Stay With Me is the first full-length novel in a new series by Becky Wade. The stories are set in Misty River. The series focuses on the lives of the Miracle 5–a group of people who miraculously survived being trapped underground after an earthquake when they were children.
The Misty River series begins with Genevieve and Sam. After God miraculously saved Genevieve’s life, she grew up to become a Bible study author and speaker. To say she was good at her job was an understatement as she had an anointing and a gift to teach the Word of God.
But Genevieve has a secret. And it’s a secret that can ruin her reputation and the career she has sacrificed so hard to build. She’s not quite the polished Christian she appears to be. Her secret has her doing things she wouldn’t normally have done…which is how she ended up letting herself into the cottage on Sam’s property and falling asleep in the bed.
Be prepared to have your emotions tugged all over the place with this one. Genevieve is a very relatable character. She wrestles with her identity in Christ and the sense that it feels like when you need him, God is absent as we sometimes do.
She is vulnerable, hurting, struggling to deal with the blows life has given her but strong and beautiful at the same time.
Sam is a fabulous love interest even if he was reluctant to fill that role. I loved Sam’s character. He had experienced hurt in his past and chose to shut himself away from human emotion. Until Genevieve disrupts his perfectly ordered life.
Sam is caring, gruff, dedicated, loyal, dependable, focused, steady…all the things that Genevieve needs to get over her dependence on prescription drugs and to find balance in her life.
I liked how the two were a perfect foil for each other. They completed each other even when they were unwilling to accept how much they needed each other.
Let’s talk about the theme! Stay With Me is a commentary on how we sometimes feel as Christians. We know we are saved by grace but still act as though our actions can save us. We know that God never leaves us but we wonder why he’s absent when we’re going through difficult times.
I love how Becky Wade uses flawed characters to showcase the love of God, His grace, and all the ways he uses our messy brokenness to share a message of hope to others.
Get your copy of Stay With Me today. I received an advanced reader’s copy of Stay With Me from the publishers through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.
Listen to Becky Wade read a few pages of Stay With Me.
About Stay with Me (Misty River Romance, A Book #1)
Loving her is a risk he can’t afford . . . and can’t resist.
When acclaimed Bible study author Genevieve Woodward receives an anonymous letter referencing her parents’ past, she returns to her hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains to chase down her family’s secret.
However, it’s Genevieve’s own secret that catches up to her when Sam Turner, owner of a historic farm, uncovers the source of shame she’s worked so hard to hide.
Sam has embraced his sorrow, his isolation, and his identity as an outsider. He’s spent years carving out both career success and peace of mind. The last thing he wants is to rent the cottage on his property to a woman whose struggles stir his worst failure back to life. Yet can he bear to turn her away right when she needs him most?
About Becky Wade
Becky Wade is a bestselling author of heart-pounding and faith-filled contemporary romance novels and the winner of the 2018 Christy Award Book of the Year.
She’s a native of California who married a Texan and now lives in Dallas with her husband and three children. To find out more about Becky and her books, visit www.beckywade.com.
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