Learning to Trust

Sacred Vows #4

by Michelle Sutton

Learning to Trust is the final book in the Sacred Vows series. Three couples in love learn that building trust with a new spouse is more difficult than they expected. Since two of the couples have been married before, they know that truth all too well.

Follow three newly married couples as they navigate the difficult waters of marriage and remarriage. Each battles trust issues as they become parents. Jimmy has a past that includes intimacy with men. His wife wonders if she'll be enough to keep him from returning to that lifestyle. Tony had a number of affairs before finding peace with God and changing his ways. His new wife was burned in her prior marriage because of unfaithfulness.

Hope is the most conflicted of all. A widow, she desires marital love again, but her past has been littered with bad choices. Her new husband, Matt, is much younger than she is, so their relationship feels awkward to her. She is afraid of what the future might hold and that her new husband will lose interest as the years go by and she grows older. Matt longs to convince her of his love to help her overcome her insecurities. His former marriage was cold, but everything about Hope heats his blood. If only he could convince her that he will always love her despite their age difference.

328 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Michelle has written over two dozen edgy, inspirational novels. She is a book reviewer and a retired supervisor for the State of Arizona. She currently lives in North Carolina. but will soon be moving to Florida.

Reviews

[Tracy Krauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth and final installment in the ‘Sacred Vows’ Series by Michelle Sutton. It continues to chronicle the lives of three individuals that we’ve met earlier in the series – Hope, Tony, and Jimmy. Hope is now a widow, and perhaps this part of the story is the most ‘romantic’ of the three threads as she embarks on a new relationship. Tony, Hope’s former lover, has also found true love, but his relationship with his new wife is not always stable and they must continue to seek God to get through the rough patches. Jimmy, Hope’s son, continues to struggle with his gay past as he seeks to make his marriage to Tony’s daughter, Nina, work. The three strands do not intersect as much as in previous books, but there is a common thread in that each couple must learn to ‘trust’ – both God and each other, despite some very challenging circumstances and moral slips. Readers should be aware that the ‘love scenes’ in the book are quite descriptive – not the typical for a Christian novel. However, the gospel message is very strong; front and center, in fact. This is a book about people with real human frailties who find themselves struggling with sin, despite their faith. Topics such as homosexuality, infidelity, and fornication – all presented in previous books in the series – are woven in here. It brings satisfying closure to the ‘Sacred Vows’ saga. All is well in the end, and we are left with the message that God sees past our human failures.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in the Sacred Hearts series was good. The story follows three marriages from the characters you've read about in the first three books. The marriages of Hope and Matthew,(you're gonna love that one!) Tony and Charla(Hope's ex lover) and Hopes son Jimmy and his wife Nina, the daughter of Tony. I like how the author set that up. Hope's ex-lover is now a part of her family as his daughter is her daughter-in-law. Tension, anyone? This is an adult book. As each couple learns to trust each other through their different issues, you get what goes along with it, married sexual relationships. Since it's a Christian book, the scenes are tasteful, but some of the things that came up did surprise me. Just giving a warning for those who feel uncomfortable about those things. As hoped, there was a happy ending for all and even a surprising one for a character that wasn't as dominant in the story. I enjoyed it. It was a good ending for this series.

[Dawn Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book is SO appropriate in so many ways. There's the issue of "learning to trust" a spouse who has made sinful choices in the past, but there's also learning to trust oneself after coming out of a sinful past, the struggle (often difficult) of regaining trust once its been broken, and learning to trust someone after you've been deeply wounded by another. Trust doesn't come easy, and it takes work. Michelle does an incredible job of showing the struggles that come with that work, regardless of what side of the trust issue a person is on. A must-read for anyone who enjoys a redemption story.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great series but the sex scenes were too much for Christian novels. The Gospel was told but again too detailed for Christian romances/ This book had less scenes than the other three,

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite book not only of the series, but of all of the books I've written. Of course, I always love my latest project best...