Healing Promises

Defenders of Hope #2

by Amy Wallace

Facing a new threat.
When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.

Frozen in fear.
Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission–beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

Faith under fire.
As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance

322 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2008

About the author

Amy Wallace is a wife, homeschool mom of three, writer, speaker, Bible study leader, and avid chocoholic.

She loves crafting high-action suspense that delves deep into heart issues, but who she really is can be summed up in a few short words: Amy is a daughter of the King learning to live and love with laughter.

Amy is the author of Ransomed Dreams, Healing Promises, and Enduring Justice (The Defenders of Hope series), a contributing author of God Answers Mom's Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Moms.

Reviews

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good FBI mystery about missing children and dealing with a cancer diagnosis. About relying on God no matter what the circumstance.

[Nora St Laurent · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Amy’s first book Ransomed Dreams we are introduced to Gracie and the overwhelming incident in her life. Gracie experiences every mother’s nightmare. The story is fast paced, compelling and full of amazing scenes of forgiveness. I found it exciting, thought provoking, heartfelt and a very rich story.

While Gracie’s investigating the facts of her nightmare she meets FBI Agent Steven Kessler working in the Crimes Against Children Unit. Clint Rollins is Steven’s partner. Clint’s wife Sara is an oncologist. This group of people rooting for the same team encourages each other in and out of work. They all face impossible challenges in their lives day in and day out. They all have a strong faith in God. They live their faith out loud in the middle of unnerving situations. You’ll want to read this book first so you’ll experience the richness Healing Promises has in store for you.

In Amy’s new book Healing Promises, all the same characters are back. Faith as they knew it and life as they all were comfortable with is threatened. Clint is tested in every aspect of his existence while he fights for his life. Clint is also on a mission to save children’s lives and catch the serial killer –it’s becoming so confusing for Clint. But he is determined to be an overcomer.

Clint is not going to let this disease get him down and stop him from getting this bad guy. Clint and his wife struggle with the reality that “In our weakness God is Strong.” Both Clint and Sara are used to being at the top of their game, in control. They both struggled with letting go of control – and letting God work in every fiber of their being. They wonder can it be done?

Both Clint and Sara didn’t even want to entertain this thought “In Our weakness.” That was a very uncomfortable place for them both to be, yet it was the very place God was taking them. This is a fast paced story with a great sense of family unity. Amy introduces a new character Hanna Kessler, Steven’s sister. We will learn more about Hanna in the third and final book of this series. Parts of this book made me feel uncomfortable. If you have a family member or friend dealing with a serious illness this will grip you. Amy has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. Treatments can be brutal on the patient and the family members as well. I have known some people very close to me deal with this disease. I had a new appreciation for what that family has gone through. This will definitely open your eyes to many things medically which I felt were necessary to the story.

Clint came to the conclusion “He was weak, but God was strong. God was God. God was in control.” Control that is what Clint wanted; Sara wanted; we all want. Read how Amy’s story gives a clear message of this very passage. This book will leave you with the message of hope and what God’s love looks like. This book will take you deeper if you let the message of God’s Love grip your heart.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK book, but I felt that there were many plotlines, none of which stood out as the strong main one. We learn that Dr. Sara Rollins is an oncologist, who gets put into the shoes of her patients when her husband, Clint, an FBI agent, is diagnosed with a particularly serious form of leukemia. At the time of his diagnosis, Clint is a member of a team tasked with tracking down the kidnapper of young brown haired boys, and as the father of two, this case hits close to home, making him unwilling to sit back and fight his disease while the kidnapper may strike again. Clint's best friend and fellow agent Steven also has a young son, and also has his upcoming wedding weighing on his mind in addition to tracking down the kidnapper and concern for Clint. Finally, there is rookie team member Michael, forced to step up in Clint's absence, who catches the eye of Steven's sister, Hanna, and the feeling is mutual, but could both of their pasts prevent this match from panning out?
I get the impression Wallace wants Clint and Sara to be the focus of the book, as the first in the series apparently focuses on Steven and his now-fiance, Grace, while the third will deal with Michael and Hanna, but I was underwhelmed by Sara, and even the kidnapper plot as a whole, which was meant to tie all the characters together. I've read lots of books with female doctor protagonists and lots of books with similar plots to the kidnapper plot, and this one underwhelmed me on both counts. The focus on Christianity that was woven throughout also made the book feel 'soft' to me, that whenever a climactic point came, the solution was to pray and all would work out in the end. Although I'm a Christian myself, my opinion on the value of prayer has changed in recent years, such that if God is going to help out, He will without my having to directly ask for it, and if He isn't, then I need to devote my resources to figuring out a solution on my own.
Overall, it was a quick read and not a horrible book, just light reading that felt lacking in the kind of substance I was looking for, and I probably won't seek out the other 2 books in the series.

[Mary Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, awesome book! Amy Wallace is an amazing author, fast on her way to the top in the Christian fiction market! I highly recommend this book, the sequel to Ransomed Dreams. HP takes you into a young family's journey through cancer. It gave me a real and fresh insight into the big and small everyday hurdles this kind of diagnosis brings along. More importantly, how to handle grief and stress by praising God...

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book,
My...
This book....
All I can quote is, "You give and take away.....blessed be the name of the Lord."

It felt so real

[Mary Folkerts · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy entertaining read

[Delia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clint Rollins is a strong man. A well-respected and courageous FBI agent, he loves his job, loves bringing down the bad guys. But then a gunshot wound brings him down...and coincidentally saves his life when routine hospital tests reveal cancer. Maybe...just maybe...they've caught it in time to prevent the worst from happening.

As an oncologist, Dr. Sara Rollins works with cancer patients on a daily basis, constantly striving to bring them hope in often hopeless situations. But when the deadly disease strikes the man she loves, her entire life spins out of control. In the midst of the chaos of chemo treatments, mood swings, and depression--her own as well as Clint's--Sara struggles with diminishing faith and swiftly ebbing strength.

Clint insists on returning to work well before his doctors grant approval. Despite the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy, he's determined to stop a serial kidnapper who likes to play God with the lives of little brown-haired, blue-eyed boys. He too struggles with discouragement and wavering faith in a God he's always trusted implicitly.

For the kidnapper, Clint's interference is a thirteen-year-old poison. He fully intends to see the detective--and his family--pay for everything he has lost.

Healing Promises is an emotional journey through the lives of very real characters with heart-breakingly genuine problems. It's a lesson in trust, a vivid portrait of humanity in crisis and faith put to the ultimate test. It's a picture of tenacity and triumph, of joy and sorrow. And it's a beautiful example of learning to lean on a God who "giveth and taketh away," who loves unconditionally and without ceasing--a God who is good...all the time.

Amy Wallace delivers in Healing Promises. Absolutely unforgettable!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Healing Promises" is a Christian general fiction book. Much of the story was about the stress that Clint's cancer put on Sarah and Clint's relationship to each other and with God. Near the end, though, the FBI case came to the forefront and resolved with a suspenseful standoff with the bad guy. The story's suspense came from wondering if Clint would survive the cancer and, if he did, if his marriage would survive. It also came from the danger that the missing children were in.

The characters were realistic and complex, and they dealt with realistic struggles. The details about the cancer treatment and FBI unit were good but didn't have a lot of depth to them. The story felt slower-paced because there were really four overlapping stories going on: Clint and Sarah, Steven and Grace, Hannah and Michael, and the FBI case.

A major element woven into the story was the characters' struggle to understand and trust God when everything seemed to be going wrong. I thought it was handled well and liked what was said, but those who prefer minimal Christian content probably won't like it.

This book is the second in the series. I felt like the author assumed I knew the characters and relationships from the previous novel (which I haven't read), but if you remember what everyone's first and last name is, you can follow this story well enough without having read the first. However, there were vague references to "whodunit" in the first story, so read "Ransomed Dreams" first if you want to be completely surprised.

There was no bad language or explicit sex. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written book.

[Tamara Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

HEALING PROMISES by Amy Wallace is the second installment in the Defenders of Hope Series. The main characters from RANSOMED DREAMS carry over to this novel, but the focus immediately shifts to FBI Agent Clint Rollins when he is shot during a standoff. His ensuing tests reveal that recovering from a bullet wound will be the least of his troubles. In fact, he’s in for the battle of his life. Sarah Rollins, his oncologist wife, has always been grounded in her faith, but when her worst fears hit so close to home she feels her hope faltering.
Despite his personal struggles, Clint is committed to tracking down a kidnapper who preys on young boys. Frustrated with the limitations his current treatments are putting on his body and his mind, Clint struggles with information from past cases interfering with his fact finding skills on the case that is quickly turning into serial proportions. He knows his mind is stronger than his body, but fixating on previous information could possibly mean the life of another boy, maybe even the life of his own son.
HEALING PROMISES like RANSOMED DREAMS keeps you turning page after page as Clint and his fellow FBI agents put together threads of information on their way to identifying the perpetrators invading every element of their life. But in the process, you delve into the personal lives of these characters, making them become real and personable. You share their struggles, defeats, and fears, and pray that they will be in time before another life is lost. I look forward to reading ENDURING JUSTICE, the third installment in the Defenders of Hope Series.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Wallace can write a gripping tale of romantic suspense like none other. And Healing Promises was so riveting I finished it quickly despite my busy schedule. The characters were all very well developed and felt so real. I loved how romantic many of the scenes were, especially with Clint and Sara. Yet, they had their marital challenges, too. There were never pat answers to the trials they went through but true emotion and spiritual struggles abounded. I loved the honesty and the detail regarding Clint's struggle with his health. The research was very well done. I also loved how the author got me hooked in advance on the characters of Michael and Hanna. It's a no brainer that I am going to want to read the next installment in this series. I loved these secondary characters and the issues they struggled with. Very well done. This story had so many touching scenes and emotionally gripping conflicts that I can't pick one to discuss without spoiling the story. So I'll refrain. I have to say, however, that the POV of the killer was pretty creepy but very realistic. The psychology of the man was right on target and the hunt for the man who killed children was well paced enough to keep you on your seat and holding your breath. Sometimes when I read a book I find myself wanting to skip over some points of view to get to others but this story was well balanced in that respect. I'm just so impressed with this story. I loved it even more than the first book. It can only keep getting better. Highly recommended. This book is a winner!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 2nd book in the Defenders of Hope series picks right up where RANSOMED DREAMS ended and reunites us with all of the characters from the previous book, but with Clint and Sara's story taking center stage. A gripping and thought invoking read dealing with two different yet interconnected storylines. With my Mother having just finished battling with chemo and radiation treatments, it was emotional for me to readhow Clint and Sara both struggle to cope with this disease. The kidnapping/serial killer plot is compelling and suspenseful and will keep you hooked to the very end. I"m looking forward to reading Michael and Hanna's story in the next installment.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book, but hard to read, because it deals with struggling with faith during cancer. With a family member questioning her faith while dealing with cancer, I had to put the book down often because I just couldn't continue reading it. But in the end, the faith of the characters outweighs the questions that always evolve with cancer (why me? Why my spouse? why now?).

[ChrisGA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough subject matter--serial child killer, cancer, and fear and stress of caregiving. The reader struggles with the characters as they struggle to trust and praise God in good times and bad. The book is difficult to read at times, but all of us need to be challenged and reminded that God is on the throne and He is good, whether we see or understand it.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is wonderful story about this main character have been so strong faith dealing with cancer and his work .. you will enjoy Wallace's writings on two books I have not get the first one yeat but this second book is great.

[pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have mix feelings about this book the plot with Sara and Clint how they struggled with God and if they trusted him. that part i liked. The part about the boys i won't go into to much detail i did not like. How could a person do that to a kid.

[Fran Whitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a series I read last year before I became a member of GOODREADS.
All 3 books were excellent. Filled with real human interest, action and adversity.
I am glad to own the Defenders of Hope series.

[Wendy Keel · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great and deeply emotional romantic suspense. This is a story you don't want to miss!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book,well written with interesting characters.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! Definitely shows you God's power.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agent Clint Rollins faces a battle with cancer. Intense story.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving story!

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent novel by Wallace. The characters are so alive and a part of my life now, after reading the first two books of this series.
This book was hard for me to read, as I have shared so many of the thoughts and conflicts of the heart as Sara and Clint.
But reading it was a blessing!