A Passion Denied - Review

A Passion Denied

by Julie Lessman

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About the Book
Has she fallen in love with a man who cannot love her back?

Elizabeth O'Connor has been like the little sister John Brady always wanted, sharing his love of literature and his thirst for God. But in the throes of the reckless Roaring Twenties, Lizzie has grown up. Suddenly she wants more from the man who has been her friend since she was a child. When this shy little bookworm blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving John, she discovers that his past won't let him return that love. But Lizzie refuses to give up--until his shocking secrets push her away.

Can true love survive the betrayal and deceitful of a painful past . . . or will it be shattered like the fairy-tale dreams of a girl in love?

Brimming with romance, longing, and redemption, A Passion Denied, will quicken your pulse and gladden your heart with a riveting story of the true power of love.

My Review

Passion, scandal, heartbreak, love, giving, taking, forgiving, lies, truths... redemption. Where to begin? Julie Lessman is most definitely not your average author. Do you want truth? Reality? Passion? Then she's your gal.

A Passion Denied hits all points, draws you into the O'Connor family and the lives of two different but perfectly matched people. One who is hungry for God and adores the man that feeds that hunger and then one who is everything a man of God should be, but holds onto a past that is anything but holy. But he is a real man. Having to deal with the fact that he's human and not perfect. He loves as a man should love and wants as a man should want. She, sweet and tenderhearted, has to come to terms that love isn't always a fairytale, it's real and alive.

A beautiful story of redemption and passion. Romance that makes your toes curl and heartbreak that makes you want to cry along with the characters.

Julie Lessman never leaves you bored, I felt like my brain was swinging from one thing to the next, completely caught up and seeing things in myself that related to these characters. An eye opener that made me thankful for grace and humbled that no matter what or where I've been God is merciful and he does indeed forgive the past and sets you on the right path, a new life with the testimony of the old.

A love that goes beyond all hurt, a love that gives and doesn't always take, a love that sees past all the indiscretions and misunderstandings, a love that is born only by God, this is the kind of love and passion that Julie Lessman writes about.

About the Author
Julie Lessman is the author of A Passion Most Pure and A Passion Redeemed. Even as a debut novelist, Lessman garnered writing awards, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She lives in Missouri.

Interview and Giveaway
I will be doing a short interview with Julie Lessman on May 7th. Each person that leaves a comment between May 7th and May 14th will have a chance to win your choice of A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed or A Passion Denied from Julie Lessman.



A Passion Denied will be released on May 1st - purchase here - Revell

Exciting Mail...

Coming home from a long day out shopping to find this in the mail...

I knew what it was right away! I hadn't been looking for it since my mind has been somewhere else these past few weeks, but looking at the writing and the name, I knew it was from Dee.

For those of you that don't know who "Dee" is, she is an incredible author in the Christian Fiction world. Her books are well written and her characters come to life off the pages. I've had the pleasure of getting to know her over the past couple of years and helping out in her chat room as a moderator. This package is sent to all three moderators as a perk for helping out. I think I have the better end of the deal for sure!

This is what was inside...


Her new book comes out in June, but she gets ARC's (Advanced Readers Copy) and sends them out and does a giveaway on her blog.

Now this will come as a shocker to all you that know how much I LOVE to read. I haven't read a fictional book since November! Gasp. Yes, November. I've been wanting to read and I have new books sitting on my shelf calling my name, but I was trying to finish a devotional book that was very deep, therefore it took a lot longer to read. I'm still not finished, but I made the "mistake" of opening and reading the first chapter of A Bride in the Bargain... and I was hooked.

I truly feel sorry for all the Dee fans that have to wait until June. I've already got a line forming for my ARC... It.Is.Good. VERY GOOD!

And one thing that just made me giggle right off the bat, there is a character that talks just like my blogging buddy, Becky's toddler son. What's even funnier... it's an elderly lady. You'll be laughing out loud!

So what did I think of the book? One of Deeanne Gist's BEST yet! And one of the BEST books I've read. GOOD STUFF!

A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman

No man can resist her charms. Or so she thought. Charity O'Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. Her stunning beauty and flirtatious ways have always succeeded with men. Until Mitch Dennehy, that is. Brilliant and dangerously handsome, Mitch is a no-nonsense newspaperman who wants nothing to do with her. Charity burned him once, destroying his engagement to the only woman he ever truly loved. He won't play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants--one way or another. Or does she? Will her best-laid schemes win his love? Or will her seductive ways drive him away forever?

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After reading A Passion Most Pure, I had doubts it could get any better. A Passion Redeemed is a story of forgiveness and redemption. It touches your heart in a way that most fiction books just surface. **If you haven't read book 1, you may want to stop reading**.

I counted the days until this book came out. Knowing that Christianbook.com usually gets books in early, I checked often to see if I could beat the release date. Sure enough, I saw the little green in stock and ordered two copies, one for my sister-in-law and one for me. I was out of town when my SIL called and said, "The books are here!". We squealed on the phone and I did a little jig in my head since I was sitting in the car.

In A Passion Most Pure, we left off with Charity being a young spoiled, selfish girl that used her looks to get what she wanted and didn't care who it hurt in the process. She was out to ruin the life of the person that she hated the most, her sister.

A Passion Redeemed prologue picks up right at the end of A Passion Most Pure. Charity is still in Ireland and wrecking havoc. My first thought was, oh no, here we go again.

The challenges that Charity came against made her into a different person, no need to worry whether or not she'll be likable. I must say though, she did some horrific things in APR; prepare yourself.

With PMP I carried it everywhere, work, car, home. Anywhere that I went it went with me. Same for APR, I couldn't get any work done knowing that Charity was up to something, again, and Mitch was doing this or that. I must confess, I did read under my desk, yet again. This is becoming a "thing" with Julie Lessman books. Julie, I love your books but my employer may not. Ha ha ha ha.

Book 3 will be out in March 2009, and I am beyond excited. Julie Lessman gives you a little glimpse of the characters of Book 3 in A Passion Redeemed. I fell in love with one of the characters that showed up towards the end of the book, well, he was there all along, but he really comes to the front towards the end.

Julie Lessman is one of the best Edgy Inspirational authors out there. You'll never be dissapointed when reading her books. Her books speak to the romantic heart and stir the soul.

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Read my review for PMP.

Interview with Julie Lessman.

Book Giveaway

I finally finished reading the 4 books that I was judging for the Faith, Hope, & Love Contest. 4 books! It took me five long weeks to read these because I wasn't that into it. I am narrow minded when it comes to books, I admit it, I'll remember this next time when I accept to judge.

Unfortunately I can't tell you what I thought of the book, scores are confidential.

I am giving away one book for now, Leave a comment over the next week and I'll pick a name, out of all 4 or 5 of you. lol. Make sure and leave an email address for me to contact you.

YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS ROLLING

SIGNED BY AUTHOR

Description:

A devastating fire wakes up the Yadas to a new reality: God is on the move.

What I'd like to know is, why does God keep rearranging my comfort zone? It could have something to do with my Yada Yada prayer sisters, who aren't afraid to get in each other's faces and tend to expect big things from God.

But to move forward, sometimes we have to let go of what's behind. In spite of the loss of two dear friends. In spite of the breakup of a teenage love. In spite of the curse of HIV. In spite of prison time hanging over the head of a beloved child. In spite of fire consuming the hopes of those who have nothing.

Yet out of the ashes, God is doing a new thing! It's time for the Yadas to press on, pray on, and get rolling!

My Wonderful Random Week

It's been a really great week... If Sunday was any idea of how the week was going to be, I was ready to stay in bed and cover my head until it was over. But, it has been wonderful! Very random, but great! The one thing that would have made it better... reading. That always lifts my spirits. But then again, maybe it was such a good week because I wasn't reading... who knows.

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This post is going to be a full of pictures today. I walked outside the Saturday before Easter and saw these poinsettias in full bloom... from Christmas! In my backyard! I don't know how it is anywhere else, but we don't see poinsettias around here until late November.

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Kids and Cell Phones

On Wednesday nights I work with the kids, ages 2 - 13 at my church. Every Wednesday we have to make an announcement, "Please turn off your cell phones.". Not just for the older kids, the little kids too! Here are two of our 11 year old boys texting away before class starts. Next thing you know the toddlers will have cell phones!

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Enchanted *sigh*
I had the itch to see Enchanted (click for trailer) after my Sister and Becky said that they saw this twice already. I have now seen it twice and wouldn't mind seeing it again. Such a great movie! I loved it! Family friendly, great music, funny, and sweet.

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Faith, Hope, and Love...
I came home late on Wednesday night, I go straight from work to the hotel where my church is temporarily at while we are in the process of buying our building, and there was a box waiting for me. I opened it, expecting Wives & Daughters DVDs that I purchased forever ago. This is what I found...



BOOKS! I had forgotten that I sent in an application to be a Judge for The Eighth Annual Faith, Hope and Love, RWA Chapter’inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest. I received four books, all signed by the authors! Best of all, I can keep them!

• Summer by Karen Kingsbury


• Black Ice by Linda Hall


• The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth
  
• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling by Neta Jackson

I'm reading and judging these this month, I can't reveal my actual scores, but I will let you know about the ones that I really liked. I have never read any of these authors before, I know what you're thinking, Never read Karen Kingsbury? This will be my first one. I've been wanting to read her books for so long, I just didn't know where to start. Has anyone read Book 1, Sunrise? If you have, please let me know if I should read that one before Summer. Or fill me in so I'm not lost...

This is going to be very different for me, I don't usually read books like this, I tend to be drawn to the Christian Romance. We shall see...

Keep an eye open for a book giveaway this month... My bookcases are getting too full at this point.

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No Books for two weeks...
I can pick up a book and READ on Saturday! I thought that I would be able to read today, but I calculated wrong. When I wake up on Saturday morning, Deep In The Heart of Trouble and I have a date!

A Passion Most Pure

Novel by Julie Lessman

I bought this book after reading the review on Edgy Inspirational Blog. I had a hard time getting past the first chapter because time would not permit me. After sitting myself down and making myself read, I couldn't put this book down. I carried it everywhere. I read it the moment I woke up, while the iron was warming, while my curlers were heating up, and I dressed early for work so I could sit on the couch and get some reading in before I had to leave. I read it in the car, under my desk (only one time, after I gave in to the temptation), and on my breaks (which I never take). I have never done this with any other book... any book. I can't get the characters out of my head or put this book down.

I don't do reviews... but, I did want to share with you what I thought of this book.

The story is told in different characters points of view. Not just the main characters. The O'Connor family resembles the Smiths in Meet Me In St. Louis. The easy banter, arguments, love for each other, and sibling rivalry pulls you into the fold right from the beginning . It reminded me so much of my own family. The fact that they were Irish was a thrill. The Irish blood in me took over...

The book started right off with a bang, no waiting for romance to develop. You got in the head of Faith and Collin and felt the attraction between the two. There were so many ups and downs, I didn't know which way the book was going, but I definitely wanted to hold on for the ride.

Throughout the whole story there was a message of how God feels for us and how we should feel for Him. How he fits into the life of a marriage and a romantic relationship in general.

I was angry at times with how things turned and then they would turn back to how I wanted them and then turn again... I can say, this book was not predictable. I cried, laughed and cringed.

The book was lengthy but everything, I mean everything belonged. Towards the end I wanted the book to end, I needed some closure (and some sleep). Something to put my mind at ease! This so rarely happens; I usually want the book to keep going and stay involved with the characters, but I really wanted things to settle by the last few pages (I mean this in a good way). Even in the end there are so many twist and turns.

Whatever you do, do not peek in the back. I don't understand how people can do this, but I was so tempted to on this one... DON'T! It's so worth it not to.

I was reminded of the verse, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. Romans 8:28

I still cannot believe that this is a debut novel. I can't wait to get my hands on A Passion Redeemed in September. Seven long months... Oy.