Until I Found You in Transformational Fiction

Apr 18, 2014 Rebecca rated it really liked it

In the beginning, I really liked this book; by its completion, I respectfully loved this book. Respected because, what could have been a very predictable story morphed into something entirely different. The raw emotion and realism exhibited by the two main characters was very refreshing and took me completely by surprise.

Kate Darby and Nick Sheridan have much in common; they love and have loved the "high life"; living for accolades, recognition and shallow happiness. When Nick Sheridan's life i ...more

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Apr 30, 2015 Toni Shiloh rated it it was amazing

This was the first book I've ever read by Victoria Bylin and I must say it was a great emotional read. Some books I read for pleasure/entertainment and some I read for the emotional pull. Until I Found You captured all of these aspects. By page 44, I was ready to cry. The characters are so genuine and realistic, it's difficult to imagine they're just that...characters. I felt like I was going through the transformation process that Kate Darby went through. I was just as frustrated as Nick, knowi ...more

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Jun 22, 2014 Beverly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, women-s-lit, young-adult, christian-author, romance, humorous

Kate Darby was a mess. In spite of the laissez faire attitude toward life she projected to others, she was a seething tornado inside: fears, insecurities, indecision about her future in spite of her dream job, and loneliness. To complicate her life, her grandmother suffered a stroke and Kate was needed to help her recover while at the same time keeping the family's local newspaper, the Clarion, afloat during her absence. She had to take two months off from her job, an action that could lead to l Kate Darby was a mess. In spite of the laissez faire attitude toward life she projected to others, she was a seething tornado inside: fears, insecurities, indecision about her future in spite of her dream job, and loneliness. To complicate her life, her grandmother suffered a stroke and Kate was needed to help her recover while at the same time keeping the family's local newspaper, the Clarion, afloat during her absence. She had to take two months off from her job, an action that could lead to layoff in the future.

Kate was driving one particular perilous mountain road on the way to her grandmother's house when she nearly struck a rare California condor feasting on a carcass in the middle of the road. Braking spun her car out of control until the shoulder of the road gave way, sending her over the edge and down the cliff. Before her car plummeted further into the ravine, she was pulled out of her vehicle by Nick, literally moments before it exploded in a ball of fire.

Nick Sheridan, retired veteran of life in the fast lane and reformed playboy bachelor, had recently made his home in Meadows while writing for a California travel magazine. He was the one who had discovered Leona Darby after her stroke and gotten her to the hospital in time to save her life. When he pulled Kate out of her downed car, he had recognized her from the pictures Leona had on her desk at the Clarion. Nick was doing some freelance work for her and they had become friends. After her stroke, she had communicated to Nick to help Kate settle in at the newspaper and be her friend.

Once Kate and Nick got to know each other and learned to work together at the Clarion, Nick did his best to ignore his growing attraction for Kate. He had reasons why he needed to keep their relationship platonic. To Kate, Nick had the posture of a soldier, the ease of a cowboy, and the daring of a pirate. Once she learned of the book he had written, she was on the way to viewing him as her knight in shining armor. But Nick knew better how human he really was, and he didn't want her to put him on a pedestal.

The author skillfully writes complex personal problems that intertwine between the three main characters. Leona's heart ached for her only living family, her granddaughter Kate. She wanted so much for Kate to find the same soul satisfying relationship with God that she has had herself as well as a soul mate like she had with Alex, Kate's grandfather. But Kate was stubborn. She would have to find her own way through her fears and insecurities. Although Leona's stroke left her unable to talk, she could still write. So she set out to write in her journal a personal story for Kate that she had never shared with anyone else. She only hoped she would finish the story in time.

The author not only tells a wonderful multi-layered story, but uses metaphors that stir the reader's heart. Two of my favorite metaphors used in this book are the condors which seem to appear at key moments for Kate, and the mountain road and cliff that played a role in shifting the direction of Kate's life more than once. Of course, there are more metaphors in the book, and I hope you enjoy discovering them as much as I did.

Another element of Kate's character development that resonated with me was in her struggle to fill the gaping hole in her life with things she knew well--her exciting job and her hero worship of Nick. But the God-shaped hole just wouldn't be satisfied through her own efforts. How she came to terms with her doubts and insecurities and how she found faith in God brought back memories of my own internal battles and life lessons through the stages of maturity. In empathy, I was rooting for her to find her way.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of Bethany House Publishers. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ...more

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May 24, 2015 Martha rated it really liked it

This book had a unique style to it, in that one of the characters battles with a lack of faith. I loved the grandmother/granddaughter relationship as well as the condors woven throughout the story.

I found that the health issues that the grandmother suffered threw texture into this story. I also loved Nick's battle in his changes, and then you threw a young woman that did not believe into it.

This was not a typical read, It has several layers and some really good lessons throughout that were rea ...more

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