Friday, May 25, 2012

Price of Trust - by Amanda Stephan

Beaten and betrayed by the one who was supposed to love her, Carly Richards is on the run!  Forced to live as a fugitive as her ex-fiance stalks her across the country, Carly finds refuge in a small town in Montana.  Unsure how long it will be before she has to run again, she resists the friendliness of those around her - especially handsome farmer Joe Baird.  Caught in the circumstances, the kind people around her begin to creep into her softening heart.  God is at work, and she has to trust Him to not only take care of her, but care for the people she is learning to love.  Carly must learn the Price of Trust!



Confession time.  This book was given to me several months ago by the author, Amanda Stephan, along with her newest book, "Lonely Hearts".  Amanda sent this to me during our library's 13th Anniversary Celebration that we were having earlier this year.  They both looked interesting as I skimmed through them, so I put them into the computer and added them into circulation in the library.  In the back of my mind, I told myself to remember to pickup "Price of Trust" and read it soon.  Let's fast forward to last Sunday at church.  I had plans for the week to travel to Chicago for business so I needed something to read on the plane.  I saw "Price of Trust" and thought it would keep me occupied during the week.  Well, let me tell you, I was wrong.  Not only did it not keep me occupied during the week, it almost didn't last the entire plane ride to Chicago.  When I touched down Tuesday morning, I had about 40 pages left to finish the book.  Luckily, my conference didn't start until noon, so I was able to check into my room and finish the book!

We meet Carly as she is praying her car to take her "one more mile".  The car finally dies in a small town in Montana.  Carly finds work and housing at a hardware store run by a little old man named, Sam.  Sam and his wife take Carly under their wings,  happy to have someone onsite to help Sam with the running of the business.  Carly begins to let her guard down as she makes friends at church, especially Joe.  Knowing that he good fortune can't last long, though, she begins to pull away again.  As mysterious phone calls begin, and strangers start showing up at the hardward store, Carly knows that it's time to move on.  Does she finally open up to Joe?  Will she let Sam in on what's happening?  Not going to tell you, you'll have to buy the book...... HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I loved how Carly was always "talking" to God through the first part of the book.  It showed me why she had been successful in avoiding her ex-fiance, by giving it all to Him and letting Him guide her way.  I was a little disappointed, at first, that she seemed to have stopped talking to Him, but then I realized that isn't that the way we do as well?  When things are against us, we are in constant prayer with Him to help us through the situation, but when the seas calm again, we go back to thinking we can handle it on our own.  The relationship the builds with Joe touched me as a father, because that is the type of man I wish for my daughters.  Joe is strong not only physically, but also in his faith as well.  He also recognizes the mind and spirit of Carly, and as she befriends another man that isn't well liked in town, he trusts that he intentions are clear.  When Carly walks this other guy through salvation and acceptance, Joe is there supporting her and his new christian brother.  I will miss these characters, as I rooted for Carly through this whole book, and was glad to see it end the way it did.

Is this a "man's book"?  This book did catch my attention and keep me interested.  There was intrigue that flowed throughout the book and culminated at the end.  The relationship part of the book might turn some men away, but I would tell them to suck it up and read it.  There is a lot to be said sometimes with how a woman writes a man's character, and I think this time that Amanda did us men justice.  Thanks for reminding me, Amanda, how the real character of a man should look.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Stephan is just a normal, everyday country girl.  Residing in Tennessee with her husband and children who closely resemble several of the seven dwarfs (sleepy, sneezy, grumpy/happy) three cats (only because hubby refuses to get one of his own so she must share) one dog and multiple roosters that love to roost under the bedroom window.  She loves to laugh and have a good time, and read a good book.

She finds writing to be her opportunity to share God's love for others in a fun and entertaining way. Not quite a recluse, Amanda is camera shy, doesn't like to be in the spotlight and LOVES to have her feet tickled.  She would say that her most interesting accomplishment is her ability to laugh like Scooby Doo.

You can check out her website at Books By Amanda


Amanda is graciously offering a free copy of this book to me to be given away through my blog.  So please leave her some comments, leave me a way to contact you in case you win, and go buy her books!

32 comments:

  1. Thank you, Rick, for taking the time to review my book. I appreciate your honest thoughts. And you're completely right on the prayer issue. How many times do we stop praying because things Are going well? I'm ashamed to admit it out loud! So I guess it would be correct to thank God for the difficult times - because that's oftentimes what brings us closer to Him. :)

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  2. Sounds like a great book that I need to read!! Thanks for the review.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Terri. I know you would enjoy it.

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    2. Thanks, Terri! It was a lot of fun to write :) thanks for stopping by!

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    3. That's always a good way to start out a story.

      Beaten and betrayed.

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  3. I read both The Price of Trust and Lonely Hearts and thought both were great! Can't wait to read Amanda's next book!

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    1. Hi Lisa!! It's nice to connect with you here! And thank you for liking my books - that's always nice! To hear. Don't you have a book coming out soon? Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Thanks for stopping by, Lisa. Hope you'll come back for more.

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  4. Wow! I can't wait to read this book. It sounds like an edge of your seat suspense. I would love to win a copy of Price of Trust.

    Amanda is a new author to me and I can't wait to know more about her by reading her books.

    Blessings!
    Judy
    judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Judy. Tell all your friends, please.

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    2. Hi Judy!
      *waving frantically* It's nice to meet you ~ thank you for stopping by the blog. Isn't Rick so awesome to have me here? Yep. Rick, you're awesome. Just wanted to let you know that! ;)

      Good luck to you, Judy!

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  5. SUPERB REVIEW! Great interview! I hope I win this novel, because 1) I can't get many new books here and, 2) I'd love the opportunity to get to know you, Amanda Stephan!

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    1. Hi Page After Page!
      It's nice to connect with you ~ thank you so much for stopping by. Where else are you on the www?

      Good luck to you!

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    2. Thanks for coming and checking out the review. Trust me, whether you win her book or if you end up buying your own (the ebook is available for only $2.99 on amazon) you'll be glad that you did.

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  6. I love this review!! Great job Rick and Amanda!!
    http://www.doreenmcgettigan.com

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    1. Hi Doreen! I'm so glad you stopped by ~ thank you for the encouragement. Isn't Rick so nice to have me here? Good luck to you in the drawing!

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  7. Hi Rick, thanks for sharing about this author and the book, have not read her before but this sounds like good story to read and with so many positive comments I will check into this one, should I win -I prefer print book as I dont do the reader tech stuff. I am just a senior who loves to read good books.
    Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)

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    1. Thanks, Pol. Amanda is graciously offering the print version for our giveaway. Good luck!

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    2. Hi Pol! Thank you for stopping by ~ it's always nice to connect with readers. I'm the same. I prefer print books to eBooks, although I do have a Kindle. Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Sounds like life in a book and would love to read it. Nina

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  9. This was an awesome book! I can't wait to read more of Amanda's work :) Awesome review of it here!!

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    1. Thank, Ashley. I hope you'll come back for more!

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  10. This sounds great! Have not ever read Amanda's work and this would be a good place to start. Most of the books I win and/or review on my blog are given to the Alamance Christian School library. So this would be a good one for the high school boys!

    godleyv at yahoo ]dot[com

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    1. Thanks for sharing your books with libraries. Good luck!

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  11. Thanks, Rick, for inviting me to stop by and read the review. The book sounds intriguing, and I enjoyed reading a man's book review for a change. Most reviewers are written by woman. Loved your comments. By the way, as a romance writer, I'm surprised how many men read my novels. Some even write letters. Yahoo!
    Blessings.

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    1. Thanks, Gail for dropping by. Yes, I guess I'm a closet romance reader too. Got to have some action in it as well, though, or at least some suspense. Oh, well, it'll be our little secret :)

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  12. Sounds like a great book, one I would love to read and review on my own blog!

    loseittoday@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks, Shondra, I'm sure you will enjoy it!

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  13. Well, what can I say? The winner has been picked (*congratulations to Judy! I've sent you an email*) and my time on Rick's site is over. But, it was great to meet each of you and I certainly appreciate Rick's generosity in having me here this past week. Thanks to each one of you that stopped by ~ you're an encouragement indeed. Blessings to you!

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