Until Forever (Women of Prayer) [Kindle Edition]

Darlene Shortridge (Author)

Book Description

Jessi hung up the phone. That was the fifth time she tried calling home with no answer. She had just started eating lunch when she remembered she had forgotten to call home. It was something she would never forgive herself for.

It was something she would never forgive herself for…

It wasn’t until lunchtime that Jessi remembered to call home. No answer. She tried calling several times while she ate her lunch. Still no answer. She closed her eyes and rested her arms and head on her desk. She breathed deeply, wishing she had remembered to call earlier.

Until Forever is a story of a young family that is torn apart by the devastating effects of alcoholism. Can healing take place in a relationship when an unforgivable act is committed? Will Jessi's pain and Mark's guilt keep them apart forever, or will unforeseen circumstances bind them together?

Darlene Shortridge attended Alderson Broaddus College as a voice major. She found she was more passionate about her writing classes than her vocal classes. She left college early and since that time has written various projects such as Bible School Curriculum and poetry. She has also written and recorded a CD of original music. She lives abroad with her husband and two children. Until Forever is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Darlene Shortridge attended Alderson Broaddus College as a voice major. She found she was more passionate about her writing classes than her vocal classes. She left college early and since that time has written various projects such as Bible School Curriculum and poetry. She has also written and recorded a CD of original music. She lives abroad with her husband and two children. Until Forever is her first novel.

Product Details

• File Size: 434 KB
• Print Length: 275 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1617521191
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: TreasureLine Publishing; 2 edition (April 12, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007TXXNOQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,248 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #25 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction > Romance
  • #27 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Inspirational > Christian

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mercy triumphs over tragedy in this moving story April 26, 2012

By Dee Dee Wike

Format:Kindle Edition

As a writer and reader of non-fiction, I found myself totally engaged and surprised by the emotions evoked as I read Darlene Shortridge's Until Forever (Women of Prayer). Darlene has masterfully written a very moving story about a family torn apart by alcoholism and its effects. Not only does this book deal with the family dynamics surrounding the tragic results of substance abuse, but Until Forever also demonstrates the healing and restorative power of fervent prayer.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story of love, forgiveness and redemption April 16, 2012

By Ursula

Format:Kindle Edition

Until Forever is a powerfully written, inspiring work by a wonderful storyteller! Ms. Shortridge created realistic characters that are completely relateable to. Even if you've never known the devastation of what addiction can do to a family, Ms. Shortridge brings it home to the reader. This is a story of love, understanding and most importantly, a faith in God and His power.
A compelling story. Be ready to laugh and cry...and be moved. Highly recommended...

48 of 58 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Emotional and moving April 17, 2012

By Tracy Krauss

Format:Kindle Edition

Until Forever by Darlene Shortridge is a deeply emotional story about second chances and learning to forgive. From the outset, Jessi and Mark Jensen's marriage is rocky at best. Jessi comes across as an over anxious control freak, while her husband Mark is selfish, immature and has a drinking problem. With that kind of foundation, is it any wonder that Jessi coddles their only child and treats Mark like an adolescent rather than an equal member of the relationship? Then devastation strikes. Mark and their son Ethan are involved in a car accident. Mark, who had been drinking, goes to jail and Ethan falls into an unresponsive coma.

Several years pass and Jessi decides to pull the plug and let Ethan die. She has become even more bitter than before, and even her Aunt Merry, a woman of deep faith, cannot convince her to surrender her problems to God. Meanwhile, Mark has been undergoing some changes of his own while in prison. Befriended by the prison Chaplin, he becomes a Christian and embarks on a brand new life as a believer. The biggest surprise that takes place during this time is that Jessi has had another child - a girl named Olivia, who is also Mark's daughter. Apparently she was pregnant when the accident happened and no one knew. I had to wonder where the infant was while she was spending every waking moment at her son's bedside before he died. That aside, the story moves forward when Mark gets released from prison. For me, this is where the story really begins.

The tables have turned as far as the reader's sympathies go. Mark is a genuinely changed man, where as Jessi has become, quite understandably, even more anxious and unforgiving. Little by little, however, through the prayers of Aunt Merry, Mark and others, Jessi begins to soften....

What I really liked about this book was the way the characters were so well rounded. I can't imagine facing this same kind of trauma and yet the author manages to reveal all the emotional turmoil while still keeping it real. Healing is a slow process for Jessi, as I imagine it would be for someone faced with this situation. Mark, as a Christian, demonstrates the dramatic change that can take place in a person's life without becoming a goody-good or seeming cliché.

Because of the depth of the emotional content, this was not always an easy book to read. However, it was satisfying in that the character's growth and the story line moved steadily forward. Ultimately, healing does come, but it is not an easy journey. For a poignant, touching, and thought provoking read, try Until Forever. Read more ›

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Tedious read. August 3, 2012

By damomy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am clearly in the minority here, but reading this book was torture for me. It has a great premise, and sometimes you can really feel what the author wants you to feel. But for the most part it was boring and very middling in most every way. The author did a whole lot of telling and not much showing. Add to this that it was incredibly preachy. I prefer religion in books to be a lot more understated, coming across from the individual values and choices of the characters.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Family Torn Apart May 25, 2011

By Steve Groll

Format:Perfect Paperback

What can I say about "Until Forever" by Darlene Shortridge? Ah yes, it is beautifully written, full of likable characters, a powerful story, and it sheds light on an aspect of life that many dismiss, mock, and even resent. I am referring to the fact that millions of people actually take their faith in God seriously, live it, and find that it holds the solution to problems that so many of us struggle with. Here is a book that does not ignore the spiritual aspect of human existence, as so many books and movies do, but rather boldly showcases it in a realistic and interesting way for all to see. "Until Forever" is a story about a family torn apart by alcoholism and heartbreaking tragedies so deep that it seems only death can relieve the pain. Perhaps some things can never be forgiven. Is it true that there are no second chances when betrayal destroys trust? Is there hope for those who have lost all hope? Perhaps the most we can expect under the circumstances is polite tolerance and a parting of the ways. After all, we are only human. Or is there something more powerful than our human strength that can work miracles, and what form can those miracles take? Powerful and moving, "Until Forever" will stay with you. You will be loath to put it down and eager to pick it up again to find out what happens to a family so broken they might never fully heal. Steve Groll author ~ "Beyond the Dead Forest"

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Missing an important point May 14, 2012

By Vintage 1

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The overall story held my interest but was very predictable. But what 's with the aunt's constant prayers for the salvation of her niece and her ex but never a mention of any compassion or interest for the niece's mother or father? One of them must have been her brother or sister but they were just thrown in the story as careless, thoughtless almost worthless people who certainly didn't deserve any prayer or consideration that they also were not saved. It just kept implying they were beyond caring about. In sort of ruined the impression of the aunt being so caring for me. The author needed to have made the niece an orphan for the story to have worked. Just to leave the parents out like they never mattered after caring so much for the drunk nephew-in-law didn't make in sense in light of Christian love.

More About the Author

Darlene Shortridge is the best selling author of three Contemporary Christian Novels. She is an accomplished vocalist and a compassionate speaker. She lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and son.

Being a northern gal, she is quite proud of her developing language skills, especially when some dear friends taught her how to properly use the phrase, "Bless Your Heart."