Granted Redemption

Northern Lights #1

by Katie Mettner

*New Cover Edition*

Grant Harris spent the last fifteen years hopping from one woman’s bed to the next. That was the way he liked it, until it wasn’t. His heart was filled with aching loneliness he either had to outrun or fix. He chose to run, all the way to Duluth, Minnesota, where the air was as cold as the lifeless heart inside his chest.

Carla Coffers spent the last fifteen years running from her ghosts. Now a successful businesswoman in Duluth, Minnesota, she told herself she would lay those ghosts to rest once and for all, but they weren’t cooperating.

The day Grant walked through the doors of Carla’s Kinky Café, the world shifted on its axis for both of them. Grant’s cold dead heart thumped against his ribcage for the first time in a lifetime. Carla’s heart wondered if he’d bring her the one thing she’d always wanted, unconditional love.

A cup of coffee, a car, and a confession will bring them together. It will be up to them to decide if their pasts will tear them apart or be their catalyst for redemption.

Genres: Christian, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

266 pages, ebook

Published June 1, 2018

About the author

Katie Mettner wears the title of 'the only person to lose her leg after falling down the bunny hill' and loves decorating her prosthetic leg to fit the season. She lives in Northern Wisconsin with her own happily-ever-after and spends the day writing romantic stories with her sweet puppy by her side. Katie has an addiction to coffee and dachshunds and a lessening aversion to Pinterest — now that she’s quit trying to make the things she pins.

Read about more of Katie's adventures as an amputee writer at http://katiemettner.com/
Come chat with Katie on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiemettner/
Are you a Pinner? Pin with Katie
https://www.pinterest.com/katie_mettner/

Reviews

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

'... life isn't about living in the past. Life is about taking what we learnt from the past and applying it to the present, in hopes that it will make the future a little bit better.'

There is a famous quote attributed to Oscar Wilde and that I love: 'every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.' Well, I don't know if Katie Mettner ever came across it, but, I am pretty sure she would love it! 'Granted Redemption' (the first book I ever read from her) is indeed a perfect illustration of such a view: two broken and fragile characters, each carrying ugly pasts, moving slowly beyond their flaws so as to redeem themselves. Of course, it will take trust. It will take faith. It will take a few challenges that we are given to follow here, in a spicy romance that has its fait share of twist and turns! But, in the end, it worth it all because here's a touching read.

Touching because it will speak to us all. Aren't we all somehow broken souls, with skeletons in our closets, and having to (or having had to) go though guilt, insecurities, if not lack of self-love? Whether you are a Christian or not (I am not, and still was touched by this moving story) is quite irrelevant. What is, is that an unshakable faith in 'better will come', a trust in hope, and a will to use our past to strengthen the future is the key to mature towards self-acceptance and becoming better. And, 'better' can indeed come under the guise of somebody to fall in love with...

Love heals. Only a heartless and cynical soul would not be touched by such a story.

[Jan Romes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author. I've read her Sugar series and couldn't wait to dive into her The Northern Lights series with this book. Once again, Katie Mettner has written a down-to-earth story that drew me in from the beginning and kept me turning the pages by putting her characters, Grant Harris and Carla Coffers, through a gamut of obstacles. I like Katie's easy dialog. You feel like you're part of the conversation and experience. There were some surprises that I feel deepened the stakes for Grant and Carla. Yes, they get their happily-ever-after, but boy did Ms. Mettner make them work for it. Can't wait for the next book in this series!

[H.M. Holten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant Love Story
Can two people who are scarred on their soul as well as on their bodies find love together? Carla and Grant both carry heavy burdens from their past, as they chance to meet at her coffee shop.
With the mellow fragrance of good coffee running through this romance, Ms Mettner creates a warm a fuzzy feeling inside her readers. Still, her writing doesn’t avoid the darker aspects in the lives of her protagonists, neither is the book without drama. There is a good balance between anguish and hope, and Ms Mettner’s writing is sufficiently powerful to make her characters stand out.

[Linda McMann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted Redemption is the first in the Northern Lights series by Katie Mettner. I fell in love with Katie’s smooth, evenly-paced writing style in her Sugar series (Sugar’s Dance, Sugar’s Song, and Sugar’s Night.) This book uses the same Duluth setting but follows Grant Harris and Carla Coffers, two people who work carefully to portray confident people in their chosen professions. But underneath that facade they are wounded souls who are hiding a dark part of their past. These secrets don’t allow them to move on with their lives.

Grant is a pediatric physical therapist who has moved from his home in Australia to Duluth, Minnesota via California. He had me in his corner from the get-go by the way he speaks to and works with his young patients. He meets Carla who owns Carla's Kinky Cafe and is so drawn to her he can’t stay away, even as he tells her he isn't looking for commitments. Soon his philosophy of remaining a confirmed bachelor is in jeopardy. Carla portrays herself as a capable business woman but is tormented by a secret in her past and is afraid of getting her heart broken. I found myself rooting for both of these guilt-ridden but very likable characters.

It’s hard to watch Grant and Carla as they struggle through the first parts of building a relationship without sharing the demons from their past lives, but I had confidence in their love for and patience with each other. They both make mistakes as they share their secrets, but work together to find their way back to God and the redemption and forgiveness they deserve. The dialogue between the devil and angel on Grant’s shoulder is delightful and I especially like the reunion with his lovable and supportive parents who had their faith tested also.

Granted Redemption has steamy love scenes throughout making it a “spicy” Christian Romance with a surprising ending.

[Karen Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ‘met’ Grant in Sugar’s Night and liked him immediately. Maybe it’s because he was born in Australia, but I wanted to get to know him better so I was pleased that he had his own book, Granted Redemption.
Have you heard the saying: “When one door closes another one opens” or words to the effect? But as I read this book and I started to unravel the mystery surrounding Grant, I couldn’t help thinking that for him not only had that door closed but it was slammed shut and he couldn’t find the next door. He was stuck in the hallway with his memories.
When Grant first met Carla in Sugar’s Night, I detected the beginning of a possible romance but when he said that he didn’t do ‘complicated’ in the book I was very disappointed, but I still held a glimmer of hope. “Are you kidding? Everything about him is cute. You don’t get too many surfer boy looks going on in Duluth and that accent.” (Carla)
Now the question is: Is Carla going to help him find that next door and will he walk through it with her?
In my opinion, this book is full of new beginnings and not just for Grant. Both Grant and Carla have memories that are not pleasant, memories that shaped them and lingered causing pain. I couldn’t have said it better than Grant when he said. “Sometimes crappy things happen in life, but it’s what we do with them that tells the story.”
I admit that I missed Sugar…..a lot but I still gave Granted Redemption 5 stars.
Written by Karen from A Thousand Lives Book Blog

[Dana Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Mettner has done it again. She has drawn me in and made me fall in love with her characters. Carla and Grant so beautifully bring themselves out of their daily despair and allow themselves a second chance. However, it seems without the other, it wouldn’t have been possible. The characters so carefully compliment each other. At first, Carla comes across and a smart and sassy businesswoman, but you quickly realize she fights invisible demons every day. Grant’s a free spirit on the outside, making people believe he doesn’t have a care in the world. The surfer dude who belongs on a beach. He too bears heavyweights on his shoulders. He's too tightly bound to his past and to his regrets to let himself live happily.
You’ll love reading about their journey and getting to know them. You’ll feel like a member of their community and wish you could drink a Kinky Karmel Kuffs with them in the café, but most of all, you’ll love reading about their growth and redemption.
Don’t be fooled by though, this is a HOT love story about two people who fight their way to a happy ending.
Granted Redemption is more than an inspirational love story, it’s an adventure in self-forgiveness and restoring the human spirit. And how can I get my hands on a mashed potato pizza?

[Jim Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Granted Redemption by Katie Mettner is a book of raw faith that many will find to be very captivating and real. Not all faith is lived out in a nice, clean way. The reality of it is, life can be very messy and many messed up people have faith. You will discover here that any life can be redeemed, that no matter what kind of baggage we carry from our pasts into our present, there is hope for redemption.


Granted Redemption is not for everybody. If you are looking for a book that depicts faith from a cleaned-up lifestyle, you will not find it here. Katie uses language of the world and sex to tell her story. There is a great message to be told, but the reader will have to determine whether or not the end justifies the means.


I would recommend this book to anyone who has little or no faith and is curious as to how God connects the dots in our lives and leads us to redemption.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, primarily because of the characters. The plot is very readable, but it’s the characters that bring the book to life. I find it interesting that the advert blurb seems quite intent in telling us this isn’t a Christian romance, but it is, and it’s better done than many Christian romance books. This book is earthy, fresh, and sexually charged. It’s a story about regular non-devout people who get dumped on by life events. The basis of the book involves how they recover and move on. God is present, but not in a smack-you-in-the-head way, rather a more natural way similar to when you look back on your life and connect the dots that got you to wherever you are. Those dots are God at work. The presentation of those dots in this book is good.

This is a story of Grant and Carla, both people who have been wounded deeply by their pasts. They meet in a Duluth, Minnesota coffee shop owned by Carla where Grant, an Australian born Physical Therapist from California (yeah, true) stops in for coffee in the mornings on his way to work. The rest of the book is a slice of their lives, how each helps the other recover.

I was a little concerned when I reached the 48% mark, at the end of chapter 14. The book could have ended here. The plot had unwound, the past issues had been brought to life, and it felt finished. I put the book down for a few days, and thought about the characters, finally deciding I liked them enough to see what else was in store for them. I was glad I returned to read the rest of the book. More characters are presented to us and we are shown a different slant on Grant’s life, an excellent lesson in the realization that often our own view of events is only a small part of them, and not always the most accurate. Again, well done.

Sometimes the writer does smack us over the head with concepts we know must be important, but they are presented oddly. For instance, In chapter 13, a conversation between a bartender and Grant expounds on the existence of three types of men and/or women (the gender isn’t clear). The bartender says, “I can tell you that as far as men are concerned, there are three types of women in this world.” Outside of this being a strange statement, and not at all true, the types mentioned apply first to a man (“the love ‘em and leave ‘em’s, and those guys are pretty easy to spot”), then the next type refers to a woman and/or a guy (“The second kind of woman is the wrong decision. Those guys come in here and nurse a beer….”). And the third type is actually called a woman. The entire conversation is odd and difficult to follow. Is a woman a “guy” to this bartender? Or is the bartender deliberately mixing her genders? Unknown.

The steamy (sex) scenes are awkward and unnecessary. The writer doesn’t write sex scenes well. She seems intimidated by them and unsure which anatomical terms to use, so she elects to use none. This makes for scenes that are illogical and poorly described. I think they should have been left out.

There are some things in the book that I thought were treading the fine line between a healthy relationship and a co-dependent one. Here’s an example from the end of chapter 2:
 “He’s going to break your heart, over and over, but in the process, you’ll be fixing his. And when he finally gets through whatever valley he is walking through, he will know, without question, the reason for everything he’s gone through was you.” Putting aside the questionable verb tense, I’m doubtful that having one’s heart broken over and over again is going to appeal to anyone unless that person is an emotional masochist. So the heartbreaker knows that the person he’s running roughshod over is “you?” So what? Making oneself a doormat for someone else’s walk in a terrible place does not sound healthy for that poor doormat. Neither is it a healthy attitude for the person doing the walking.

There are some errors that caused me to stop my reading. While some errors are inevitable, these felt too numerous.
 “I pulled Carla into the promenade positioned and waited for Max’s nod.” Either a comma is needed after ‘promenade’ to indicate that the narrator had positioned his dance partner correctly (“I pulled Carla into the promenade, positioned and waited….”) or the word, ‘position,’ should not be in the past tense, indicating that ‘promenade’ is a dance position (“I pulled Carla into the promenade position and waited for Max’s nod”). Of the two, I think changing the tense of ‘position’ makes the most sense. But…as a reader, this sentence made me stop and try to figure out what the writer was trying to say.
 There are also superfluous commas, as in, “What you have done here is honor, my brother.” The way this sentence is written, the speaker is talking to his brother. However, he’s actually talking about honoring his brother, so the sentence should read, “What you have done here is honor my brother.”
 “Her face was pallor.” Here, the noun, ‘pallor,’ is being used as an adjective. I think, perhaps, the writer meant “Her face was paler.” But who know? The odd usage halted my reading.
 Another incorrect word choice: “She was ready to bold and I had to help her….” I believe she was ready to bolt.
 “She gazed up and leveled an eyebrow at me.” Carla is the ‘she’ referenced here, and the narrator is Grant. They are standing together in an elevator. We’ve established, more than once, that Carla is several inches taller than Grant. She can’t be gazing up at him.
 In chapter 11, Grant is the narrator and thinking about the angel and the devil that sit on his shoulders. Suddenly, in the next paragraph, we read “’Happy sixteenth, Grant,’ my mother sang when I walked in the kitchen.” We need a break between the two paragraphs, something to indicate that Grant is back in the past now. As written, it jars the reader. There’s a similar time shift later in the same chapter.
 The writer uses two negatives in a sentence and they cancel each other out: “And you honestly don’t think they didn’t lose the both of you?” This is the same thing as saying, “And you honestly think they lost both of you?” In context of the discussion Carla and Grant are having, I think the writer is trying to say, “And you honestly think they didn’t lose both of you?” or “And you honestly don’t think they lost both of you?” There’s a slight difference in the emphasis in the sentences and I’m not sure which the writer meant.
 The writer sometimes changes verb tense on the unsuspecting reader. Here’s one example: “I didn’t like that feeling. She’s been nothing but understanding and supportive, and I’d been nothing but a self-centered prick. I picked up the drink….” The book is told in past tense with occasional lapses into present and future tenses. The second sentence, currently beginning in present tense, should be past tense, as in, “She’d been nothing but understanding….” If the writer really wants to use present tense here, then it needs to be placed within a past tense context such as, “I thought about how she’s been nothing but understanding…,” but this sounds a little contrived. Better to stick with past tense, IMHO.
 Here’s another change in verb tense: “I also needed to finish the rest of his Christmas present. Best to do that now before he gets home, and I don’t get another chance. I picked my way through the snow….” The second sentence is in present tense, in the middle of a paragraph using past tense. It would be better to remain in past tense, maybe something like, “I needed to do that now before he got home and I didn’t get another chance.” It’s an awkward paragraph to read.
 And another change in tense: “Dealing with Littleton was getting harder and harder. If I barely look at him wrong, he gets defensive.” The second sentence uses present tense and appears in the middle of a paragraph that uses past tense. That sentence should be utilizing past tense, too, as in: “If I barely looked at him wrong, he got defensive.”
 “The rest [of the money] has just sat in the accounts accruing more interest.” The incorrect verb is used. Animate objects (people, animals) use the verb, to sit (past tense ‘sat’) and inanimate objects (books, money) use the verb, to set (past tense, ‘set’). The sentence should read, “The rest has just set in the accounts….” I think this is an overlooked error because the writer obviously knows this rule. Here’s an example, just a bit further in the book: “…setting the coffee on the table and sitting next to me.” The coffee, an object, sets on the table; Carla, a person, sits next to the narrator.
 The sits/sets problem occurs again later in the book: “The second one [a didgeridoo] that I made still sits in the corner….” That should read, “…still sets in the corner….”

By the time I reached the final chapters, I found myself tired of the high drama that seemed to permeate Carla’s and Grant’s relationship. One moment they were loving each other and the next, they cut each other no slack and one or the other would have a hissy, and stomp off with hurt feelings. Eventually, Carla’s intense self-doubts become tedious, bordering on the inane. In chapter 25, she is still beating herself up, and calls herself “the most sinful person” Grant’s father will ever meet. She doesn’t think that Grant's father will see her as someone he’d want his son to be with, much less bear grandchildren. Ho hum.

I’m not belittling Carla’s background, but we’re almost at the end of the book, and there’s no change, no self-forgiveness in her. I’d like to have seen some change in her self-esteem. Goodness knows, she’s been given ample opportunity to see that there is goodness in her. Modesty is one thing, and self-flagellation is quite another.

I rated this book 3.5 stars and rounded up because it is a better than average read, but the pauses in reading caused by errors and confusing or negating concepts made for a bumpy reading experience. Also the sex scenes are cringe-worthy and really need to either be managed better or removed completely. I did like the characters, Carla and Grant. Days and two books later, I still remember them fondly.

[Beth Cutwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call me old fashioned, but I still much prefer leaving an intimate scene up to my (the reader's imagination). However I do like Katie Mettner's writing. She has some great stories, good plots, and wonderfully flawed characters. Her characters are always looking to be better than the perception they have of their broken lives. As Katie writes from her heart about their wounds and their developing walks with God, there is healing for the character and also for the reader. I love how she is able to weave a story and incorporate God's love and messages for all of us.

There is always a lot of growth in Mettner's characters as they learn to trust in one another as well as trust in God. Granted Redemption portrayed all of the elements mentioned above. Both Grant and Carla were broken people, carrying a huge bag of past horrors, guilt and sorrow with every step they took! Both believed in God, but they were wounded and feared being hurt further in their journey. Mettner brought them together, gave them their "spicy" relationship and they found healing in their love of one another and in the God that loved them so.

This was a very enjoyable read and my heart was touched by this wonderful tale of redemption.

[Tara Neale]

I adore Katie's focus on 'imperfect' people. This story does not disappoint on that score. Both Grant and Carla are complex characters that are realistic and engaging. The secondary characters too are vivid and delightfully quirky.

For me though, this particular one of her books was a bit too 'preachy'. I am not a fan of Christian romance and this one most definitely was that. But to each her own.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted Redemption: The Northern Lights Series by Katie Mettner

Carla has come a long way, she was a runaway with a horrible childhood. She is now a successful business owner, yet she longs for true love and family. Grant, an Australian surfer came to Duluth to start over in the hopes of leaving his tragic past behind. The two meet and sparks fly.

Carla holds her family secrets deep inside it has affected her deeply. She is a bit hesitant to trust Grant and let him into her life despite her strong attraction to him. He is running from a past that can destroy him if he does not face it. Together they uncover their secrets and try to let true love take over.

Carla is very likable, she suffered a horrible tragedy. I really wanted her happy and the ghosts of her past behind her. Grant is equally likable, the guilt he is carrying is so deep. I wanted him to overcome his past as well. The two are perfect for each other, watching them together warmed my heart. They are meant to be together and I was cheering for the pair along the way. I highly recommend Granted Redemption: The Northern Lights Series to those who love a sweet romance.

[Renee Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! The awesome characters Grant Harris and Carla Coffers warmed my heart and made me fall in love with them. Grant moved to Duluth Minnesota, a broken man. Hoping to start living his life again But has a secret that he refuses to talk about. Carla has a thriving business but she also has a secret that she keeps hidden deep in her soul. Sometimes crappy things happen in life, but it’s what we do with them that tells the story. Together, with the help from each other , letting go, while grasping for meaning , family , and realizing that God has a plan, perhaps a new story can be written. This book is so enjoyable, but I did get a little teary eyed a few times, and it warmed my heart.

[Didi Ps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant & Carla have both struggled in different ways. There's pain, as well as injuries, insecurities & other barriers that get in the way of them being together. This was a story about two people coming together despite obstacles that just seem to come up, both from the past & the present.

This was a cute story. I found it hard to understand Grant’s viewpoint at times, he seemed so self-confident & controlling in the beginning about what he wanted from Carla that it was a bit of a turn off. After a bit, this seemed to become better.

[Caroline Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the way Ms Mettner put a lesson in the story of Carla and Grant's 'Granted Redemption'.
The characters are so real that you could picture them with each other, and interacting with the rest of the characters from the series. But Carla and Grant are so damaged from their pasts that you can't help but love them.
The storyline takes you from the moment they meet through their heartache and problems, the things they went through was heart wrenching had me in tears.
I was gripped from beginning to the end!
A really great read

[Diane Jewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leave baggage behind

Granted Redemption by Katie Mettner ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another new series by Katie Mettner and it didn't disappoint.

This is story about Carla and Grant both with baggage that tries to stop them from finding a happy ending. You must read to find out if their happy ending is with each other or going there separate ways.

Can't wait to start the next book.

[Samantha Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Katie! I love how she introduces us to a variety of characters! She truly describes how it is to live with the disabilities, which can be hard to portray! She’s definitely one of my favorite authors.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/23/2022)! 🎁

[Dena Akbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the book and it is a really good book and it is really interesting.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read in the my with a hot cup of coffee. Makes for a fantastic day and a wonderful book.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Grant and Carla. This steamy romance has a lot of heartfelt moments and deep dialogue in the second half. Recommend!

[Jo Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many tears - I wasn't sure I'd get through this book for lack of clear vision 😭

Such a beautiful and heartfelt story ❤️