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A Second Chance for Grace by Karen Malley ~ Book Review + Giveaway

May 10, 2021

About the Book

Author: Karen Malley

Series: Pine Springs, Book 2
Genre: Christian Women’s Romantic Fiction
Release Date: April 23, 2021

A new life coming into the world disrupts Susan’s quiet life.

Susan Montgomery is used to a quiet, peaceful life managing her apartment building, where the hardest problem is her grouchy neighbor’s leaky faucet. She soon finds herself dealing with a pregnant teenage niece, a mysterious briefcase left behind by a tenant, and two very different men vying for her heart.

A near-death experience gives Mac a new outlook on life.

Christopher “Mac” MacAllister is trying to figure out how to “do the Christian thing.” As a new convert, he’s drawn to Susan’s love for life and for God. She’s nothing like the women he used to date; but can Mac compete with the guy who’s come out of nowhere and knows all the right things to say?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the Pine Springs series but definitely read as a stand alone. There was a lot happening within this story. Every time you turned the page there seemed to be something new happening. At times I found this a bit confusing as I was trying to keep up with everything happening. I loved how the author interweaved faith throughout the whole story. The characters aren't perfect by any means and you see their growth throughout the story. They are realistic and that's what makes this story so believable.

We meet Susan who lives a rather quiet life but definitely all that changes throughout the story. I enjoyed the love triangle happening in the story between these characters. Mac will easily become a favorite as you are reading it. I won't tell you much about it because I want you to find out for yourself but his character is so believable. He has a past, like most of us do, but has turned his life around. He has a hunger for God that just continues growing.

Overall this is a great story. An example of how God gives us second changes when we mess up. Its so good to know that that our past doesn't define us because God erases all of that and provides us with a clean slate.

My Rating: 4 Stars/I really liked it.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

About the Author

Karen is an author of Christian fiction. She lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a scientist, but enjoys writing in her spare time. When not writing (with her left hand), she enjoys camping, hiking, playing board games, and especially reading! She loves reading faith-based stories, because we can all use a happy ending.

More from Karen

Follow your heart or your head?

In my early days in college, I dated a young man who wasn’t a Christian, but that didn’t stop my attraction to him. My heart wanted to be with him, but my head knew better. Later, another young man entered my life who was perfect for me on paper. He was kind, intelligent, taught Sunday school… We went out one time, but there wasn’t a spark. I decided I had to find the guy who captured both my heart and my head.

Fast forward to the summer before my junior year, and a third young man entered the picture. He was fun to be around, made me laugh, and believed in Jesus. We became friends and spent a lot of together before I finally admitted my attraction to him. Having been hurt before, I vowed not to get involved unless God was in it. I prayed about it, felt God’s blessing, and we’ve now been married over 20 years.

In A Second Chance for Grace, Susan finds herself in a similar situation. Mac instantly captures her heart, but circumstances cause her to doubt whether he’s the right man for her. When she meets Sam, she finds he checks all the boxes on paper, but she can’t seem to convince her heart he’s right for her. Having been in the same situation, it was easy for me to write about Susan’s dilemma.

Susan navigates many twists and turns throughout the book, from her pregnant niece moving into her apartment, to dealing with a mysterious briefcase left behind by a tenant, to trying to solve the dilemma of which man to choose. Through it all, she tries to follow God’s will for her life.

A Second Chance for Grace is the second book in the Pine Springs series. Mac and Susan meet in the first book, Following the Sparrows. To learn more about them (and their good friends), you’ll want to read Following the Sparrows first, but it isn’t necessary, as A Second Chance for Grace is a standalone novel.

Just like in real life, the characters in the novel have difficult decisions to make. Sometimes they make the right ones, sometimes they do not. Through it all, God proves He is the God of second chances!

Blog Stops

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 6
For Him and My Family, May 7
Kayem Reads, May 7
Texas Book-aholic, May 8
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 9
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 12
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 13
Batya’s Bits, May 13
Cultivating Us, May 14
deb’s Book Review, May 15
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 17
Inklings and notions, May 18
Vicky Sluiter, May 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of an eBook copy of the first book in the series, Following the Sparrows, along with a journal and necklace that go with the theme of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10bab/a-second-chance-for-grace-celebration-tour-giveaway