A girl escapes a life of crime and reinvents herself as the nanny to a widowed pastor, until the past comes back to haunt her. Sweet, touching story.

This book started out kind of slow but still interesting. By about a quarter ways in it completely sucked me in and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I loved all the characters and how they progressed through the book. This was the first book by Linda Nichols that I've read, but it will not be the last!

A Christian story of a young woman running from a life of making meth, assuming a new identity, and becoming a nanny for a pastor who has more problems than she does.

I've just recently found these gems from Linda Nichols and I cannot put them down. The spiritual aspect is a steady theme but not overpowering. The characters are well-developed and lovable. The author does an excellent job of writing from several different perspectives but not losing the reader. On a side note, meth manufacturing and usage are in this storyline, which could trigger some readers. And the writer's descriptions of the drug use and reactions are incredibly true. Nice books restoring hope--it's never too late for anyone to turn a new leaf, and forgiveness is available. Even though these books are older they do not read as outdated.

This book was not exactly what I thought it was going to be about however I still really liked it and I will definitely be looking for other books by this author.

Well written with good story

Bridie is a young woman that has been part of a drug dealing group and, although she has not used the drugs herself, her reputation has been tainted; her old days living in a godly way are gone. Fearing for her life, she runs away and assumes her late mother's identity, ending up in Adelia, where she becomes the nanny for the three children of the widowed Presbyterian reverend. It all began when she went to the church and tried to find some answers, but sees Samantha, the reverend's oldest daughter, asking for help in prayer. She makes up her mind to do so; little does she know that in the process her life will also be renewed. However, her life catches up with her, and she must face the truth, even if that means deceiving those that she has come to love as her own. As difficult as this might be, she knows what to do; growing up with a grandmother that trusts God and taught her to do so, proves to be the anchor of her life, and her main motivation to straighten things up.
This book is a reminder that God is always ready to forgive and that He stays with us all the time, even when we go away from Him. Another good lesson is that we must never depend on knowledge, but on prayer for guidance and direction.
Highly recommendable; it would be a very good read for someone who is going through trials.
Bethany House Publishers gave me a complimentary copy of this book; this did not bias my opinion on the book or the author.

When I first began reading this book, I was a bit hesitant about reading it because it does not fall into the categories of books that I prefer to read. What propelled me to keep reading was my curiousity about the grandmother of the main character, as well as how the plot seemed to sort of verge to the right of what I tried to predict would happen next as I read. I enjoy reading books that are not completely predictable, but not so unpredictable that the events are absurd. This would definitely fall under that heading.
With this book, I got a peak into a lifestyle (of drugs) that I have blessedly never experienced first hand, and it opened my eyes to the desperation and hopelessness that accompanies it. I also got a look into the polar opposite of that lifestyle - that of a pastor and the politics within a specific denomination. Along with these two heavy topics, Nichols also seamlessly weaves the equally heavy topics of depression and suicide beautifully, albeit bittersweetly. I found myself shedding tears over the book, not once, but twice. The wisdom addressing these topics was right on target and fit very naturally into the plot without the book coming across as "preachy." Each of the characters, no matter how small his or her part in the plot, was well-defined and unique, and I appreciated each one. All of the "loose ends" were accounted for and tied up, and every character seemed to reach a place of redemption in their own way.
This book was very satisfying and I am glad I decided to read it.

Found the first part rather disjointed and haphazard as the author introduced the characters in about the first 1/4 of the book. The last 3/4 of the book which focused on the story line was well done. The characters had depth and faced current issues that aren't the run of the mill topics in Christian fiction. The thread of second chances and grace that were woven throughout the storyline were well done.

Wow, what a great book. I’ll admit, the first third of the book took a while. I understand the author needed to introduce the setting, the characters, the background, and all the baggage, but it was slow going. Once I was engaged, it was such a good read. You couldn’t help but be rooting for Birdie. My favorite line, “You can’t out sin the cross.” You also can’t out run a praying grandma. That’s the God we serve. His grace, His mercy, His love—you can’t get away from it. And Alasdair, what an example of a gifted, godly man who allows his ministry to become his god, his idol, his distraction. So many difficult topics are at play in this story. So many tears in the end. But God, our God, overcomes them all. Thank you, Ms. Nichols for a God-honoring book. Will certainly read more from you.

This was a lovely story that I wish wouldn't end. I loved the characters. If there's anything this book has taught me, it's that God keeps his promises and doesn't give up on anyone.

This was an interesting book. The plot was engaging and the characters believable. The overreaching theme of God watching out for us even when we don't know it was an encouragement.

Any negatives were minor: a few typos, strangely named characters, etc. The one that bothered me the most was the characters' names. In my head, I often called Bridie by Birdie just because it was easier to handle. Snickered a bit at the lawyer called Dinwiddie and the drug dealer called Smartie. I was a bit confused when a guy was smoking a cigarette and a few lines later is smoking a Colt 45 (which I believe is a cigar not a cigarette). But that's just a nitpicky detail, and one I wouldn't expect a Christian author to know about unless they used to be a smoker or know a lot of smokers.

Overall, I rated the book 5 stars because it was a very good read and I enjoyed it including its peculiarities.