Softly and Tenderly [Hardcover]

Softly and Tenderly, by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck reminded me of something important: Christian chick lit is great when I want quiet time, when I want to shut my brain off for a bit, when I want to read something that doesn't make me think and that I don't want to talk about. That means I should never, ever request chick lit books from Booksneeze, because receiving a book from Booksneeze compels me to write a review. I can't gush over something that's ultimately a (very) guilty pleasure. Ugh.

Softly and Tenderly is fine. (According to Sara Evans's website, it's actually one of 2011's top ten inspirational books.) It's the second in a series, which I didn't realize till half-way through the book, so it can stand alone.

Here's the synopsis: Jade owns two secondhand boutiques (so trendy! so adorable!) and drives an older beater truck. She thinks she's happily married to Max, till she learns that he has a secret son with an old flame. The old flame has just died in a plane crash (of course), so Jade has decide whether she's willing to raise the surprise kid with lying, formerly-addicted-to-painkillers Max. In the meantime, Max's pushy mother Beryl catches Max's lying, cheating father cheating, Max is in the midst of custody battle with old flame's parents, and Jade's mom is dying of cancer. To deal with their sorrow and confusion, Jade, Beryl and Mama Jade take a road trip from Tennessee to Iowa, to Jade's childhood home. Then Jade wonders whether she's falling back in love with her handsome, fire-fighting first husband (while still married to Max and trying to decide whether to raise the surprise kid). Jade's mom dies, Jade meets and deeply connects with surprise kid and she "begins to see a future that doesn't rest on the power of her past but in the goodness of God's tender mercies". I believe the words you're looking for are "totally preposterous".

So, whatever. It's a plot-riddled read for a lazy afternoon but it's also not a contender for any list of awesome books I would ever try to compile. I wouldn't go out of your way to find it; I wouldn't spend money on it if you do find it (even if you found it at Goodwill); but I also won't judge you if you borrow it from the library. Probably don't buy it though: donate the $13 to a charity instead. It'll go further, do more. Okay?

Softly and Tenderly is the second book in the Songbird series, and continues the story of Jade, as written by country-singer/writer Evans and Christian fiction author Hauck. I did not have the pleasure of reading the first book in the series, but found that it did not impact my ability to enjoy this book. In this second installment, Jade's world is rocked when she and her mother-in-law June make a discovery that shocks Jade and causes her to question everything she thought about her husband's family. When Jade then learns that her husband Max had a child with another woman, a child she was never told about, she must confront her past and her present in order to decide whether she will be able to move forward into an uncertain future.

Evans and Hauck have written a moving story, one that is filled with deep characters and family dynamics that are raw and real. The characters are faced with struggles any family may encounter - cancer, drug abuse, infertility, affairs, and I found my heart aching for Jade and June and their past and present difficulties. The shocking discovery that is unveiled in the first chapter sucks you into the story and awakens your empathy for the characters, and I found the story to move along swiftly. The story is carefully crafted, and I enjoyed the author's creative descriptions, such as when they write "the kitchen was like a structural hug, cozy with June's Southern hospitality and dabbled with yellow and gray smoky mountain sunshine dripping through the skylight".

The writing is sensuous in places, earthy, raw, and the story unfolds layer by layer in a way that exposes the depths of the characters emotions. I found myself moved by the characters ability to forgive, which is handled in a realistic manner. Readers who enjoy contemporary novels will resonate with this book, and will find their faith both challenged and inspired. Some of the closing words are profound, such as when Jade notes "But it was facing the pain, pushing through the heartache, that brought her to this moment of peace. Life had true hope for her". These are words that we all may aspire to when we are faced with our own tragedies.

I strongly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via the Booksneeze program and netgalley, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans (with Rachel Hauck) is a story about an average woman whose average life is thrown into turmoil with a single piece of information. Jade Benson is the proud owner of two successful shops, happily married to a successful lawyer, and has finally moved beyond her past into a promising future. So she thinks. However, in one fell swoop her life is turned upside down when she learns that her husband has an illegitimate son conceived one week before their wedding. Jade is thrown into an adventure that has her questioning very aspect of her life, past and present, including her relationship with God.

When reading this book I was moved and responded to the character of Jade Benson in many of her struggles. She is a real character with real struggles that are similar to those of many women. She deals with these struggles in a way that is true to life and they come to resolution in a way that leaves the reader satisfied and not skeptical. One of the few complaints that I had about this book was that it refers to events in the previous book too often. As a reader who had not read the first book in the series, it was hard at times to understand what was being referred to because I did not have background information discussed in the first book. However, I still enjoyed the book and it actually made me want to read the first book in order to understand more fully the second. So I suppose that would be a positive affirmation for the author!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the [...] <[...]> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : 'Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.'