Very good read - captures the readers heart.
932614
The booked had me trapped. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Very well written. I have not yet picked up the sequel (too many others to read first) but its definitely on my list.
4075553
Jason has created a story that captures the heart of human nature.  Do we help when asked or survive for our own selfish needs. I enjoyed reading to the end how the characters would work together in order to overcome adversity.  A great read!
4780681
The author captured my heart with the characters.  They are people I know--my friends, my family . . . me.  The relationships are authentic, the emotions raw,. and the healing real.  Great read!
2003068
This was a 'good read' which I enjoyed very much. The author gives deep insight into the personal relationships of the narrator's parents which give a very real impression of the way lives and loves have changed since the 1950's. The story meshes well and the characters are well defined. There is also a very real feeling of 'coming of age' for more than just Callie-Ann.
4377436
This was a very enjoyable read and provided a heart warming story with real life issues and Godly counsel.  As a wife of a returning soldier, the issues of psychological battle scars was difficult to read, but even through the tears, it proved to be a soul cleansing journey.  The book's not "edge of your seat exciting", but it is certainly well worth the read.
3784388
I won't re-visit the earlier review, because it gave a good overview of the plot and characters, but I must say I really enjoyed this story and I actually shed some tears at the end, which in this jaded reader, is pretty unusual.  I thought the author did a very good job of portraying grief and lost love plus the feeling of disconnectedness and alienation that youth sometimes brings without going overboard with the sap and gush.  And the tropes of romance were kept to a minimum.  There was plenty left to the imagination and that I really appreciated.

This is spare, well-crafted storytelling and the main characters are not too precious or subject to overwhelming epiphanies, which they then soliloquize at length for the reader. The author lets the characters show their feelings or not (however some may disagree with them) and speak for themselves. There were a few odd word choices that jangled, but I think the author was trying hard not to use some of the trite and overused words and phrases common to romances these days.

Chase the Storm was a refreshing and deeply felt read.  I think the sex scenes were well-balanced with the relationship and romance.  The realistic reactions of the characters seemed very true to life, if not wholly satisfying to some readers.  They seemed like real guys struggling with unfamiliar, overwhelming and confusing emotions.  Their reactions to situations felt very authentic.  Recently I read a character in a romance explain: (paraphrase)  "we may be gay, but we're still guys and we don't do feelings all that well."  If you read between the lines, the story comes shining through and for that, I highly recommend this book.

p.s. There is a way to figure out Chase's age--it just comes later in the book and takes a bit of calculating.
490607
A good book is one that draws the reader into a world where the reader might not normally tread. While outside of my normal reading genres - I'm happy to have treaded, not lightly, be deeply into Annie's world after reading both books.

We pick up with Annie Grace less than a year after the end of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Signs-and-Wonders-Annie-Grace-adventures/dp/B005FFTMTU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Signs and Wonders (Annie Grace adventures)</a>. She's back looking at the ceiling - but instead of attempting to escape her life, she's finding her way in it along with finding herself.

The story moves along well alternating between Annie's and Reverend Rock's stories and merges their arcs strongly in the end. I appreciate the detail touches the author uses in his storytelling - a toy poodle named Marcus, Ernesto's favorite author, and descriptions of locations and individuals throughout. He paints a wonderful picture with words that allows the mind's eye to create their own inner movie while reading. "Finding Grace" excels not only in gripping the reader with the inner struggle the main characters are facing - but also the physical struggle in action sequences ... yes, action sequences ... in the climax of the story.

A great read - and, based upon the end of this book, it appears not the last of Annie Grace's Adventures through her life and faith. Looking forward to more.
2531850
Each of these characters was very well written.  You were in the head and heart of each speaker. As the reader, you not only observed the scene, but knew the outward gestures as well as the inner thoughts and feelings of the main characters as well as,quite often the supporting characters.  I have read many autobiographical accounts of these awful places, deeds and suffering of those times.  The author has crafted the story well!
2952172
If you're a reader that enjoys literature that speaks to your heart then you will love this book.
3511539
There are a number of reasons, which I won't mention here because they might spoil a first read, that make the characters in this story and the story a very good read.  Okay, I'll mention one: this book captures the fact that there may be some of us better grounded or better capable of handling problems than others, but that at our core we are all flawed in some way; it's just a matter of degrees.  Enjoyed this book very much!
151408
A refreshing read capturing the beauty of love and support.
1201187
I enjoyed this book very much. It is a bit dark, but I found it's honesty touching. The words flowed smoothly and made it hard to put the book down. I also liked the author's descriptions. They were colorful and vivid, and usually did not go on too long. The story as a whole was very intriguing.
413719
I became engrossed in this story.  The caution is that the author captures the horrors of war, in this case the Civil War, in terms hard no to visualize.  In addition, some of the characters are truly despicable, although we likely have such specimens in our midst.
On the other hand, I also found individuals of high character and genuine tenderness.
In short, I guess the story reflects life's spectrum experience.  It was a very good read
4001642
"Small Mercies", by Eddie Joyce, is the heartwarming and heart rending story of one week in the lives of the Amendola family of Staten Island. Gail and Michael lost their firefighter son, Bobby, on 9/11. This is the story of their Italian-Irish family and the community in which they live and work; Staten Island is almost a character in itself. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different family member which illuminates the effects of Bobby's death on each of them.

What I enjoyed the most about this well-paced novel of love and loss, was the relationships between several of the female characters and their mother-in-laws. Having once had a wonderful mother-in-law myself, and in striving to BE a good mother-in-law, I was touched and edified by the relationships depicted here.

Since each chapter explores a different family member's perspective, and the main action of the book takes place within a week, there is necessarily a lot of "flash-backs" within each narrative to bring the reader up to the present state of things. It's not often clear what time period is being described (some past experience or the present) and if can be confusing for a few minutes until the reader gets some "sign post" of where we are. This didn't mar the over-all effect of the book for me, but it might for some other readers.
3301220
Very well written - grabs your interest and attention from the start.  The Author did a wonderful job in letting the reader truly feel what the main character was feeling.  I highly recommend it.  I have a dear friend that is a preachers wife, as much as I want her to read it, I understand that she can not due to whom she is - not who she is.  Being a wife is hard enough, but add into the mix of husband being a pastor - the book help me to see it clearly.  Everyone expects the preachers wife to be fully versed and knowledgeable of the bible readings.  It was the husband who had the calling to serve God, by being a pastor, not the WIFE.
4918121
I am very impressed with the author's ability to capture my attention and keep it. I finished this book in one day - the anticipation of what was on the next page intrigued me. Well done!
1106659
Bittersweet is the tone of this book. The book is well developed and pulls at the heartstrings. The story encouraged me to accept the consequences of following the scripture and trusting God with the outcome. Without giving away the story line, the final ending happened a little quickly, but that could be another book in itself. But fiction is written so we can escape reality and enjoy the fantasy. I look forward to more books by this author.