A justice-seeking perfectionist pursues her dream of a perfect life in her hometown of Miller’s Creek, Texas. Sidetracked by a desire to be a prosecuting attorney, Grace Soldano launches into uncharted waters, making herself over to please her boss and mentor. Then a disheveled free spirit turns her perfectly ordered world upside down, challenging her concept of personal goodness. A fall from perfection leaves Grace teetering between vengeance and grace, caught in a deadly crossfire that leaves her dreams in a heap of ashes. Can she learn to joyfully accept the life God has given her–far from perfect–but one completely immersed in His grace?
Now that Cathy has moved her books to a faith-based writing ministry, all of her eBooks can be downloaded for free. if you would like to support her ministry -- whether financially, in prayer, or by sharing the books with others -- please visit this page for more info: https://cathybryantbooks.wordpress.co...
I rarely read books that are just romance. Other genres with romance are OK, but I just don't read books that are romance much. The author of this book emailed me a while back and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing her upcoming book, #3 in her Miller's Creek Series, The Way of Grace. She said it had some suspenseful elements to it, so I decided to go for it. Right after that, the first two books in her series were free for the Kindle on Amazon, so I grabbed them and read them in preparation for the third book. There was no suspense in them, but I loved them. Excellent books.
This is a review of the third book, however, so on to it. Cathy outdid herself on this one. First off, there is some suspense in it, but not so much to scare away the faint of heart. She brought back the characters from the other two books, which I always like an author to do, and introduced a new one, and brought a character from book two, Matt, to the forefront.
One thing I dislike in a romance book, is it usually is totally from the woman's point of view. This one was pretty equal on the guy and the girl. I found myself identifying with both of the main characters, and found myself liking them even more than the characters from the previous two books.
A mark of great Christian fiction, is to not just tell a story, but to get across some truth or encouragement, and this book did just that in a great way. Grace is in the title of the book, and is a major theme of the book. Woven throughout the book amid dialogue and interactions, the message of grace came through loud and clear, and in a non-preachy way. A couple of other messages of the book: the importance of trusting God, that one can get too hung up on perfectionism and worrying about how others view us, instead of how God views us, and that we shouldn't judge people by outward appearance. The person we may tend to disregard because of their not so perfect appearance or dress, might be the one with the better Christian experience and insight. I came away from the book wishing I was a lot more like Matt in the book, and a lot less like myself.
And don't worry, even with these great truths and lessons the plot is great and the book is an excellent read, one that you won't be able to put down.
Warning about these books: There is a lot of eating of Mexican food in the book and they may cause craving for Mexican cuisine. ;-)
The Way of GraceThe third book in the Miller’s Creek series, works well as a standalone book as well.
I have to qualify my review by stating that I don’t read very many romance books, even so called Christian romance books, simply because as a single Christian woman reading romances tends to turn my eyes to what is lacking in my life. As a believer and follower of Christ I struggle more in believing He is giving me his best each day when I read too many romance novels and compare them to my single life.
I decided to give Cathy Bryant’s Miller’s Creek series a try at the recommendation of a friend and I’m glad I did.
This third book is by far my favorite for a few reasons that related well to my life. There was friction between Grace and her father that I could relate to as I have similar friction with a parent. Both Grace and her father were living with a tragic loss they had experienced years before and it added friction making their day to day interactions difficult and strained. I appreciated Grace’s prayers during these time. I did think the resolution of this friction seemed too abrupt and unexplored, but maybe that is or will be covered in a future book!
As a mystery reader I really liked the mystery and suspenseful aspects of this book. I’m sure it’s what drew me in more than anything else. The part of Grace’s character that tends to plans what she wants, that is very like me as well, but the way she decided to deal with the mysterious events after her mostly incorrect assumptions did really drive me crazy about her! However, I was definitely drawn in as events unfolded.
The ending was a surprise for a romance and I very much appreciated that about this book once I had a chance to think it through. God is in control and what man means for ill, He can and does work out for good. This was a good reminder for me as I am going through several hard struggles right now that don’t seem fair or right. God is in control.
A great read for anyone looking for a good mystery and Christian romance. Thanks Cat!
The Way of Grace is book three in the Miller's Creek series and while it has a different feel than the first two books it is still a good story in it's own right. Fans of Christian suspense will really enjoy the mystery and the plot that keeps one guessing as to what will happen next. This book ranks up there with many Christian suspense novels that I've read from Revell and other big name publishers which is always nice when reading a self-published novel.
Grace's story really surprised me because the ending was completely unexpected. It was the best part of the story. I don't want to give too much away but the perfect happily ever after doesn't come for Grace BUT a realistic happily ever after does. She struggled with her faith and a moral dilemma at work and in the end she ended up making a huge sacrifice for someone who never treated her well. This is a book with a character who faces a lot of issues that Christian's deal with daily. The Way of Grace isn't as romantic as the previous two books but it's a pretty thought-provoking read.
If you've read the other books in the series and enjoyed them I highly recommend that you continue with this book. Even if you haven't read the other books in the series you can read this without confusion or major spoilers.
~ My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ~
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*
This is a sweet story of Grace and her life as a Christian daughter, worker and community member.
Grace believes that she needs to be perfect to be good enough for God.
This includes a perfect boyfriend and eventual husband. Her best friend, although adequate is simply not perfect enough for her. So starts the story of how a woman can live and be loved as a Christian.
How one should turn toward the Lord for guidance and not be overly sure that your perception and your goal is that of the Lord.
A good story. Not many people are as attuned to doing God's will as Matt. Grace had a strong desire to .make everything right. Both Jason and Elana had serious personality dysfunction. Story got pretty complicated at times. Luckily things worked out in the end. Grace finally realized that Matt was the man for her. After her father got married ,again, he was a .such happier person. Certainly gave a person food for thought. Would give it 4 stars
Good Christian romantic suspense, I enjoyed this book- just not as much as the first two. I couldn't understand Grace quitting her job with Andy without talking to someone about her concerns- to me that did not make sense. But if I set that aside, it was a very good book.
Touching book about overcoming perfectionism & walking in grace
This third book in the Miller’s Creek series features a free spirited psychologist and an overachieving attorney. Graciela and Matt have been friends for years. Matt knows he loves her, but Grace can’t see him as any more than a friend.
Due to a tragic accident that took her mother’s life, Grace has always wanted to be a prosecuting attorney, so she can see that justice is done. Given the chance to work for a woman who seems like everything Grace wants to be, she leaves the firm that helped her get her license and goes to work in another town. Even though her new boss is verbally abusive, Grace sticks around, suspecting that the woman sabotaged her own case. At the same time, she’s attracted to another attorney who seems like the perfect match.
Matt wants to spend more time with Grace, so he accepts a job in Miller’s Creek to be close to her. He’s distressed that she not only takes a job out of town but gets involved with a guy he’s convinced is not as great as he seems. Every time Matt tries to protect her from danger Grace pushes him away. He agrees to go on the road with the band he used to be part of, but can’t focus, convinced something is wrong.
Making a series of career-sabotaging mistakes while trying to figure out what her boss is up to, Graciela begins to grasp what biblical grace is all about. It takes a life-and-death situation for her to realize that the “perfect man” for her is not who she thought and to accept the one God hand-picked for her instead.
As usual, the author has created a great story with more depth than your typical romance. Including characters already introduced in previous books, she fleshes out two and adds some others to the mix at Miller’s Creek. Were it not for some typos in the manuscript, I would give it five stars.
If you enjoy reading romance that is clean and wholesome, with the addition of a meaningful plot line and solid Christian message, this is a satisfying choice. The author makes all her books available for free, so you can’t beat the price!
I LOVED this book and think it's the best that I've read in this series thus far ! We meet Gracie, now graduated and having passed the bar exam, starting her new job as a lawyer. She's got some difficult memories to work through and is also a perfectionist, allowing the opinions of others to dictate what she should and shouldn't do. Enter Matt, her former boyfriend. He's back in town and interested in continuing their relationship--a rocky road for sure. In this story, Grace breaks the law, endangering her friendships with others in the community. Feeling all alone, she pursues what she thinks is the right thing to do, risking her reputation and even her life. Lots of twists and turns. And a happy ending, but not without life challenges (I enjoy these more realistic life endings, rather than every thing tied up into a perfect package.). All in all, a heart-warming story about God's life-changing grace. I highly recommend this series.
Couldn't put down any of these wonderful reminders of what life should and can be with God in our lives. Cathy Bryant has the gift of suspense and pictures of our humanness revealing the care and Love God is holding out to us if we only realize our hepless,hopelessness in relying on our own sense of how to live and ask Him to help and teach us how to live according to His ways and best path to us to follow.Our lives make so much more sense and are filled to overflowing with. blessings and protection in the joy of a real and mindful life. Five stars aren't enough for these great examples of spirit-Ginzler literature which show anyone son reads them the way to eternal life with God's Grace and presence within us, bringing the true happiness we have been seeking all of our lives.
The novel involves Grace, a young woman embarking on her "new" career as a lawyer, meeting the man who might be "Mr. Perfect" and dealing with a flame from the past. While the novel tries to be suspenseful, it doesn't succeed and actually becomes tedious. The romance aspect is typical and thankfully clean. It does have a strong Christian message which at times becomes a bit preachy. My most trouble with the story is I didn't like Grace; I felt she acted more like a teen than a law school graduate.
I was disturbed that at the conclusion of the free novel there is a request for donations to support her ministry of writing novels.
. Each book in this series, so far, has begun with a woman being abused. This one was no exception. Grace was terrorized relentlessly, yet she was eventually offered a place of peace and tranquility.
I enjoyed the interwoven scriptures, but some readers might find ithem excessive and overwhelming. Spiritual interaction makes all the difference in the world.
There were some grammatical errors that seriously distracted me from the story line as I had difficulty figuring out what some of them were suppose to mean.
I enjoyed the plot and characters of this story. The typos almost drove me crazy along with the mistake toward the beginning (Mama Beth told Matt that Bo and Steve were out hunting, but then they were at Granny's just a few minutes later). The themes of grace and forgiveness were beautifully obvious in the story. There was again, as in the previous two in the series, A LOT of back-and-forth emotions. But again, as in the other two also, the characters and storyline made me want to find out what happened to everyone.
I especially liked the scriptures interwoven throughout. I have read people complain about that with other authors, but could never figure it out. It is Christian fiction, and to my way of thinking, it would be based on how to work and apply scripture to life.
This was a good story, about How trying to please God by being 'good enough' is not Biblical. Yes, we are told to be 'perfect' as God is perfect....that is our life goal.....but it won't make God loves us anymore than He already does. It also is a good mystery and love story.
This is an amazing book. This author is amazing. I am looking forward to reading more of her books. This one ended beautifully!!!! God desires to heal His children and make our lives truly blessed while we are here on this earth. We don't have to wait until we get to Heaven before we can experience all God has for us. Jesus died on the cross and rose again the third day so we can experience it all here on earth!!!!!!
Once again, author Cathy Bryant gives us, the readers a masterpiece. If you enjoy picturing a slice of life you will get it. I just finished my third in this series and again I have been well pleased with Cathy Bryant’s efforts. Now I still have the next three waiting in the wings. It’s an absolute pleasure to read a really good book. I have been blessed to be able to do that.
I loved this book bec it was so encouraging.Grace is a Christian, and she walks the walk and talks about her Christian life.There are Bible verses throughout. Forgiveness and grace were all part of the story. She made bad decisions that she had to learn from.Throughout, she had a guy named Matt who loved her so much. She was always rejecting him. She got involved w people who on the outside looked perfect but not on the inside. It took a while before she realized God's will. Great ending
Book 3 of the Millers Creek Series has suspense that kept me reading way too late but I couldn’t put it down. I love this series and the characters Bryant has created. You will want to start with book 1 Texas Roads. Even though they are stand alone books it helps to read them in order and see the characters grow and relate to their community.
This book kind of surprised me. If you like suspense, a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, you'll love this one! It just goes to show me that Cathy Bryant is not just an awesome author. She can write a variety of kinds it books. I know I shouldn't say anything, but I LOVED what happened to one of the protagonists.
This book and the rest of the series that I have read are simply wonderful! The faith that the characters have for the Lord blows me away! It makes me want to be better in my own personal walk with the Lord! This book brought so many tears to my eyes! I love the connection between Grace and Matt! So wonderful!!!
This is a great story of love, pain, triumph, frustration, trials, patience, endurance and grace (I’m sure there are other equally correct adjectives, but those are the ones I can come up with right now). Grace learns so much about life and herself throughout this book. I loved the byplay between her and Matt, and several of the other characters.
What a deep and beautiful story! I hoped I knew the outcome but the dangers, mood swings and stubborn hearts needed more than my hopes. Cathy Bryant writes with her whole heart and soul and gives her readers something to become a part of during the escape time of reading.
Way of grace was an interesting read but extremely unrealistic. I found it hard to believe that a person who had completed college and law school was so incredibly immature and made such poor choices.it was also a bit over the top in let's talk to God and have him decide what I can do in my daily life.
Good book. A little to much allowing Grace to ignore the voice of God. A person with their prayer life & Scriptual knowledge should be that stubbodn . However, humanity is stubborn at times.
Just finished this one. That was the perfect mix of romance, mystery, and light suspense. So wonderful to read a really good book that teaches about God without getting preachy.
Enjoying this series! This book focused on Grace and Matt almost to much. The other books pulled in all the characters throughout the books which I liked a big more. I did enjoy the danger and mystery that this story told, had me going !
I have loved this series this is by far the best one. Suspense love the teaching of grace and mercy and gods love and mercy and grace. Looking forward to book 4. Usually a series isn't always a good continuance these so far have been great
This was on the edge of your seat books!!! The suspense kept me reading every chance that I got!!! I never expected it to actually be a drug cartel involvement!!! Of course I still got the happy ending I love!!!
How easily we are fooled by the things that the world has to offer. You are constantly bombarded with the look of success for the world and miss what God really has for you. A great story of one woman's journey.
The term "La hija" meaning " the daughter "was used erroneously over and over again. The correct term should have been " mi hija" which translates as "my daughter". very annoying. It took away from the story.
When I first started this story, I thought I would not like it as well as the first two in the series. But as I got deeper into it, I was wrong! A great story of grace and forgiveness.