Love Lifted Me (A Songbird Novel) [Hardcover]

Sara Evans (Author), Rachel Hauck (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2012 | Series: A Songbird Novel

A fresh start is a gift. So is having a hand to hold.

Jade and Max share a deep love, though revelations from his past have recently shaken their marriage. And Jade is completely smitten with Max’s little son, Asa, whom she is now raising as her own. Their blended family brings her a joy she’s never known. But there is one more secret to be uncovered. One that will impact them all.

Max is doing his best to “man-up” and prove himself worthy of Jade’s devotion. As well as that of his young son. It seems like life in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, will pick up where it left off until Max is faced with an unusual opportunity—leave his family’s law firm to coach high-school football in Texas.

Realizing a fresh start will bring healing to their marriage, Jade takes the leap of faith and moves with him and baby Asa, bidding good-bye to her beloved Blue Umbrella shop.

The new beginning in quaint Colby, Texas, is soon sullied when Max discovers the high-school program isn’t all it seemed. While Max struggles to rebuild a once glorious football team, Jade wrestles with news that could break Max’s heart . . . and change their lives forever.

“[T]ouching and emotive . . . sizzles with passion . . . a beautiful story of hope tackling betrayal and love manning up to win the game.” —–USAToday.com

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Jade Benson feels that she can never trust her husband, Max, again. Not only did he cheat on her with her best friend, Rice, but a baby resulted from the affair. When Rice dies in an airplane accident, Max brings the toddler into their home. Two-year-old Asa is the brightest spot in Jade’s life. Despite the boy’s beginnings, Jade feels nothing but love for him. But Jade’s world is about to crash again. She receives news that Max isn’t Asa’s dad, and the biological father knows it. Jade has survived infidelity, miscarriage, and major damage to her shop by an out-of-control car, but losing Asa could very well be the thing that destroys her. Country singer and songwriter Evans and novelist Hauck (Dining with Joy, 2010) have proven to be a winning team. This third installment in the story of Jade and Max (The Sweet By and By, 2009; Softly and Tenderly, 2011) carries the same emotional wallop as the first two. Although libraries will want all three volumes, this one also works well as a stand-alone novel. --Shelley Mosley

About the Author

Multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans has garnered such honors as ACM’s Female Vocalist of the Year, CMA’s Video of the Year, one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People," and the first country star to compete in ABC's Dancing with the Stars. This is her first fiction series.

RITA-finalist Rachel Hauck lives in Florida with her husband, Tony. She is the author of Dining with Joy; Sweet Caroline; Love Starts with Elle; and The Sweet By and By, co-authored with Sara Evans. Visit RachelHauck.com and SouthernBelleView.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544917
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544919
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story of love, perseverance through faith December 30, 2011

By SFH

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

i have read the 2 previous books in this series & looked forward to reading this book. The first chapter starts out with a situation that immediately catches your attention & through out the book the author(s) take you from one situation to another. The main thrust of the book is about people & their relationships, w/some sinister characters which create some intrigue.

Very well written & I high recommend the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring story of love and faith - Highly recommended December 21, 2011

By KrazyBookLady

Format:Hardcover

Jade is worried that she cannot trust her husband, Max, when he returns from rehab due to an addiction to pain pills. She has concerns that he will begin using again, and she is still recovering from finding out he had a baby with another woman. A baby that was supposedly conceived just one week before their marriage. Jade has fallen in love with the baby, Asa, now almost 2 years old and has been caring for him while Max was away at rehab, but a newly discovered secret may take Asa away from them. Max is also turning their world upside down when he decides he wants to leave his family's law firm in Tennessee and move to Texas, where he was in rehab, to coach the failing high school football team. Jade puts her faith in the Lord while learning to trust Max again and while they forge a new life in the face of secrets and adversity.

This book is beautifully written, and I really enjoyed reading it. It is very inspiring and touching, and it brought tears to my eyes. The main idea is simply about always putting your faith in the Lord and let Him lead you in the decisions you make. Not just during the easy times, but also when you are struggling, experiencing adversity, or following your dreams against all odds. Sometimes the right choice isn't always the easy choice. I would highly recommend this book. I now have the other books in this series and other books by Rachel on by TBR list.

(A copy was provided by the publisher for review. I was not required to give a positive review.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Conclusion June 10, 2012

By i blog 4 books

Format:Hardcover

I read the second book in the Songbird series when it came out last January. I finally had the chance to pick up Love Lifted Me, the conclusion over the weekend and was NOT disappointed.

After months apart, Max returns to Whisper Hollow to repair his marriage and father his two-year-old son. Jade struggles with trusting the changes she sees in Max, and Max vows to remain patient. As they attempt to find their rhythm, Max is offered the chance of a lifetime--as a high-school football coach in Texas. Alone in a new place with a new dream for their future, Max and Jade encounter one challenge after another--threatening their marriage, their family, and their new life.

As I began reading, I wished I had a better memory of how the previous book ended. A few pages in, though, I was completely caught up. I appreciated how the authors wrote the back story into the novel while still moving the current story along. Max and Jade's story was so realistic and one I think many readers will be able to relate to in one way or another. Who hasn't been let down by someone they love? Or made choices they later regretted?

I'm a huge football fan, so of course, I loved that aspect of the story--especially the relationships that Jade and Max developed with the players. Coaches should take an interest in their players' lives and care about more than just wins or losses, and that was one of the great lessons of this book.

Love Lifted Me lived up to every expectation I had. Romantic, emotional, funny, and full of redemption. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading it and was sorry to reach the end. I highly recommend this beautiful series (but read them in order!) and hope to see more from the authors soon! [5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via Net Galley in exchange for my fair and honest review.