How does a successful businessman end up with nothing but the clothes on his back and all his worldly possessions shoved into a bag?”
This is Ben Tarbett’s story as the reader journeys with him on his road of desperate despair to endless hope again! And the story of how God can take a broken down man and restore his faith in God and the kindness of human nature in the form of true Christian love shown through Sue and Graham. The selfless giving actions of a Natalie who never gave up on him also helped heal his heart and open it to the possibility of the kind of forever love he’s craved.
I enjoyed this so much that I was unwilling to put it down! Except lack of sleep had my eyes drooping way before I was ready to quit reading. Ben’s back story and the reasons he ended up living on the streets broke my heart. Coupled with the pain of divorce and never seeing his kids again plunged him to despair and pain. Feeling unworthy and unloved, he was willing to give it all up. I believe God put Natalie Allcroft in his path to show him the unconditional love everyone deserves. Her gentle caring ways reminded me of how God reaches out to every one of us at one time or another. The compassion, the whispered nudges to our soul reminding us that we matter to Him, in spite of our circumstances or lot in life. He never will leave us or forsake us, and His love is an overwhelming sense of belonging. I loved her heart to be the hands and feet of Christ! I think in some way or another we can too, reaching out to others in need, showing the love of God in our own actions and words.
“ All she wanted was to serve God and shine His light into the darkest corners of people’s lives. But wasn’t that what they were called to do as Christ-followers? To help the poor and oppressed? To not withhold good when they could do something about it?”
And, oh my, the gentle love blossoming between Ben and Natalie! All sweetness and pureness of what romance should be. The kind that makes me sigh at the end. Talking about the end, the way Fraser concluded this story was beautifully breath-taking and something to savor! What a wonderful, heartwarming scene that brought tears to my eyes. Makes me want to visit a particular spot in Australia with my own true love someday!
This is an absolutely beautiful love story with reminders of God’s own selfless love and caring for each one of us. The simple truth of His word flows over the reader and leaves them with a satisfying smile. I absolutely recommend this to readers who enjoy stories full of hope, love, and Christian faith!
*I received a complimentary copy from the author through Interviews and Reviews. I was not obligated to leave a favorable review. *
BackCover Blurb:
From homeless to hopeful.
How does a successful businessman end up with nothing but the clothes on his back and all his worldly possessions shoved into a bag? That’s the question Ben Tarbett asks himself time and again. When his world falls apart, Ben finds himself calling the banks of the Brisbane River home – a vastly different view to the one he had when working from the twenty-seventh floor of a highrise in the heart of the city. Sheltering from the elements, and relying on food handouts, he longs for the day when he can once again have a roof over his head and be the father his daughter needs him to be.
All Natalie Allcroft wants to do is serve Jesus and bring hope to the less-fortunate and downtrodden who wander the streets of the city she now calls home. Volunteering with Hope Street Church, she is inexplicably drawn to the man who visits the breakfast van every morning. There’s something different about him. Something not quite as rugged and worn out as the other itinerants she meets. She’s seen the way he treats others - his gentle nature, the kindness in his eyes - and is curious about his story.
Natalie’s desire has always been to serve. But when it comes to matters of the heart, there’s a big difference between guarding and giving. There’s a big difference between compassion and attraction.
Is the line worth crossing?
River’s Edge is book one in the Hope Rising Series - a new series by Kristen M. Fraser, exploring hope in the midst of life’s darkest moments.
Available in digital ebook at Amazon
I was pleased to see that Kristen has a nice backlist of stories as well. Thanks for the review, Trixi!
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