Forever After by Deborah Raney - REVIEWED

About the Book:

Jenna Morgan mourned the loss of her husband, Zach, in the fire that destroyed the Hanover Falls homeless shelter and claimed the lives of three other firefighters. A year later, her ability to keep up the charade of prosperity she and Zach lived is at an end. Even with financial help from Zach's parents, she can't make the mortgage and credit card payments. But Jenna Morgan refuses to go back to the trailer home life from which she escaped. She's come so far. She just can't go back to that.



Lucas Vermontez has endured physical therapy for a year, but the legs crushed while he fought the homeless shelter fire are nowhere near 100% yet. Will his dream of returning to the fire station ever become reality? And can he conquer these feelings he has for his best buddy's widow?

My Thoughts:

This story is one that deals with many facets of relationship. All of the characters in the story have suffered grave loss of either friend, spouse, or child, and the strain of that loss is evident in all of their lives. Lucas Vermontes, it seems, has lost his entire identity, and Jenna Morgan is running from her past and ignoring the reality of who she is becomming. As these two struggle to find their way, God has to do some serious attention-grabbing in order for them to realize the abundant blessing that exist in both of their lives.

This is a romance in some sense, but it is more about human relationships of all kinds and the struggle to accept life on God's terms - especially when those terms are different from what we had hoped and planned for.

I admit, I wanted to shake some sense into both Luke and Jenna several times. Thankfully, they found their way in spite of my frustration. This is a great read, and one that contains many truths.

About the Author:

Deborah Raney is the award-winning author of several novels, including A Nest of Sparrows and the RITA award winning Beneath a Southern Sky and its sequel, After the Rains. Deborah's first novel,

A Vow to Cherish, was the inspiration for World Wide Pictures' highly acclaimed film of the same title, which in December 2004 aired on prime time network TV for the second time.



Deb's novella, Playing by Heart, was a National Readers Choice Award winner and a 2004 Christy Award finalist. Her most recent novel for Howard/Simon & Schuster, Yesterday's Embers, appeared on the ECPA Christian fiction bestseller list.



Deb has also written nonfiction books and articles and often speaks at women's retreats and writers' conferences around the country. She and her husband, illustrator/ author Ken Raney, have four children and make their home in Kansas.