The Uncommitted

by Margaret M. Goss

**This is the first novel in a series, the sequels have not yet been released.**

Josephine Reilly is a typical young mother, striving to do what is best for her family in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota. Declan, her ambitious and talented husband, has a thriving career as a corporate lawyer. On the surface, life could not appear more perfect.

Yet, Josie has an unrealized gift, one that has haunted her since the drowning death of a childhood friend. Josie is a messenger, as was her mother and grandmother before her, carrying messages from the dead to the living through dreams, visions and telepathy. For years, Josie suppresses her gift but when mother dies, she is unable to ignore it any longer.

Upon exploring her ability, she finds she’s underestimated the dangers in channeling the dead when those she loves become targets of an invisible evil. Her sanity comes into question and she’s at risk of losing everything she holds dear. Then fate places Dr. Andrew Chase in Josie’s path, a healer of supernatural capabilities. Only he hasn’t come to prevent her fall . . .

The Uncommitted is a compelling tale of the spiritual struggle within us and of the realities beyond our physical sight.

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2015

About the author

Margaret M. Goss was born in Oswego, New York, to first-generation Italian-American parents, studied nursing at Arizona State University and public policy and administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her mother, an art teacher and painter, and her father, an English teacher, musician and writer, passed on their love of reading, art and music to her at a early age. However, it wasn't until after her children were born that she was able to indulge her creative passion, writing.

Margaret has always been fascinated by the biographies of Catholic saints and mystics as well as mysteries of all things unseen. The Uncommitted explores these mystical Christian traditions and ideals--Heaven and Hell, the resurrection, apparitions, saints, angels, bilocation, exorcism, the presence of lost souls, spiritual warfare, the concept of forgiveness--and places them in the context of a modern family.

Other interests Margaret has is youth hockey (as all of her children play) and food allergy. Her Facebook blog, Wisconsin Hockey Moms, has followers from all over the U.S. and Canada. She currently lives with her husband and three children in Madison, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Kathy Faith-Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Margaret. I just finished reading "the Uncommitted". You may not remember me but I attended your book signing in Verona with Caroline and Teri a few weeks ago. I am an avid reader and often read 4 or 5 books a month. My favorite authors range from Kay Hooper, David Baldacci, Teri Reid, Iris Johansen and now Margaret Goss. I can honestly say "the uncommitted" was one of the best books I've read in a long time. I became one with your characters and often could not put the book down. When I finished reading the last page I wanted more. You have a special gift of being able to create a wonderful story. I would compare your work to some of the best writers out there. Thank you for this most captivating story. I am hoping for more. Kathy Faith-Barnett

[Gloria Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book!!! I could relate to the character and her desire to be everything in her role. There were some twists that I really enjoyed and the author left me wondering what happens next to the characters. She also made me wonder about the subject of a "medium"...very fascinating!!! Highly Recommend

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was an editor on this book. It was a fascinating process - the story is intriguing and the characters feel very real. Symbolism, folklore and faith are combined to create a rich inner world for the main characters. It coaxes you in, then sweeps you away!

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Uncommitted". The book touches on the subject of clairvoyance within a normal family setting, not an uncommon situation in my experiences. Most novels on this subject focus on developing a sensationalized drama about outrageous evils and sinister players. This book brought the spirit world into a normal setting showing how modern, everyday people reconcile this ability with religious norms and ancient customs. It is a fascinating topic in this day and age where there is so much change in belief systems and much upheaval in the world. The characters were believable and so was the plot. It kept my attention. Can't wait for the sequel.

[Anda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give this book zero stars, but it might seem like I didn't rate it at all then. Poorly written and obscenely didactic/preachy. My pet peeve in literature is when an author doesn't trust her reader. Goss spells out every single last thing for her readers, and I was hella bored/irritated. Would not have finished it except I was stuck somewhere with nothing else at all to do. At least it was only 4 hours of my life...

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a suspenseful read! Josephine's struggle between her God given talents and the black and white world come into conflict as soon as her mother passes. It made me look a little deeper into the "signs" we receive everyday.

[Rich Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I found this author

Overall I really enjoyed this book . The characters are well written and the storyline is well built. The only fault I found was that the ending was rather rushed. Looking forward to this author's next book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Uncommitted is a compelling tale of the spiritual struggle within us and of the realities beyond our physical sight.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’d asked me in the first 100 pages I would have given the book 4 stars. I liked the idea of Josie channeling and reading from dead loved ones to their living relatives. But I lost interest in the middle with all the demonic spirits and how Josie became such a victim through the rest of the plot. I liked Andrew’s character throughout and didn’t mind some of the religious references but thought it got to be too much. I understand this is a first in a trilogy. This story ends with a great segue to the next book. I’m on the fence as to whether I would read the next one. (And I struggled with all the grammatical errors and typos in the book—I guess I’m just old school when I expect a book to have been properly edited! I assume someone was paid for that.)

Bottom line this has potential and there are parts of the book I enjoyed. I wanted more about Josie’s experiences with being a medium and less about Catholicism and religion and good versus evil spirits.

[Marsha Herman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry to my book club friends. I am not going to finish this month’s book. Remember when we talked about how Gretchen Rubin said that if you didn’t like a book, you have permission to stop reading it? Well, I took her advice. I simply cannot handle books like this. Paranormal activities and children taking on the voices and personalities of the dead? Not my cup of tea. I actually started having nightmares and had to put the book down. Maybe it got better at the end, but I’ll never find out.
P.S. It became almost a game for me to find the typos and grammatical errors in this book— unfortunately, there were a lot!

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out so promising with a "gut punch" beginning (the main character's mother dying from cancer with symptoms eerily similar to my father's) but stayed too wrapped up in the main character's head from that point. I get it. She's psychic. She's a dutiful wife and mother. Her Catholic faith is very important to her. When she begins to hear from evil spirits she becomes terrified. But I never felt like she was actually DOING anything or growing in any way. She professes to love her (two-dimensional) husband, but the feelings revealed to the reader are fearfulness. She feels to me to be a co-dependent wife with no freedom to express her own thoughts or pursue her own interests. Dr. Andrew Chase's story had the potential to be much more captivating, but we don't get much of it. I was drawn to this book because the author is local to me and portions take place in St. Paul, MN. I was willing to buy into Josephine's decisions and actions right up until the last chapter (a fast forward of a few years) until the author decided to fictionalize the Wisconsin 2010 PEACEFUL labor protests. Had I not been reading via Kindle, I would have thrown the book across the room. It was a cheap tactic that completely undermined the entire story and, since I was active in the protesting, made me feel duped.

[Jen Arndt · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I was very excited to read a brand new author and their first book.

The plot kept me interested and wanting to come back day after day. Some of the characters needed a little more development, but knowing that a sequel is coming makes me excited to see where the author is going to take them.
My religious knowledge is a lacking, but the author explained things in a way that anyone could understand.

We were fortunate to talk with the author via Skype for our book club and her enthusiasm for her book and it's upcoming sequels was refreshing. She listened to our ideas and wasn't snippy if we didn't understand a specific part and she had to explain it

Looking forward to Josie, Andrew, Declan and the kids in book 2....... let's see how the spirits are in the future?

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler ALERT!!
I love the mix between the paranormal and Christianity.
The book shows, Josie's struggles, and how her faith keeps her safe, and with that faith, she is also able to protect her family.
I can't wait to read her next book.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel! I read the novel in one day, I could not put it down. I loved the writing and storytelling the author had in the novel it was truly breathtaking, a masterpiece of art.

[Brianna Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought The Uncommitted was a great read! It was different than the paranormal books that I usual read and kept me hooked. I can't wait to read the 2nd book!

[Kassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished this book and I'm having trouble organizing my feelings about it. I guess I'll start by saying it was a compelling read, and I finished it with no problem. Kudos to the author on such a captivating first book. It started out strong, intriguing with some plot twists and got pretty dramatic for a minute, and I can honestly say I couldn't figure out for the life of me how it would end. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Would she run off with Andrew on some world-saving, faith-driven mission, or was it all a delusion and the book meant to teach us about mental illness? I was completely puzzled and to be honest, it ends leaving you just as confused. I believe there's going to be a sequel but the last third of this book just felt sort of jumbled to me. Kind of like this review. Beyond the ending though, Josie's relationship with Declan irritated me from the start. I think part of it was a plot point, but Josie's inner struggle to "obey thy husband" really started to detract from the story for me. I'm not sure it was trying to be preachy, but her constant inner monologue of "why isn't being a mother and wife enough for me?" just didn't make sense to me. Who wouldn't want to explore if they thought they were psychic?? Beyond that, to come through the whole story just for Josie to "reconcile" with Declan felt like a let down. I understand wanting to keep your family together but it felt too easy. Overall I'm just not sure how the author wants me to feel right now.

[Kat Falla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great debut novel from Ms. Goss. The story follows Josie Reilly who is in a slump in her marriage and her life. After a family tragedy, she takes a huge chance that goes against her husband's wishes and pursues a path of following her "abilities" to talk with the dead.

With surprises along with way, we follow Josie's positive and negative encounters with undead and learn about the person she is, was, and may become.

Goss is engrossing and her words are like liquid images that unfold in strange and unusual ways. I look forward to the next book in this series!

[Anne Bujanowski Yarosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Uncommitted. It was a page turner, a little scary in parts but overall very unique. The characters were all relatable and like able. The pace was just right. Not too slow and not rushed. It’s hard to believe this is the author’s first novel. She is a seasoned writer. I thought I knew what was going to happen next but I was surprised at all the twists and turns of the book. It kept me wanting more and I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

[Laurie Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The symbolism, combined with the mystical and extrasensory ingredients in this haunting, yet thoughtful novel, offers an insightful look at humanity's curiosity about life after death and what it can and does mean to us in the here and now.

[Michelle Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting look into the spiritual world.

[Pam F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read as this is my first of her books. The story brings things close to home as I live in WI and know the cities mentioned

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great paranormal fiction - looking forward to more!

[Reader's Hollow · Rating 3 out of 5]

**We received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Reviewed by Jessica J

So we start out with Josie. She's a mother of three children, and wife to an up-and-coming lawyer. She has a psychic gift that she generally doesn't recognize, mostly because her husband disapproves. I so had a problem with her relationship with her do-gooder hubby right from the get-go, but she seemed content, for a while. When she tests her boundaries against his wishes, and finds trouble, it was once thought by Josie to be considered "even worse than infidelity." Whoa!

Anyway, to the parts that I was really looking forward to: I was pitched that this was a paranormal romance with Christian elements and influences. It wasn't meant to be preachy, and the author does put in a variety of characters with different backgrounds, but the bottom line was: only one faith can save everyone. That was mildly preachy for me, so I think Christian readers would enjoy this more than any others. The paranormal part started off awesome! The ghosts and demons begin to take over Josie's life, and she has to find a way to cope with them and her gift. They can sometimes get downright scary. She's keeps a lot of her troubles bottled up, but begins to reach out to others in order to find a way to stop the hauntings that don't just threaten her, but also her children. It was when she finds professional help that the book began to lose some of it's focus. One second she's battling demons, the next her gift is all background noise. She also, randomly, becomes a completely different person when she's in the hospital. The 180 twist, was sort of explained, but it really didn't feel convincing.

Then there's Andrew. He has an odd background, and isn't as well developed as Josie, but he's looking for Josie. He'll do whatever it takes. It was when they met that Josie has some big decisions to make and the romance angle begins to take shape-ish. I did find the writing to be very smooth. The author had a great way of bringing Josie to life, I think that's why the sudden change in her attitude (demonic influence maybe? It wasn't entirely clear, but hinted at) made me do a double take and the longer she kept up her "I hate the world" attitude, the more I was distrustful of the character. There were also several scenes that were drawn or didn't contribute to the plot.

I would totally recommend this to Christian fiction fans, but not paranormal/romance fans. Because of the odd switches in Josie's behaviour and how the story slowed in so many portions of the novel, I give this 3 Stars.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Very enjoyable and a nice change from my normal reads.
I'm a bit unsure of how to categorize this book. At first I thought it was a Christian fiction, but as it progressed, I had my doubts to could truly fall into that category. Not that that's a bad thing. Or a good one, for the matter, as I've read some very good Christian fiction. This seems to fall somewhere inbetween. Maybe Modern Christian Fiction? Is that a genre? Maybe it should be.

Anyway, the story. I really enjoyed the unique-ness of the storyline. I have read a LOT and I've never read anything like this before. It was also delightfully unpredictable. Predictable books seem to be the norm lately, so it was refreshing to read something when you didn't know where it was going to take you.
The characters I also enjoyed. The main character, Josie, was believable and not your typical brain-dead damsel making terrible decisions in order to move the plot along. I very much appreciated that. I do wish we had gotten to know Andrew a bit more. It seems like we just got to know him enough to leave me wanting more. It is saying something that, by halfway in, I was kinda hoping this would be the first book in a series. And I hate series.

There are a few things keeping this book from getting 4 stars from me, though. Perhaps it should be noted that I am an infamously harsh rater. Sorry folks, but if you give 5 stars to every book you read then that means *every* one of those books is one of the best books you've ever read. No. To me, 5 stars is a PERFECT book. 4 stars is a very, very good book, and 3 stars is a good book. As I mentioned, I'll give this one a 3.5. There is a section in the beginning with a 4 year time-jump. I understand why this was done, but at the same time I wish we had at least a taste of it. Considering this book is just over 300 pages, I think it would have been nice to add a bit to those years. There were also a few parts in the last 1/3 of the book that I felt could have been edited down a bit. But that is getting nit-picky. Oh, and can we talk the husband for a sec? Yeah, I kept waiting for the introduction that he was taken over by a demon or something. But he was just an asshole. And was kinda just forgiven for it. Didn't like that so much.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Allies Opinions · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josie grew up with a very superstitious mother. Being a devout catholic, Josie’s mother raised her children to believe in spirits, angels, demons and otherworldly beings who interact in daily life. As a child, Josie can read people’s aura’s and determine their intent.

As she gets older this ability is suppressed and eventually disappears. When her mother is very ill and dying, she reveals to Josie that she has a supernatural gift to speak to the dead. She tells Josie that this ability will now pass to her.

Talk about a strange revelation.

The rest of the book is about Josie discovering and flexing this ability and the consequence’s of doing such.

The idea for the story here is good.

Here’s where things go awry for me as the reader.

There is entirely too much introspection. There are pages and pages of Josie over analyzing every single thing that happens. There are pages and pages of Josie berating herself for having this ability. Not only that, but her husband is a real ass. He is controlling and in my opinion….abusive. The behavior that Josie exhibits is meek and fragile. She acts just like someone who is being abused.

This is a problem for me. The issue there doesn’t get a great resolution. Sure, he says he’s sorry. But, he forced her into a mental hospital when she tried to speak to her priest about her paranormal abilities. He verbally attacked her. Her husband seems to care nothing for his wife’s problem. He hounds on his reputation and worries more about that than his obviously terrified wife. A simple “I’m Sorry” is not enough to fix that in my opinion.

In the end of the book it seems Josie is no longer hearing the dead. But, her children had previously heard the dead too. We get no resolution to that side of the equation. Do the kids still hear the dead?

To see my full review, check out my blog AlliesOpinions on wordpress.

[Denise Byrne Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved "The Uncommitted" ! From the very beginning I felt Josie pulled me in and I found myself wanting her to hone in on her gift. The details in the writing made me feel Josie's struggle between wanting to learn how to perfect and trust her gift and her upbringing with both a mother who believed in her gift and her faith with Catholicism and it felt so real in the author's details! Although Declan is portrayed as an unsupportive husband, I noted he only became so after "the evil" started to affect Josie's home and children, and once she started to realize this evil, she has no choice but to concentrate only on the evil, which lead it to overcome her home, children and relationship with Declan. The story is smart and deep, whether or not you are a believer in communicating with "the other side". I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to more published work by the author!

[Chantel DaCosta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started this book a month ago and only read the first chapter, then last night (Saturday March 26, 2016) I picked it up again and read through the night. I was thoroughly engaged by the story and cared about Josie and her children but then the story just got so filled with Christian mysticism that I started to dislike the narrative.

There is the main thing, I would recommend this book because the writing is good, the story is interesting and I liked the intertwining of Josie and Andrew's stories but then the ending just got strange.

I got this book from NetGalley and the publishers Three Towers Press. I am thankful for access to the book.

[JLynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started out really good but by the end I'm left with a lot of unanswered questions and an underdeveloped character. I wish Andrew's character had been developed more. I feel as if the end stopped short. Was Josie really psychic or was it all in her head and she was actually crazy? When she stopped getting visions and hearing voices, did the kids stop hearing them too or did the kids never hear them and it was all part of her delusions?

[June Midgett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be

Started out interesting but didn't take long to go down hill. Thought the main character was spineless. This was more of a christian \spiritual genre not a paranormal. Not my thing at all

[Lisa Birkrem · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thought-provoking book which caused me to pause and reflect on how all of my beliefs fit together.