Book Review
Shattered Vows by Linda LaRoque
Publisher: Prayers & Promises Publications
Publication Date: November 10, 2014
Format: Paperback - 188 pages
Kindle - 1365 KB
Nook - 215 KB
ISBN: 978-1503113756
ASIN: B00P9UPWO0
BNID: 2940150414396
Genre: Inspirational Women's Fiction
BUY THE BOOK: Shattered Vows
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book excerpt tour event hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Book Description:
Annie and Stuart Rayburn have loved each other since high school. Their life is idyllic until their baby dies of SIDS, and Annie falls into a deep depression. Months of therapy help her recover, and they look forward to another child sometime in their future.
Despite his own grief Stuart tries to comfort Annie, yet when he reaches for her in the night, his advances are rebuffed. In a moment of weakness, he turns to another woman. Stu learns his night of infidelity produced a baby girl. The mother died in a car crash, and her will gives Stu custody.
Stu can’t deny the child is his, and he’s determined to raise her. He begs Annie’s forgiveness. Hurt and angry, Annie must face her demons, decide if she can forgive Stu, and love the innocent child, or divorce him and move on without the only man she’s likely to love.
Book Excerpt:
A nervous twitter escaped her mouth, and she shook her head. "No, that's not like you, Stu. You're joking."
His eyes shimmered with moisture. "I wish to God I were."
She stared at him, taking in the pain and lines around his eyes and mouth as he struggled to stay in control. Oh, God, no, no, please, God, don't let it be so. Invisible knives cut deep where her heart beat . . . it ached, oh God, it hurt. She clutched her chest and gasped for breath. He reached for her, but she slapped his hands away. "No! Don't . . . touch . . . me!" She closed her eyes and struggled to relax her breathing, calm her racing heart.
"I'm so sorry, Annie. If it's any consolation, I detest myself more than you ever could."
White heat burst in her head, and she struck out the only way she knew how. She lurched to her feet and slapped him across the face, again and again. "You son-of-a-bitch . . . cheater . . . adulterer." He grabbed her wrists. "How could you do this to us?" She jerked her hands out of his hold, fell back against the corner of the sofa, dropped her head to her knees and sobbed.
"I never meant for it to happen, Annie. It wasn't an affair. It happened once."
She jerked her head up. Like that mattered. "When?"
"Last June when I attended that convention in Reno."
"Who?"
"A business associate." He propped his elbows on his thighs and lowered his head into his hands. "We'd both had too much to drink. It started out as a harmless flirtation, and it’d been so long since you and I had sex. When playing around went past teasing, I didn't stop things."
"So, you're saying what you did was my fault. If I'd handled my grief differently you wouldn't have gone sniffing around for sex?" Her shrill voice sounded like a mad woman's. Her frame shook, and she struggled to stop the shivers that shook her body. All those years, all the joy and love they’d shared . . . gone.
He whirled to face her. "No, dammit. I'm saying I missed making love to you, Annie. You let me hold you while you cried, but if I tried to love you, you pushed me away. You rolled over and gave me your back."
He was right. She'd turned in on herself and could barely function for months. She wrapped her arms around her waist. She tried to speak, to voice her despair and rage, but only managed to weep and pound the sofa back.Oh, God, please . . . tell me this is a bad dream.
His eyes shimmered with moisture. "I wish to God I were."
She stared at him, taking in the pain and lines around his eyes and mouth as he struggled to stay in control. Oh, God, no, no, please, God, don't let it be so. Invisible knives cut deep where her heart beat . . . it ached, oh God, it hurt. She clutched her chest and gasped for breath. He reached for her, but she slapped his hands away. "No! Don't . . . touch . . . me!" She closed her eyes and struggled to relax her breathing, calm her racing heart.
"I'm so sorry, Annie. If it's any consolation, I detest myself more than you ever could."
White heat burst in her head, and she struck out the only way she knew how. She lurched to her feet and slapped him across the face, again and again. "You son-of-a-bitch . . . cheater . . . adulterer." He grabbed her wrists. "How could you do this to us?" She jerked her hands out of his hold, fell back against the corner of the sofa, dropped her head to her knees and sobbed.
"I never meant for it to happen, Annie. It wasn't an affair. It happened once."
She jerked her head up. Like that mattered. "When?"
"Last June when I attended that convention in Reno."
"Who?"
"A business associate." He propped his elbows on his thighs and lowered his head into his hands. "We'd both had too much to drink. It started out as a harmless flirtation, and it’d been so long since you and I had sex. When playing around went past teasing, I didn't stop things."
"So, you're saying what you did was my fault. If I'd handled my grief differently you wouldn't have gone sniffing around for sex?" Her shrill voice sounded like a mad woman's. Her frame shook, and she struggled to stop the shivers that shook her body. All those years, all the joy and love they’d shared . . . gone.
He whirled to face her. "No, dammit. I'm saying I missed making love to you, Annie. You let me hold you while you cried, but if I tried to love you, you pushed me away. You rolled over and gave me your back."
He was right. She'd turned in on herself and could barely function for months. She wrapped her arms around her waist. She tried to speak, to voice her despair and rage, but only managed to weep and pound the sofa back.Oh, God, please . . . tell me this is a bad dream.
My Book Review:
Shattered Vows is an inspirational story that follows the emotional journey of a couple who face very serious and traumatic circumstances that shattered their vows, and test the strength and stability of their marriage.
Annie and Stuart Rayburn had the perfect marriage until traumatic circumstances causes cracks in their marriage. Devastated by the death of their baby to SIDS, the couple struggle with their grief and the ability to move forward in their marriage. Stuart becomes frustrated by Annie's inability to cope and withdrawal from him that he seeks comfort in the arms of another woman. Stuart's infidelity comes to light when the woman he had an affair with had his baby and dies in a car accident leaving him with custody of the baby. As Annie and Stuart struggle with the circumstances that arose in their marriage, they embark on an emotional journey to work together to save their marriage through faith, strength, and love.
Shattered Vows is a beautifully written story that easily draws the reader into Annie and Stuart's story. You can't help but feel compassion and empathy for this couple as they struggle to keep their marriage alive after tragic circumstances and crises causes enough cracks in their relationship that it could ultimately destroy their marriage. As Annie and Stuart embark on their journey to save their marriage, their choices and decisions will ultimately determine if their faith and love is strong enough to sustain life's hardships.
Author Linda LaRoque weaves an inspirational tale that is realistic and thoughtful. The emotional issues that the couple faced in their marriage is easy to relate to, and engages the reader to ponder what would they do if these circumstances occurred in their own marriage. As the couple struggles with heartbreak, grief, temptation, betrayal, and disappointment, they learn that the strength of their faith and love can instill enough forgiveness and hope for a reconciliation that could repair their shattered marriage vows.
Shattered Vows is an emotional story of one couple's journey to overcome the crises and challenges that test their love, faith, and strength of their marriage. This is a compelling story that will pull at your heartstrings, stir your soul, and resonate with you for a very long time.
RATING: 5 STARS
About The Author
Linda LaRoque is a Texas girl, but the first time she got on a horse, it tossed her in the road dislocating her right shoulder. Forty years passed before she got on another, but it was older, slower, and she was wiser. Plus, her students looked on and it was important to save face.
A retired teacher who loves West Texas, its flora and fauna, and its people, Linda’s stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. She is a member of RWA, her local chapter of HOTRWA, NTRWA and Texas Mountain Trail Writers.
Linda writes contemporary western romances, time travel romances and futuristic romances. Shattered Vows is her first Inspiration Women's fiction.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
AUTHOR BLOG
GOODREADS
Contest Giveaway
Author Linda LaRoque will be awarding three individual prizes to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour:
1st prize—sterling charm bracelet with baby theme and a handmade wooden jewelry box
2nd prize—a handmade wooden shawl pin and an ecopy of Shattered Vows
3rd prize—an ecopy of Shattered Vows
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/01/excerpt-tour-shattered-vows-by-linda.html
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Virtual Book Excerpt Tour
Click on the above link for the tour schedule
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Thank you for entering me in the contest. I love the prizes: the jewelry box, and I like the bracelet. Of course, I love the book. Want to read it.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for your kind words. I hope you get a chance to read Shattered Vows. It was a labor of love.
DeleteMy husband is pretty talented with his wood working. I think the 1st place winner will enjoy the jewelry box.
Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteHello, Jersey Girl! Thank you for hosting me today and for the lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed Annie and Stu's story!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event. Shattered Vows was a wonderful story, I really enjoyed reading it. :)
DeleteThank you, Kathleen! I'm glad you enjoyed Shattered Vows. It was a new direction for me. I hope to write more Inspirational's here in the near future.
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you did, Rita. I hope you'll follow the site schedule and continue to read.
Delete