Genre
Audience
Adult
Author’s Worldview
Catholic
Year Published
2016
Themes
Reviewed by
M.S. Ocampo
Katherine “Kate” Middleton (not to be mistaken for the Duchess of Cambridge)’s life changes with a single phone call from a woman she has never met. The man she thought was her husband has a whole different life apart from her, including another wife and kids. Her marriage is not even valid.
Subscribe to our Newsletter & Get Weekly Catholic Books for as little as $1
Longing to escape this false life and start fresh, Kate leases a house on Chincoteague Island, off the coast of Virginia. She takes on a new job writing for the local paper, a step up from selling advertisement space for a Washington D.C. magazine. Kate quickly makes friends within the Chincoteague community. Sparks start flying between her and Aaron Kelly, a member of the Coast Guard.
Unfortunately, Kate quickly discovers that she’s pregnant with her ex-husband’s baby. She never considers abortion as an option, in spite of not being religious. However, she avoids the responsibility of telling her former husband about it until well into the pregnancy.
Motherhood brings on many new responsibilities. Lucky for Kate, the people of Chincoteague Bay as well as her family are ready to help her. Even her brother, who has been on tour with the Army, eventually arrives to help her out. But Kate still has to face the responsibility of telling her former husband and dealing with whatever consequences come from it.
A few interesting subplots revolve around the burdens other characters are carrying. One of Kate’s friends deals with single motherhood and the stigma of being married to a man who ended up murdered. Kate’s brother and Aaron Kelly are both processing major trauma from the time they served in the military. The story has an overall theme of everyone having skeletons in their closets, but being able to overcome their pasts with the help of a supportive community.
Subscribe to our Newsletter & Get Weekly Catholic Books for as little as $1
I would recommend this novel for fans of Lifetime movie dramas as well as Hallmark Channel’s romantic comedies. Kate starts out not being a religious person, but finds comfort in the local Catholic community. This novel also handles themes of past trauma in a very relatable way.
Join Here for FREE to Never Miss a Deal
Find new favorites & Support Catholic Authors
The Destiny of Sunshine Ranch by T.M. Gaouette
A foster kid learns that sometimes the scariest part of life is accepting love.
The Wind That Shakes The Corn: Memoirs of a Scots Irish Woman by Kaye Park Hinckley
Sold into slavery on her wedding night, an 18th-century Irishwoman struggles to free herself from her thirst for vengeance.
To Crown with Liberty by Karen Ullo
What must you do when nothing you can do will save those you love?
The Lion’s Heart by Dena Hunt
A deep, honest story of emotional struggle, temptation, and sacrifice.
Bread from Home by Fr. Stephen Siniari
We all hunger for the same food from heaven. A collection of short stories exploring an Albanian Orthodox church community, their Catholic and Evangelical neighbors, and the hunger for heaven that unites them all.
Bullet Proof Vestments by Jane Lebak
Fr. Jay left his criminal past behind him, but it’s coming back for vengeance and it might take his parish down with him.
Zeal & Zest: Where to Begin with Hillaire Belloc
Belloc was known as a Catholic polemicist with a vicious talent for skewering his opponents. Anyone struggling to persevere as a Christian in the fields of journalism or media should read him. His children’s books have an acerbic humor that will appeal to bored veterans of political correctness, especially teens.
Secrets: In Plain Sight By Leslea Wahl
Can an old lodge in the dead of winter and a cute boy help Emerson find her faith?
August & September New Book Releases
Step into Fall with a Good Book
Life Changing Love by Theresa Linden
What do when your heart gets broken and your best friend gets an unplanned pregnancy?
Stay with Me by Carolyn Astfalk
Can Rebecca get out from under her domineering father and find love with the forbidden Catholic boy determined to win her heart?
My Son, The Father by Jim Moore
The story of a young priest through the eyes of his father and friends.
Books for Lent
Deepen your Lenten reflection with these stories of repentance and forgiveness
All in Good Time by Carolyn Astfalk
A truly healthy romance that will STILL leave you up at night
Making a Better World By Michael Lacoy
Can Oscar be the man he wants to be to his family and friends?
Absence by Kaye Park Hinckley
Absence will chill you with the stark reminder that human beings are not just bodies, but souls whose spiritual influence cannot be suppressed, even when the bodies have gone missing.
A Changing of the Guard; Three Last Things Book 2 by Corinna Turner
A priest to Death Row inmates, Fr. Jacob must face the earthly consequences of ‘love thy enemy’
Rachel’s Contrition by Michelle Buckman
After the loss of her child, Rachel goes insane but she must pull her mind back together to solve a murder and save her own life.
Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman
An intriguing story that will enchant with a sweet romance and take you on a thrill ride through the Gothic version of modern-day New York City.
Lying Awake by Mark Salzman
A cloistered nun confronts her faith when she realizes that the private revelations she has been given might be the product of epilepsy.
