Surrendered Hearts
(2011)
by Carrie Turansky
Reviewed by Diana Flowers
4 1/2 Stars!!!
4 1/2 Stars!!!
Romance Among The Pines!
"Surrendered Hearts" (Kindle Edition)
In Carrie Turansky's lovely novel, Surrendered Hearts, I was immediately drawn to the hometown atmosphere of this beautiful, lush Vermont setting; with its small shops, fireworks in the park, wildflowers and pine trees, and small townsfolk camaraderie!Our heroine, Jennifer Evans, a city girl, arrives in the small town of Tipton, Vermont, to attend the wedding of her brother, Wes, with little more than a duffle bag and the clothes on her back. Jennifer is loaded with alot of inside baggage, however...a low self esteem from being raised by relatives who showed her no love, and a body covered with scars to match the ones she carries inside. Jennifer, the victim of a fire that claimed the life of her beloved dog, and left her with nothing, feels that God has abandoned her, just as her ex-fiance did when he took one look at her scarred body in the hospital.
Bill Morgan, her brother's roommate, sees past the scars to the lovely lady inside, but holds back because she doesn't share his faith in God. Jenn is drawn to Bill and the beautiful small town where she finds love and acceptance, but can she learn to love and accept herself? When Bill is offered a job in NC, will he accept the position, knowing the way things stand with Jenn, and her refusal to accept healing that comes only from God? And when Jenn's ex-fiance shows up, will she accept his proposal of marriage?
I loved this touching story, and that's saying alot coming from this historical fiction addict! This was a quick, relaxing read, but Ms. Turansky tastefully dealt with some heavy issues...pregnancy as a result of a date rape, low self esteem stemming from childhood neglect, and low body self image, to name a few. I loved her use of imagery in describing the setting in Vermont, and her realistic characters with human flaws. With a VERY strong spiritual thread throughout, and a satisfying ending, I knew I had become a new Carrie Turansky fan!
Giveaway: Carrie is giving away two e-book downloads this week. Leave a comment and your email address to enter!
Thank you so much, Carrie P., for the beautiful posting job, and to you, Carrie Turansky, for writing such a beautiful book, that will minister to many!
ReplyDeletei love carrie s books i hope she keeps them coming and i hope i win a free download. thank you connie rowand. elesue72@directv.net
ReplyDeleteConnie, welcome to Overcoming Through Time! Thank you so much for your encouraging comments to Carrie! Count yourself officially entered!
ReplyDeleteCarrie is such an encouraging and inspirational writer and I'd love to win a download of her book. Thank you for her giveawayh and the chance to win this book with the beautiful cover.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx don rr dot com
Barbara, it's so nice to see you here! I hope you are recuperating nicely and feeling so much better. You truly have had alot to overcome this past year, and that's what this blog is all about. We will continue to uplift you in prayer, Miss Barb.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you concerning Carrie's writing. This was the first book I have read by her, but it certainly won't be the last.
I wanted to add here that I'm glad Carrie focused on all types of scars and the root causes of them; inward and outward. I have no outward scars, but for years, I lived in an abusive situation at home as a child. My father was a raging alcoholic, and I had to see him beat my mom, us kids, and listen to him rail and curse constantly. No God was mentioned unless in a curse word. I was physically and verbally abused until I met and married my husband. If not for God's healing power (and wonderful and caring people who showed me love and prayed for me, as in Carrie's Surrendered Hearts) I would probably be a wreck today, and not a very nice person. This book ministered to my heart as well, reminding me of all He's done and is still planning on doing in my life! Not all scars are outward, but He is able to heal them all!
ReplyDeleteIt's not easy sharing that, but this blog is all about overcoming through time, and I felt led to briefly talk about my own journey.
Wow, thanks for sharing that Diana. We need to make sure Carrie T reads that comment, too. If you want, I can move some of that up into the post, Diana. Yes, that is what this blog is about - Overcoming Through Time with God's Help!!! And some Christian novels do a fantastic time of that and many authors have a powerful testimony.
ReplyDeleteAs do many reviewers like you, Diana! And readers! Joleen has a testimony, too, about recovering from burns with God's help!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Carrie, and you may move it wherever you like. Amazon and CBD won't let you share personal info like that with your review, which I wouldn't have anyway. But if it will help someone, it's so worth telling here. Carrie P. knows me personally and she knows that the way I joke and carry on, and love people, after having gone through all THAT as a child, it has to be God that did the work! The first step to healing is accepting Christ and the next step which is a must! is forgiveness...and He will help you do that!
ReplyDeleteWell, the book sounds like quite an emotional heart-tugger and I may need some kleenex!
ReplyDeleteWe all have scars, just as y'all said. God is the only one who can heal those and He does a perfect job of it over time. Not easy for us but possible with Christ! ONLY possible with Christ!!! Hearing Diana's testimony is like looking in a mirror, almost.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Anne. And seeing what a lovely lady you are today is a great testimony to God's mercy and healing power! Psalm 147:3 says: He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. What a promise! And yes, Anne, make sure the tissues are nearby.
ReplyDelete*Joleen's testimony about being a burn victim, which Carrie mentioned above, can be read by clicking on to "older post" under the two Carries' interview!
Diana, thanks so much for sharing the healing work God has done in your life. You are so right. Not all scars are visible...but God reaches out to bring healing and wholeness to us through his word and through the love of other believers who take time to listen, love, and share with us. It's amazing how He can take the most painful issues in our lives and turn them around so that we have a ministry to others because of them. I am glad you could see similarities in your life and Jenn's, the heroine in Surrendered Hearts. Thanks again for the thoughtful review.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Carrie
Anne, thanks for your comments and for sharing that God is doing a healing work in your life too. He is a wonderful Savior who has shown us all so much love and kindness.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Carrie T.
Barb and Connie, thanks so much for stopping by to read the review and share your encouraging comments!
ReplyDeleteCarrie T.
Thank you so much for the chance to win this. This looks like a wonderful book. I would love to read this. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteagent_beckster(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi, Rebecca, and welcome to Overcoming Through Time! I hope you get a chance to read Carrie's wonderful book. I literally could hardly put it down!
ReplyDeletethanks for the opportunity to read this fabulous novel :)
ReplyDeletekarenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
Thank you for coming by, Karen!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story and Diana your review brought it to life. Good job! Thanks for the chance to win...I can never have too many e-books on my kindle. Thanks to Carrie T for all the hard work she put into this great book. tsmathews61@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThank you, Teresa! You're such a sweetie! Carrie T. did a wonderful job on this novel and I regret I haven't read her work sooner. Throwing your name in Aaron's pirate hat, Teresa!:)
ReplyDeleteSurrendered Hearts looks like a good book to read. There are a lot of us that can identify with scars. However, mine are after many years of marriage and because of cancer and many surgeries. I am just so glad that my hubby loves me the way that I am, even though I see myself as less than sexy, etc, with my ostomy bag on my abdomen. That is true love!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win the book.
Debbie Clark
debbiemcla(at)msn(dot)com
Debbie, thank you for sharing that touching testimony with us. The media tries to make us ladies believe we all must have bodies and faces like super models to be loved, but thank God for hubbies like yours and mine who love us for ourselves! I'm sorry you had to endure all of that, but am so thankful that you are still here with us! Bless you, dear, and thank you again for sharing that.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Debbie Clark! Random number picked you as our winner and I am so glad. Like Carrie always says, "God knows who should read these books." Enjoy!
ReplyDelete