Customer Reviews

Sunday Morning Secrets

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This novel was a page-turner! My bookclub read this book and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't be fooled---this is not a "christian fiction" novel. While based on relationships in the church, this book really has a bit of everything---intrigue, suspense, love, sin, faith, redemption---you will not want to put this book down. Shirlita McFarland had done a wonderful job of feeding the reader's interest and intellect. The novel is not predictable and will keep you on your toes until the end! It is a must read!

In Sunday Morning Secrets, King's Chapel has many underlying secrets, and they will soon be revealed. Pastor Jonathan Pierce is caught between his moral values and God's teachings or hiding his wife's drug addiction at any means necessary. Unfortunately, there is one person who knows about his wife's drug addiction and is blackmails the pastor to help him with his illegal activities.

Busybody, but devoted church member, Alma Curtis suspects something is not right within the church. When the FBI comes knocking, because of a murder that leads to the church doors, Alma is determined to find out the truth.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Alma has a secret of her own, that she has been hiding for years. If this secret is revealed, it will hurt those closest to her. Unfortunately, the damage proves to be too much and Alma does the unspeakable. Everyone will be shocked to the core.

Sunday Morning Secrets by Shirlita McFarland proved to be a surprisingly fantastic read. This is definitely unlike any Christian novel you will ever read. Although it is sprinkled with some sermons, it really has an awesome storyline that will keep you engrossed. I really enjoyed this novel and eagerly anticipate more from this author. Due to minor editing issues, with words running together, my final rating would be 4.5 stars.

Reviewed by Leona R.
APOOO BookClub

When I started to read this book I thought I knew how this story would unfold. I couldn't have been more wrong. The twists, turns, and discoveries of the plot left me in shock. I closed the book with my mouth wide open. At one point, I literally yelled out "Oh my God!"

"Sunday Morning Secrets" proves to be better than your average Christian Fiction novel. The characters and their lives are weaved together beautifully. The story takes the reader on a journey from failure, betrayal, deceit, and danger; to faith, forgiveness, and redemption. The author clearly illustrates how dangerous secrets, lead to severe consequences once exposed. Some are devastated by the revelation and others are set free. We find that all of the characters have secrets but each decides whether exposure will destroy them or make them stronger.

I must admit that I wasn't prepared for the ending. "Sunday Morning Secrets" demands a sequel. Bravo to the author for creating such a compelling cliffhanger. I might even dare to say that the ending may leave some readers disappointed to be left hanging at such a pivotal point in the story. I'm anxious to read the next installment. Eager to see how the author will deal with the spiritual implications and the psychological repercussions surrounding the decision made by one of the main characters. I hope that the author's sophomore work picks right up with the last chapter as the prologue and continues from there.

I closed the book wondering if all the secrets of every member in our local churches were exposed for all to see would it be as shocking as "Sunday Morning Secrets?" I came to the conclusion that the only reason we would be shocked is because we have unrealistic expectations of what it means to be a Christian. We place people on pedestals and then we are disappointed, and blame them when they fall off of the pedestal we should have never placed them on in the first place. The characters in this book remind us that no matter how much we may sing and shout in church on Sunday morning, no one is without sin, flaws, or secrets.

There were some formatting issues that caused words to be improperly spaced throughout the book. It was a distraction from an otherwise gripping storyline. Despite that I'll be looking for the next book with great anticipation.

____________________
Dianne Rosena Jones is Transformational Life Coach, Inspirational Speaker, Host of "Becoming Who I AM" on BlogTalk Radio, and Author of "Tragic Treasures: Discovering Spoils of War in the Midst of Tragedy" voted "BEST INSPIRATIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR [2010]."

What a refreshing change from what I am used to in Christian Fiction.

Ms. McFarland gives us an upclose and personal peek into the lives of the pastor and members of King's Chapel Church. She does an excellent job introducing us to the chararcters, as well as defining their relationships to each other. The author also did a great job breaking the stereotypical mold for Christian fiction; she gives us a new perspective. Each of the characters carry his or her own secret, some which turn deadly. There was also an interesting small side plot involving Alma Curtis and her collection of "church people" figurines, who at times literally take on a life of their own.

Sunday Morning Secrets was one of those books where you could not predict the next move. In spite of numerous errors, which could have easily been prevented with spell check and better editing, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a change in their Christian fiction reading. I rate this book 4.5 Pink Diamonds for the poor editing.

5 Pink Diamonds
Sistah Deniece of the SistahFriend Book club

Minister Jonathan Pierce of King's Chapel has been a dedicated pastor of the church for ten years. He's always been one to preach with spirit and in truth. But underneath it all, he's hiding a terrible secret and isn't sure if prayer and being steadfast for the Lord will get him through. His beloved wife has a drug addiction, and he has not told anyone about this situation. But someone knows and is blackmailing him and making him do some unspeakable things.

Now if you have belonged to a church for a while, you know there's some nosy people in the church. Well, there's nothing different about King's Chapel. Miss Alma Curtis, a devoted church member, is the church's busybody. And if there's anything that's going on in the church, she will definitely find out about it. Little does everyone know, Ms. Alma has a couple of skeletons in her closet, and if anyone finds out, it will devastate her entire family.

In the first novel of author Shirlita K. McFarland, she did a fantastic job. Sunday Morning Secrets is not your "run of the mill" Christian fiction. It gives you drama, suspense, and some spiritually. It does have it's share of church sermons, but it does not go into a full blown preaching moment like some novels will do. Sunday Morning Secrets is a real page turner. My only disappointment is that there's a large amount of typos and grammatical errors that could have been caught. But overall, Shirlita K. McFarland did a good job on the story itself.

Reviewed by Jackie
for Urban Reviews

Sunday Morning Secrets was a book of intrigue. The things that your friends can get you to do when you feel your life has come to an end. When you feel that life is boring,you have no friends and the children become your life. Your husband is the pastor of the church and his life is his congregation. You begin to look for other avenues to fill your time, so when friends come in you forget all about what being a pastor's wife is all about and you take the first step into darkness and continue until eventually it take over your life. Changes take place in your life and you begin to see the light and begin rehabilitation and you find the life that you were looking for is the same that you had in the beginning.

What a refreshing read! I couldn't put the book down. I became so invested in the characters....it felt like I knew the people personally. It has inspired me to take a closer look at my own walk with God. Bravo!!! I'm looking foward to reading the sequel.

This debut by author Shirlita McFarland makes us examine the best and worst of who we are, what we expect from others and what it takes to be truly happy in life. With a style that is both conversational and compassionate, she welcomes the writer into the world she creates and dares us to leave it unchanged by what we've read. A terrific read!

We are first introduced to the King family and members of King's Chapel Church in North Carolina one hundred years ago. As we fast forward to the present, members of the King Family still attend King's Chapel now under the leadership of Pastor Jonathan Pierce. The pews in SUNDAY MORNING SECRETS are overflowing with lies, jealousy, half-truths, secrets, drugs, and busy-bodies. Scattered in the midst is unyielding faith and love.

This author's attention to details was amazing, no gaps or unanswered questions. Relationships and why characters were connected to each other poured out of the pages from beginning to end. The message of faith, forgiveness, love and family stood above all else, even in the middle of tragedy. Can you judge when you have secrets of your own? Can you forgive others, when you haven't forgiven yourself? Are your secrets, life changing for others? Each of these questions and much more are answered in the pages of SUNDAY MORNING SECRETS.

This debut novel by Shirlita McFarland opens up a new direction in Christian fiction without being preachy, yet interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. As much as I enjoyed this read at times, I was put out due to the large number of typo and editing errors. Some of which should have been caught by proofreading and spell-check.

Reviewed by Toni Bonita
of The RAWSISTAZ (tm) Reviewers

I haven't completed the entire book (I have 50 pages to go) but I wanted to ensure that others would know that the book is definitely worth the read! The author's style is impactful, keeps you turning the pages and you never grow bored with the build-up describing the characters. The author is insightful and builds plot upon plot to keep the storyline moving! Well written!