Between Hope & the Highway

by Charissa Stastny

Sometimes things get so messed up you have to pick up and get the heck out of Dodge. That’s what Liz Ruthersford does. Memories can be weapons, and hers have become incoming missiles. Fleeing home and her parents’ pity, she seeks refuge on a remote ranch in Montana where no one knows her tragic past. When she meets Bentley and Rawson Law, brothers with wounds of their own, life veers off course from her plans. Embers of hope and love flicker to life, but will Liz let them burn bright enough to warm her heart? Or will she hit the highway and run once again? A clean, heart-pounding romance and redemption story.

Genres: Romance, Westerns, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

468 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2016

About the author

Charissa Stastny is an avid reader, happy writer, BYU graduate, and lover of irises, clouds, chocolate, sushi, and the outdoors. Though she was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, she has never pulled a handle of a slot machine and can’t shuffle cards to save her life. She does shuffle kids, laundry, and church responsibilities rather well though. She has lived in Nevada and Idaho, but currently resides in Utah with her husband and four children where shuffling cards isn’t required. She is the author of four books and ‘imagine-eer’ of many more.

Reviews

[Kathy Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

When tragedy strikes, Liz finds herself needing a fresh start. She needs to go somewhere where memories aren't haunting her around every corner. The middle of nowhere Montana is just what she's looking for. Maybe now she will be able to get her life back on track.

Rawson has a secret that has been haunting him for years. He, too, is in need of a fresh start. He thinks modeling in Europe is just what he needs. But the more time he spends away from the ranch, the more he realizes that he misses home. Heading back to take his place on the ranch is really what he needs. If only he can get his dad to see that he's not the failure he thinks he is. Maybe then he can get his life back on track.

Bentley has every reason to hate his life after a car accident that killed one of his brothers leaves him crippled. But he chooses to keep moving forward, working on his disabilities and being the best person he can be. Being bullied for his limp and bent neck isn't easy but at least he's alive. He knows that the harder he works the better his life can be. He is determined to live his life and not be the cripple that everyone sees him as.

Life is full of trials, tribulations, love, forgiveness, happiness, redemption. It has a way of throwing curve balls, chewing us up and spitting us out. How we deal with it says a lot about who we are. We can either let it ruin us or we can let it better us. But the choice will always be ours to make. We just have to have the faith and the courage to keep moving forward. Life isn't always going to be fair but in the end, it will always be worth it.

I have to admit that I had a hard time getting into this book. The first half of it dragged for me and I almost gave up. I think a lot of that had to do with Liz. I had a really hard time connecting with her. I felt she was missing one word from her vocabulary... compromise. I felt like she wanted everyone to fit into her mold. If they didn't, she was quick to judge and sometimes throw out extremely hurtful things. There were times that I almost wished Rawson would run the other way! But he proved to be a better person than I. And between Rawson and Bentley during the second half of the book, I found myself rooting for our hero and heroine to get their happily ever after.

And my casting... we just can't forget that... ;)



Content: Swearing throughout the book. Moderate innuendo throughout the book. Steamy kissing scenes. Moderate religious aspects.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story of forgiveness and second chances. It's written in first person from three characters' points of view- Liz, Rawson, and Rawson's little brother Ben. The characters were easy to get to know, but not always easy to like. They each have their share of flaws and tragedy, and it was interesting to see how their relationships changed them and they are all the better for knowing each other. I initially thought that Ben's perspective wasn't needed and seemed out of place, but he gives important insight and incorporates clever banter (which was needed since Liz and Rawson's banter borders on cheesy). The book seems really long and the pacing lagged in a few parts, but I was invested in the characters and story from the beginning and just had to keep reading. I enjoyed the mannerisms of the characters which made them come to life and also provided some interesting tidbits throughout the book. Side note- I've never really been one for cowboy boots, but that pair on the cover is pretty darn awesome ;)

(I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher; all opinions in this review are my own)

[Jo-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

This is not your typical cowboy romance. It's set on a ranch in Montana where they train and sell horses. While this is a huge ranch, the house and buildings are the best money can buy. The main character, Rawson, is called a cowboy and he does know a lot about horses so he rides and works with them very well. He is the oldest son of the owners and just graduated from Stanford. Instead of going home he went to Paris where he had a modeling job. When Rawson does go home, he finds Liz has moved into his bedroom. To say the least, he's not happy about this. Liz had been hired as a ranch hand but since she's the only woman working there, she was offered a room in the main house and takes her meals there too. Rawson is pretty angry about Liz being there and makes life miserable for her, hoping she'll leave.

This is a classic case of opposites attract. Rawson is well off and extremely handsome with a way of getting any woman he wants. And there have been a lot of them. Liz is more of a tomboy who loves working with horses. She thinks nothing of getting up at 4:00 to muck stalls. While she's attractive, she doesn't think she is and has very low self esteem. Liz only had one relationship with Justin, her fiance, who died. That was one of the main reasons she went to work in Montana in the first place.

This pair started out disliking and bearly tolerating each other. That changes as the story progresses.

If you like clean romance, you should read Between Hope & the Highway.

Please note, I received a complementary copy of this book but I am reviewing it on my own as I do with all the books I read.

[Maria Hoagland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between Hope & the Highway is a fantastic read--well thought out, beautifully penned, and full of depth. This book made me laugh, and it also made me cry . . . twice. (Even the second time I read it.) The best part--the romance has the just the right snap, crackle, and pop. The best scenes are about cereal and ice cream--clever banter with sparks. The setting for the book is gorgeous--as is the cover, isn't it adorable? Between Hope & the Highway is well worth the read. Charissa Stastny is a fantastic author!

[Taylor Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Between Hope and the Highway is an epic tale of romance, unconditional love, redemption, and the power of the human spirit to survive and transform amidst adversity. The metamorphosis of the hero makes this a highly gratifying read. He grows with each flip of the page, leaving behind a trail of optimism. This book will make you smile as you witness a true change of heart.

[Nari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't have many expectations going into this book. I had never read a book by this author so I did not know what to expect. I was blown away! This book has amazing depth. The story is written in a way where you get 3 characters point of view- Liz, Rawson and Bentley. This creates a well rounded story and helps the reader see the whole picture and not just one person's version. I loved that the characters had flaws. It may made them seem so real. Liz's mother was always tearing her down so she was unable to see what a beautiful person inside and out that she was. Rawson was living with the guilt of his brother's disability and his other brother's death. He is also trying to help his friend Damon whose life has spiraled downward since the two were in an accident. He has to help his friend in secret because his family blames the accident on Damon. Bentley was a normal 8 year old before the accident but now he has a bent spine and a damaged leg. He struggles with fitting in at school and being bullied. This story is a beautiful love story about hope and redemption.

[Mylissa Demeyere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charissa contacted me recently to read and review her latest book Between Hope and the Highway. She has been following the blog after reading a blogpost I wrote as a guest on a blog she hosts together with 3 other authors. I’m sorry to say I only knew she was a friend of a friend, so to say, but wasn’t familiar with her work. I’m SO glad she gave me the opportunity to read this book, and head into Montana and the wonderful world of sexy cowboys and hope and love. This was a true treat!

This story is written from three different POV, Liz, Rawson and Bentley.
Liz, or Elisabeth, lost her fiancé in a terrible accident, and to deal with the loss, she runs away to Montana to work on a ranch as one of the ranch hands. She is one of those natural beauties that is completely unaware of her effect on the opposite sex.
Rawson is the oldest of the Law boys, he is drop dead gorgeous and working as a male model when the book kicks off. He lost his brother in a terrible accident, and his youngest brother Bentley, who is 13 at the beginning of the book, was left with a terrible injury on his spine.
Liz takes to the ranch immediately, and soon becomes a favorite among not only the other ranch hands, but also the Law family. Until Rawson returns home. By then Bentley has convinced his dad to move Liz into Rawson’s old room, and she is working his job, riding his horse, and Rawson is none too happy about all of that.
Liz and Rawson butt heads in a bad way, Rawson is a real jerk to her. He pushes her as hard as he can, but eventually his eyes are opened to see the true person she is. By then he also realizes she is the perfect fit for him, and he is bent on letting her know just that.
Liz is full of insecurities, mostly due to her mother’s constant condescending remarks and snippy comments. So she doesn’t quite know what to make of Rawson’s attentions, especially when they keep on hitting constant bumps along the road.
I started this book on a Friday night, and was glad it was a relatively slow weekend so I could fit in a lot of reading. It also helped that my husband was glued to the TV watching the Ryder Cup, which gave me a lot of time during the evenings to race through the pages to try and see where this tale would take me. I loved Bentley! I would love to see him get his own book. He captured my heart and was a true hero in such a special way. He learnt to deal with the rough hand life dealt him yet kept a great outlook on life. And he was such a fan of Liz, and did all he could for her and Rawson to win out in the end. Such devotion and character, what a star!
This book is also all about healing. Although this had a lot of inspirational elements to it, which I usually don’t care for too much, I found the mention of church, the change it brought into Rawson’s life, and the way it helped heal the boys a good addition without it being the focus of the book. It to me did not turn into a preachy, annoying book that can sometimes happen in this genre. On the contrary, this book had quite a punch to it, and the chemistry between Liz and Rawson was sizzling. The first kiss probably only happened somewhere past the first half of the book, I think 65% into it, but the build up to it, and the passion those two have, what a ride!
I would say this was one of those books that judging in by the cover seemed to me like it would just be another one of those reads, but I was surprised to find so much more under the surface of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true romance with toe curling kissing and snap, crack and pop chemistry (trust me after you read it you will understand :) )! I loved it, and I think I have found a new author to follow closely!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I don’t think I’ve cried so much or laughed so much while I’ve read a book in my entire life. This book was quite a roller coaster experience and it was completely worth it! Lately I’ve been in a bit of a book rut from books that I just didn’t think were as good as I wanted them to be. But once I was 30 pages into this book, I was hooked.

The characters are so dynamic and each have such a depth to them that it blows my mind the author could fit it all into 450 pages. Although I was surprised at the length of this book, each word and chapter reached out to me and I became attached to each of her characters so easily and continually throughout the book. It was incredible how much Liz, Bentley, and Rawson grew as the story progressed. The character development was on point! I fell in love with Liz and everything she went through, her struggles with her family, the heartache from losing someone close to her, trying to stick with her beliefs but also trying to be a good person. So much happened. And Bentley, whoa. What a strong guy. Both inside and outside, he was probably my favorite person to read about and enjoy.

The story is told by three different main characters: Liz, Bentley, and Rawson. Each chapter rotates through the characters and they typically aren’t very long; there were over 80 chapters. Although this was certainly different from other books that I’ve read, it made me want to read more and faster because the chapters were short and easy to read “quickly”. The only thing that I hesitate with this book is that I was confused at times which character was telling the story. Because they were so short, I sometimes had to flip back to remind myself who had taken over for that chunk. Other than that, I read through this book faster than an avalanche of syrup down a stack of hotcakes!

I’ve read quite a few books by LDS authors and I’ve noticed that the story lines are usually the same: one of the love interests are LDS and the other isn’t, the book is then spent following the conversion story of the latter and ending with them getting married and living happily ever after. Usually an easy, simple plot. However, I was SO happy to read this one because it’s completely different from the rest. The story was told how a REAL scenario would be like. Nothing LDS that cropped up in your face that took up the whole novel and the characters were struggling through real-life problems and heartache. Not that I dislike the typical LDS novel, but this one was particularly refreshing to read and that it included some great romance and dialogue to boot! I definitely will be keeping an eye on Charissa Stastny and her future works to come. THIS WAS AMAZING!

[Deborah Andreasen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I have a love/hate relationship with this book.

Here we have two opposite characters. Liz is independent, hard working, big hearted, and kind. Rawson is handsome, cocky, witty and rich. They're both passionate and they both like horses. That's their common ground. That and their love for Ben, Rawson's younger brother.

What I liked about this book: I enjoyed the story. Yes, we have basic elements, like a guy who doesn't deserve the girl. He's a bad boy, but she reforms him. But there are unique elements that make the story feel fresh, yet emotionally gripping. There were several times when I laughed out loud at the dialogue.

The story takes place over quite a long timeline. Which is nice in some ways because there was so much time for growth and development. But on the other hand, it felt really long.

I gotta say, I did not like Rawson. He had redeeming qualities, like his devotion to his siblings. But he's a straight up jerk. So much so that I had a hard time rooting for him. And I liked Liz through most of the book, pretty late in the game. I won't spoil anything, but she is back in Vegas, I find her bratty and immature. It seemed totally out of character for her.

There was a lot of sexual tension and innuendo. Rawson is sleasy and things get pretty heated. They simmer down once he realizes Liz is chaste, but there is a steamy scene at the end that surprised me. I can't necessarily say is explicit, but, again, it's pretty steamy. There's also quite a bit of swearing. I was a little surprised because it seemed a bit much for a Christian romance. (I read one reviewer say there was too much religion, and I felt like there wasn't quite enough, so it just depends. Also, I didn't find "Christian Romance" anywhere on the descriptions, so maybe it's not meant to be classified as one. However, church is pretty prominent in this story, so I only assumed.)

The writing style is good. I loved that this was written from several points of view. However, I did not like how some pretty serious conversations were just skipped over like it was no big deal. I won't say much for fear of spoilers, but there is a convo Liz has with her sister where she drops some life changing info starting with the opening line, "oh, and by the way..." and after she tells Liz this awful news, she just chats like nothing just happened.

Benny, Rawson's brother, was super great. Honestly, I hope he gets his own story. If he does, I'll read that. Overall I was glad I finished the book, the kinda end was very sweet. Well, take out the steamy parts and it would have been very sweet.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book.

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.

This is a book about growth for all the characters involved.

First, Bentley, the younger brother. I confess that I didn't understand why the story needed his POV. Yes, it added interest, but at times he didn't sound like a 12-13 year old boy, but more like a 17-18 year old, especially with the way he kept looking at Liz. Not typical of a younger boy. Also, for having his POV included, I wouldn't quite call the story a romance.

Liz had a lot of growth to go through. She has issues, and struggles with several things, including knowing what she wants. She was frustrating.

Rawson was very hard to like. He was a crude character in the beginning, and he acted in a very juvenile way. Fortunately, he grew out of it and his growth was truly marked.

The setting is very well done. It brought Montana and the ranch alive to me. The secondary characters added to the depth of the story and I enjoyed their interaction with the main characters.

I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Rafsil Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It's a soul-fulfilling story! Love in the most pure, integrate and unconditional form. It reminds us that love is not about owning someone's heart, it's about sharing, appreciating and enhancing our must treasured selfs and loved ones.

All caracteres are very well constructed and the narrative keeps you interested all the way.

The way the book tells the story from 3 perspectives makes you have a 3 dimensional view of the same story making it more catchy.

While enjoying the love story it sparkles some Cristian believes in the must delicate way. Putting aside Cristian believes, for those that are not religious, your take away is about ethics and common sense: the importance of integrity, loyalty, honesty, respect and love in it's must pure way.

Recommended for teens, young adults and for those that life's struggles made us skeptical about true love.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between Hope & the Highway is a sweet story of young love, friendship, and forgiveness. Through an entertaining narrative set at a Montana horse ranch, we see the profound effect people can have on each other's lives. Most of the characters grow in some way while learning to forgive not only each other, but also themselves.

I enjoyed the different perspectives of Liz, Rawson, and Rawson's younger brother Bentley. Bentley silently hopes Rawson and Liz will end up together and that adds a nice dimension to the romance. This novel also shows the importance of teenage abstinence in a fun way. I enjoyed the Star Wars references and the humor sprinkled throughout the book. An enjoyable read intertwined with life lessons.

[NaDell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written sweet romance that gives us enough background to really seem to know the characters. I am a Mormon, like the main female in the book, and was a little confused why she was okay with the guy kissing her neck when she didn't want him to kiss her lips. It talked often about them going to church (he was learning about the church) and I assume she knows necking and petting are pretty big no-nos for dating in the Mormon religion. I did like the story despite that, but I think it needs a spin off about the younger brother.

I did receive a free ebook for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished another page turner by Charissa Stastny. This one is filled with emotion. I loved the characters and the growth that all of them experienced. The love story was sweet and complicated, like all good love stories are, and having a younger brother (Bentley was my favorite) rooting for them, just made it all the sweeter. The characters are flawed and real, making this a compelling story. This one kept me up late reading. A great read!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cat-and-mouse game of young love as city girl meets Montana boy. But can she tame his wild ways? Witty exchanges between quirky characters make "Between Hope and the Highway" a fun and light read, though there is depth to the characters and the real-life struggles they face. Also adding a rich element to the story is the ranch setting with its horses, outdoor air, and scenic pastures. Fans of clean romance will enjoy this tale.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would you deal with a life in shambles, an unsupportive mother, and a heart full of ache? Liz hits the highway and heads for a change in Montana. But the people she meets there are living with their own secret pain.

I loved these characters and their stories of choices made, forgiveness and redemption.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked by Inspired by Kathy to review this book. Was not sure what to expect. But loved this book. OMG a lot of emotion. The author has written her characters and they are so real. What I enjoyed was the fact that this story was complicated - choices to be made, redemption and forgiveness all thrown into the melting pot.

Recommended and I will certainly be following this author.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Horses, God, Forgiveness and Love. I ate this book up with a spoon in one sitting! I just couldn't put it down. What a change of events towards the end. I'd give this one a solid 5 stars because it's a love story without being too sexual. I loved the way it ended too.
*I received an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[MoMo Book Diary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title and cover of this book caught my attention – I just love those boots!

The story is well structured and it was a nice clean-ish romance but it just didn’t grab my full attention. The style of writing is not a style I enjoy reading – but that’s just my opinion – if you enjoy a slow moving Christian romance then this is just the book for you as it has the basic elements of a good romance.

This story is told from the point of view of three characters, Bentley, Liz and Rawson which was a good way of telling the story and helped to understand the characters better and follow their development but I didn’t feel about any of the characters warmly – Liz wasn’t a nice character, Rawson was crude and Bentley wasn’t a strong enough character.

I was surprised at the amount of swearing and sexual tension/innuendo throughout the book given that the book was marketed as a “clean Christian romance”. I felt it was unnecessary and spoiled the story.

Thank you to ebooksforreview for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

[Donna May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about romance, loss, courage, faith, god, forgiveness, and hope. The author did a great job of bringing religion and religious topics into the novel without sounding preachy.

What would you do if you lost a loved one, someone who was your life? Could you forgive someone for causing their death? Could you forgive yourself for having a hand in their death? These are hard topics to talk about, but the author wrote about them so well. This novel was so down to earth and amazing. I could see the things in this novel actually happening. Forgiveness is hard, but worth it.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting a great read!

[Aurélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed accompanying Liz and Rawson, the main characters, on their journey to forgiveness, hope, love, and faith. I liked the way the author dealt with the different tragedies and their impact on the life of the affected people. It was deep, even broaching unpleasant viewpoints, but full of humor.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really frustrated with the different points of view. I kept getting confused. It took 1/3 of the book to get things straight and stay up with everyone.

I felt like her main male character was aggravating. He just wanted some and I got tired of his character really quickly.

It also resolved too quick. We just went through so much and then bam. Solved.

[Heather Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I hoped

I have had this sitting in my library for a while and thought why not since I'm on vacation. There were parts thAt are slow but overall it was a good book. It made me a laugh and cry and just have a good read.

[Glenda Plowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about 100 pages too long. I got tired of it in the middle but read until I finished. It was very much like a high school drama to me. I did appreciate the Christian influence and towards the end, the author did sum up the whole point of the relationship and it did end in a good way.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done. I could feel the frustration; anger; love and confusion of each of your characters.

[HiDesert Granny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Substantial story and great read

This is the first book I have read by this author but it will not be the last. Well-written with complex characters who have so much going for them despite their guilt, shame and flawed beliefs. Love, forgiveness and redemption are presented artfully to round out this stunning story.

[Heather Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the cover. I loved that the book spoke of God and forgiveness. I loved how the book showed that there are consequences that can't be escaped to all our choices. It also showed how one person can impact a lot of lives either positively or negatively. Liz and Ben's relationship was sweet. I loved the "Love Triangle" game Rawson had Liz play all the time. Someone had to stand up for her and help her self esteem. She survived well considering the constant negativism at home. Ben was probably my favorite character. He was intelligent, quick witted, and had a beat on all that went on around the ranch. He was such a good kid. I wanted to give this one a higher rating, but it had way too much inuendo and language for my taste. There were some pretty graphic kissing and necking scenes and lots of talk of arousal. Rawson also talked about Liz's perky girls quite a bit. I would have smacked him. He was a disrespectful womanizer who needed a cold shower throughout the majority of the book. I had a hard time liking him throughout. This was one book I kind of hoped the mc's wouldn't end up together. I worried that Rawson would be abusive at some point in the relationship due to his over the top jealousy and control issues. Not to mention his pummeling Dawson. Although he did improve personality wise as the story went on. I didn't see how he could get any worse. Except for his modeling career, I didn't know where he could have gotten all the money he threw around. The book also had a kind of love scene at the end and that's not my thing. I wouldn't recommend this one for teens. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire Sayan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copy received from Inspired Kathy in exchange for an honest review. 2 Clean Churchy Romance stars. Spoilers ahead in review.

I didn’t like this book at all. In fact, I am very proud of myself that I managed to finish it at all. I almost DNFd at 18%. I found there to be very little character development, the dialogue was extremely immature and very annoying and the story far fetched. I mean, he nibbled away on her neck but she wouldn’t kiss him?! Really? The chasing went on for way too long then the arguments were ridiculous, they sounded like they were at school rather than grown adults. I just didn’t get it but I will say ‘clean romance’ really isn’t my genre but I have enjoyed it before when the story makes up for the lack of steam, this just fell way short if that for me.

Lizzie has lost her fiancé in tragic circumstances and decides to get away from her home town to recover and start again. She lands at a ranch working with her beloved horses. The family has two sons and a daughter who has Down’s Syndrome. One of the sons is away and the other, Bentley and Lizzie become good friends. Bentley or Ben, has physical disabilities caused by a car accident which he and is eldest brother Rawson were in which also killed their other brother Derrick (?).

When Rawson comes home from hos trip, he is convinced that Lizzie is trying to muscle in on his family and steal their fortune. He is rude and obnoxious towards her and purposely offends her conservative nature with his behaviour and his bad language.

The pair eventually get to know each other and grow closer. There are many twists and turns along the way but eventually they get their HEA.

[Margo Figg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope to the highway

This was an okay book. The characters had depth but it took too much time to get there. I did like that the heroine was not afraid to be a Christian in a world that easily condemns it

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I didn't want to put done. I've never read her books before. Loved Benny. Was a great ending