About the Book:
Jenna Morgan mourned the loss of her husband, Zach, in the fire that destroyed the Hanover Falls homeless shelter and claimed the lives of three other firefighters. A year later, her ability to keep up the charade of prosperity she and Zach lived is at an end. Even with financial help from Zach’s parents, she can’t make the mortgage and credit card payments. But Jenna Morgan refuses to go back to the trailer home life from which she escaped. She’s come so far. She just can’t go back to that.
Lucas Vermontez has endured physical therapy for a year, but the legs crushed while he fought the homeless shelter fire are nowhere near 100% yet. Will his dream of returning to the fire station ever become reality? And can he conquer these feelings he has for his best buddy’s widow?
Deborah Raney is the award-winning author of several novels, including A Nest of Sparrows and the RITA award winning Beneath a Southern Sky and its sequel, After the Rains. Deborah’s first novel,
A Vow to Cherish, was the inspiration for World Wide Pictures’ highly acclaimed film of the same title, which in December 2004 aired on prime time network TV for the second time.
Deb’s novella, Playing by Heart, was a National Readers Choice Award winner and a 2004 Christy Award finalist. Her most recent novel for Howard/Simon & Schuster, Yesterday’s Embers, appeared on the ECPA Christian fiction bestseller list.
Deb has also written nonfiction books and articles and often speaks at women’s retreats and writers’ conferences around the country. She and her husband, illustrator/ author Ken Raney, have four children and make their home in Kansas.
Awesome! Deborah Raney is a fantastic author and one of my favorites. I read her first Hanover Falls novel, Almost Forever, last year and fell in love with her work. I was so excited for the chance to read the second Hanover Falls novel, Forever After, which picks up exactly where book 1 left off. Once again, Raney has created life-like characters that grip your heart, and a real-to-life plot line that pulls you into the middle of the story like you are a part of it.
Jenna Morgan lost her husband, Zack, in the terrible homeless shelter fire. But, she harbors secrets from that time, as well as her past. She’s sure she’s going to carry them to the grave. But, then she runs into Zack’s best friend, Lucas Vermontez, a crippled survivor of that awful day. He sparks something inside her she didn’t know existed. Can she trust him with her secrets….and her heart? Or, will she cling to the life of wealth and luxury she’s known for the last 12 years as Zachary Morgan’s wife?
Lucas Vermontez lost his father AND his best friend that day. But, God saw fit to allow him to survive. And, because of that, he’s allowed to continue on in his pining for his best friend’s wife, Jenna. Can he simply be the best friend she needs, or will God (along with some help from a dog named Sparky!)see fit to allow him to be the man she needs him to be?
These two characters were vibrant and full of amazing qualities. My heart went out to Jenna as she struggled to come to terms with what God wanted in her life and with finding out what SHE alone needed to do in her life, and who she needed to become. Living a life of luxury to please her in-laws and her husband (though she didn’t really love him…..) had to be hard. When her financial situation became dire and she was forced to move in with her in-laws, she wasn’t expecting them to make her give up her best friend. And, Lucas….bless his heart. He was a handsome firefighter, and really struggled with his injuries, but he really relied on God to pull him through even his darkest of hours. That really gripped my heart the most. He persevered and pushed himself, all the while showing Jenna that the most important thing in life is to fully seek out Him and have a full blown faith in Him.
I absolutely loved the messages that were woven into this beautifully tender story. A wonderful tribute to firefighters, this book pulls you in instantly and makes you smile, sometimes chuckle, and at others, may bring tears to your eyes. I highly recommend this book with the highest of 5 star praises (along with book 1-Almost Forever!), and two thumbs up. If you are like me, you will fall in love instantly with the work of Deborah Raney and her sweet characters, and her mixture of humor, sadness, suspense and love. I can’t wait for book 3, After All to release! It should make a wonderful addition ( and hopefully not a conclusion!) to this amazing series of heroes and their families!
Visit Deepershopping.com to purchase your copy of Forever After.
*This book was provided for review by the publisher and Glass Roads PR*
