what others are saying about the reckoning trees

This is a riveting story that kept me enthralled for an entire morning. I read while I fed the animals and I read while I ate breakfast. it traveled from room to room with me like it does when you are completely riveted to a story.

One of the first things that I noticed was that social justice issues were addressed from a Christian (but not preachy at all) perspective. That is a very difficult balance, but the author managed to navigate it well, bringing attention to one of our worlds’s trickiest issues while managing to humanize the characters in a way that was both nonjudgmental and redemptive. That was a huge accomplishment in itself, but it’s also not all this book is… it’s a thriller, a romance, a crime novel, and a beautiful story about how family is what you make it.

The author takes a couple of chapters to set the backstory and introduce the characters and then chapter three sets off like a racehorse out of the gate. Once that happens, it doesn’t stop and your eyes aren’t fast enough because you HAVE TO KNOW what is going to happen. Keep in mind that this is book one by a first time author, because you need to commit to buying the next one, just to see what becomes of them in the next one.

I loved the first book of this series (The Reckoning Trees) and have been looking forward to the release of Walls Crumbling for months. I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy, and it absolutely did not disappoint. Once again, I was gripped by the story line from the beginning and had to force myself to put it down. Every time I sat my work down, I picked this book up. The story is so dynamic, incorporating mystery, suspense, romance, and spiritual growth. 

If you read the first book, the second book picks up right where it left off, unraveling the mystery bit by bit, while revealing new pieces of the past and incorporating new characters. Like the first book, it is deep without being heavy, touching on tough real-life issues like human trafficking, abandonment, child abuse/neglect, foster care, corruption… and beautiful redemption. 

As a foster and adoptive mother, Benji and Quincy’s storyline especially spoke to my heart. When I read the last sentence and closed the book, I was left with that feeling I get after binge watching a season of a show I love, only to realize the next season isn’t available, yet. I can’t wait for book 3!

I had the privilege of being an advanced reader for this final book of the series, and I absolutely loved it... so much so that I read the entire thing in one night and finally put it down at 3am... oops! I gasped in disbelief as two characters were connected in a way I completely did not expect; wanted to shake sense into a character who was not acting how I thought they should; cried for a character who's life was shaken to its core; cried again (and again) at the redemption that came through tragedy; laughed in solidarity with a character who says the wrong things at the right time; and finally put the book down with a feeling of satisfaction and hope. 

This series has been a refreshing type of writing for me. Romance, mystery, and deep spiritual evaluation makes for a trifecta of literary fiction waiting to be read. Rekindling Hope shows a lot about Q's spiritual well-being, as well as his own personal struggles. We knew he was slow-moving with Hope, but bless him, he can't worm his way out of the trenches to deepen his relationship with her. Seth and Cassady and Benji appear in the storyline too, thankfully. It wouldn't be the same without them! Q lacks the finesse you see in typical characters, but that's what I like most. He's so real.