Not good enough…the words echo in Madison Baron’s mind as the darkness presses her to be thinner, more beautiful—somehow more attractive to her peers. A junior in high school, she is facing life without her childhood love, Luke Johnson, who is off to college in the Midwest. Alone with her insecurities, Madison yearns for acceptance—until Miles that is. Will a relationship with this new student on campus be the answer she seeks? And how will his resistance to her Christian faith affect her future?
As the two of them grow closer and closer, something happens inside of Madison, and she finds herself more insecure than ever. Gazing into the mirror at her thinning face and trendy makeup, she hopes no one sees the fear behind her smile.
The sixth book in the Sandy Cove Series, Behind Her Smile, touches hearts of young and old alike with the message of God’s redemption and love, reminding us that our true sufficiency and value come from Him and Him alone.
Rosemary Hines has written a wonderful coming of age story that perfectly illustrates the beauty of God's grace in the forgiveness of others and the importance of applying that same loving grace toward forgiving ourselves. A true reminder of the power of love! ~ Susan J. Calloway Knowles, Licensed Psychotherapist, Radio Host, Author
Rosemary Hines writes contemporary, suspenseful fiction from a Christian worldview. Her characters and their struggles and triumphs reflect life in our 21st century culture in America. Boldly tackling tough subjects such as suicide, abortion, and the ever-increasing efforts of secular society to silence the faith of many, she is known for her sensitive approach and strong messages of hope and redemption. Rosemary taught writing at a secondary level for fifteen years. Her books have been reviewed and recommended at Christian conferences across the United States. Active in her church as a Sunday school teacher and a women's Bible study leader, she and her husband have also served as missionaries in Ukraine, delivering humanitarian relief to orphanages and hospitals. They reside in Southern California where they enjoy spending time with their grown children and grandchildren. For more information about Rosemary and her books, visit: http://www.newswire.net/newsroom/pr/7... www.rosemaryhines.com https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryHine...
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning; Great is [His] faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Thanks to author Rosemary Hines for gifting me with a digital ARC of Behind Her Smile in exchange for an honest review.
The word "Smile" in the title of this book fulfills a Bingo square in one of my GoodReads groups, so I read it one night while vacationing. Since internet service is practically nonexistent there, my review has vanished. I enjoyed this coming of age story about sixteen-year-old Madison, who misses Luke, her childhood love who has left for college. She feels unattractive and wishes to be thinner and more beautiful. When the new boy, Miles, flirts with Madison, she feels special. Does she want a relationship with him? Will that make her happy?
Madison used to be close to her great-grandmother Joan, but she is eighty-nine and now living in a retirement community. Joan thinks of Maddie and prays for her. "Lord, thank you for another day. Make me a blessing to someone today, and help me to see the bounty of your gifts in the simple things around me." Amen
Maddie claims to be ok, but her parents, Steve and Michelle, are worried about her. Even her young friend Lily, Luke's sister, is concerned about her. When Maddie runs away from home one night, where will she go? Will she be okay? Will she be safe? Or will she get in deeper trouble?
I have enjoyed all of Rosemary's previous books,in the Sandy Cove Series, so it was a delight to once again meet with those that I consider my friends. The characters are so realistic and well described that you immediately identify with them. I felt every hurt, disappointment and challenge. A difficult topic is dealt with in a sensitive and caring manner. It is one that we all hear about in the media but don't always realize the impact it has on a family and how it changes one's life. As a parent with a daughter, I can feel the heartache when coping with an eating disorder and all the problems that go along with it. The plot moves steadily and quickly, building suspense as the story develops, There are shocking twists and turns that keeps the reader glued to the page. The message contained within these pages left a lasting impression . God CAN and WILL deal with all of our problems if only we allow him to guide our ways. When we are at the end of our rope, God is there!
A fantastic read!! This ebook was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I was privileged to receive, from the author, a pre-released copy of Behind Her Smile.
In this next installment of the Sandy Cove series, Madison(Maddie) is the focal point. As a 16 year old, she is confronted with image issues, “first-love” and the consequences of her choices. Choices that not only test her faith, but could potentially affect her entire life. Michelle and Steve struggle with parenting their teenage daughter. How do they balance faith, trust and prayer while allowing their “princess” her first glimpse of adulthood. Grandmother Sheila is settling into her new married life with Phil, while dealing with the challenges of helping her aging mother, Joan. As a new widow, Maddie’s Great Grandmother Joan is coping with her loss, her diminishing independence and re-defining her family role as “prayer warrior” - a role that is exhaustively tested by her great granddaughter. One of the nice features of Rosemary Hines’ books is that each may be read independently and still be thoroughly enjoyed. Once you have been introduced to the Sandy Cove characters, you will find yourself eager to read their backstory in her earlier books. Ms. Hines has again created a story which will make it difficult to put down until the last word of the Epilogue is read. (Don’t miss the Notes From the Author!) After recently discovering Ms. Hines’ books, I am a true fan! Her characters are “real”; her stories are so relatable and inspirational. She shares her faith, in an entertaining way, through the colorful and realistic characters which she creates. I can’t wait for the next installment!
Through reading the story of Maddie came tears of sadness & joy. It helped me with my feelings of not being good enough. It made me miss my grandmother and great grandmother.
I would say this one of the best books I have read that would be great for any teen to centennial.
Behind Her Smile Book 5 of the Sandy Cove Series Rosemary Hines
In this next installment of the Sandy Cove series, we catch up with the characters we have grown to love in the first four books of the series. A few years have passed and Madison Baron is concerned, as are many 16 year olds, about her appearance for the first day back at school. Madison is convinced she needs to loose some weight and puts sets out to do just that. To make matters worse, Luke, her best friend and at one point, the love of her life, is off to college. And, as with many 16 year-olds, her parents just don’t understand her. Once again, Ms. Hines does not shy away from relevant issues, but tackles them head on. Teen angst, dating and premarital sex are all present in this story. Again Ms. Hines presents a clear Christian view-point, sometimes sounding a little preachy but getting the point across. Several Christian concepts are presented in such a way that all readers can learn from them. She presents Christ as the answer to inner peace. I did find that some of the problems went away a little too miraculously but on the whole, the book and characters were believable in lovable. I was privileged to read this book before the official release date in exchange for a review.
I’ve just finished reading Behind Her Smile by Rosemary Hines (Sandy Cove Series Book 6).
Once again I was so engrossed in the story that I read into the middle of the night. Madison, the teenage daughter in the story, is struggling with doubts about her appearance, her future, and her faith. The story addresses these issues through her eyes, yet those struggles are so universal that everyone can identify. This story is never preachy, yet issues of faith, prayer and forgiveness are dealt with biblically.
Another theme is the interconnected generations of the family and how they care for and encourage one another. It’s heartwarming and a reminder that we can all benefit from spending time with members of all age groups.
I recommend this book for parents, teens, grandparents, mentors and teachers. I look forward to more from Sandy Cove, and more writing of any type from Rosemary Hines! I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Behind Her Smile is another great book in the Sandy Cove series by Rosemary Hines. This book focuses on sixteen year old Madison. She sees herself as not good enough according to the world's standards. She wants to be thin and popular, and she makes some poor choices to achieve these goals. Thankfully, she has godly women in her life that have also struggled with similar issues. Her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother share their experiences and show Madison unconditional love. This is a story of redemption and how God uses our past to help others.
If you have not read this series go to Amazon and get a free Kindle copy of the first book, Out of a Dream, and begin your journey to Sandy Cove. I am sure you will enjoy these books and grow in faith through Rosemary's characters.
I had the honor to review this amazing book for the author. When Luke leaves for college Madison's life completely changed. She's trying so hard to be like the models she ses in magazines and it totally changes the person she once was. When she meets Miles she becomes a different person who her family and friends can't figure out. When Madison realizes she is in trouble she goes to her grandmother for help. You will feel God working on her during this story. You won't be able to stop reading this book.
I really loved this one for many reasons. It seems to me that not very many Christian fiction writers give much time to older people. Oh they may have a grandparent in their novel and devote a total of a page or two to them. But the main characters are usually teens or in their 30's and they 'old' people are in their 50's. What I absolutely love about this author is she truly includes the gamut of ages....even at age 90 plus. Even better, the author includes how someone that age can serve the Lord, when they are no longer strong in health or beautiful as a woman etc. I so appreciated that.
Also, I love her frequent prayers ( it is so helpful to see how she writes prayers to God for specific situations)! And her included Bible verses, that are applicable to whatever situation is happening.
I know so people just want a 'clean' story without swearing, and maybe a mention once or twice that someone prayed or went to church and that is good enough, and good to go for them....in fact to much 'preaching' is not welcome. I more than welcome a 'preachy' Christian novel!!!!!
I have read comments complaining about too many Bible quotes, or prayers etc. etc. I am always confused when people say that? Why then are they reading 'Christian' fiction? To me that is the whole point, (to have clean stories, yes), is to have wonderful great application of our Christian doctrine, faith, prayers to Jesus, God's Word, the Bible, and a great story. After all, I am sure there are some secular authors who write 'clean' fiction, without Bible quotes and scripture.
In any case, this author is not afraid the be a Christian author!! I highly recommend her books.
And again, I was so happy she has devoted more that a page or two to older saints!! They are very important in this series, that makes her an outstanding author, based on that alone....well..... second to being a 'true Christian' author!!!!
In this book of the series, she also gives such a true insightful look at teenage girls ( even Christian ones) struggle with the 'world's' pressure to focus completely on self, outward beauty, peers, being popular, being thin, lying, having sex before marriage etc. And God's forgiveness. I was really struck by the 'ladder' example....you will have to read the story to see what I mean!
Of course anything Ms Hines writes is going to be 5 stars. I had no idea where Maddie's story would take her but it is a common situation for young women today especially. Seeing 4 generations together loving and praying for one another is so fulfilling. Forgiveness is woven all the way through. He can stand aliine but the series is worth reading each book. Well done.
The Sandy Cove Series is wonderful for any age group. It will touch everyone's heart with the amazing stories it brings out. I would recommend this book to all to read it. Especially for the teens, who are still trying to find themselves who they are or want to be as they grow older. It also shows their elders how to talk to them in a way they will truly understand.
So many young people struggle with life in this world and holding on to there faith. They easy targets for the evilness all sound. I did not want to read this story but I am glad I did. It made me think and taught me something. This author speaks to my heart.
This book had me laughing and then crying so hard I couldn't see! But I read it in one day and could not put it down. I could see myself, family members and friends alike in many of the situations addressed in the stories. Awesome Read! Incredible Moving Christian Series! Praise God!
I loved the relationship Maddie had with her grandmother and great-grandmother. As family secrets unfold will they help Maddie feel her life can ever be good enough again to have a lasting relationship with Luke. As she seeks God's forgiveness, her parents', her friends and her own as well as Luke's she learns God is a God of love.
I have read all the previous books in this series and this one night be my favorite. Shows how we all fall short and how self doubt and cripple us. This is great for young Christians how have sinned and need to see God's love is still with them. Good stand alone book, but even better if you've read the other books in the series.
Book.6 in the Sandy Cove series was sad but at the end, very victorious! The story focuses on Madison & Miles, her high school.boyfriend. Luke is off to his first year of college, discovering his future. Of course, their paths mix together with a beautiful ending, despite Madison's mistakes.
A teenage girl defies the rules to be like her peers. When she discovers that all the rules were made by people who love her, then she can finally find a new self image. Christian values are discussed throughout the book.
I’m looking forward to the next book, I enjoyed Behind Her Smile so much. Your books bring me into the story myself. I’m hoping the next book is just as good as the last.
Book 6 of a 9 book series. The series follows the lives of one family through 4 generations. Always uplifting. This series has literally changed my life, strengthening my faith easily a hundred fold.
Real life story of a struggle that faces every teenager. I loved the way the author presented the characters and their struggles. I loved the scripture references and the solid Christian values applied in this book. I feel uplifted after this read.
A love story between a girl and what appears at first to be a boy.
This is the third of Rosemary's books that I have read. The story in this series that just precedes this one was the first. I have also read the first in this series. I look forward to reading all of them.
Just finished book #6 and once again I will recommend this series. It is what we need to promote in the days we find ourselves in. Beautifully written, a roadmap to better days!