13 Reasons Why || Release Day + Review of Beloved

*grins nervously* Folks... it's time. Release day is here.

And I am frEakiNg oUt. Freaking out. Freaking out. 

Just sayin'. But, regardless, here we are. We made it. Things are mostly in order. We're both still alive and well. The tour is going strong. And today, World Suicide Prevention Day, both of our books are releasing to the world. To say I'm stoked would be a slight understatement.

In honor of the release, Kate and I are reviewing each other's books! Find her review of Freedom as well as all the information on how to get YOUR copy of Beloved at the link below. :D

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

|| Release Announcement

Having just returned to American soil from the desert sands of the Middle East, James Greene is done with his life. 'Double amputee' doesn't seem like a strong enough phrase to label the physical and emotional pain he bears. Add the lack of love and communication with his family members, the demons that haunt him day and night, and he can find nothing worth living for. Ending it all is the only way out.  

Alexandria Lorance is a not-so-ordinary physical therapist, content with aiding in her patients' recoveries. Her work gives her fulfillment, but alone in the silence, she still endures the hidden scars of a past, unhealthy relationship. Reminding herself that true healing is found in Christ alone, she seeks to show kindness and love to everyone she meets. 

When these two broken ones' paths intersect, the spark of friendship is ignited, bringing hope and joy to both. Can they step out of the darkness of suffering and into the freedom of grace?  

A Marine, broken by war. A therapist, scarred by words. A chance meeting in a parking lot bonded them together. But can love grow in these two hurting hearts? Or are they truly too broken to ever find lasting happiness?

Goodreads || Amazon Kindle || Amazon Paperback

If you're contemplating buying a paperback, I have two things to say. First, thank you. I'm so honored that you want to hold my little story in your hands! The paperback is definite #eyecandy. And secondly, would you consider not purchasing from Amazon? Would you choose instead to purchase through this form?

I would love to be able to donate $100 to Cover Me Veterans at the end of the month. This non-profit organization makes custom gun skins for veterans at no charge. Donating $100—which will cover the costs of 5 gun skins—means selling 10 more copies of Freedom through the special preorder offer.

Can we make it happen? Can we beat the statistics and have a positive influence in this world? More details are on the form, and I'll be around as much as I can to answer any questions. I believe God has great plans for this venture. Prayers always appreciated. <3

|| Review of Beloved

Oh…my…goodness…gracious…

After I read this book the initial time, I literally sat there for about five minutes, just trying to breathe and collect myself over that ending. Then, I made sure I was still breathing and proceeded to pick up my phone and yell at the author for 8.94 minutes about how amazing she is. Because that’s what good friends are for.

Jokes aside… I don’t think I can adequately put into words how special and amazing this story is. But I shall try.


// The Characters 

Cara: The main character. The girl who is so very beloved, and doesn’t even know it. From page one, there was something about Cara’s humorous snarkiness that drew me in and made me love her. Her feelings of being unloved and worthless was just… <3  She was a darling, beloved dearie. (And, goodness, let’s not forget Martha.)

Erich: Um, I like this guy. Like, HELLO, he rescued a total stranger from suicide (something he has a past with) and then made a joke about resuscitating her with mouth-to-mouth. Total winner. Like, how amazing of a dude can this authoress create? Pretty epic, obviously.

Kade: From the moment this dude stepped on the ‘set’, I knew he was special. And once he left that scene, I had a feeling we hadn’t seen the last of him. And I’m quite partial to his return. (If that's a spoiler...forgive me.)

Allllll the bros: I loved them. I loved the camaraderie of the foster/adopted family. They were precious and lovable; they just needed Jesus. For the sake of time, I won’t comment on all of them, but they were all adorbs and funny and THOSE BACKSTORIES. <3 (Side note – I thought the author did an epic job of giving the reader all the backstories at times that made sense, instead of dumping all the info into like one scene. *nods and beams*)

A last note on the charries: Peter is mine. That is all. Hands off, gals.


// The Theme 

Gracious, don’t even get me started. A book that shows girls (well, anyone really) that they are loved, and cherished, and treasured by the God who created them is something I’m going to love, anyway. And Miss Krispense pulled it off quite flawlessly. It wasn’t cheesy. It wasn’t preachy. It was gold and relatable and endearing. <3


// The Writing 

I had read some stories by this author—all of which were good—but this book is BY FAR her strongest and clearest creation. Kaitlyn is a dear girl with a heart for letting others know that they are beloved. And I'm so, so glad she chose to publish during this special week with me. <33

5 stars!

|| R2L

Today's reason to live is: freedom. True freedom is found in Jesus Christ alone—He is our freedom and we should never take that for granted. As Americans, we're also blessed with freedom in the US—freedom to live and love in this country of prosperity. As someone pointed out to me the other day, if someone was so willing as to die for our freedom (whether it be Jesus Christ or the American Soldier), why shouldn't we be willing to live for it?

|| Today on the Tour

Tuesday, September 10th

Rebekah @ RebekahAshleigh — Review of Beloved
Abigail @ Books, Life, and Christ — Interview w/ Kate

Remember to enter the giveaway, and the Q&A form is still accepting entries! 

who else is stoked?! *raises hand*