2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
3rd in Famlies of Honor series is truly compelling, September 1, 2011
This review is from: The Survivor: Families of Honor, Book Three (Paperback)
The Survivor by Shelley Shepard Gray is the third book in the Families of Honor series. Mattie Lapp has finally beat the breast cancer that stopped her life in its tracks. She asks best friend Graham Weaver to help her find a husband so she can start living again. Graham is hurt by her request as he's been waiting for years for Mattie to recognize how much he loves her. His life is quickly turned upside down when Jenna, a girl he dated a few times, names him as the father of her unborn child and the entire community looks at him with scorn. Gray also continues the stories of Lucy and Calvin's new marriage and Ella and Loyal's growing romance, as well as John's decision to return to the faith he left so long ago. Gray does a fantastic job of writing bonnet lit, creating a canvas of characters who light up the page. Have you ever read a book that pulled you in so deeply that you lose reality for a moment? After finishing this book, I had to stop myself from looking outside to check the damage from the tornado. That's compelling writing! Gray is one of the best in the business, and I can't wait to read what she writes next.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Predictable yet satisfying, September 2, 2011
This review is from: The Survivor: Families of Honor, Book Three (Paperback)
If you've been reading this series, then it's finally come to read about Mattie's story. We've followed her throughout the books as she has been in remission from cancer. Throughout the books, she's shown as a person who's frustrated with her situation but still hopeful and having lots of faith. The romance is light and while predictable is quite sweet. I really like how Graham and Mattie have been friends forever so a potential romance was always inevitable. At first I was rooting for Will but then his true nature came out which made me a bit sad.
Jenna's story seems a bit out of place in the context of the entire book. I was annoyed at her for what she did to Graham and then even more annoyed that she never told the real father. It got a little too perfect at the end for me though, with the other family's reaction to her news. My only qualm is that I wasn't that big of a fan of how John came to his final decision. Throughout the series we see him flip-flopping between the two women and then the Amish and the outside world lifestyle. We see him make the decision but I didn't really get a good sense of why he did it other than emotional feelings. The whole spiritual aspect never comes into play which I think is a serious issue in going back and forth between these lifestyles.
This is another nice Amish romance from Gray that I enjoyed reading. I have a feeling that this won't be the last time we see these characters. Gray has a tendency to write a Christmas novel featuring characters from past series so I wouldn't be surprised if next year we find out what Lucy, Ella and Mattie have been doing since we last left them.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Survivor, December 16, 2011
This review is from: The Survivor: Families of Honor, Book Three (Paperback)
Mattie Lapp has survived breast cancer. Now, she wants to reenter the world of the living. Since her long-time love, Graham Weaver is dating Jenna Yoder, Mattie asks Graham to set her up with some of the men he works with at his job. But Graham is strangely reluctant. He finally agrees, but none of the young men seem to fit.
Graham has been dating Jenna since Mattie doesn't seem to be as interested in him as he'd like and he's trying to move on. But he soon realizes that he and Jenna don't suit, so they break up. Unfortunately, Jenna isn't as ready to move on. She tells everyone that she's pregnant and insists that the baby is Graham's. Graham denies it vehemently, claiming he never even kissed Jenna, but that doesn't stop his family from taking Jenna in and insisting that he do the right thing...
Jenna knows she's lying and she knows who the real father is, but she believes that admitting the truth would be worse than the lie she's spreading. Will Jenna's lies tear Mattie and Graham apart and keep them from admitting to each other the love they've always felt? Or will she do the right thing, and admit to the truth?
THE SURVIVOR is the third and final book in Ms. Gray's Families of Honor series. The series is about the brothers in the Weaver family and how they all find love. I would recommend reading the books in order so you know all the stories in whole, but if you don't have the earlier books, or if it'd been awhile since you've read them, THE SURVIVOR has enough back story in it to keep the reader from guessing what is going on.
Mattie is a character I can deeply relate to as I've been where she's been and traveled those same roads. I wanted her to find a man to love her for herself, and not a relationship based on physical appearance. It's hard to feel beautiful when you've had a mastectomy and are bald. Graham is a stellar hero who's been with Mattie, taking care of her every need since she was first diagnosed, and I was glad he argued that he really wasn't the father of Jenna's baby. I wanted to encourage him to stay strong, even when the pressure mounts. I highly recommend THE SURVIVOR and the other books in this series. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book.
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