Vain Glory

by Bryan E. Canter

What would you sacrifice to save your marriage? Your hopes.... Your dreams.... Your pride?

Daniel and Sophia are on the brink. Family bonds begin to crack as the circumstances of life drive them closer toward the edge. Grappling to meet their own personal needs, they each pour fuel on the fire.

Where can they find hope when all else seems to fail? Trusted friends challenge them to confront their deepest doubts and darkest fears. But can they overcome emotional scars they’ve hidden even from themselves?

This heart-wrenching drama will take you on a roller-coaster ride of bitterness, tears, and joy as you see your own relationship reflected in their story.

One listener called it “fiction that’s almost too much like real life.”

Can genuine love, though diminished and faded by time, ultimately overcome the relentless storms of everyday life? Get your copy to discover how this couple’s tale ends.

Audible Audio

Published May 3, 2023

About the author

Bryan E. Canter is an author, independent publishing consultant, and retired Army officer with overseas tours in Iraq, Korea, and Okinawa. He has degrees in engineering physics, religious studies, and tele-communications. His love of literature prompted him to complete a Masters-level "great books" program at St. John's College.

As an international speaker and educator, Bryan has addressed large groups and conducted training seminars in venues across the USA, Nicaragua, India, Scotland, the Middle East, and Japan.

Bryan helps authors navigate the complex world of independent publishing as a book and audiobook publishing consultant for My Word Publishing. Additionally, he is an Amazon Ads specialist with the Successful Writer Marketplace.

Bryan lives full-time in a motorhome with his beautiful wife, Dawn, visiting historic sites and enjoying the amazing natural beauty of the United States. They especially enjoy hiking together to high mountain lakes in the Western ranges, and Yosemite is their favorite place of all.

Connect with Bryan on his website: bryancanter.com


Reviews

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much hate

First off he's addicted to porn. Second he kissed another woman and wanted her. Yes she kissed the doctor also. But two wrongs don't make it right. I hated the husband throughout the whole book. They may work it out but these two are toxic for each other. and I don't see them making it many more years. He was truly disgusting. She reacted in a way any wife would when she found the porn. It was yucky and it broke her heart. Just not a great book. And at the end I felt she took all the blame. This book is a case of you not me. I don't even know why I read it.

[Cindy]

Dnf for now..unlikable characters,especially the H Disappointing as I was intrigued by the perceived potential of this motion fidelity tale.😢
If someone decides to give it a go ,please let me know what you think!🙏

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a couple with a complex relationship, facing frustrations with each other and being torn apart by misunderstandings or lack of understanding. Most of the story was sad, but with some uplifting and optimistic moments. I could sometimes see myself in those situations and it tugged at my heartstrings. I wanted to scream at the characters to get ahold of themselves and see what they were doing to each other. In other words the story is very emotional.

And there are two little children who don't seem to realize what is going on, but one of them draws a lot of attention with her health issues. Of course this makes things difficult for the couple, especially as one of them blames the other for serious events. In fact they spend a lot of time blaming each other for their problems, all the while getting some conflicting advice from friends and co-workers.

Overall it is a very interesting story and hard to put down, especially near the end when there are hopeful signs for a resolution. Read the book and find out how it ends!

[JLH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophia and Daniel. So much conflict. So much helpful and harmful whispering in their ears. Sophia has a very stringent thought process of betrayal and then after listening to her mother she is not lenient almost to righteous and reality has them at odds. Life gets in the way of love and family. Daniel taking offence to her family "helping". A lot going on in the trial and tribulations of a military man's ambition and a housewife with no reprieve from the children's medical needs leading how to learn to grow together and make their marriage work. Both are given the same book to learn how to manage and reconnect but both are skipping and making shortcuts to make it fit instead of following the book's plan.
A triple layer book. Definitely need to take breaks to process how characters are evolving and if they will come back to each other with the drama pulling at the heart strings.

I received a free copy of this book via Last Chapter Press ARC Readers and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ame Nunamaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

FMC so unlikable

I couldn’t finish the book bc she was so unlikable. I hope she gets better later in the book but I just couldn’t handle it. She doesn’t understand why he doesn’t want to work for her father, why he wants to stay in the military even though she met him while he was in the military, gets so crazy about his poor, which yes isn’t cool but not to the point she goes ballistic for days and days and still ends up going off on him instead of talking to him rationally, it’s all his fault, and she blows up at everything. Plus, his storyline is pretty slow. I’m all for details about his work life and coworkers but taking forever to even mention him not telling her about the Cinqo get together. There’s very little interaction between the FMC and MMC so far. Just got bored and was rooting for dude to divorce her

[Jennifer Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

true depiction of love and marriage

This is a story of two people trying to navigate life together. Marriage is hard and it is through the support, love and encouragement of true friends you can make it through the mine fields of life. Books like Love and Respect and 5 Love languages are there to provide insight to your hurts and to learn how best to show love.

Really well written.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining second chance marital strife romance book that holds your attention from beginning to end. The storyline is intriguing and dramatic as the elements unfold. The characters are well written with steamy chemistry together. I enjoyed this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Last Chapter Press ARC Readers and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed with this book. I absolutely loved his book Daughter of the Gods. This one didn't have the gorgeous language and intricacy of that book. Of course it has a very different storyline. To me it just didn't ring true.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author and I enjoyed the storyline. A great set of characters, A great read,.

I received a free copy of this book via Last Chapter Press ARC Readers and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Antonucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has real people with real problems, that many people will relate to

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

do you ever look at a book cover and it is just so cool. no clue why this is eye appealing but i enjoy it so. KU. i am new to Bryan's writing. i got more to read and reviewing. u take care. and get to reading. this is a fun author to me and will read more soon. very soon. Family Life Fiction. Military Romance (kindle & books) out on March 31, 2023.

[Janet Fichter · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Vain Glory, Bryan Canter takes readers through very real and challenging circumstances husbands and wives often face as they navigate life. Elevating the struggle of figuring out the needs, communication styles and desires of a partner, it is hard to put the story down. Canter leaves no stone unturned as he also addresses challenges in raising children and dealing with in-laws. The plot moves readers from anger to heartbreak, but the storytelling will keep you rooting for this marriage to be saved. I highly recommend this book.