Skip to main content

Review: A Heart's Desire - Crossing Midian #1

A Heart's Desire book cover on blue background

I find coming-of-age stories so meaningful because they depict how the trajectory of an entire life can be transformed during such a pivotal stage. A Heart's Desire by Cynthia Frederick falls into this category and delivers not only one story, but three stories all wrapped around a series of events.

I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

Wesley had always struggled with breaking away from his family's expectations, but now he’s made a big decision that will change everything. He’s finally taking his story into his own hands when a childhood best friend re-enters his life and makes following through on his new commitments more difficult than he had thought.

Anna has her own family struggles that have made her wary of any new relationships. Past hurts have seen to it that trust isn’t something that comes easy. But can she trust herself to take the leap when she has a chance to change things for the better? Or will she simply continue to hide behind her carefully built walls?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

This was an incredibly touching coming-of-age story about three friends who have known each other since childhood. I loved that the author took the time to delve into each person's story and the challenges they are facing as a result of growing up and having to navigate life. I truly felt like I got to know Wesley, Emmett, and Anna and understand their unique upbringings and deep friendship. These young adults are also surrounded by some incredible characters who act as a found family, further immersing me into a loving and tight-knit community on the pages. A Heart's Desire not only introduced me to people who love well, but most importantly, pointed to God as the source of love.

This was quite an emotional book that gripped me as it explored the themes of parental abuse, parental abandonment, and parental pressure all in a way that made me want to fold my arms around Wesley, Emmett, and Anna. Though the main characters are young adults, there are still plenty of lessons to learn as older adults as well. Those wanting to read a book about God's faithfulness with characters who are easy to love will enjoy this title, especially as it tackles significant life changes and the call to place our hope in Christ.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Christian as a Genre

I've always found it interesting that Christianity as its own genre can be used across music, film, books, and virtually most forms of artistic or creative expression. While most secular items tend to be labelled by their style, works produced by Christians tend to get labelled by the faith of the one producing it. I remember seeing an article years ago about how the Grammys  put Christian artists under the genre of Gospel and Contemporary Christian who would then be further separated out by their musical style, such as Gospel, Bluegrass, Rock, Pop, Country, etc. I can't recall the specifics of the article, but I believe that the author of the article thought it was both a little unfair that artists would be lumped together in a giant pool despite varying styles or backgrounds, and that it was also a label that didn't really tell audiences what they would be getting, other than Christian content. I wish I could remember a bit more, but as I read it in passing, the only thou...

Review: Doting on His Best Friend - Christmas at Redemption Ridge #11

It's been lovely to pick up some more Christmas titles as the weather changes! Doting on His Best Friend by Liwen Y. Ho has been fun to read as I can picture myself being by a fireplace with hot chocolate and playing board games with my best friend, my husband. What a great start to the season! I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Can two best friends overcome their age gap and the past to become something more? Phoebe Cordle moved to Redemption Ridge after experiencing loss and was grateful to find a ranching town where she could start her own equine therapy practice. She also found a confidante in a handsome and generous man nine years her junior who's captured the attention of all the single ladies in their community—including her own. However, after zero signs of interest on Milo’s part for the past six years, she’s given up hope and decides to help him find love instead. Milo Gibson wa...

Review: The Darkness Deepens - The Day Draws Near #2

If you've read  The End Begins , the first book in the  The Day Draws Near series (previously The Seven Trilogy) by Sara Davison, The Darkness Deepens takes you further as this sequel further delves into Jesse and Meryn's story. I wouldn't say that this book is a standalone book as it builds upon the previous one, but I would say that reading the first book will certainly whet your appetite for this one as you find out what's next. I am grateful to the publisher,  Mountain Brook Ink , for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Their secrets protect them... but secrets are hard to keep. No one in the army can find out that Captain Jesse Christensen has become a believer. He and bookstore owner Meryn O'Reilly are forced to meet in secret, facing imprisonment-or worse-if they are found together. As their relationship deepens, so does Lieutenant Gallagher's hatred for the Christians in their city, putting all be...