Review: Running Into You - Devine Family Series #1

Running Into You book cover on blue background

Happy release day! It's such a treat to be able to enjoy Canadian-authored books, especially when there are Easter eggs hidden in the book! Running Into You was such a fun book to read on a road trip, where I was able to complete it while travelling between provinces 🚗

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content to be aware of: self-forgiveness, references to yoga and luck

Book Synopsis

Can a car accident possibly change your life for the better?

On the last day of school, Julie is looking forward to a break from her work as a second-grade teacher.

But when she and her brother get into a car accident, her world turns upside down in an instant. Julie is caught up in trying to forgive the other driver for what happened. And when sparks fly between Julie and Noah, who was also involved in the crash, she also has to figure out how to forgive herself for her role in the accident.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

Running Into You, the first book in the Devine Family Series, is a lovely summer book that explores the question of what it means to truly forgive and though unreferenced, how God can turn things around into good things for us as believers. I really enjoyed how the author was able to get into the mind of Julie and demonstrate how she felt at different times during her journey of forgiveness. I also liked how Noah provided support without overstepping his boundaries, making their relationship tender and edifying as they learn to trust in God for what's next for them.

The Devine family is such a delight that I'm grateful we will get to see more of them in subsequent books. Courtney Westerhof writes truly vibrant family scenes that make you feel like you're at the dinner table with them. Additionally, the other supporting characters shine as they help Julie and Noah through the aftermath of the car accident. For those wondering what love springing from a less than auspicious start could look like and how God can bring redemption from such a beginning, this is the book for you.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📖
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Christian vs. Clean

This is a theme that isn't new if you've been following some of my musings over the past several months. You could even say this is the natural progression of taking this line of thinking to its conclusion. In evaluating which books to read, the refrain of Christian vs. clean has become so ingrained in my thinking that it's practically been on repeat for me. To be honest, I've never really held a view on Christian vs. clean books until the end of last year. Most of my reading since becoming a Christian has been all over the place, where I believed that acquiring knowledge, almost any knowledge, was worth it for the sake of becoming more learned. Being a voracious reader meant that I would consume most anything—especially if it was free as I didn't have a lot of books growing up (my parents preferred to take me to the library on a weekly basis as I would have cost them too much in books 😂). However, God has definitely been impressing upon me the conviction that I ca...

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 Christian Publishers B&H Publishing Group Previously offered the B&H/Lifeway Blogger program which has since closed Availability: Professors and instructors Link: B&H Academic Book Requests Baker Publishing Group Availability: U.S. and Canadian residents Genre: Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction Imprints: Bet...

Intentional ARCing

I realize ARCing isn't quite a real verb; however, I'm sure that fellow readers can understand the actions involved in experiencing ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) books, so please indulge my creative use of this word. I started reviewing ARCs 18 years ago, and though I certainly haven't been consistent, I'm grateful to have picked up a thing or two since that time, with many more lessons learnt since I've ramped up my volume in the last several years. Some of the biggest discoveries I've made in my reading journey have included the following: 1. Be discriminate, in the best ways. Over time, it's been easy for me to spot beloved publishers and even have an idea of an author's content and style, even if they're new to me by checking out the author's websites and platforms, along with review sites. This mostly applies to traditional publishing where it can be easier to source information, but the principles apply to indie books and authors as well. As ...