Things He Hadn't Told Her by Vicky Whedbee

Review By Chris Solaas: Things He Hadn't Told Her by Vicky Whedbee

Things He Hadn't Told Her

by Vicky Whedbee

Chad Edwards & Cole Rivers have been best friends since grade school. "Blood brothers forever" they declared, after Chad saved Cole's life. Years later in college at the University of Tennessee, Chad is a student of Sports Medicine, and Cole is the Vol's star quarterback. That's where they meet Maggie Thompson. Ask either one of them and they would tell you, "Maggie is perfect". So, it's no surprise they both fall in love with her. As fate would have it, Maggie falls in love too, but only one of them is the recipient of her affections. It's what happens next that will surprise you.
They made a pact as boys. Can they keep that pact as men?

My Take:

Chad Edwards saved Cole Rivers' life one day when he pulled him from a flood-swollen and dangerous river. Since that time, Chad has been looking out for Cole, making sure he doesn't flunk his classes and get tossed off the football team. Quietly making sure his reputation isn't ruined. Cole is destined for greatness, a star quarterback in High School who goes on to QB the Tennessee Vols in college. Chad, who wants to go into sports medicine, follows him there, and continues to keep Cole out of trouble. It seems that nothing could come between these two friends.

Except, perhaps, Maggie.

Beautiful, talented, compassionate, and full of life, Maggie is perfect. And Chad quickly falls for her. But Maggie falls for Cole. Devastated, Chad has to decide whether to keep his true feelings secret, hurt the two people he loves best, or quietly fade away.

Content:

Drug Content:

G - There is a little casual drinking in a few places.

Violence:

PG - Tragic accidents leave people somewhat mangled. There is no intentional harm done here. No graphic descriptions either.

Language:

PG - There are a few scattered mild expletives.

Adult Content:

G - There is romance and some kissing. 

Christian content:

The characters in this book struggle with where God is in their suffering, but remain steadfast in their faith. Church attendance is encouraged, and nightly prayers with the family are present occasionally. Prayer for healing and safety are not uncommon. Discussion is made about people being in heaven when they die. The raw conflict, self-sacrifice, and ensuing depth of character in the protagonist is stunning. 

Final analysis:

Things He Hadn't Told Her by Vicky Whedbee is a heartwarming tale of unrequited love. The characters have tragic real-life struggles and deal with them in a faith-filled and realistic way. The settings are immersive, and the dialogue engaging. The author has a talent for drawing on common emotional situations, and depicting them well enough to bring even an old granddad like me to tears.  This book covered multiple years of interaction in the main characters. During the first half of the novel, the level of detail in the interactions and experiences of the characters was a bit overwhelming, but it set a gorgeous backdrop for the back half of the story, when things really took off. I was well satisfied with the end, and thought Vicky Whedbee did an excellent job carrying the reader through. Good plot, excellent characters, raw emotions and a heartwarming conclusion. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Vicky Whedbee was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she resided until her 40's when she relocated to San Mateo, Florida, where she currently resides with her husband. An avid reader, she wrote her first novel over a period of years as a labor of love and fulfillment of a life long dream that began with the encouragement of her Engish teacher in high school.
With a diagnosis of cancer for her dad, she decided to become an independent author and published her novel on her own in order to present a finished product to her father before his demise. She was in the process of reading said novel, "Things He Hadn't Told Her", to him at the time of his passing.
She wrote her second novel "Sarah's Song", which was a collaboration with her father set in the time of his childhood in the rural Appalachian mountains, with notes taken prior to his demise. Both books have been met with stellar 5-STAR reviews on Amazon & Goodreads, as well as awarded the 5-star review seal from Reader's Favorite.
After numerous requests, she wrote a sequel to Sarah's Song, titled Sarah's Home, which could also be read as a stand-alone. It, too, is being received with love and 5-STAR reviews.
She is currently working on her next novel.
Visit & contact her through her website https://crwvao.wixsite.com/vickywhedbee

Check out  Chris Solaas' blog at https://christianindiebookreviews.blogspot.com/p/interviews.html

 

Hidden Danger: Christian Romantic Suspense (Discipleship series Book 1) by Gail Pallotta

After Emily Hanover’s left standing at the altar in Blue Mountain, North Carolina, she goes to Sky High Campground to put her life back together. Because it’s February and few people come here this time of year, she’s alone on the premises. When noises in the middle of the night frighten her, she gathers her courage and peeks outside. A man carrying a body over his shoulder emerges from the dark shadows onto her front yard. Horrified, she collapses onto the floor.

The next morning, she visits ex-military officer turned security guard, Nick Lancaster. He listens intently to Emily, but dismisses her claim of foul play as a hunter carrying a deer. Finally, after he sees a freshly dug hole in Emily’s yard and finds two more in the woods, he agrees—there’s suspicious activity. Then he and Emily embark on a mission exposing murder and a far-reaching sinister plot, neither suspecting danger can bring romance.

 About the author

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta is a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. She's a former Grace Awards finalist, a 2017 Reader's Favorite Book Awards recipient and a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Finalist. She's published six books, poems, short stories and two-hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. Visit Gail’s website at gailpallotta.com

READER’S FAVORITE 5-STAR REVIEW FOR BARELY ABOVE WATER

reviewed by Deborah Stone (Sept. 19, 2016)

"Barely Above Water by Gail Pallotta has a powerful and heart wrenching message that we all need to hear. Suzie has something wrong with her, but no one seems to know what. Without a diagnosis, she is perceived, by some, to be lazy and complaining. No medical doctor has been able to help, so Suzie takes a giant leap of faith and trusts God to lead her. She moves to Florida to see an alternative medicine doctor that once helped her mother's friend. With no job, she relies on God and her savings while she looks for work. She ends up taking a summer-only job coaching a make-shift swim team with inexperienced swimmers. Although temporary, it will keep her going through the summer while she looks for other opportunities to support herself and pay for her treatments. Suzie meets Matt, the Park and Recreation Director and her new boss. When more than a work relationship begins to develop, Suzie feels she must tell Matt about her illness. Will he stand by her or walk away? Is telling him a risk that Suzie is willing to take?

Gail Pallotta introduces us to a world with options when it comes to taking care of our bodies. She speaks with authority on the subject because she understands it first hand. Gail Pallotta's characters are real and convincing because they come from a place of understanding. Gail's love story is fragile and tender, but with an inner strength that comes from trust and faith in God. Gail Pallotta's story is inspiring and resonates with hope when all hope seems to be gone. A lovely story with well-defined and well developed characters, and a story line with factual information that will help, or at least educate, readers.”

Content Rating

Drug: There are no drugs in the book. Lots of coffee and some tea.

Language: There is no foul language in the book. Just a bit of humor.

Violence: There are no violent scenes. However, murders occur off-scene and there’s one dead body investigation.

Adult: The book is for an adult general audience, women and men. It’s Christian Romantic Suspense (Discipleship Series Book 1)

Moral: It’s a Christian book with a new twist. The theme is discipleship.

Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/bPGvll

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING! by Rachel Jamerson

This book contains a collection of Vignettes compiled by the author. They represent personal experiences but are not intended to reference any particular individual. Unless otherwise noted, the Articles are fictional strictly the author's opinion and premised on her own life experiences.

CATEGORIES INCLUDE America, Family, Spirituality, and Short Stories covering a variety of life experiences including award-winning articles. Material was complied for family but is available to any who wish to read it.

 About the author

I have been writing for twenty-five years. My favorite resource is scripture. A hunger for God’s Word took me to the campus of Precepts International in Chattanooga, Tennessee. There I learned the Inductive Bible Study method, which completely changed the way I view scripture.

I served for five plus years in a local chapter of CONTACT USA. While there I served on the board of directors and as a crisis line specialist. In addition I am certified by the American Association of Christian Counselors in Caring for People God’s Way. I remained an active member until 2005. I am currently retired.

After becoming a Christian, my desire to write and quest for answers were dedicated to understanding God’s message to man. What exactly was He saying and why were there so many different interpretations? As a result, I became an avid student of scripture. My book ‘Spiritual Compass’ contains excerpts from various articles written over the years. It also takes the reader on a simple walk through the Word of God and offers insights derived from the personal journey of others.

I am a widowed grandmother of eight, retired and living in Southwestern Virginia.

Amazon Review

This was a very interesting read! It is based on the Author's personal thoughts and interpretation of the Bible and I found it to be very thought provoking.

At one point I got chills while reading. As I began from where I had left off the night before, the words on the page were almost identical to a prayer between myself and God the previous night! I was astounded! I wondered how it was possible! Had I read farther the night before than I realized? But no. It was a prayer that I had been talking to God about for weeks prior to reading this book.

I haven't yet processed the odds of reasoning behind this coincidence, but the word for word similarity to my prayers has certainly resonated with me!

While it is possible that not everyone will agree with this Author's thoughts and interpretations, I feel that every one of those same people will come away with something useful and helpful in their day to day lives!

Content Rating

PG – Challenges readers to evaluate current events and family life today in light of scripture-

Drugs-0

Language-0

Violence – 0

Adult – Christian/moral: This collection of vignettes underscores the idea that personal experiences, though unique to the author, hold universal truths that can resonate with a broad audience. It highlights how sharing diverse stories—whether real or fictional—can bridge individual experiences to create meaningful connections with others.

Amazon link:https://books2read.com/u/3JWaZE