Review: The Promise

The Promise (Restoration - Book 2) by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

Publication Date: 09/01/2013
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Imprint: Revell Books
Genre: Inspirational Fiction
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0800721497
ISBN-13: 978-0800721497

(Received for an honest review from Revell Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook, IndieBound

Dan Walsh on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest

Gary Smalley on the WEB: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Books in the series:

The Dance (2013), The Promise (2013)

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from The Promise, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

For the last five months, Tom Anderson has been without a job, a fact he's been hiding from his wife Jean--and everyone else. He leaves each morning, pretending nothing has changed, and spends his disheartening day rotating through two coffee shops and the library, using their wi-fi to search for a job on the internet. The stress of keeping this secret is beginning to put serious strain on his marriage and it looks like the legacy that began with his father is still at work, slowly destroying the bond between Tom and Jean. Can their mutual trust--and love--be restored?

Combining the literary talents of Dan Walsh and the relationship expertise of Gary Smalley, The Restoration Series pulls back the curtain of a family that has laid their foundation on shifting sand, but is slowly rediscovering genuine love and the power of forgiveness.

Thoughts:

Author Dan Walsh has teamed up with one of the most respected authors and speakers on relationships in the country, Gary Smalley, to bring readers the second book in the Restoration series, The Promise. Walshs' literary prowess is well complimented by Smalley's vast experience and knowledge on marriage and the family and this series reflects the faith and beliefs of both men. Readers who are looking for a book that focuses on building relationships and keeping love alive and vibrant will find  this series deeply meaningful. 

The Promise is basically a love a story with a twist. The main characters Jean and Tom are already married. In most books of this kind it's a typical boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happy ever after, but Walsh and Smalley understand that is not always how the story ends. I loved the fact that the authors understood today's culture and the pressures that marriages face. It is a whole lot harder to stay together than it is to break-up these days and I think they really captured that idea and homed in on what it takes to make it work.

It doesn't take a genus to figure out that today's family is so much different than it ever has been before. There are so many complications, like the economy and the internet that have become factors in how a marriage is not only structured, but how it evolves. I think Walsh and Smalley have gotten to heart of the issues in the Anderson family in The Promise. 

Tom has lost his job and can't face telling his wife. He is so stressed that it has begun to cause him to be irritable and ashamed of himself for lying and now it effecting everything he does, including his relationship with Jean. Meanwhile Jean is having issues of her own, trying to build her own confidence and love for herself. I liked the fact that the authors were able to show that even when both partners have changes and trials going on in their lives, they can still pull together and see each other through as long as they trusted in God and held to the vows they made each to each other. 

I really felt like this book was as much a counseling session as it was a novel. But that didn't take anything away from the story. It was riveting in a very different way. It was so realistic and heart felt that readers will probably shed a tear or two along the way. These are characters that readers become invested in. They want to see this family survive, because that gives them hope that they can survive too. It holds a light up and says, this is the way you do it. Don't give up! 

I applaud the authors for taking this approach. It is a story that will appeal to the young and the old. It kind of transcends some the barriers between regular fiction and inspirational fiction. Readers from both spectrum's will appreciate what Walsh and Smalley have done here. Showing how important a father's role in the family is and how the mother is such a center and focal point. The Promise is just an all around great piece of fiction with an inspiring message. A romance with a twist!

Available September 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Authors:

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Dance with Gary Smalley, The Discovery, and The Reunion. He has won three Carol Awards, and two of his novels were finalists for RT Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year for 2011 and 2012. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.

Gary Smalley is one of the country's best-known authors and speakers on family relationships and has appeared on national television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, and TODAY, as well as numerous national radio programs. He is the bestselling and award-winning author or coauthor of many books, including the Baxter Family Redemption series with Karen Kingsbury and The Dance with Dan Walsh. Gary and his wife Norma have been married for 49 years and live in Missouri.

Giveaway Details:

Check out this post on Dan Walsh's Blog for details on how to win of five copies of The Promise by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley. The deadline is September 17th.