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As these women join forces to search for Joey’s father–a Rockland area pastor, no less– Emily learns compassion for a woman who just wants the best for her son and can’t quite imagine that Jesus wants anything to do with her. Each day, Davia weakens until Emily isn’t confident she’ll find the boy’s father in time–if at all. Doubts form. Should she look? Is it right to risk destroying a family like this–an entire church? The weight of that responsibility crushes her as Davia wastes away before her eyes. A mother’s love. A boy’s confidence. A family’s faith. A preacher’s failure. Is redemption even possible anymore? Christmas Embers: a story of love, failure, and redemption. My ReviewChristmas Embers by Chautona Havig is a difficult book to get through and for me, a difficult book to rate. I settled on the higher rating because of the writing and the handling of the tough subject matter despite slight dissatisfaction with the end of the book. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Havig. She is an excellent writer, and both main characters are well-rounded, flawed individuals. Christmas Embers is also what I like to call an “internal” book—one that consists of character’s thoughts and interactions, so there are no long descriptions of the setting. Emily and Sean, a married couple, are our main characters. Infidelity and adultery is rarely addressed in Christian fiction, and Ms. Having handles it well. She doesn’t shy away from the impact it has on the adulterer, the spouse, family members, the church, and friends. The themes of sin, love, hate, temptation, and forgiveness permeate the book and make it rich and rewarding. One of the aspects of the story that didn’t work for me was the flashback to the actual adultery—it’s not explicit. However, by that time in the story I knew the information the flashback conveyed and felt it interrupted the flow of the story. I couldn’t put Christmas Embers down. One reason is I was never a hundred percent certain which way the relationship between the adulterer and the cheated-on spouse would go. Ms. Havig writes this broken relationship so well I didn’t know if they would stay together or divorce. And I think I would have been able to accept either decision because of the way Ms. Havig presented the relationship. However, I would have appreciated a few chapters detailing what happened between Emily and Sean after the decision (I won’t spoil) instead of skipping to the epilogue. I give Christmas Embers 4/5 stars and recommend it for those looking for a read that will make you think about sin and forgiveness. I thought it dealt with a tough topic well and appropriately, and despite the excellent writing and the deftly handled subject matter, the lack of story after the decision about their relationship struck me as odd. **I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.** About the Author
Guest Post from Chautona HavigInfidelity to the Tune of Adeste Fideles “I think my husband is having an affair.” An explanation followed. Look, I tend to be one who assumes the best of others—to a fault even. I read the “evidence” and frankly could see it going either way. It’s hard to tell across thousands of miles. While others on the message board saw red flag after red flag—and frankly, I did, too—I also saw perfectly innocent explanations for things. It’s a curse sometimes—that ability to see both sides of an issue. I cautioned against assumptions no one would want other people to make of themselves. And I prayed she was wrong. She wasn’t. It wasn’t the first time I’d come face to face with infidelity. As a child, there was an extended family member. As a newlywed, one of my wedding party—then another. Then another. The excuses, the justifications. Friends and I went to confront a sister in Christ on her affair with her husband’s best friend. We foolishly asked “what happened?” regarding her marriage. Her words: “We drifted apart.” I wanted to scream the words that battered my brain and heart. “Then row back together!” But over the years, it just grew worse. One by one, wives and husbands tossed aside vows made to a brother or sister in Christ—vows made before the Lord—in favor of what sometimes were serial affairs. Abuse. Horror. I’ve prayed women I love through court cases, medical visits, and disclosures from children no mother should ever have to hear. I’ve prayed for men I didn’t even like because of the pain their wives inflicted each time she left them alone with the kids. He knew. He always knew. Adultery is real. It’s ugly. And there’s absolutely a cure for it. Jesus. 100% surrender to Jesus. But as long as we rely on those little loops on the back of our boots instead of the saving, healing, strengthening power of Jesus, we’re just as vulnerable as the next person. And that’s why I wrote Christmas Embers. I took every heartbreaking story I’d observed over the years and put in each character for a reason. Every scene, every plot point, every twist—I put them exactly how and where they are for a reason. They’re there as a warning. This isn’t your lighthearted Christmas novel. Some have suggested I shouldn’t have set it at Christmastime. But you know what? Over half the disclosures I’ve ever heard of happened between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. I couldn’t get the idea of Joey’s story out of my head. And to write his story, it had to be at Christmas. Let me say it again. While Christmas may not seem like the optimal time for a hard-hitting book like this, I had to do it. Adultery is reaching epidemic proportions in the church. There’s a solution. His name is Jesus. Blog StopsCarpe Diem, December 5 A Baker’s Perspective, December 5 Mary Hake, December 5 Moments Dipped in Ink, December 6 D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, December 6 Daysong Reflections, December 6 Fiction Aficionado, December 7 A Simply Enchanted Life, December 7 Genesis 5020, December 7 Blogging With Carol, December 8 The Power of Words, December 8 Bigreadersite, December 8 Reading Is My SuperPower, December 9 A Greater Yes, December 9 Radiant Light, December 9 Just Jo’Anne, December 10 For The Love of Books, December 10 Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 10 Aryn the Libraryan, December 11 A Reader’s Brain, December 11 The Fizzy Pop Collection, December 12 Books, Books, and More Books., December 12 Quiet Quilter, December 13 Seasons of Opportunities, December 13 Christian Book Devourer, December 13 Allofakindmom, December 14 Texas Book-aholic, December 14 Pursuing Stacie, December 14 Pause for Tales, December 15 Reader’s cozy corner, December 15 margaret kazmierczak, December 15 Red Headed Book Lady, December 16 Purposeful Learning, December 16 Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 16 Janices book reviews, December 17 Christian Bookaholic, December 17 Karen Sue Hadley, December 18 Remembrancy, December 18 Blossoms and Blessings, December 18 Giveaway To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a grand prize of a 6 month Kindle Unlimited Subscription!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c512
1 Comment
12/12/2017 08:19:54 am
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review. I, too, would have loved to share more than the epilogue, but it would have taken more time than the story could allow. I really wanted to, though. Thanks again. Leave a Reply. |
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