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With a Shadow of Doubt
What happens when you can no longer doubt your doubts? Sariah Anderson, recent high school graduate and oldest daughter of a LDS Bishop, has never felt more free. Sharing an apartment with her one roommate is a dream come true, especially since it means not sharing the bathroom with 6 other siblings. She’s finally free to enjoy her first year at the University of Arizona, away from her meddling Mormon family, and eventually settle down with a nice guy she met at church. Everything changes with the entrance of tattooed and worldly, Kai. He’s smart, funny, kind, seriously hot, and seriously not what she’s supposed to look for in a man. As their chemistry heats up, so do Sariah’s doubts about her faith. The more time she spends with Kai, the less time she wants to be at church. When her parents issue an ultimatum, Sariah is forced to face her growing doubts about the church once and for all. Can Sariah really find happiness after leaving the Mormon religion - and her family - behind? And if she stays, what sacrifices must she make to do so?
285 pages, Hardcover
Published November 14, 2022
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 7, 2023
This was my first book read in the year 2023, and I really enjoyed it. I'm not an ex-Mormon, but I have experienced religious trauma. The character development was really good and the storyline moved at a good pace. I wish there were more guys in the world like Kai.
December 14, 2022
I liked the book. I normally don’t read romance novels but this book kept my interest. I like the main character’s journey.
May 10, 2023
This book is so much more than a romance; it had me visibly smiling, cringing, and gasping as I read. I felt like I've actually met these characters, and I was so proud of Sariah for thinking for herself on subjects like LGBTQ+ acceptance from the very beginning, even having grown up in the LDS church. Her moments of revelation, one of the most powerful being her realization that her parents care more about their image than their children's happiness, are incredibly relatable even if you didn't grow up LDS. The biggest lesson she learns is that humans are human, regardless of religion, and the level of perfection demanded by the Mormon church is simply not achievable. The authors do a great job of sticking with the theme of doubt and "doubting your doubts" throughout in lots of different scenarios.
With a Shadow of Doubt refreshingly doesn't fall into any romance tropes like big miscommunications or "will they, won't they?" I never once doubted that Sariah and Kai would end up together. The "will she, won't she?" is between Sariah and the church. It's not even between her and God, since her belief in God is hardly mentioned. Abstaining from coffee and alcohol, always dressing modestly, and only socializing with church members all seem like arbitrary rules to Sariah once she's living in the real world, and she stays true to herself from minute one. She finds some sweet secular friends who gently guide her experimentation, and she figures out what feels best for her.
The story of Ros' marriage is very important. It shows the other path Sariah was so close to taking and why she's grateful she didn't. Kai is a man written by a woman and I hope there are really guys like him out there for all the Sariahs of the world. Lennon reminded me a little of myself in college and I loved watching her be true to herself and unapologetically live out loud. Olive and Javier were awesome for getting to know Kai and hear about him before college. All the characters are three-dimensional and relatable in their own ways. There was also extreme diversity in the friend group without it seeming contrived.
Also, I need the sequel desperately because there's definitely stuff going on with Sariah's two oldest siblings and I want to know!!
Ten Sentence Reviews - With a Shadow of Doubt
With a Shadow of Doubt refreshingly doesn't fall into any romance tropes like big miscommunications or "will they, won't they?" I never once doubted that Sariah and Kai would end up together. The "will she, won't she?" is between Sariah and the church. It's not even between her and God, since her belief in God is hardly mentioned. Abstaining from coffee and alcohol, always dressing modestly, and only socializing with church members all seem like arbitrary rules to Sariah once she's living in the real world, and she stays true to herself from minute one. She finds some sweet secular friends who gently guide her experimentation, and she figures out what feels best for her.
The story of Ros' marriage is very important. It shows the other path Sariah was so close to taking and why she's grateful she didn't. Kai is a man written by a woman and I hope there are really guys like him out there for all the Sariahs of the world. Lennon reminded me a little of myself in college and I loved watching her be true to herself and unapologetically live out loud. Olive and Javier were awesome for getting to know Kai and hear about him before college. All the characters are three-dimensional and relatable in their own ways. There was also extreme diversity in the friend group without it seeming contrived.
Also, I need the sequel desperately because there's definitely stuff going on with Sariah's two oldest siblings and I want to know!!
Ten Sentence Reviews - With a Shadow of Doubt
July 4, 2023
SPOILER ALERT:
I rarely add an actual review to books I rate here on Goodreads... I save those for my blog. However, I want to say here that I think this book did a great job representing how some LDS men act, how LDS culture can be, how entrenched members of the LDS Church are in their religion, and how that entrenchment influences behavior and emotions.
But this book desperately needs an editor. Some things are flat out errors (Tad Callister isn't a member of the Twelve Apostles, for example, and saying the name "Kimble" is a big name in Mormonism when it's "Kimball" the authors seem to be referencing). There are multiple grammar and punctuation errors, as well.
The descriptive sex scenes seemed out of place and I honestly think the book would have been better leaving it to the readers' imaginations. I'm also a bit confused how young marriage was frowned upon, but a relationship that started just as young between the main romantic characters is okay when the assumption is that eventually they will get married. And let's face it... the male romantic interest is probably a little too perfect.
Otherwise, I really did like this story. It was a good representation of the struggle of a faith crisis/transition.
I rarely add an actual review to books I rate here on Goodreads... I save those for my blog. However, I want to say here that I think this book did a great job representing how some LDS men act, how LDS culture can be, how entrenched members of the LDS Church are in their religion, and how that entrenchment influences behavior and emotions.
But this book desperately needs an editor. Some things are flat out errors (Tad Callister isn't a member of the Twelve Apostles, for example, and saying the name "Kimble" is a big name in Mormonism when it's "Kimball" the authors seem to be referencing). There are multiple grammar and punctuation errors, as well.
The descriptive sex scenes seemed out of place and I honestly think the book would have been better leaving it to the readers' imaginations. I'm also a bit confused how young marriage was frowned upon, but a relationship that started just as young between the main romantic characters is okay when the assumption is that eventually they will get married. And let's face it... the male romantic interest is probably a little too perfect.
Otherwise, I really did like this story. It was a good representation of the struggle of a faith crisis/transition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
I haven't found many books that deal with Mormonism from an Ex-Mormon perspective. Sariah's story will resonate with anyone who has struggled to toe the line of Mormonism's many rules and regulations, and the experience will relate to anyone who's experienced religious trauma of some sort.
I didn't expect reading this to be a form of therapy, but reading about Sariah's journey brought up a lot of things for me, and it was helpful to remember my own faith journey and chart the progress I've made along with Sariah. The characters are fun and vibrant and really make you care about them. I'm interested to see where the story might go next!
I didn't expect reading this to be a form of therapy, but reading about Sariah's journey brought up a lot of things for me, and it was helpful to remember my own faith journey and chart the progress I've made along with Sariah. The characters are fun and vibrant and really make you care about them. I'm interested to see where the story might go next!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews