Heather’s Bookshelf: Grace
Author: Delaney Parker
Released: 09/01/21
Genre: Adult Romance
“Nate’s smile turned to awe as the picture popped onto his screen. He dropped his phone and stepped on the gas.”
“Grace” introduces the Halls, a young couple with a five-year-old son, James. Margaret was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and the couple is struggling with adapting to their new norms.
Margaret wants to have another baby, but her husband Nate is reluctant, especially with her diagnosis. Eventually, the couple find common ground and pursue a new addition to their family.
Margaret is doing her best to keep everything together- she pursues being the best mother, wife, and hostess she can be. With the help of her BFF, Marie, and the fresh-faced yoga instructor, she seems to be on the right track until she experiences a relapse…and there’s something not quite right with Nate…
Nate isn’t as optimistic. He’s concerned about money, his wife, and their future. He supports Margaret in every way he can. He also has his own little outlet…an how complicated could everything get?
Trigger Warning: sexual situations (explicit); reference to drug use; death
Overall, I was a bit torn on this one. It’s an adult romance, so if you delve into this book expect some graphic sex scenes. The erotica was a bit on the too-frequent-to-be-believable side for me. Essentially every time adults are alone, carnal desires are given in to. I think less episodes with a little less redundancy would have had a bigger impact. However, this isn’t exactly my genre, so this may be what people are looking for. There is an underlying tale within the pages about a woman with MS being cheated on by her husband and the unforeseen consequences of their decisions. I really enjoyed this part. The story is told through multiple POVs including the main protagonist of Margaret, her trifling husband Nate, Margaret's BFF Marie (side note- not a fan of 2 main characters with similar names), etc. The author did a great job of providing insight into each of the character’s motivations, thoughts, and explanations for actions. Nate is the worst. Yet, through his POV I understood how he manipulated his actions and thoughts into something that he knew to be wrong but just didn’t care enough to change. I found the inclusion of the MS diagnosis to be unique. In my day job, I’m a neuro-physical therapist who works with patients with MS. The descriptions of symptoms, worries, and treatments were very relatable and clearly pulling from the author’s experience (second side note- anyone with MS should speak to their PT/MD about hot packs- not typically recommended). The consequences of choices and actions builds until the ending. The ending felt complete and made sense for Margaret- and I hated it! I don’t want to give anything away, but the whole thing built to that! I was happy to learn through an interview with the author that there is a sequel (check out the interview below). This would make a great Lifetime Story!
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
An adult romance with great character development, different POVs, and a lead character with a chronic neurological condition. The sex scenes were a little too redundant and the ending was anti-climatic.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Delaney Parker
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
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