Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read!!! It was so so so relatable to me… the main character has just lost her grandmother and is just completely broken because of it… this book made me cry so many times because I know what it feels like. I lost my grandmother this year and it’s devastating. Mixed with the grief she was feeling, she also was trying to get back on her walk with God. Adding to this she meets a guy who is so helpful with her walk and is literally the sweetest!
Ivy~ I related to her a lot with grief, even though mine wasn’t as bad… she was so broken it hurt me so bad for her. Her story and getting back on her walk with Christ was amazing!
Eli~ Ahhhhh one of the best guys ever (yes I know that I say this a lot) but really he was so sweet and understanding. He knew what to say and when to say it, and when to not say anything at all. He sat there with Ivy when she was crying, he was there reteaching her on how to read the bible and pray and it was so sweet!
The writing was so easy to read and shows so much emotion! It made me feel so much for the characters! Definitely 5 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is so hard to choose between a 4 or a 5 star rating! I think it lands solidly at 4.5 stars :) My gracious, this book… it truly is like the healing light in the midst of the darkest grief. With raw and honest prose, Riley Beeson brings the words to the turmoil of the aftermath of losing someone dear to you. The FMC, Ivy, has turned her back on God after losing her grandmother, when she finds a mailbox with the words “To God” written on it. She writes and leaves a letter, full of hurt and anger, and finds one in return the next day. Each letter validates the pain while drawing her back to God.
“I don’t believe God causes bad things to happen, but I do think he allows us to face challenges… And I know that doesn’t make the hurt go away, but it can help to remember that God’s plan is bigger than what we understand. He doesn’t waste our pain. Every experience, every moment can shape us and help us grow, even when we can’t see the full picture.” -pg. 60 (kindle edition)
“The letters were guiding me back closer to Him. Day by day. Letter by letter. Word by word.” -pg. 99 (kindle edition)
Then Eli enters her life, in God’s perfect timing. Eli lost his brother a year prior, and helps Ivy through the grief, all the while helping her find her faith again. This young man!!! He is a true man of God, and it is incredible to see in a book. He cares so deeply for Ivy, including her spiritual life. Inviting her to church, being open about his faith, talking about his favorite verses, inviting her to read and study the bible together, showing her patience and compassion… it is so powerful and inspiring. Their friendship and relationship is so sweet, and their growth is so tangible while still acknowledging the struggles.
“A relationship where you don’t have to hide anything, where you can just be, and they get you. He’s also helped me feel closer to God, which honestly means more to me than anything. It’s like everything is just better when I’m with him. I don’t even think ‘lucky’ covers it. I just feel… blessed. Like he was meant to walk into my life exactly when he did.” -pg. 207 (kindle edition)
It is completely clean: no profanity or spice! *There is one kiss, but it is non-descriptive* Potential content triggers include grief, loss of a loved one, skipping school, and neglect to take care of one’s self (Ivy often does not eat or forgets to due to numbness, which grief affects us differently, but it is ALWAYS important to fuel yourself even when it feels like a chore and you feel like you maybe aren’t hungry— emotions can mess with hunger/fullness cues! Take care of yourselves!). Also, this does follow the narrative of finding God again after turning away, so there are some phrases like “I hate God”, but it transforms through the healing as she grows in faith. Overall, this was such a good book; discovered and read in God’s perfect timing— at the time of this review, it’s nearing 1 year since my own sweet grandma went to be with Jesus💗✝️. Definitely recommend reading if you enjoy bittersweet, redemptive, hopeful, raw, and heartfelt reads full of God, healing, and respectful and kind and sweet MMC’s!!! The writing is wonderful; so vivid and honest. Thank you to Riley Beeson for sharing your beautiful gift of writing with the world. Happy reading :)
Oh, I had such a hard time deciding between reading this four stars or five stars. It was really close to being in five star and I might change it to that. I randomly picked this up after I saw a couple people review it. I actually watched this author in the SugarCreek Amish mysteries tv series which is really cool! I had no idea she was a writer. This book is really heavy with grief, but there are so many beautiful quotes. The faith content was awesome and I really enjoyed that part of it. It honestly reminded me a bit of some of the faith content that I put in my books. Eli was hands-down my favorite character. He was the sweetest person ever. His faith in God was incredible. The way he was there for Ivy and the way he encouraged her toward God was the sweetest thing ever. I just loved him. I really liked Ivy too. My heart broke for her when she had gone through. I really liked her faith journey and coming back to God and healing through the loss of her grandma. But there is one scene towards the end where she is just a complete jerk to Eli. I honestly didn’t like that at all. He didn’t deserve that at all. I know it gets better. I did really like the ending. I honestly would love a second book about them. Their love story was so sweet and pure and innocent. It felt so natural and I really enjoyed it. Overall, I do recommend it. It is sad, but there’s always hope. God’s light will always shine through the darkest night. You can trust Him no matter what.
I have no words to describe how beautiful this book was, I feel like it is really everything I needed as someone who grew up in church but has always struggled with her connection with God. I related to this book so much and I genuinely teared up during every chapter. It is so nice to read something so beautiful when nowadays the books recommended pull you further from God. This genuinely motivated me to reach for my bible that I have not picked up in months, and to let go of all burdens and grudges. I really admire the authors wisdom and faith, and I can only hope I meet a man of God like the one in this book, because that just made the book even better
Woooow!!!!! I love this book more than I can express. As someone who has lost their grandma, went through a period of broken faith, and loves romance books, it’s like this book was made for me. I cried at least 5 times JUST within the first like 10 chapters. There were so many beautiful quotes also! I have a note where I put all of my favorite book quotes. Every time I thought about putting one in there, I was conflicted because then I would have to put the other 10 I already saw. If I would’ve put all of the quotes that hit me in my heart, I would’ve had to write out the whole book. This is my absolute favorite book of all time right now. If I could give it 1 million stars I would.
This book had me ugly crying by page two because it felt like I was reading pieces of my own story. Like the main character, I was incredibly close with my grandmother. Both of our grandmothers passed away from cancer. Both passed away in March, and both losses completely changed our worlds. As I read, I found myself remembering exactly how I felt when my grandmother died—the anger, the heartbreak, the loneliness, and the feeling that nothing would ever be okay again.
What made this book so special wasn’t just the story itself, but how validating it felt. Even though it’s been ten years since I lost my grandmother, this book perfectly captured emotions I still remember so clearly. There were moments where I felt like the author had reached into my memories and put them on the page.
Yes, I cried. A lot. But this wasn’t a book that left me feeling broken. It walked through the stages of grief and somehow ended up feeling like a warm hug. Watching the main character slowly heal, reconnect with her faith, and find herself again was incredibly emotional and comforting. It reminded me that grief never truly goes away, but healing is possible.
I knew going into this book that faith would be a major part of the story, and honestly, I think it brought me a little closer to my own. It never felt overwhelming to me. Instead, it felt hopeful and healing, which fit perfectly with the story being told.
There were a few moments where the writing felt a little younger than I typically prefer, but honestly, I didn’t mind. The emotional impact of this story far outweighed any minor issues I had.
More than anything, I wish I had this book when my grandmother passed away. It would have made me feel seen, understood, and a little less alone during one of the hardest times in my life.
If you’ve ever lost someone who felt like a huge piece of your world, I can’t recommend this book enough.
I was in a slump before reading this book. I didn’t know why I started it but for some reason my brain went “that one” when I saw it. So I picked it up and it took me about 2 days to read 50 pages (I was definitely ashamed of myself) and today I sat down and told myself that I was going to finish it. I did not realize how much I needed this book until I saw the last page and was left wanting more. I have never read a book that felt as Christ centered (besides the Bible) as this. A Christian romance with grief was EXACTLY what I needed. This book brought be closer to God and allowed me to swoon over a cute Christian man, it cannot get more perfect let me tell you. God loves you ✝️❤️
I loved this book so much! It is beautifully written and carries such deep messages. It also helped me grow in my understanding of God and in my relationship with Him. I especially loved Ivy and Eli’s friendship, it was incredibly sweet and wholesome. Eli is such a kind and caring character, and through him the story shows how God can place certain people in our lives to help us grow. I truly think everyone should read this book at least once in their lives because it could really impact a lot of people.
“I don’t know what tomorrow holds—but I know who holds me.” “God meets me in the mess, the heartbreak, the waiting—and He stays.”
This is only my third Christian romance and I already need more like this. Also… I am a SUCKERRRR for young love—especially Christian young love—and this had me squealing and kicking my feet 🥹
This book was so beautiful and meaningful. It truly made me feel the presence of God and reminded me how He works through our relationships, even in grief and uncertainty. It doesn’t promise a perfect life—it shows what it looks like to trust Him through the hard parts, and that hit deep.
I cried so many times. And Eli… wow. A true man of God—I’d pray my daughter meets someone like him one day.
This was my first book of the year and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I have never read a Christian romance before so I didn’t really know what I was getting into but I am so happy to report that I loved it! I think the author did a wonderful job of letting the audience feel the grief of the main character as well as kindling new and unexpected relationships! The only reason I gave the book a 4 stars is I felt that the book was very fast paced. I would have loved it even more if we were able to dwell in Ivey’s emotions longer. Overall I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read more from this author as the continues to grow!!
This was a book I had incredibly high expectations for, and it absolutely delivered! It hooked me right from the very beginning; the story dives straight into the plot and completely holds your attention.
I truly loved the attention to detail, the writing style, and how carefully thought-out every single scene was. The mailbox with the letters to God was such a beautiful highlight and truly stole the show!
I found myself relating to so many moments, and while reading, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to experience something so beautiful in real life, especially when it comes to the relationship between Ivy and Eli. Eli is such a mature character, and the way he takes care of Ivy speaks volumes.
This is a book filled with faith. It was beautiful to see how God brought them together at just the right moment, and how Eli helped Ivy find her way back to God. This is an amazing book that truly deserves to be read. I honestly cannot wait to read more of Riley Beeson work! 😊
"He meets me in the mess. in the heartbreak. in the waiting. and He stays. so, i step forward with a heart brave enough to hope—knowing the same love that carried me through the storm, will keep lighting the way forward" what a perfect way to end the book !!! ❤️🩹
i LOOOOOVE this so much 🥹 i relate to ivy so much since i found God and strengthened my faith the same way she did 🫂 which is y i genuinely think of this book as a much needed hug after a veeerrryyyy long tiring day !!! it felt like God was speaking to me thru this book, saying the words i've been wanting to hear 🙂↔️ may we all find someone like eli foster in our lives, someone who'll bring us closer to Him : )
This book was absolutely incredible! I was so invested, especially towards the end, my eyes would want to skip over words. I breathed every moment of this book in as if it was my reality. After losing my Grandma 8 months ago, this really hit home; in a beautiful and peaceful way. She was just like the Grandma described in the book. A true woman of God! This is the first book ever to make me cry… in a good way! Beautifully written!
as a girl who lost her grandma almost 2 years ago and struggled with her faith, this book touched me in ways i didn’t know a book could. i sobbed and smiled, leaving tear stains on some pages and laughter in between others. this book will definitely be re read multiple times but also read by my younger sisters who also struggled after the passing of our grandmother and the struggle of faith along side it. thank you riley for creating a book i could hold so close to my heart :)
as someone who has struggled with my faith going through hard times, this book truly hit hard. even though ivy deals with her grandma dying - which wasn’t my case - if you have ever sealed with struggles in faith and not understanding why God would do something, this book will 100% open your eyes. it was amazing especially for such a young talented author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am so glad this book randomly popped up when I was searching books. It brought me peace and comfort exactly when I needed it. I felt like through this book God was also talking to me too!