Customer Reviews

Defining Moments: A Novel

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4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Defining Moments by Jacquelin Thomas, a faith based novel of inspiration.

Sheila Moore, a blast from The Prodigal Husband's past is back after her last attempt to destroy the marriage of her business partner Jake Madison and his wife Tori.

The novel begins with the relocation of Sheila as she opens and heads the New York branch of Madison Moore Creative Visual Solutions Inc. The move serves as a way to expand the business while distancing herself from the shameful acts of her past.

Sheila appears to be relatively happy and moving on with her life until she receives devastating news concerning her health. While out purchasing books to research her condition, she runs into Nicholas Washington, a handsome author and best friend to Tori Madison.

Nicolas and Sheila develop a close friendship which has the potential to turn into more, but Sheila's overwhelming self loathing and hatred for Tori gets in the way. Nicholas is caught in the middle, while trying to be a friend to Sheila and Tori simultaneously. His unconditional faith and love for God helps him through these rocky relationships.

Defining Moments is a sequel to The Prodigal Husband; however, as a separate book, the storyline and characters are strong enough to stand alone. My initial introduction to these characters was in the first book, but, if this were my first introduction, Ms. Thomas would have more than adequately filled me in on their backgrounds.

I found this to be an extremely engrossing book that not only catches your attention by the characters but the subject matter as well. The protagonist in this story could very well put soap opera diva, Erica Kane (All My Children) to shame. Sheila Moore is not a character to be taken lightly. Ms. Thomas has excelled in portraying a woman that is seemingly bad to the bone. Her skill as an author is abundantly clear as she makes a simple statement. "If you really want to know who God is, just look at all He's done". That statement itself is more powerful than anything else that I could add. So with that said, readers beware, The Prodigal Husband has met its match.

Reviewed By: Eleanor S. Shields, Black Butterfly Review

It's been four years since the Prodigal Husband and author, Jacquelin Thomas, takes us back to the scenic South Carolina coast to revisit the characters. Through prayer and with forgiveness Tori and Jake Moore have worked to repair their marriage. Now the parents of two children, they seemed to have the perfect marriage and life. What could possibly be holding them back from receiving further blessings?

The villain that everyone loved to hate, Sheila Madison is planning to leave New York where she has resided for the past four years to return to Charleston, South Carolina. She has a lot of bitterness about the past. She hates Jake, but hates Tori more. She still harbors resentment towards her mother and detests her Gullah roots. She carries an extra burden after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Just before leaving New York, Sheila runs into Nicholas Washington, a long time friend of Tori's. Sheila sees this as an opportunity to befriend Nicholas and get back at Tori, but an unlikely friendship develops between the two of them. Nicholas not only befriends Sheila, but also through a long and difficult relationship teaches her about forgiveness and God's love. Not by berating her on her bad and sometimes unreasonable behavior, but by letting his Christian life be an example.

I was told that Christian Fiction is a ministry for the authors. Their novels should not only inspire you but should also teach a lesson. I admit this novel did both. It is so easy for one to say "I forgive you" but if you don not forgive and forget, you are merely saying words. And, if we expect God to forgive us each time we sin, how can we not forgive others who sin against us? I think Ms Thomas did a fine job of getting her message about forgiveness across without being preachy or overbearing.

Ms. Thomas also did an excellent job of educating the readers on MS. I could feel Sheila's pain and emotional turmoil as she coped with the devastating effects of this illness. Another thing Ms Thomas did very well was to put the reader in Charleston and surrounding areas. She almost made me want to take a trip to the South Carolina coast.

Jeanette

Apooo BookClub

Defining Moments

By Jacquelin Thomas

"Defining Moments" by award-winning novelist, Jacquelin Thomas, explores the mid-life journey of successful but troubled businesswoman Sheila Moore and the people that influence her.

The author paints a colorful illustration of how lives and situations can play out from youth into adulthood and how the rejection of God's love in the process can tarnish our entire life's outlook, leaving us lost and meaningless.

Outwardly, Sheila is a woman who appears to have it all together-she's an independent, wealthy entrepreneur who's able to afford all of the luxuries that money can buy including high-end clothes, hair stylists, homes, etc.; however, on the inside, her soul is a bubbling volcano, full of hate and despair, ready to erupt.

Ever since childhood, she has experienced a variety of "hard knocks" including the absence of a secure, stable home with supportive parents, feelings of low self-esteem because of her physical appearance and cultural upbringing and the sting of rejection by the only man she ever loved. To make matters worse, after an unexpected diagnosis of MS, she is seemingly pushed to the point of no return, consumed with the idea of living with a debilitating disease in addition to nursing her demons of past hurt, rejection, wrong intentions, misguided anger and false pride.

Jake Madison is the man Sheila's heart has yearned for since college who has never been able to return her love, even after a brief, adulterous affair. Tori Madison is Jake's suspicious wife who can muster up forgiveness for everyone else except Sheila. Finally, there is Nicholas Washington, a questionable ally/love interest, who also just happens to be a close, childhood friend of Tori Madison.

The beauty of this well-rounded story is that every major character, in one way or another, has a defining moment and hence makes the story come together with the overall theme. God strategically uses the people in Sheila's life that she distrusts the most to bring her to that defining moment where she accepts Christ and, for the first time ever, recognizes his agape love and never-ending presence in her life.

Nicholas learns through his off-and-on relationship with Sheila that God has used him as a power tool for deliverance and self-realization. Because Sheila has refused to trust God for so long, her soul is in a vulnerable state of emergency. Nick, who is a spirit-filled believer, is able to plant seeds of trust, compassion, prayer and the Word of God into her life. For Jake and Tori, a much-needed lesson in forgiveness and taking responsibility for ones own actions is learned and a special prayer granted.

The "defining moments" in our lives force us to address the challenges that come purportedly to strip us of our beliefs and cause us to question our existence. This is a story that demonstrates how those "moments" have the power to move us to a new level of purpose. Whether good or bad, we can leave the situation enlightened, more defined and motivated.

This book is an excellent read, very effective in conveying it's message of triumph over adversity and very conclusive in thought and reason for all of those who have ever asked the question, "Why Me?"

New York businesswoman/bad girl Sheila Moore takes a leave of absence from her graphic design firm after she's diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and decides to return home to Charleston, South Carolina to fight the disease. But before she returns home she bumps into Nicholas Washington, a man who knows all about the private shame that forced her to move from South Carolina in the first place. When he offers his friendship to help her through her battle she becomes suspicious. Is he in cahoots with his friend/her enemy, Tori Madison to ruin her life? She's not sure, so to safeguard her heart from any further humiliation Sheila vows to keep her growing feelings for Nicholas a secret.

Charleston novelist, heartthrob Nicholas Washington hopes his decision to befriend Sheila Moore will not destroy his friendship with Tori Madison. Her dubious past nature still sits fresh on Tori and Jake Madison's mind. He knows that Tori hadn't forgiven Sherri for trying to steal her husband, Jake four years ago. And her moving back to Charleston only makes matters most. Yet, Nicholas sees something good in Sheila. He prays to God to speak to Sheila's heart. But since he's still unsure of Sheila's character, he vows to keep his feelings for her a secret.

Thomas' long awaited sequel to the Prodigal Husband is a story of friendship, redemption and self-discovery. Unlike the prequel this novel isn't filled with page turning conflict. Instead it is a slow study on faith and forgiveness that will delight Thomas' loyal fans. Nicholas is almost angelic in his devotion to his prayer life and to Sheila. But he can speak a little too cliché when he counsels Sheila about faith and how it relates to her illness. Thomas' Gullah references and discussions on MS are commendable. However, for new readers and fans of the Prodigal Husband, the slow pace, various subplots, overwriting and awkward chapter endings make this story a harder read than its prequel.

There are those moments in our lives that truly define who we are. The problem sometimes is recognizing them.

Shelia Moore, the character millions of readers loathed in Jacqueline Thomas' novel, "The Prodigal Husband" is back. Only this time she is no longer in love with her married business partner Jake Madison, Bitter and alone, Sheila is determined to move on with her life. However, she receives some devastating news from her doctor. Sheila has multiple sclerosis.

In order to better deal with and battle MS, Sheila decides to take a leave of absence from the company she and Jake Madison built together. After subletting her apartment (to Jasmine Larson...could this be the same Jasmine Larson from Temptation and A Sin and a Shame by Victoria Christopher Murray?), Sheila and moves back to her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Little does she know that this move with brings her closer to her past.

In Charleston, Sheila has to come face to face with the people she has hurt. First there is Jake Moore and his wife, Tori. Then there is her mother whom she blames for not loving her enough and doing enough to raise her better. For the first time, readers will get a glimpse of the acrimonious relationship that exists between Sheila and her mother. This will provide clues as to why Sheila behaves the way she does.

Although Sheila feels alone, she finds an unlikely friend in Nicholas Washington, Tori's best friend. At first, Sheila is suspicious as to why Nicholas would want to befriend her. After all she is the woman that almost destroyed his best friend's marriage. Soon, however, Nicholas is able to convince Sheila that he loves and cares about her despite her past mistakes and her illness. It isn't long before loves begins to blossom between these unlikely characters. But will Sheila's bitterness and anger drive a wedge between them? Or will Tori finally convince Nicholas that Sheila is not the woman for him?

Sheila Moore's defining moments comes when she realizes she realizes just how much God loves her no matter how horribly she behaves. She also realizes that God's love is not based on the color of our skin and our outward beauty. However, Sheila's most important defining moment comes when Nicholas offered her an opportunity to learn about eternal salvation. Although Sheila is the central character of this novel, many other supporting characters experience their own defining moments.

Jacqueline Thomas' follow up to the "Prodigal Husband" is inspirational and thought provoking. Readers will find themselves examining their own defining moments.

Reviewed by Tonya S. Hall for GoodGirlBookClubOnline & The Good Girl Book Club Worldwide

Readers...PLEEZ stop giving away the entire story in your reviews!!! This is so irritating & is not the purpose of a review. You are telling the whole story, making some not want to buy the book because you've already told us all about the characters & what happened @ the end. You are stealing from the author. If I read that type of reveiew, I don't buy the book as the suspense is already gone. Thanx

Can we NOT re-tell the entire book when posting a review??? More than once I've ended up not buying a book - not because of a bad review, but because after reading the reviews I already knew the beginning, middle, and ending of the book! This is silly and extremely inconsiderate.

A review is where you give your opinion about the book and/or the author. That's what we want here. Cliff-notes is where you re-write the book, giving away details and plots and endings.

That's NOT what we want here. It's just common sense. Please.

This book is what got me hooked on Jacquelin Thomas. After I read Redemption, I was looking for something else of hers and found this one. The sequel, The Prodigal Husband have been a few of the best reads that I have found in the African American literature. I am not a big romance fan, but the love in this book would make anyone a believer in true love and faith.

It was GREAT! I mean I was all up in the bed crying. Didn't know if I wanted Sheila to find happiness or if I was still upset with what she did in the previous book! LOL!! Either way it was EXCELLENT!!!

Donnica Copeland

Sista Talk Book Club

I am so thankful that Ms. Thomas decided to explore the Sheila character in Defining Moments. I wondered while reading The Prodigal Husband what made Sheila the conniving witch she was, and with this book I found out why. I would have liked for her and Nicholas to get together in the end and hopefully they will in part 3!! (Hint Hint)