Hope Deferred by Elizabeth Maddrey

I was not expecting this book to be one that I had a hard time putting down, but I did.  The short chapters led me to say, "Well.... okay... just one more chapter." I did not read the first book in this series, but I didn't feel lost at all.  I really liked the storyline because it was easy to relate to.  Many women walk through this issue in their marriage, which will be something that will tug at the hearts of many.


The characters were very real to me. June and July and their husbands had real issues that can tend to tear apart a marriage or can make it stronger.  Elizabeth Maddrey wrote with such knowledge that made it seem like she had either done a lot of research on this or has walked this road with either herself or loved ones.  There was a lot of passion in the story and you could sense a tenderness in the way both couples yearned for a child. It was also neat to see their acceptance of something they can't change.

My two dislikes about the book is the one instance where a word is used that I don't like to say or read.  I honestly don't feel like it belongs in Christian fiction books.  I understand that some people don't mind and I understood that the context was when one person was upset. However, they are not words I use in my home and they are not something I enjoy reading.  I almost set it aside after reading it, but didn't.  My other thought is that the pronunciation of July's name should be mentioned earlier.  I went the first half of the book calling July like the month, only to find out much later it's like Julie.

Overall, I liked this book and it will speak to many people. It was well researched and written into a beautiful story.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who loves a good happily ever after.

Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of computers, math, and organization steered her into computer science at Wheaton College, she always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. This continued through a Master’s program in Software Engineering, several years in the computer industry, teaching programming at the college level, and a Ph.D. in Computer Technology in Education. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity.

She lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Christian fiction for women.
Can pursuit of a blessing become a curse?
June and July and their husbands have spent the last year trying to start a family and now they're desperate for answers. As one couple works with specialists to see how medicine can help them conceive, the other must fight to save their marriage. Will their deferred hope leave them heart sick, or start them on the path to the fulfillment of their dreams?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hope Deferred, go HERE.

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I received this book free from Hope Springs Book and CFBA in exchange for my honest opinion.