Customer Reviews

Wounded Healer (Homeland Heroes, Book 1)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've wanted to read WOUNDED HEALER for awhile, and I'm glad that I did, since I read it in a day. The story has a lot of good things going for it, but be forewarned that, at least for me, there were several things that were also so irritating I often wanted to throw the book against the wall.

Erin Grayson and Chris McIntyre served together during Operation Desert Storm. Although they obviously came from different backgrounds and had different belifes (Erin was a Christian and Chris was not), the two formed a close friendship during the few months they served together. Until Erin caught a glimpse of the reason behind Chris's emotional stress, and a tragic accident caused the death of a fellow serviceman. After that, the two women went their separate ways with no further contact.

That is, no contact until Chris is involved in another tragic event that once again results in death. Erin, resolved that God wants her to help her old friend, hops on a plane and heads to Chris's side, determined to help her through the hard times, no matter how long it takes.

And it's going to take awhile. Chris is battling personal demons, ones that have been with her since she was a child. She finds solace in alcohol, doesn't want to hear a word about God and his plans for her, and is convinced that her current lot in life is all that she deserves.

What follows is a story told in present day, with Erin hoping desperately that Chris will come to find God's love, interspersed with sections of story dedicated to the women's time in Desert Storm.

First, the good: These two characters are great, easy to relate to, and the dialogue is, for the most part, believable. Although I absolutely cannot stand Scott Mathis, Erin's husband, I'm hoping that my attitude towards him will change when I read the second book in the series. I really enjoyed the parts of the book set during Desert Storm, and came to love the secondary characters of the story.

The not so good: Although I enjoy Christian fiction, Ms. Fleisher has a way of pushing the religious aspects on the reader. I know a lot of very religious individuals, but I've never met anyone in real life who literally prays with every other breath - about every single thing - like Erin does. These parts of the story irritated me, but the backbone of the storyline was interesting and enjoyable enough that I kept reading.

Overall, I'm not sure I'm a fan of Ms. Fleisher's writing style, but thankfully her storyline is intriguing enough that I plan on reading the rest of the series.

Sometimes there are people functioning around us who are terribly wounded inside. Donna Fleisher reveals such a person in Chris McIntyre, a Colorado Search & Rescue worker, tormented by her childhood, her Desert Storm service, and her present. Through the plot twists, we understand some of what made Chris who she is, and are given the opportunity to she who she can become. It's refreshing to find a book that doesn't reveal all, nor does it try to wrap everything up in a neat package. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I can't believe I bothered to finish this book. Can't be returned cause it was a free download. So many of the scenes and the dialogue seemed stilted and forced. There really didn't seem to be a natural flow to the storyline. I liked the general idea of the book better than the execution.

I found the character of Chris interesting enough that I can't give the book one star, but she's the only (somewhat) redeeming element of this book. Other reviewers have already summarized the plot, so I won't spend much time on that, other than to point out that it goes completely off the rails at the end. I don't want to spoil this for anyone, so all I will say is that NOBODY would behave the way the "bad guys" do at the end. They must have some psychic abilities in order to be able to be where they are when they are, and their motivations and ultimate actions are laughably, obviously unbelievable.

Unfortunately, even without the insane set-piece at the end, I still can't recommend this book. Another reviewer mentioned how every character dwells on Erin's wonderfulness and grieves when she cries - which she does a lot. That's an accurate critique, as is the point that at no point does the READER understand just what makes Erin so magnetic and influential.

I began by saying that Chris is an interesting character. She is, for several reasons. Her pain and anger ring true, as does her desire to turn away from the world. I started out invested in her healing, but the author doesn't seem to know what to do with this character she's created. Textual clues suggest certain events in her childhood, but the Big Reveal chickens out. When Chris finally confesses the reason she thinks herself to be a horrible person, I couldn't believe it: I kept waiting for her to say something more. It was as if someone had been dropping dire hints about a dreadfully criminal past, only to confess to having once shoplifted a candy bar. (I am not suggesting that her "confession" isn't painful, only that it doesn't deal with what the text suggests actually went on.)

Honestly, had I known how this book would turn out, I would never have bothered downloading it. It starts out relatively strongly, but falls apart irredeemably at the end.

"Christina McIntyre. Good. She still knew her own name..."

So begins chapter one of Donna Fleisher's Wounded Healer. By the time you've reached the end of the page, she has grabbed you by the lapels, jerked you from your seat and dragged you into ex-soldier Christina McIntyre's life.

By the end of the first chapter you're so engrossed in the story that you never notice when Fleisher releases your lapels and takes hold of your heart.

With a gift for storytelling and an engaging writing style filled with short, snappy sentences and stunning descriptions, the author paints a vivid portrayal of the meaning of friendship, the horror of war, and power of forgiveness and unforgiveness.

But most of all, Fleisher reminds us of the immeasurable love and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There is a truth to Wounded Healer that is refreshing. No sudden, miraculous answers or white-washed platitudes here. The characters are real, with real pain and real struggles. It's a no-holds-barred journey that keeps the reader captivated page after page.

I was grateful to be dragged along.

Donna Fleisher has set a new standard in Christian fiction that will leave us, her readers, clamoring for more!

Blessings,

Perry P. Perkins
Author
"Just Past Oysterville"

I downloaded the Kindle version when it was offered for free. First of all, I do wish that the Kindle listing clearly stated that this was a book with a heavy Christian slant. I might not have downloaded it if I had known. Not that I have something against all novels with a religious element - some of my favorite books have that - but I have usually found contemporary Christian novels to be extremely heavy handed with the Christian parts. This book is no exception.

Beyond that, the writing is okay which is why I give it two stars. However, the characters are for the most part uninteresting, morose, or just plain boring. The one character I even vaguely liked gets killed very early on. I don't require all the characters in a book to be likeable, but at the very least they should be interesting.

In any case, I will be reading the descriptions of non-classic free Kindle books a lot more carefully from now on.

I really wanted to like this book. Published by Zondervan, main characters Gulf War veterans, imperfect Christians... But in spite of my best efforts, I really did not like the book.

It has lots of potential, but needs a lot of editing to make it a book of quality, which I believe it could be. There is some good dialogue, but much of it is confusing and some is just plain pathetic. There are lots of repeated lines and many similar scenes that do not carry the story, and there are parts that are just unbelievable. And, sad to say, some parts are just unbelievably stupid. I can normally suspend disbelief with the best of readers, but this book often left me shaking my head in frustration.

For the most part, the characters did not come across as real but rather as strange compilations forced by the author as if she was afraid to let them be real. Chris's reaction to the little girl playing basketball was way off the scale with no reason either stated or implied. The scene near the end at the cabin was totally wack, and the presentation of the gospel was scattered and unclear. Erin's quoting of every scripture verse she could dredge up on any given topic was annoying, to say the least, and her constant watching Chris while she slept seemed a bit voyeuristic. Erin treated Chris more like a child than an equal, also annoying.

As a Christian, I find myself frustrated with the mindset of so many other Christians who believe that the very label "Christian" automatically makes anything better. I also find myself frustrated with the dearth of quality Christian literature available. Sadly, this book does nothing to ease that dearth. As I said, it does have potential and I did want to like it, but instead forced myself to slog my way through to the disappointing end.

WOUNDED HEALER by Donna Fleisher (Homeland Heroes, book 1)

From the back cover:
Flooded with panic, two words burst through Erin's mind: GET HELP. She ran for the door, but someone grabbed her, twisted her arm behind her. Erin's shriek was smothered by a cold, clammy hand.

"Shhh--" Breath tickled her ear--" Just take it easy . . ."

Surrounded by the oppressive sand, heat, and tension of Operation Desert Storm, soldiers Erin Grayson and Christina McIntyre shared a special bond. But when an ugly secret from Chris's past shattered without even a good-bye.

Four years have gone by since that day in the desert, but Chris has spent her entire life running from the past, hiding her deepest secrets from those who care for her most. And now tragedy has ripped apart her life. She sees no hope in tomorrow.

Overcoming her own anger and doubt, Erin rushes to Chris's Colorado cabin. When Chris's fear of God and Erin's faith in him collide, they are involved in a different kind of war that only one of them can win. As Chris wrestles with grief, fear, and ghosts from the past, Erin fights to pull her from the brink of self-destruction. She will not lose Chris again.

Chris's life is at stake...as well as her soul.

Camy here:
This amazing novel starts off with a suspenseful bang, but it's a deeply emotional book on friendship and trust. It's a more unusual women's fiction novel, involving more action than I've seen in other books, but I enjoy that aspect of this.

The writing grabbed me by the throat. Powerful, vibrant, gritty.

Characterization is deep like still waters. Everyone is unique, whether it's the protagonist or someone with only ten pages of screen time. Chris is vividly three-dimensional, strong and memorable. Erin is consistent and markedly different from her friend. I would have liked to see more grit in her, also, but it almost doesn't fit with her softer personality.

The faith element is a major story thread, and it's done with a skilled hand, one of the best I've seen in Christian fiction. Chris's struggles are honest and real.

My biggest objection was the overprotective, hostile nature of Erin's husband. I felt angry and disgusted at how he jumps to conclusions about Chris, which would naturally feed her rebellious nature. But I guess that also means the writer did her job, since I care about Chris and feel strongly about Scott. I also see how the author is setting the scene for the next book in the series, WARRIOR'S HEART, where Chris and Scott are the main protagonists.

It also bothered me how everyone around Erin sympathizes with her and feels sorry about how Chris hurts her. No one even thinks about the underlying issues Chris is dealing with--they all rally around Erin, treat her like the victim, bemoan her loyalty to someone who lashes out at her. Erin cries a LOT. However, my bias could also be because I relate more to Chris--wounded and angry--than Erin, who's had less trials in her life.

The author's experiences in Desert Storm lend authenticity to the flashback settings. I felt as if I were there, in the helicopter, in the barracks.

This is a great story with memorable characters.

Unfortunately, I was not a person who could wade through the preachy. Although not my faith, I enjoy many Christian fiction works when the religion is merely one part of the story. Because of that, I download pretty much all of the free Christian fiction novels, including this one. I didn't finish it, so I don't know how it ends but I can guess.

Bottom line: if you enjoy Christian fiction where the main plot-line is to help a character find Jesus and become a practicing Christian, you will enjoy this book. If, like me, you only enjoy Christian fiction where the religious plot is a background plot, you probably will be irritated by this book.

I really enjoyed this book at the beginning. Chrissy's tragedy and the backstory was very interesting and I felt it was fairly well written. However, once Erin became a character, almost every other line was an italicized internal conversation G-d or Jesus on Erin's part. I basically skimmed over those. Even with that, I stuck through it through more than half the book because the backstory of Chrissy and Erin in Iraq was extremely interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed those parts. However, by the time Erin got Chrissy to come stay with her for a bit and we met some of the other Vets that they served with, it became obvious that the backstory was basically done and the rest of the book was going to be dedicated to this bunch of people helping Chrissy accept Jesus into her heart as that will somehow make her abusive childhood and the violent death of her boyfriend who died to save her... I don't know, matter less? Make the pain more acceptable? At that point I decided I'd gotten as much from the book as I could and closed it.

Don't waste your time. I read about 5 chapters and just couldn't finish it.