Interrupted: Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker

Alcyone Everly(Allie for short) is 14 years old when her life changes forever. Allie has taken care of her mother for a long time. She has had to endure her father abandoning them and the town ridiculing her mother as "crazy." Allie was willing to endure that as long as she was able to be with her mother. But when her mother dies Allie is sent away to Maine to be adopted by Miss Beatrice.

Allie's bitterness sets in. As the years go by she is determined to never let anyone close to her heart again. She especially refuses to allow Miss Beatrice to be any kind of mother to her. Miss Beatrice is a Christian. All her life her real mother has told Allie that Christians are evil. To never believe anything they say. Allie does not believe in God, why would God have allowed her mother to die? Allie believes that she needs to be strong and to never allow anyone to hurt her again.

When childhood friend/enemy Sam shows up in Maine to live with his aunt, a neighbor to Miss Beatrice and Allie, she is once again confused by her feelings for him. Determined to keep him at arms length, but yet knowing that he is the only person that has ever understood her fully, the wall of Allie's bitterness begins to crumble.

When Sam goes off to fight in WWII Allie doesn't know if she will ever see him again. As she learns to open her heart to the people around her Allie realizes that maybe her mother was wrong about Christians. Allie learns that Jesus is the only one that can bring her true peace and heal her bitter heart.

Written by 16 year old Rachel Coker, I found Interrupted to be a sweet story. Set in the late 30's to mid 40's I fell in love with the characters and setting. Allie's bitterness is easy to understand, I felt sympathy for her, along with some irritation at her behavior. Sam's love for Allie through the years was sweet. And Beatrice's love and prayers for Allie, even when being rejected, was heart-warming.

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Thanks to Zondervan for my review copy.

Protection For Hire by Camy Tang

Tessa has just been released from prison for a murder she never committed. She refuses to go back to work for her uncle the head of the Japanese mafia(Yakuza). Tessa was changed while in prison. Finding the peace and acceptance she never had while working for her uncle Tessa has committed her life to Jesus.

Forced to live with her mother and sister(who is going through a divorce), Tessa tries to find a job to support herself. While volunteering at a shelter for abused women Tessa meets Elizabeth. Elizabeth has left her husband because he was hitting her and her 3 year old son. Elizabeth asks Tessa to become her body guard. Elizabeth is convinced that her husband wants to kill her so she turns to Tessa for protection and friendship.

Charles is looking to become partner in his law firm. His mother asks him to take Elizabeth's case pro bono. When he hears about the abuse it brings up memories of his father abusing his mother. He is determined to help Elizabeth and keep her husband from harming her. Unfortunately at the time of Tessa's trial Charles was a law clerk. He is the one that recommended a longer sentence for her. Neither trust each other, but yet there is an attraction between them that is hard to deny. 

Set in San Francisco Protection for Hire is full of action packed pages. The book captured my interest from the very first page to the very last. Tessa is full of spunk. She has great martial art skills that she uses frequently to protect Elizabeth. She struggles with who she used to be and who she has become in Christ. With the help of Charles' mother hopefully she will see the new creature she has become.  I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment to the series!

Thanks to Zondervan publishers through NetGalley for my review copy.