that we’re supposed to be angels to those who are unkind to us. We may be the only ones who have ever touched their lives with God’s light.


Who in your life needs God’s love? Can you be an angel to that person?

​Blog Stops

January 24: Blossoms and Blessings
January 25: autism mom
January 26: Books. Books. And More Books.
January 27: Moments Dipped in Ink
January 28: A Greater Yes
January 29: Carpe Diem
January 30: Petra’s Hope
January 31: A Baker’s Perspective
February 1: Christian Bookaholic
February 2: Karen Sue Hadley
February 3: Quiet Quilter
February 4: Daysong Reflections
February 5: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
February 6: His Grace is Sufficient

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away:
Grand Prize:

• Angel bookmark
• Battenberg lace angel pin
• Trio of jade angels
• Prayer angel with a “Worry” poem to remind you to pray about your problems
• ANGELS UNAWARE ebook
• Newest AMISH QUILTS COLORING BOOK (large print edition)

2nd – 4th Prize:
One copy of the ANGELS UNAWARE ebook
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post to earn 9 extra entries in the giveaway!
https://promosimple.com/ps/af23