 |
| A Glimmer of Hope |
A Glimmer of Hope: A Novella Prequel to Isle of Hope
Julie Lessman LLC (March 1, 2016)
Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow
5 Stars *****
Julie Lessman adeptly weaves intense passion into a heart-rending,
candid tale of a powerful love that’s battered by the cruel assault of
rejection, insecurity, and unbelief. Prepare to be swept up in the lives and soul-deep
love of the all too human characters Lacey and Jack, as a battle of natural-self
versus spirit creates a compelling and riveting reading experience.
Eighteen year old Lacey Carmichael’s father makes her
feel worthless by berating and belittling her way too often. This makes Lacey
desperate for affirmation and love from other sources. Namely Jack. Reliable
and loving Jack O’Bryen, whom she’s known since childhood and makes her feel
special. He’s always been there to comfort her and pull her together but with
Jack being away at college, Lacey’s insecurities increase exponentially. Influenced
by her wayward friend Nicki, and distressed by fights with her dad; Lacey’s need for intimacy reaches an all-time high when Jack arrives home.
Jack deeply respects and admires his preacher father, and
is happily following in his footsteps. Jack’s faith and relationship with God
means everything to him. Jack is also thoroughly and passionately in love with Lacey,
and needing one too many cold showers. Will Jack be able to resist the
temptations and demands that Lacey places upon him while reassuring her of his
love? Or might Lacey drive him away? Can there be a glimmer of hope for a love that’s so strong, yet so
vulnerable?
I should be used to Julie Lessman’s striking writing-style
by now after having read every one of her novels, but still I find myself in
awe of Julie’s passion and heart for the broken—expressively and
eloquently interlaced throughout. This would be an invaluable book for the
dating Christian. If you haven’t read the ‘Isle of Hope’ which follows on from
this novella, it is an exceptionally breathtaking must-read and I
wholeheartedly recommend both books!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
You may purchase this bargain-priced novella from here: AMAZON
GIVEAWAY: We have TWO e-book copies of 'A Glimmer of Hope for giveaway! Leave a comment below for a chance to win one of them! Leave your email to be eligible, using (at) and (dot) to protect against spammers.
Love to win . TSL9Snodgrass(at)@aol(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing read, SUSAN. I know you'll absolutely love it! :-)
DeleteHey, SUSAN, would LOVE for you to win, too, so GOOD LUCK in the draw!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt absolutely is, BEVERLY! Beverly, I will need your email in case your entry is picked as one of the winners! :-)
DeleteHey, BEVERLY, I hope you still think so after you read your winning copy, so GOOD LUCK!! :)
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Another beautifully written review, NOELA! Thank you! Going to try to squeeze this one in after another book I am currently reading for the blog. I HAVE to after reading your astounding review! I so loved Isle of Hope and am chomping at the bit to read the next book in this awesome series!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks, DIANA, but I promise it won't take long to "squeeze it in" because it's an itsy-bitsy little thing, but all I wanted to do was pique people's interest with the backstory to hopefully entice them to read IOH AND give more insight for those who have already read IOH, so it was fun to do. :)
DeleteHugs and Happy reading, my friend!
Julie
Oh thank you so much my beautiful cohort DIANA! Like Julie says, this prequel is super quick to read and a wonderful lead in to IOH. I can hardly wait to read the next one too, so it was a treat to read this in the meantime, and to gain an understanding of the impacting background of Lacey and Jack!
DeleteI love it when you wax poetic, Noela! Beautiful review as always. I have "Isle of Hope" so I definitely want this one :-) Thank you for the chance!
ReplyDeleteteamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com
LOL, me too, Trixi, because she does it SOOO very well!! Good luck in the draw, my friend!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Haha thanks TRIXI, and JULIE. You guys made me smile! I'm hoping for a win for you Trixi... This prequel is the perfect accompaniment to Isle of Hope! Bless you!
DeleteNOELA!!! As usual, you blessed the socks off of me, my friend, and I cannot thank you enough for reading and review AGOH! And, as usual, your review is not only WONDERFUL, but also has some WONDERFUL quotes for me to use as well, so DOUBLE THANK YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs and more hugs!!
Julie
JULIE, as usual (lol), it has been my enormous pleasure to not only read but review your masterful stories!! And if you can use any quotes from it, that's a blessing! God bless you sweet friend, and big hugs! x
DeleteAww, beautiful review - Noela, thank you!! I've commented on how deeply "A Glimmer of Hope" and "Isle of Hope" have touched me and how I was also able to relate to them. The passion and faith in Julie's writing always speaks to my heart and soul - I might need to use all the complimentary words in the dictionary to describe just how much her writing means to me, lol!!
ReplyDeleteThanks dear BONNIE. Bonnie, I'm not sure there's enough words even in the dictionary. ;) I'm pretty sure between us all, we have used every one in our reviews though!
DeleteWhat a great review Noela !!!!! I just love the cover - makes my heart just pound, I just bet the story is wonderful !!! Julie Lessman, you never fail me with a great read !!!!!! I truly need to read A Glimmer of Hope and Isle of Hope !! Thank you for the chance to win A Glimmer of Hope. Blessings, Rosemary rfoley at salemstate dot edu
ReplyDeleteThat's so sweet of you ROSEMARY, thank you. Isn't it such a gorgeous cover! How wonderful if you won this prequel and read it before Isle of Hope, Rosemary! All the very best with your entry, Chicki. Blessings!
DeleteROSEMARY!!! A reader who uses more exclamation points than me -- I love you already!! ;)
DeleteAnd, YES, my friend, you DO need to read AGOH and IOH, so we are going to do our level best to see that you do, so GOOD LUCK!!
Hugs,
Julie
This looks wonderful!! dsbouman2 at juno dot com
ReplyDeleteBRENDA, it truly is and I so hope you get to read it soon!! :)
DeleteGosh, BRENDA, it does "look" wonderful, doesn't it? That cover is one of my faves and, of course, with Noela's and Bonnie's fabulous reviews, it can't but help look "wonderful," so I hope you think so, too, when you read it. So here's to a win, my friend, and GOOD LUCK!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
I would love to read how she overcomes the rejection and insecurity. fishingjan[at]aol[dot]com
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, JAN. It's amazing just how much those things you mentioned can impact our emotions and lives. And Julie does an astounding job of illustrating it in A Glimmer of Hope and Isle of Hope! All the best!
DeleteJAN, that's the beauty of Isle of Hope, my friend, how God transforms Lacey from a truly wounded and dysfunctional young girl into the woman He wants her to be. Which is exactly what He did for me, upon which this story is based, so I hope you get to read it, my friend!!
DeleteHugs and GOOD LUCK!!
Julie
This sounds like an amazing story! I write YA Christian fiction, too, and I'm always looking for other authors to read in the genre. Excited to put this one on my TBR list! Emilypaige486(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteEMILY, I would venture to say that this series of Julie's is an absolute must-read then! ;) All the best, and I so hope you get to enjoy it soon! Thanks so much for coming by!
DeleteEMILY, THANK YOU, my friend! As a YA author, you already know the struggles that young people face in today's amoral society, so both A Glimmer of Hope and Isle of Hope should be right up your alley!
DeleteAnd if you do or don't win here, I encourage you to take advantage of the FREE DOWNLOAD going on right now for my book, A Hope Undaunted, which deals with issues of morality, except during the 1920s.
Hugs and GOOD LUCK!!
Julie
Thank you Noela for this wonderful review I think you summed up the story of GOH beautifully! I agree that this would be a great book for Christian dating.I think it does a perfect job of showing that the intimacy between a man and a woman is a special thing and shouldn't be used to replace love. A special thank you to Julie Lessman for another wonderful story! Julie you never cease to amaze me,here you go again delivering another perfect story that has me totally hooked until the very end!! No need to enter me in the giveaway,already have GOH ,just wanted to express my thanks to both you both! :)
ReplyDeleteLYNNE, thank you so much for your kind words. You bless me. Thank you SO much for coming by to leave such a sweet note for Julie and myself. It is such a vital message that Julie has illustrated in her book. God bless you!
DeleteLYNNE, you sweet thing, thank you SO much! And YOU never cease to amaze ME with your incredible support and encouragement, my friend, so God bless you!!
DeleteHugs and more hugs,
Julie
Wonderful review Noela!
ReplyDeleteI agree with IOH being an "exceptionally breathtaking must-read"!
No need to enter me as I already have AGOH.
Thank you LIENTJIE for stopping by to say hi and to share your recommendation! God bless you for that and thanks for being such a great friend and support to us here on OWG. Amen, wasn't IOH just so incredible, definitely a must-read for all! :-)
DeleteHey, LIENTJIE, thank you again for your great review of IOH, my friend -- it was a blessing, as are YOU!!
DeleteHugs!!
Julie
NOELA, outstanding review of GOH! This series is a must read for those seeking comfort and peace.
ReplyDeletepsalm103and138 at gmail dot com
Thanks CARYL, you are a sweetheart! You're so right, this series has much to offer, and peace in our relationships and with God is so incredibly important, I am infinitely thankful that Julie is writing these stories!!
DeleteAw, thank you SO much, CARYL -- I really appreciate your sweet comment AND your ongoing encouragement (complete with and hugs and smilies!! ;)
DeleteHugs!!
Julie
Such an eye catching cover.. I'd love to read it!
ReplyDeletedkstevensne )at)outlook(dot)com
I truly hope you get that chance, DEANNA, either by winning or purchasing! It's well worth the read! :-) Blessings!
DeleteThanks, DEANNA, I realllllly like the cover, too, so I have God (and Killion Covers) to thank for it. :)
DeleteHugs and GOOD LUCK!!
Julie
Great story line. kamundsen44ATyahooDOTcom.
ReplyDeleteI think so too, KIM, and such an important one. All the best with your entry Kim!!
DeleteThanks, Kim, it was fun to write a story where the hero and heroine trade places, beginning with A Glimmer of Hope where the heroine is the wild girlfriend who tempts the seminary-student boyfriend, to Isle of Hope where eight years later, the tables have turned and she's now the Christian and he's the bad boy. Hope you get to read them both, so GOOD LUCK!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Noela! Great review as always. You're right. Julie just never cease to amaze me with her writing! I love your use of words!
ReplyDelete(No need to enter me). :)
Thanks ANNIE! You're the best!! And thank the Lord for Julie! :-)
DeleteHey, ANNIE, ALWAYS love to see your sweet silhouette pop up, my friend, so thanks for coming by! And you never cease to "amaze me" with your incredible support!!
DeleteHugs and more hugs!!
Julie
We all love Julie Lessman here at OWG blog!!! Thanks so much for sharing this review, Noela! You did a great job as usual Aussie Angel!
ReplyDeleteLOL, CARRIE ... not as much as I love OWG and this AMAZING group of ladies who all have become dear, dear friends!! You guys are absolutely one of the BIGGEST blessings in my life as an author, and I can't thank God enough for allowing our paths to cross and YOU enough for creating such a powerful and important blog!!
DeleteLove you, guys!!
Julie
Thank you so much sweet CARRIE, and yes we do all LOVE Julie immensely here! Julie, God bless and thank you. SO grateful also that Carrie created this blog that has touched so many lives. Truly a blessing to be a part of it.
Delete