Even Still

by Jenn Faulk

Abby knew, from the moment she married Stu, just exactly what the rest of their lives would look like. There would be security, stability, and above all else, predictability. All of the hurts she had experienced as a child through her father’s own failed ministry and the turmoil suffered at the hands of the church were going to be a distant, unpleasant memory. Stu knew from the moment he began his career that he was in the wrong place. Determined to change the world, he embraced a calling that didn’t fit who he had become in Christ. Disillusioned and discouraged, he began to believe that God’s calling for him wasn’t to change the world but to change eternity in the hearts of people through ministry. As they find themselves in a place they never anticipated, Abby and Stu begin to ask themselves some very hard questions. What happens when the future you’ve been promised has changed? What happens when the road ahead is full of unanswered questions? And can marriage and love survive even still, even when people aren’t who they were?

174 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2013

About the author

Jenn Faulk is a native Texan who enjoys reading and writing chick lit. She's a pastor's wife, a stay-at-home mom, and a marathon enthusiast who loves talking about Jesus and what a difference He's made in her life. She has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston and a MA in Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

While all of Jenn's books are standalone novels with no cliffhanger endings, incomplete plots, or questions left unanswered, there is a suggested reading order that might be helpful as you get into the books...

Resolutions
Different Stars
Just Breathe
Best Day Ever
Even Still
Ready or Not
A Little Faith
Promises Kept
Beyond the Game
Just Friends
A New Tune
Pure Fiction
Home to You
Something Better
From Here on Out
Anywhere
Happily Ever After
Perfectly Pretend
Take Heart
So Like Us
Christmas Surprises
Tis the Season
The Plan
A Big Summer
Taking Chances
Destination Wedding
Crushed
Run (with L.N. Cronk)
Childish Ways
The New Girl
You and Me, Baby
Obsessed (with L.N. Cronk)
What a Christmas
Romance, Reality, and Blog Writers
Meet in the Middle
The Same Place (with L.N. Cronk)
Always
Lost and Found
Who You Know
The Mrs. Degree
You Again
Taken (with L.N. Cronk)
First Love
All My Days
Picture Perfect
Worth It
Wasted Time
Holiday Town
The One That Got Away
Meant To Be
All I Ever Wanted
Stuck on You
Pieced Together
Where You Are
Close Enough
All I Want for Christmas
Unexpected
Magical
Broken
Extraordinary
Wanted
Mine
More
Becoming Us (with Jaycee Weaver)
Maybe
Unmasked
Lucky
Called
Forever

Reviews

[Dustin Timmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written

This is an excellent Christian novel about the struggles of someone raised in the ministry and having to face her fear of it. As life happens and callings change whether you want it to or not. The dialogue in this book is very well done. I can almost see the small town church and hear the members arguing. It was so well done I almost had flashbacks!

This is very much a religious novel and if that’s not your thing don’t complain because you have now been cautioned. However, if you’re Christian looking for a great quick read this is a great option.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby and Stu

Another story where I think WOW...

Stu, at first...yikes! I'm so glad he had a heart change!! Once Jesus got a hold of his heart, he was a new man! He was a little bit of an authoritarian at times, but I still loved his character.

Abby...I loved her for most of the book. But towards the end, I seriously was questioning if she was a true believer. Thankfully, she went to Jennie for help and came to her senses. I wish she would have decided to stay home with her babies, though instead of going back to work so soon.

Sweet romance and a very satisfying HEA.

[Catherine Brusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Definitely a must read for those in ministry. So easy to get burnt out, hurt, blamed, etc and this story pointed in the direction of Christ for all the healing. It was a tad more conservative that I am, but the message shines through brilliantly.

[Laura Van Nice · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Abby married Stu, she was confident she knew what the future held. But when he feels a call to ministry, it resurrects memories of her own father's failed pastorate and the deep wounds that she still carries as a result. What will she do when the future no longer looks like a dream, but a nightmare?

This book does an outstanding job of confronting some of the heartbreaking and cruel damage that the church can inflict upon itself and its leaders. Abby lived with a fear that felt very real and Stu, since he had never faced the kind of experience his wife had, was clueless as to the profound effects it left behind. There were some poignant moments when Abby got a chance to see beyond her own pain and some good spiritual truths about the results of hard-heartedness in the church. It was also eye-opening to see what it could be like for the spouse of someone who's gotten the call to ministry when they haven't heard the call themselves.

[Dana Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even Still

This book was another awesome book by this author. It was heartwarming, funny and at times a bit sad. I had a few tears as I read it. But no fear it ended super sweet and I highly recommend it.

[Debbi]

Loved everything about this book.......It was an easy read and I loved the characters of Abby & Stu.