Christina Michelle thought she had everything figured out. She grew up in a loving household with faith and religious practice at its center. Her parents didn’t just talk about their faith; they lived it with conviction. She received a good education from local Catholic schools. So, how did she end up getting married to the man her parents begged her not to? 

Christina starts her senior year of high school as a new student. She sees it as an opportunity for a fresh start in a friendly environment. She takes an ordinary typing class with Mr. Nick Newberry. Mr. Newberry isn’t just any teacher: he’s the dreamy, funny and charming track coach. On her first day of class, Mr. Newberry puts her in the back row and seemed to pay little attention to her at first. It did not take long, however, before Mr. Newberry began teasing Christina, causing her to blush. Christina loves the attention, and Mr. Newberry sees how she blushed when he told jokes or spoke to her in class. 

The teasing turns into flirting and continues between Mr. Newberry and Christina. Before graduation, Mr. Newberry tells Christina he likes her more than a student and even asks her to call him Nick. At this point, she finds herself becoming obsessed with Nick. After graduation the two decide to officially start seeing each other, only Nick wants to keep it a secret. Christina soon notices Nick’s attitude toward her alternating between hot and cold. Rather than seeing these as warning signs, she rationalizes his behavior, attributing it to the challenges of his position at the school, and continues to pursue the relationship. She soon discovers his infidelities but continues to make excuses for him and repeatedly returns to him. Her family repeatedly begs her to end the relationship and, as a last resort, asks her to leave home, hoping she will recognize the destructive path she has chosen. Much to their heartbreak, she ends up marrying him. 

“God, please let me be with Nick, and I WILL SHOW YOU how happy I will be.”

The honeymoon period of a marriage is the season of romantic ease and emotional warmth. Every bride yearns for and expects this bliss and joy in early marriage. Nick does not show Christina warmth or bliss, instead he put doubts in her head about her family who distrusts him. As if that wasn’t enough, Nick is physically abusive towards Christina. He cheats on her and tries to control her every move. 

Christina walks on egg shells and begins to think that all is lost. Relief comes in the form of a scholarship to a local Catholic college. A required class in Theology before deciding a major at the college introduces Christina to St. Augustine of Hippo and his masterpiece, Confessions. If God can forgive St Augustine’s sins, He can also forgive hers. Juggling losing her family and the volatile relationship with Nick, she begins attending Mass and seeks help from a priest about her marriage. The priest advises her to start praying and ask God to reveal His will for her. Christina asks for a sign from God on what direction to turn. The sign comes in the form of Nick’s refusal to change. 

Christina realizes that she hadn’t lost true love because it was never real love. What she was losing was her soul. Asking for God’s help brings abundant gifts to Christina. In His mercy, God takes our brokenness and uses it for good. 

I recommend this book to women, especially mothers of teen daughters and college students. It’s easy to fall into temptation and ignore common sense, but it doesn’t lead to anything fruitful. If we have gone down that road, God is always waiting for us to return, and His mercy is endless.