One Step Forward

by Brandi Little

When standing in the doorway of Hadley Lockett's life, she represents the average woman in her twenties: she has a successful career, a handful of close friends, and past that she’d rather forget.

But once past the doorway, her interior is crumbling. Buried feelings from the past threaten to arise as her best friend's wedding approaches, feelings that she is forced to face when a stranger begins to stalk her, terrorizing her with the past she’s still attempting to heal from.

The blackmail quickly becomes dangerous when Hadley meets Aaron Kingsley, a man who is slowly helping Hadley walk forward from her heartbreaking past.

But as Hadley moves forward, she finds danger waiting for her in the form of the person she least expected, one who loves her enough to kill for her.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 18, 2018

About the author

Brandi Little is a pre-law student turned author. Writer of clean romance novels, her books are nothing like the dissertations she used to write in her former days. When not writing, you'll find her on the ground playing with her young daughters or reading any book that fits in her hands. Follow her work at brandijolittlewrites.com.

Reviews

[Tejomai (bible_and_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 stars
Okay. This was So Good like um.. how do I explain it

Hadley feels she's lost almost all her heart and soul for what happened in her life .. yet the story of life continues.. she tries to move on .. professionally she's doing fine now 4 years later of hearing that devastating news of her life.. internally she still feels lost, yearns for healing of her broken heart and is yet terrified to dare anything which may include her heart wholly .. she though everything was perfect in her life then.. now she doesn't know what her life truly consists of.. a routine of living??
Whatever ... After years of effort put into building up these walls against her heart .. she now starts to feel the walls shaking .. due to this new entry in her Life -Aaron
Why is he the only person being able to make her feel all the feels.. her heart comes to star feeling alive again...
When she allows herself to fall again.. Her past stars to haunt her.. threatening her again.. following her.. stealing her everything.. filling her heart with fear
Why God .. why me .. why again.. what's happening.. what's the truth??

I enjoyed reading this book.. the relationship between Hadley and Aaron was Beautiful... He loved her sincerely but everything seems to go against them.. their love... They start to trust in the Lord but that doesn't mean the end of problems..
Aaron's family is rich, he knows what money gives and what money cannot give .. he almost looses everything for Hadley.. I enjoyed seeing them grow together in family, in love, in Faith
They felt realistic and you know like you can feel them a little

Great Christian fiction with romance and suspense
You'll keep turning the pages
It keeps your mind awake 😂
I just wanted to know what happens next though I expected the ending and suspected some .. it had great plot twist

Recommend!!

[E.B. Roshan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Step Forward is the story of Hadley, a young widow struggling to heal from the loss of her husband, and Aaron, the son of wealthy parents and heir to his father's company. Aaron gets a great "deal" in the form of a beautiful, but decrepit old house that he hopes to fix up and re-sell. Hadley just happens to be a skilled home renovator and interior designer, so it's no surprise that they meet and hit it off...sort of. Of course these things take time, and like everyone, Hadley and Aaron both have their fair share of internal and external challenges to face if their relationship is going to work. It's going well, until the day a mysterious bouquet of wildflowers shows up at Hadley's house, and they realize that someone really doesn't want them together.
I enjoyed the skill the author showed in developing her characters adding depth and complexity to the story as they get to know themselves, and each other better. It was fun to slip into the mind of a woman who's passionate about her work, and also very good at it. The ongoing theme of the dilapidated house slowly being restored was an excellent supporting (and sometimes counter) thread to the progress of Hadley and Aaron's relationship.
The author writes well, and aside from a few bobbles--I didn't understand why the fact of Hadley's widowhood was kept from the reader for so long, and I didn't feel that the character of Aaron's Dad was handled in a particularly believable way--I really enjoyed this story.
In fact, I would have given it a higher rating, but unfortunately, at roughly the 80% mark, things went off the rails, leaving us with a villain who made no sense, and a rushed, unrealistic conclusion. I like a good surprise as much as the next reader, but plot twists that appear out of the blue with no foreshadowing, and happy endings that feel like the author just got tired and decided to put a bow on it leave me feeling unsatisfied.

I received a free copy of One Step Forward from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Nallely Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot Twist after plot twist, you cannot put this book down!

Brandi is an exceptional author! I loved this book as it it a clean novel, Christian, yet includes mystery, romance, and drama all at the same time! I HIGHLY recommend this book!

[Chels · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Other Side, I knew I had to read One Step Forward. I was not disappointed- except when I finished the book & there was nothing left to read 😂

I loved the plot twists & even though I thought I knew how it would end, I was not completely right. I read a lot of thrillers, so reading one where I cannot completely predict the ending is always a good sign!

I also loved the clean romance. It is SO hard to find clean romance books, which is why I've hardly delved into the genre. But this book provides all the good romantic vibes without any of the cringe worthy content!

I cannot wait for book number 3!!

[Sasha Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hadley and Aaron became my favorite couple to date. I loved the development, the perseverance in their love, the growth! All of it! It was a great book to snuggle in on a rainy day and keep reading!

[Elizabeth Benedetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am blown away. This book was impossible to put down. Brandi clearly has a God-given talent for this!

[Kaylee Berner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot twists on this one just kept me reading !!

[Michelle Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to dive into this beautiful book by my friend @brandijolittle . The book was stunning, inspiring, and left me in tears. It was romance, meets HGTV, meets suspense. Such a gorgeous story to add to your list. But fair warning, it may make you want to do some renovations to your house. So proceed with caution.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this one in a giveaway and man am I glad I did! One Step Forward is a faith-based novel that covers all the bases. It's got mystery, suspense, love, family, and life lessons. A secret past, blackmail, and Hadley and Aaron's relationship keep the pages turning.