Sarah's Choice by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue

About the Book
In Sarah Collins’s mind, only one thing stands in the way of her success . . . an unborn baby.
Sarah is about to receive a promotion that will give her everything she’s ever wanted: a huge pay increase, a new car, a fabulous apartment, and first-class travel.
But then she discovers she’s pregnant. And while she thinks she loves her boyfriend, Matt, she isn’t sure he’s mature enough to be a responsible father. And the job she’s pursuing is open only because the previous employee is out on maternity leave. Sarah would never be able to handle the travel as a single mom.
Torn between advice from her coworkers, the insistence of her mother and sister that she keep the baby, her insecurity about her relationship with Matt, and the void where her father should be, Sarah has no idea how to make this decision.
A Christmas card from a mysterious old woman is the catalyst for three visions of her future—and just may be the miracle she needs. But can she trust the visions? Are they the yearnings of a conflicted heart? Or are they true visions from the God she thought had turned His back on her?

For every woman who has made painful decisions, Sarah’s Choice offers comfort, wisdom and hope.

My Thoughts
After watching the movie that this book is based on (years ago when it released) and enjoying these authors' previous release I was excited to read this book.
As far as I could tell it stayed true to the movie which I'm sure is due, at least in part, to the fact that one of the authors played the main character in the movie!
I loved the way the message of the story was presented and how they not only portrayed the struggles of a woman contemplating abortion but also showed the effect it can have on a woman even years after. I feel like they did an excellent job of sharing truth without it being in an in your face preachiness.
I think this story was more about the message and less about the characters so while they all were great I didn't feel overly connected to any of them except Sarah. They did a great job of making you feel her struggle to choose and the emotions that came with it.

This book is a fantastic read that I can see touching a lot of people's lives!

Meet the Authors

Rebecca St. James has been a defining voice in contemporary Christian music for more than a decade. She is a three-time Dove Award winner, as well as a winner of the prestigious Grammy Award. In January 2007 she was voted Favorite Female Artist by "CCM" magazine readers for the sixth year in a row. She also recently received her fourth consecutive Best Female Artist Award from ChristianityToday.com. In addition to her success as a musician, Rebecca St. James is the author of several books, with combined sales of more than 350,000 copies. Her books include "SHE: Safe, Healthy, Empowered"; "SHE Teen"; "Wait for Me"; "Sister Freaks"; "40 Days with God"; and "You're the Voice: 40 More Days with God."

Nancy Rue is the author of over 100 books for adults and teens, including Healing Waters, which was a 2009 Women of Faith Novel of the Year, and The Reluctant Prophet which received a Christy award in 2011. Nancy travels extensively-at times on the back of a Harley Davidson-speaking and teaching to groups of `tween girls and their moms and mentoring aspiring Christian authors. She lives on a lake in Tennessee with her Harley-ridin' husband Jim and their two yellow labs (without whom writing would be difficult.)

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue

About the Book
Kirsten has spent her life trying to forget. But mercy begs her to remember.
When she was in high school, a terrible accident fractured her family, and the only relief Kirsten could find was carving tiny lines into her skin, burying her pain in her flesh. The pain she caused herself was neat and manageable compared to the emotional pain that raged inside.
She was coping. Or so she thought.
But then, eight years later, on the night she expects her long-time boyfriend to propose, Kirsten learns he’s been secretly seeing her best friend. Desperate to escape her feelings, she reaches for the one thing that gives her a sense of control in the midst of chaos.
But this time the cut isn’t so tiny, and it lands her in the psych hospital. Within hours of being there she knows she can’t stay—she isn’t crazy, after all. But she can’t go back to the life she knew before either.
So when her pastor mentions a treatment program on a working ranch, Kirsten decides to take him up on the offer and get away from it all. But the one thing she can’t escape is herself—and her shame.
The ranch is home to a motley crew, each with a lesson to teach. Ever so slowly, Kirsten opens herself to embrace healing—even the scarred places that hurt the most. Mercy begs her to remember the past . . . showing her there’s nothing that cannot be redeemed.

My Thoughts

This book was so much better than I was expecting! Not that I was expecting it to be bad I just thought I would like it less than I did. The only real “problem” I had with it was that I am extremely squeamish so whenever the cutting parts came up I was cringing a lot! Though it actually wasn't too horrible and I'm sure normal people will be able to read it without a problem. And now that that's out of the way, on to the good stuff!

The characters were very well-written each with their different pains that they needed to face! The authors did a great job of pacing the revealing of their stories so that you were constantly turning more pages so that you could peel back the layers and see what was hidden beneath. It was so easy to become emotionally involved with all the characters till I really felt like I was in the story.

I also really liked how the authors seemed to have found the perfect balance to create a story that was deep, helped you grow, made you laugh, cry, and left you feeling better for having read it. I highly recommend this book!

About the Authors

Rebecca St. James is a Grammy and Dove Award recipient and a best-

selling author whose books include Wait for Me and What Is He Thinking? Her leading role in the pro-life film Sarah’s Choice won critical acclaim. A passionate spokesperson for Compassion International, more than 30,000 children have found sponsorship through her worldwide concerts.

Nancy Rue is the best-selling author of more than 100 books for teens, tweens, and adults, two of which have won Christy Awards. Nancy is also a popular speaker and radio guest due to her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and her husband, Jim, have raised a daughter of their own and now share their Tennessee lake home with two yellow labs.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Waiting on Wednesday #76: The Merciful Scar

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're
eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue
Thomas Nelson-September 10, 2013

About the Book

When she was in high school, a terrible accident fractured her family, and the only relief Kirsten could find was carving tiny lines into her skin, burying her pain in her flesh. The pain she caused herself was neat and manageable compared to the emotional pain that raged inside.

She was coping. Or so she thought.

But then, eight years later, on the night she expects her long-time boyfriend to propose, Kirsten learns he’s been secretly seeing her best friend. Desperate to escape her feelings, she reaches for the one thing that gives her a sense of control in the midst of chaos.

But this time the cut isn’t so tiny, and it lands her in the psych hospital. Within hours of being there she knows she can’t stay—she isn’t crazy, after all. But she can’t go back to the life she knew before either.

So when her pastor mentions a treatment program on a working ranch, Kirsten decides to take him up on the offer and get away from it all. But the one thing she can’t escape is herself—and her shame.

The ranch is home to a motley crew, each with a lesson to teach. Ever so slowly, Kirsten opens herself to embrace healing—even the scarred places that hurt the most. Mercy begs her to remember the past . . . showing her there’s nothing that cannot be redeemed.

Why I Want It

 This sounds like an interesting book and I have enjoyed other books by both of these authors!