Saturday, July 31, 2010

ALMOST FOREVER by Deborah Raney




reviewed by Jennifer AlLee


ALMOST FOREVER
by
Deborah Raney


Bryn Hennessey went against her husband's wishes when she continued to volunteer at a local homeless shelter. So Bryn is consumed with guilt when the shelter burns to the ground with her firefighter husband and four of his comrades inside

Garrett Edmonds is the husband of Molly, one of the firefighters who died that night. He deals with his own feelings of guilt for not being the man his wife needed him to be, and for not protecting her when she needed him most.

When two homeless dogs bring Bryn and Garrett together, they find comfort in their new friendship. It feels so good to spend time with someone who understands how it feels to lose a spouse. As time goes on, their friendship deepens, and it seems they may be able to say goodbye to sorrow and move on together. But as the mystery of how the shelter fire started begins to unfold, their fragile happiness may be in jeopardy.

Deborah Raney is well-known for spinning tales that go to the core of the human heart. Almost Forever is no exception. Not only does it contain a stirring romance, but it asks a question fundamental to the Christian faith: How does one forgive the unforgivable? We know that God forgives us, even though none of us deserve it. But how often do we forget that when dealing with each other? Raney addresses this issue in a gentle, yet powerful way.

Almost Forever is the first of Raney's new Hanover Falls series. It's a great way to start, and makes me anxious for the next installment. More, please, and soon!


About the Author

DEBORAH RANEY is at work on her 20th novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Almost Forever, first in her new Hanover Falls Novels series, released in May from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They are new empty nesters with four grown children and two precious grandsons, who all live much too far away.

5 comments:

  1. Hmmm.

    well,I left a comment before and now I see there are no comments. I'll try again.

    You're an excellent writer Jen, did I tell you that before? It shines through even in a lil' ol' book review.

    I loved hearing about Deb Raney's plot for this book. And wow. 20 books?

    In honor of her garden blog , this writer went out and did some manual labor. A lot of the things I cut back were so fragrant. I like to get things done before the ragweed pollen ruins my summer.

    I hope this comment doesn't go to thin air!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Definitely going to have to read this book. It sounds like something that I would enjoy reading.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Deb, you're making me blush :+} Thanks for the encouragement. I needed that!

    Deborah Raney is one of my favorite writers, not just because of her skill, but because she's a lovely person. So kind, gracious, and fun-loving. She is, as they say, the entire package.

    Good for you, picking up your garden sheers! When we finally get into our house, I'm going to have to address the gardening issue. I'm thinking desert landscaping :+}

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Louise! Glad to see you this morning. I think you'll really enjoy Almost Forever. And it's the first in a series... even better!

    Be blessed :+}

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey everybody! Thanks for the review, Jen. I will have to check out this book. It sounds wonderful.

    Deb, I haven't felt well so I can't quite muster the enthusiasm to get busy with my shears, but today I did go outside and pick some tomatoes. I'm pretty happy about it, too :-)

    ReplyDelete

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest