After a devastating divorce, a bitter single mom and atheist starts her own real estate company in the nostalgic and picturesque town of Miller’s Creek, Texas. Then her young daughter’s disturbing symptoms lead doctors to discover that her leukemia has relapsed. With her new life now turned upside down, Mara Hedwig struggles to keep her business afloat. And her daughter’s worsening condition forces her to rethink her beliefs about Carter Callahan and his God. Will Mara make the return to Christian faith in the face of life’s greatest challenge?
An ex-military operative struggles with the return to civilian life while coping with his rebellious teen-aged daughter. During a house-search, Carter meets Mara, a headstrong realtor who wants nothing to do with his God. But when Mara’s little girl is diagnosed with leukemia, the clock begins ticking for him to convince Mara to return to a life of faith. Just as he seems to be making headway, circumstances beyond his control throw his efforts into a tailspin. Can Carter learn to rest in the sovereignty of God?
Now that Cathy has moved her books to a faith-based writing ministry, all of her eBooks can be downloaded for free. if you would like to support her ministry -- whether financially, in prayer, or by sharing the books with others -- please visit this page for more info: https://cathybryantbooks.wordpress.co...
Mara Hedwig relocates to Miller's Creek With her young daughter Ashton to establish her real estate business and work through a nasty divorce. Bitter and disappointed with God to the point of doubting even His existence she meets up with Carter Callahan who is working as a law enforcement officer upon his discharge from the military. Carter has also suffered through a divorce as he struggles to raise his disillusioned and rebellious teenage daughter Chloe.
Mara meets Carter in helping him find a home to rent. In spite of their past disappointments in marital relations, an attraction between the two blossoms. Callahan, a devoted Christ-follower, insists on helping Mara settle in and more importantly, helping her believe once again in the loving God that he follows with great devotion.
All of the principles in this drama have serious issues to contend with. Mara's father is a pastor of the legalistic fire-and-brimstone variety and has skewed Mara's concept of who this God of the Bible really is. Carter struggles with post traumatic stress disorder and has recurring dreams of the horrors of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Chloe is bulimic and purges herself in a vain attempt to cope with the rejection and loss of her mother who dumps her as a little girl on her father's doorstep.
Ashton is a sweet and mature beyond-her-years five year old whose leukemia is temporarily in remission. However, when her Leukemia returns with a vengeance it throws the four of them together as they help each other through their problems.
Can Carter convince Mara to return to the savior he and his entire family follows? Can Mara help Chloe rid herself of the dangerous behavior of purging? Will Mara be able to get Carter to open up and work through his PTSD? Will poor Ashton survive the rigors and brutal treatment of her Leukemia?
The story is full of warmth, incredible suspense, and the miraculous workings of our risen savior Jesus Christ as He orchestrates redemption, sometimes in the background and often right out in the open as he draws all of them to Himself.
My only disappointment regarding Crossroads is that the four main characters ALL have intolerable and unrelenting issues through most of the book. With seemingly no relief, this creates a somber and sad heaviness throughout, with the exception of the final chapter. If your heart can handle the angst, this drama is otherwise exceedingly well-written and the characters can be identified with on a deeply personal as well as spiritual level.
This review published in exchange for a complimentary copy of this work.
I was given a copy of this book Miller's Creek Truth Collection: Christian Romance and Companion Bible Study for an honest review. I had only read one of the other Miller Creek series books, A Bridge Unbroken, and didn't feel lost or confused. While there are reoccurring characters in every book from my perspective it is easy to read them in any order. I enjoyed the overall story of Mara and Carter, and of course their daughters. The relationship struggles seemed real and believable especially Mara's struggle to believe in the midst of her daughter's diagnosis. I enjoy how Cathy Bryant doesn't portray any of characters, Christian or not, flawless or perfect. Each of them struggle with doubts about every day events to larger and deeper spiritual questions that don't always have a cut and dry answer. Some Christian novels that I have read previously left me feeling like a poor excuse for a Christian because I am not always certain and still have questions. Through the books that I have read by Cathy Bryant, in addition to the Miller's Creek series, I am left with a feeling of being a pretty average Christian and that is truly refreshing. I would definitely recommend the novel Crossroads to anyone who is looking for a read that is full of faith and real life journeys of people who are looking for answers. The Bible study aspect of the Miller's Creek Truth Collection: Christian Romance and Companion Bible Study was a bit more difficult for me. I think it would be better to do as a group with a book club or even a women's Bible study. I didn't automatically find the Bible study questions as it is located well after the novel ends and there are previews for other novels, information about the author, links to the newsletter and groups on Facebook well before the Bible study is even mentioned. I would not have continued searching the end pages if I didn't know that there was a Bible study included. For me the Bible study aspect was difficult to get into. I have a physical disability that limits the use of my muscles and I use the Text to Speech function on my Kindle to read. It is amazing what technology has enabled me to do but unfortunately I am still somewhat limited. The biggest limitation for the Miller's Creek Truth Collection: Christian Romance and Companion Bible Study was the need to have access to a Bible while simultaneously reading the study guide. The Kindle only allows one book to be open at a time and toggling between is tedious and tiring for my physical limitations. In the future or for others who are in similar situations I would recommend doing the Bible study portion as a group of at least two individuals so that one person can read the study questions and another can read the accompanying verses.
Crossroads is another hit for Cathy Bryant in the Miller Creek series.This is a stand alone book but reading the entire series gives you an in depth look into the lives of the main characters in Miller Creek.It's like coming home again.. Jeremiah 6:16 is the theme of this book, urging us when we come to a crossroads in our lives, to look around and discover the true road to follow.I am also reminded we all need to be able to offer the plan of salvation to all individuals by studying and with much prayer. The story flows seamlessly and you can see Mara's struggle with her daughter's illness and Carter's struggle with a teenager.. I love the characters of the two daughters and how they work to bring these two families together. This book is for all who love Christian fiction. It is more than a romance. It shows the struggles we all encounter in life and how the Lord is there to guide us. A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
As I've said about the first five books already, the typos and grammatical mistakes are hard for me to get over. The biggest one that just about had me yelling at my phone was using "sat" instead of "set" ("He sat his cup on the table" instead of "He set his cup on the table."). I know that's insignificant in the whole scheme of things, but it REALLY bothers me!!!
Apart from that, I think the author writes very well. The story was compelling, hard to put down. Of course, I cried through much of this book since there were so many emotional scenes involving a dying child, but I also chuckled at the humorous parts.
Carter is one of the town police officers, and Mara is the new realtor in town. They meet because Carter needs to find a house to rent since his teenaged daughter recently moved in with him. Carter and Mara eventually fall in love and get married after she and her dying daughter Ashton (who doesn't die of leukemia because Carter's daughter Chloe is a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant) accept Christ and are baptized.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Power packed with emotion, trials, distresses, frustrations and tribulations!!! Will these experiences be able to result in healing, hope, and unexpected love?? The story draws on life's experiences to inspire the readers. The author was not afraid to cover such social issues such as divorce, raising a child as a single parent, mental religious abuse, eating disorders, dysfunctional family life, loss of self esteem and life threatening illness plus finding faith, redemption, healing, and love. The heart of the story will inspire the reader with constant faith and how prayer makes a difference in all life decisions. Thank you to the author for this eBook. My opinion is my own.
. This was an intense story filled with struggle, pain, and perserverance. The anquish and helplessness with Mara's daughter was heart wrenching. Then unwarranted accusations poured more salt on her wounds. Her father deserved God Almighty's hand across his back side. Mira must have felt like Carter was an angel sent from heaven above.
Unfortunately, the grammatical errors distracted me more than in the previous books of this series. The reference of 'Rent House' instead of 'Rental' was the biggest, besides all the unnecessary hyphons between words. Was there a sale on 'hyphons' or something?
What a story on life's circumstances. I was so taken in by the different topics presented in this book. Leukemia, divorce, bulimia, PTSD, how faith can and does play a part in how you deal with life.. I was feeling a whole range of emotions with each individual.. This story covers a lot of life's hard situations and covered it with love, faith and determination to overcome. This book will take you through a whole range of emotions and I was surprised at how it ended.. I was gifted a copy by the author for my opinion.
As the "owner" of a book review blog, I often get contacted by authors asking to review their books. I love getting these requests, but sometimes I have to turn them down for various reasons. Boy, am I glad I didn't turn this book down! Cathy Bryant is a wonderful writer. The story came alive on the pages and I couldn't put it down. Overall, I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a ray of hope in the midst of a battle. Read my full review here: http://faithlovebooks.blogspot.com/20...
Crossroads is the sixth installment of the Miller's Creek series. It is the first book I have read by Cathy Bryant. I really liked it. I loved how the issues dealt with in the story were real, strengthening my connection to the characters. I cannot wait to grab the other books of the series. Cathy Bryant has talent! Five stars
Another fantastic story by one of my favorite authors!
Cathy Bryant is a fabulous writer. Every one of her books is filled with faith, affection, humor and depth. Crossroads was no exception.
In this story a real estate agent Mara meets police officer Carter and immediately sparks fly—in a bad way. Both are single parents struggling to make ends meet while maintaining a healthy relationship with their daughters, but they have different approaches to everything. Most importantly, Carter is a believer, while Mara long since gave up on the possibility of God.
Wanting nothing to do with Carter’s God, Mara tries to keep her distance. Nevertheless, Carter continues to care for her and her daughter through a difficult bout with a life-threatening illness. With Mara’s help, Carter’s relationship with his daughter improves and a series of unexpected events challenges all of their beliefs.
Like her other novels, Crossroads has two important issues threaded throughout—this time it’s bulimia and cancer. The characters wrestle with tough questions about why God allows suffering and rejection in our lives and learn to trust Him no matter what. And of course, the gospel is skillfully and naturally presented.
If you enjoy a good Christian story that doesn’t preach but presents God’s truth in a beautiful, relevant way, this is a great choice. If you have a friend who’s on the fence about God and is going through tough stuff, this is a great book to recommend. Best of all, Cathy Bryant offers her eBooks in the Miller’s Creek series for free.
Mara is a bitter single mother who has turned her back on God. Her father, a preacher, is likely the cause. He is judgmental and angry, putting forth a God of punishment and accusation. No wonder her faith is dead. She meets a single dad whose faith is beautifully ingrained in his life, and whose experience with God has been totally different from hers.
As her young daughter's leukemia relapses, Connor tries to lead her back to the Lord. She resists, but through his gentle love and his bold sharing of the faith, Mara sees a new kind of God.....one who reaches out, doesn't judge, and doesn't leave.
Having lost my own daughter to leukemia, the reading sometimes hurt. And honestly, sometimes I'm not sure it was totally realistic. But it's a story, and a really good one. The point here is GOD and how important and vital a relationship with him is, and how beautiful it can be.
I won't spoil the story by going into the relationship parts. But it's a beautiful book and I'm going to read the rest of the Miller's Creek series. Besides, it takes place in Texas, my home state, and I love that! Happy reading, friends!
The theme and focus of this book is GOD's love for humankind. At the end is self reliance I cry out for GOD. He answers, "I am and always have been here right beside you all the time. You just haven't acknowledged me."
This story reminds me there is no depth too deep GOD's love will not reach. There is no distance too far that GOD's love cannot leap ahead to meet us. There is no Love that can out-Love the Love of GOD.
I only put this Reading aside because I physically had to. But, at first opportunity, I had I picked up where I left off and could not and did not stop unless an absolute necessity required me to stop.
This story speaks volumes about human character, and the things that shape them and their values. It covers steadfastness of their beliefs. Is covers truths and lies, deceptions and raw openness of heart, it covers self reliance and helplessness. It covers staunch resistance in human nature. It covers faith and trust of children. It covers fragility of life and its permanent end on this earth has we humans know it. It covers what it costs to love and be loved.
It took me a while to get to the series but now that I read them, I wonder why I did that not earlier. Mara's character is relatable to me because I was angry with God and the church for a long time but Carter's character, as well as the rest of the cast in the series gave me hope that there is indeed a church that is different from the others. People that really cares and means it. Not all Christians will leave you but will look past the hurt and give a hand. That I had to learn as well. In so doing, Mara's heart and mind changed. When you work with a person that has turned his/her back on the Lord you need lots of patients and Carter was tested in this regard. Being a military man, he had to change tactics. This also helped to shape his Christian life and helped his daughter with her own problems. A wonderful story that grabs the heart and mind and the author is clearly familiar with the insides of the church to give you an honest account of what real Christianity means. Thanks for making this book affordable so that others can find healing through the plotline.
Thank you for writing from a faith- filled heart. Just by reading and being entertained at my return to Miller's Creek I am blessed. This journey with Carter, Mara, Chloe and Ashton made me consider my own walk with God and the many times He has walked through the fire of fear and loss in my life , always at my side to comfort me. Walking with these fictional characters in a fictional town somehow let's the lessons pour in a while I thoroughly enjoy the story. I was constantly reminded of my 2020 mantra "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay it's not the end."
Reading my way through the Miller's Creek Series and LOVING it! This book is as good as the rest. You will want to start with the first in the series Texas Roads; even though they are stand alone books it is great to get the feel for the people in this community by reading the books in order. This is great inspirational romantic fiction with a bit of suspense. The characters are realistic and many of them live out their Christian faith.
My heart was taken in by these characters. Their struggles, their pain, their joys amidst such difficulties...heartwrenching and lovely! As the h was struggling with her faith and the H was "apologizing" for the Lord, my own faith was strengthened! My desire to share this magnificent and challenging walk with the Lord with others is bolstered by the faith and growth of the characters. I recommend having a biz of tissues next to you while you read!
A View at trauma that can be done with wrong doctrine!!!!
This book reminded me a little of growing up in my mom's church. I am so glad as a teen I came to know who God truly is. I could truly feel the pain of Mara as her father sprouted his beliefs that caused so much pain and her to shut down. I have been there. Thank you for showing God's True nature and what a Godly family can look like.
This is another awesome installment in this amazing series. Praise God!!! YES, He still heals today!! Healing takes form in different ways. I'm the form of medicine as in this story. I'm so glad that Ashton was saved by the previous gift of donation of bone marrow by Chloe. It was thrilling to my heart to see Mara come back to God and to see her and Carter joined together in holy matrimony and for the four of them to become a family
Hope and trust in the real Jesus.. Mara. learns about true Christianity by. having God's love shown. on the action of
Mara has been raised to believe God is harsh and out to get her. She doesn't understand Carter's words about love for God and God's love for us. Chloe's. willingness to donate her bone marrow to Maras daughter not only. saves her life, but enables Mara to understand true Christianity and embrace it.
I struggled at first, trying to become interested in the story. However, soon, I was hooked. It was interesting and scary towards the end. Who doesn't want a guy like Carter. Mara was terrified of letting him in bec she didn't trust God or men. He was patient, kind, and loving. He showed up, especially in her most horrible days. They kept getting closer as he was a patient friend. I enjoyed the story, and it has a good ending.
This story was full sorrows, pain yet glory to God triumphs. Through out the story I saw how so many people who do not know Christ as their savior could not understand faith and trusting God. The story also reminded my how important it is as Christians that we should pray, inquire and encourage lost souls.
This book hit home too closely, and as much as I was rooting for certain characters to find faith, it hurt too bad that this author tied faith & prayer to leukemia. I had four different friends die from this horrible cancer, and faith had nothing to do with their deaths.
Another wonderful book of Miller's Creek. I laughed, I cried & so much of this book touched my heart. It made me think about my own walk with Christ & reminded me that no matter what life throws at us, He right here holding our hand. Totally Amazing book to read & would definitely recommend. It's now, one of my favorites
Cathy Bryant is a wonderful writer full of the holy spirit. You see it in every word she writes. I have not been faithful to the Lord lately, but this story has brought me back to Him. Thank you so much for writing this book. I hope you continue to write such inspiring books.
Wow, Crossroads, a place we all have to come to as we set out next steps and learn to trust. J
Presenting herself as a together woman, Mara, pretended to have it all together. But looks can be deceiving. As her world begins to crumble around her, God, pursues , as does Carter. What a wonderful story of God's Grace and the love of others around her
Has been a true pleasure to read the millers Creek books. They are well written, well thought out and have a very relatable characters. This book doesn’t disappoint the trend. It doesn’t take a smooth path or always go in the directions expected. Love how the author tackles issues in a heartfelt, real way through the story and the characters.
A single parent of a little girl with a serious illness moves to a new town and starts realty company. Sparks fly when she tries to find a suitable home for a local police man and his rebellious teenage daughter. How their lives mesh through resolution of crises is an inspirational story.
I was hooked when read the first paragraph! I could not put Crossroads down. The characters were genuine and the emotional pull kept me focused on each new turn. Mara and Chloe dealing with teen issues really spoke to my heart. Carter and Ashton's bond was heart wrenching as she went through health issues. Cathy you are amazing! Keep these books coming please!
It took a while to get through this story because of the little girl who was suffering with great illness. I took my time but I finally finished this story and finally realized that I needed this kind of story to help me truly recover from my own illness. This was a inspiring message that everyone such read.
Never have I read a story that captured me as this one has!! A story of the prodigal son, judge mental " church" and minister. So many themes but all with the outcome of returning to God.