Freedom Book Review - 13 Reasons Why Blog Tour

September is National Suicide Prevention Month.  I thank God every day that I haven't been personally touched by the tragedy of suicide, but every day, thousands and thousands of people are hurt by it.  It's an epidemic, and it's heartbreaking.

So, Faith Potts used the gift that God gave her, wrote a book, and shared her message.  Then she teamed up with her friend Kaitlyn Krispense, and together, they built a blog tour.  Then, I signed up to review Faith's book and take part in the blog tour, and here we are today.  This is something special, y'all.

 

 So here we go, on to the review!


Freedom



Author: Faith Potts
Genre: Contemporary [romance? I guess?]
Content: Several attempts at suicide
Main Characters: James Green, Alex Lorance

Synopsis:
Having just returned to American soil from the desert sands of the Middle East, James Greene is done with his life. 'Double amputee' doesn't seem like a strong enough phrase to label the physical and emotional pain he bears. Add the lack of love and communication with his family members, the demons that haunt him day and night, and he can find nothing worth living for. Ending it all is the only way out. 

Alexandria Lorance is a not-so-ordinary physical therapist, content with aiding in her patients' recoveries. Her work gives her fulfillment, but alone in the silence, she still endures the hidden scars of a past, unhealthy relationship. Reminding herself that true healing is found in Christ alone, she seeks to show kindness and love to everyone she meets.


When these two broken ones' paths intersect, the spark of friendship is ignited, bringing hope and joy to both. Can they step out of the darkness of suffering and into the freedom of grace?


A Marine, broken by war. A therapist, scarred by words. A chance meeting in a parking lot bonded them together. But can love grow in these two hurting hearts? Or are they truly too broken to ever find lasting happiness?

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

What I Thought:

^ me, dead after the excellence of this book while my family drags me through the rest of my life

This is my third book of Faith's, and she is QUICKLY becoming one of my favorite contemporary authors.  Having read Dandelion Dust last month, I had a feeling that this one was going to make me cry.  And I was right.

This story was so //beautiful//.  Each character's struggles and successes felt real and true and I was an emotional mess the whole time I was reading it.  James and Alex are the cutest and purest ship and I adore them so much.  (their banter! I love them!) The side characters had just enough development to make me care about them deeply without overtaking the story.  The conflict was engaging and I read the whole thing in basically a day because I couldn't put it down. 

I made my way through the story with tears in my eyes because of the darkness that James faced and the sheer beauty of God's light breaking through that darkness.  This book just reaffirmed to me how good God is.  I know these particular characters aren't real, but that doesn't mean that the story is untrue.  We serve such a great God who reaches into the hardest places and lifts us out.  He's never going to leave us, and that means everything.

So yes, I highly recommend this book.  If you like stories with ALL the feels, cute ships, and banter, you're going to love this book.

Overall Rating: 5 ice cream cones out of 5

About the Author:
Saved by God's grace, Faith Potts is a teenage writer and homeschool graduate, living with her family and beloved yellow labs in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not weaving stories, consuming large amounts of coffee, reading stacks of books, or studying American Sign Language, she can be found laughing harder than is healthy, daydreaming, and—of course—blowing dandelions.

Connect with Faith: Her blog ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

This tour is, of course, happening in tandem with the release of Kaitlyn Krispense's novel, Beloved!



Life without love is hopeless.

Foster teen Cara Richards is unloved. With nothing left and nowhere to go, she is determined to find peace, no matter the cost. But despite her intentions, she’s tossed into another foster family and this time, there’s no going back to who she used to be. To make matters worse, one of her five new foster brothers is a Jesus freak, and she refuses to believe that God actually cares.

Her world is thrown upside down in a way she never expects. Though she prides herself on a resilient heart, her mind is lost adrift among a sea of questions: Is death really the answer? Does God care about someone as unworthy as me? Can everyone truly be loved, no matter what?

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

There's also a GIVEAWAY going on for signed paperbacks of both Freedom and Beloved, and you can enter it right here!

And to close out this post, I thought I would share my own 13 reasons - 13 reasons why this world is worth living in. 

• Puppies
• Dancing to the music in the grocery store aisle
• Sunsets
• Cake (honorable mention to cheesecake)
• Mountains
• The moments when your heart is so full of happiness that you start crying
• Mashed potatoes
• Have you seen a picture of a baby panda lately?
• God's creation in general
• Pumpkin crème pie (I apologize if you're hungry now)
• Books
• A good solid hug from someone you really love
• Jesus paid my debts, what have I to fear?

I just want you all to know that I am always here to listen, for whatever you need.  Me and Jesus.  With wide-open arms.  I'm praying for you. <3

~ Abby