Hope Lawson’s bakery has been a haven to Ethan Grey’s troubled soul ever since that horrible accident when Ethan lost everything. He lost his family, his faith, and his dignity. Now, he’s turned to alcohol to fill his voids, but is it really working? Problems seem more out of hand, and depression is slowly seeping in holes where there used to be joy. Hope’s compassion runs deep for the alcoholic whose lifeless eyes could use a sparkle of hope. When she steps out in faith to help Ethan, Ethan’s faced with the struggle of his intimidating past. Everything in him begs a second chance for a better life, but is it worth it? Is it worth giving up the alcohol that beckons him every waking second? Is it worth opening up about his past?Will Ethan begin to realize that he needs Someone better than himself to save him? Will Hope be able to help remove the blinders from Ethan’s eyes, so he can truly see his life for what it could be? And will it spark more than a friendly, Christ-like gesture between the two of them?
Katlyn Grace is a twenty-four-year-old writer residing in a small town in beautiful West Virginia. When she’s not writing, she fills her days with homemaking, being a wife to her husband, Brad, and leading a small group of teen girls in Bible study. She also owns a candle business with her sister and enjoys time with loved ones. Her prayer is to inspire others to follow Christ more intimately through her writings.
I couldn’t turn the pages in Finding Hope fast enough. This story was packed full of faith, flavor, and fun. Katlyn Grace did a marvelous job at proving there is hope for anyone. I can’t wait for the rest of The Lawson Series to come out!
It was incredibly hard to get into this book. It took me literally weeks to get through it. I'd pick it up, read a few pages, and put it down for a few days.
The amount of pages overwhelmed me when I realized I had that many to get through before I was finished. But I pushed through, hoping that maybe it'll get better. Maybe the finale will be fantastic and breathtaking.
Aaaaaand it's taken me over a month to talk myself into writing this review.
So, what didn't I like? *cries*
-The writing style was kinda amateurish, I could definitely tell that it was a debut novel. There was a lot of telling and less showing, and some of the scenes dragged on because of this. I'd just start to get sucked into a scene when the writing style would suddenly jerk and pull me out of it again.
-The romance. I knew that it was going to be a romance. But the COVER *heart eyes* is so adorable and from all I'd heard about it, the romance was super sweet. So I decided to give it a go. *deep breath* I...shouldn't have, honestly. This is the main thing I disliked. The first page of the book (please FORGIVE ME if I give out spoilers) has our heroine eyeing the town drunk, thinking how good-looking he is and that she'd consider marrying him...if he weren't a drunk. And our couple is constantly thinking about each other. Okay, fine, two people attracted to each other are gonna think about each other, I'll give you that. But when they insist upon just 'being friends' yet show up for each other when they're sick with soup and stay to watch a movie with them?? Not to mention forehead kissing and hair stroking when they're?? Just?? Friends?? *headesk* Oh, and let's not forget their first 'real' kiss! (they kissed once before but felt horrible about it and kept denying their feelings bc there's too many things between them...but they kissed anyway...like...no thx) Cute date, I suppose...but then a kiss and she's giggling and telling him how he tastes?? So he reciprocates?? *cough* sorry. Rant over. I'll move on.
-The plot was good enough, but cliche. Dude hits tragedy and becomes the town drunk. Finds sanctuary and stability in his daily trips to a bakery. Falls in love with the cute, sweet baker. She shows him what faith in action looks like. He has a rough journey but hopes to make it to where she is. Not bad, just...kinda meh.
So what did I like?? (yes, there actually were a couple of things that I liked...surprised?)
-The characters were pretty good! I wouldn't say there's anything extra special about them...but they were still enjoyable. (Bri's character got on my nerves several times, but overall, she was a fun character) Mark was my favorite, though!
-The message was so good. Miss Grace brought out several excellent points and didn't shy away from the tough questions. I so appreciated this! She even gave me goosebumps a couple of times. ;)
So, yes, to say that my ride with this book was a rollercoaster would be an understatement...but I do believe that it's going to really touch someone someday! I...just am not that person.
*I received an e-copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. All thoughts are my own.
Such a sweet, innocent Christian Fiction Romance! It was so inspirational and really taught me the importance of shining my light as a Christian. I never know who I might help. I’d recommend this novel to anyone, for the plan of salvation is evident, simple to understand, and prominent through the entire story!
I just want to say that I am SO glad I read this book in the time period that I did, because the story takes place before Thanksgiving and ends around Christmas which was just PERFECT!!
Throughout the book, Katlyn knew exactly how to make me feel what the characters were feeling. And there were some serious feels, y'all. Like...I legit had shivers during one part.
As far as content goes: CLEAN! I do want to point out that Ethan's backstory does deal with some very intense things (besides his drinking problem), which could possibly be triggering to others.
All in all, I feel like "Finding Hope" was the perfect example of how important it is to listen for God's voice and to spread love/kindness with others. 💗
So, if you love 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 (pun intended), heartfelt Christian romances...then I think you'll enjoy this one as much as I did!! 😊
~I received an e-copy of this story from the author, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.~
The title, Finding Hope, not only represents Ethan Grey finding Hope Lawson, but—perhaps more significantly—finding hope in his life. The story takes us from the sweet setting of a colorful bakery to the broken, empty life of a man struggling with grief.
Cupcakes, laughter, and the warmth of a loving family all lead to an ending that will make you smile. If you’re looking for a sweet romantic read (with darling Christmas trees and Snoopy records), this is the book for you!
My favorite character: Mark Lawson
My favorite plot twist: Ethan’s past
My favorite scene: The nightmare
My favorite quote (from memory): “He needs God, and you need a godly man.”
I started reading this book in anticipation for the release of the second book in the Lawson Series and it did not disappoint! It offered a great reminder that God is always willing to meet you where you are at, despite your shortcomings and past mistakes. God offers hope in the midst of the worst circumstances, and this book ensures that the reader remembers his faithfulness.
Can I actually put my thoughts into words for this book? Probably not. Am I going to try? Yes. Yes I am. This story is unique, different from anything I've ever read. It's packed to the brim with memorable characters, humor, challenges, truth, and lots and lots of cupcakes. Don't read this book on an empty stomach! The Lawson's own a bakery, and the descriptions were so beautiful I could almost find myself smelling the fresh cookies 🤣 okay, enough with the food. Seriously, this book is so wonderful. I could see that God truly had His hand in every page. Katlyn is a spectacular artist with her words. I look forward to the next book in the series!!
Ethan and Hope’s story is one of forgiveness, redemption, transformation, and, of course, hope, with lots of laughter sprinkled in. It took a few chapters for me to really get into the story, but, once I did, I had a hard time putting it down. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series!
Finding Hope is a Christian novel written by a young lady that lives in my town where my husband and I serve in ministry. I picked up her debut novel with excitement to support her and see her using her talents to glorify God. While I believe the author is talented and is following the Lord, there are a lot of elements that I struggled with within this book. I have wrestled with wanting to share an honest review because I believe these issues need to be discussed. This is mainly because this book had been marketed as a Christian book and knowing that the author’s age will grab a younger audience.
1. The clear theme and encouragement of missionary dating. This concept is where a believer starts to fall for a nonbeliever, and the believers through prayer, encouragement, support etc. hopes that the nonbeliever can come to know the Lord so that then they can be together. That is the story of Hope and Ethan. Surprisingly, repeatedly in the book Hope says she knows Ethan is not saved, she knows she needs a strong Christian man, and she clearly knows she should not be romantically involved but yet she continues to be involved with him. After Ethan kisses her she shared that she could not be involved romantically but then goes against her word and continues to be romantically involved without Ethan confessing a faith. Just because something isn’t labeled as a relationship doesn’t mean it’s not. The two are physical involved without kissing (I.e Ethan kissing her head, Hope laying her head on Ethan’s lap). This really bothered me because the book opened by quoting from Song of Songs to not awaken love until it’s time and portrays Hope as a strong, missional, Christian woman who desires a Christian man. But then Hope does the complete opposite of this verse by romantically engaging with a man who the author states is not a Christian. After Ethan confesses faith, it’s like everything is now right in Hope’s world. The “He is a Christian” box has been checked. That same day their activity is now labeled “a date” yet it’s not any different than what they had been doing together. While I don’t doubt Ethan’s “conversion” it just solidified the missionary dating. That same day she begins vocalizing her desire for kids and imagining them running around his house and Hope tells him she wants to spend forever with him. He just “became a Christian” that morning and suddenly she’s ready to marry him. While they are on the same page now, he still isn’t the strong Christian man she has stated she needs. By the end of the book, just a few weeks later they are practically engaged and talking about getting married as soon as possible. I believe this is an dangerous message to send to any Christian, especially rushing into a marriage. This is probably what bothered me the most about this book and was very hard to see past and enjoy their story.
2. Ethan’s spiritual state. I could have been more supportive of the idea of Hope and Ethan’s relationship if the author had taken the theological perspective that he had fallen away from his faith or was struggling in his relationship with God. Ethan had a strong Christian upbringing but following the sudden death of his mother and step-father, he walks away from God. The author takes this to the point that he wasn’t saved and has no relationship with God. While this is a fictional work, I would fall more in the theological camp that Ethan has just gone through a hard season of grief and his worldview did not know how to handle that level of tragedy at his age. Walking through a tragedy will impact everyone and causes overarching questions and doubts, regardless of their beliefs. I wish the author had taken this a different route and not said he wasn’t saved. This simple shift makes his story more relatable to those who have struggled in their faith but also would have removed the whole issue of missionary dating.
3. The approach of Ethan’s struggle- I felt like the view of sin in this book was more focused on cognitive therapy than personal responsibility. The focus is more on what experiences have caused you to sin and that Ethan needs to try harder not to let those triggering moments keep him from drinking. We are definitely influenced by our experiences and exploring that can be a helpful counseling technique, but we also have to understand that we can’t blame our own actions on what has happened. There is still a sin nature that exists in everyone regardless of their experiences. There is a lot of encouragement for Ethan to stop drinking and get his life right before he is even thinking about salvation. I understand that it a key component to some people’s process of coming to God, but it has the subtle message that you have to clean up your life before you come to God. This puts all the pressure on the individual to change themselves which is contrary to the gospel message. I don’t think this is the author’s intent but it still came across that way. The gospel is all about humans being completely unworthy, sinful, and that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God. Jesus is the only savior and through him now we are able to come to God and allow him to transform us through his Holy Spirit. Also, as soon as Ethan is saved all his problems suddenly are gone. There is no longer any mention of struggling with temptation or his family background. He is suddenly able to not drink and forgive his dad. While this may be the case for some immediately after a conversion experience, it’s isn’t the norm and is why so many walk away. God doesn’t promise your problems suddenly go away but instead promises you his presence and power to live a life that glorifies him (1 Corinthians 10:12-14, Galatians 5:16-26, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Philippians 2:13)
4. Settings for dates-I also struggled with some of the settings around their dates where they were alone in each other’s homes late at night, often clearly tired or sick. Even after they are “officially dating” they are still in settings alone in his house and scenes are described where they are very flirty and Hope is on his lap. Those settings can be incredibly tempting for some and could cause stumbling blocks for readers. Statistically, 1/3 women struggle with sexual addictions (erotica, porn, masturbation, etc.) and that statistic is the same within the church setting. Personally, had I read this in my season of singleness and dating, it would have tempted me to justify situations I couldn’t handle if I wanted to be obedient to God’s word to keep sexual relations in the confines of marriage. This is a matter of looking out for the weaker brother (Romans 14:13–23).
For a debut novel, I believe the author has shown her talent and ability to write a compelling story. I believe she has a lot of potential and I am excited to see how she develops and is strengthened in her writing and faith.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Finding Hope tells the story of a sweet Christian baker named Hope who befriends the town drunk...and falls head over heels in love with him.
Hope reminded me a lot of myself. She's a baker and she loves people SO much. She loves getting to know their stories and wants to see them all find their hope in Jesus like she has.
I loved the food descriptions, the holiday scenes, and the playful sibling banter. Also, a guy interacting with kids is so attractive. That was in there too.
The romance concerned me. It bothered me how far Hope let her feelings get before Ethan was saved. I believe that people shouldn't be "unequally yoked" in a marriage. That believers should only marry believers (there's a lot of scripture that mentions this). Anyways, in light of that, I don't think that Hope should have let her feelings grow as much as they did or have been going on what basically were dates with a guy she was 'just friends' with, but obviously had feelings for. It was kind of the "missionary dating" idea here and I just don't think that's a wise model/example for single girls to be looking at. In the book it all works out fine, but I don't think that's often the case in real life.
Despite my concerns, it was still an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of Katlyn Grace's books!
I’ve read this book completely through twice. I find it to be sweet, innocent, and inspiring. These are two grown adults not teenagers that need chaperoned and the character Hope is strong in her faith. So strong in fact that she has no trouble resisting the devil’s temptations. This book is about saving a lost soul. It’s about leading someone to Christ as their personal Savior. Hope and Ethan finding love in one another to me is just a bonus. This book demonstrates strong Christian faith and I would highly recommend it.
Finding Hope is such a sweet and beautiful story about Hope Lawson, and how she helps the town drunk, Ethan Grey, find God again. And of course, falls in love with him. ;) I really liked the characters and their relationships together! Mark was honestly probably my favorite character. He was just so sweet and funny! And oh, how my mouth watered at all the delicious descriptions of the desserts in the bakery! Makes me want to eat them. XP I really only had a few things I didn’t necessarily like. It was kind of repetitive at times. For example, almost every single laugh was “So-and-so threw their head back in laughter.” Once Ethan believed in God again, the romance accelerated quickly. They were on their first date and already talking about future kids and living at his house. It doesn’t have the best of editing, but this was the author’s first book and I’m sure she’ll get better and grow as a writer! I greatly enjoyed reading this book and would totally recommend it!
*I received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I enjoyed the characters in this book, and thought that they were well developed and super sweet. The book itself, however, was far too romantic for my beliefs. Throughout the book, Hope & Ethan start falling for each other, spending lots of time together, and getting into a relationship deeper than friendship (romance), all the while Hope is a strong Christian who knows she shouldn't get in a deep relationship with an unbeliever (Ethan does eventually get saved, but this still bothers me). Finding Hope gets far too romantic for me and my Biblical standards and what I want to dwell on. I actually stopped reading when I made it about 2/3 of the way through, because I didn't want to read something that filled my mind with things I didn't agree with Biblically or want to focus on.
If you'd like some examples of the romance in the book, I'll share a few that really bothered me: Hope goes to Ethan's house in the middle of the night to help him when he's drunk, and it's just the two of them in his house. (Good intentions, but sketchy!) Furthermore, she stays late at his house one day, decorating for Christmas and having a fun time with Ethan. Around 11pm, she gets tired and asks Ethan to take her home. After engulfing her in a hug, Ethan tells her that he has a spare bedroom. Thankfully, Hope refuses his offer (that was *too close* for me). When he drops her off that night, Ethan kisses her, while he's still an unbeliever and she is a strong Christian who wants a Christian man for a husband. After that, she decides to back off and "just be friends," yet, he visits her when she has the flu with a bunch of thoughtful gifts, and she lays on his lap while he brushes her hair back with his fingers. That was as far as I got, although I have peeked at the ending.
I didn't want to give this book a bad review, but I want others to know that this book has this kind of content and that I personally wouldn't recommend it to Christian girls or young women. I know everyone has different standards, this is simply my honest thoughts from what I personally am convicted of. Thank you so much Katlyn for allowing me to read this book for free.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4.5 stars - I have a couple of quibbles about the writing style, but I can't bring myself to take off a whole star for them. I really enjoyed this cute story (um, I pretty much binge read it, so :P), and I'm looking forward to reading the second one at some point! :)