What are the right choices to make when the past still has a hold on you…

Synopsis

From No. 1 bestselling author Beth Moran comes a story about family, friendship and community.

As Faith tries on her future mother-in-law’s wedding dress in preparation for her own wedding, her tears are not of joy. The hideous frock is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Web’ by Faith’s best friend Marilyn, who can’t understand why Faith would even consider wearing it. But there’s a lot Marilyn doesn’t know about Faith – not the least of which is that Faith is just the latest of the names she has called herself.

Faith and her brother Sam survived a traumatic childhood which included having to change their names to hide from the past, but surviving has left scars. Faith’s generous fiancé Perry doesn’t just promise to be a partner, he offers freedom and security, and enough kindness to keep Faith squashing down any doubts on what ‘being in love’ really means.

It’s not until she meets an extraordinary group of women at the Grace Chapel choir, that things start to become crystal clear. As choir-leader extraordinaire, the indomitable Hester, holds a mirror up to her ragtag group of singers, all with their own burdens and insecurities, and teaches them to see how magnificent they are, so Faith can dare to dream of a future where she and Sam can stop running and she might even be ready to accept the love that she deserves.

Number 1 bestselling author Beth Moran is back with her trademark ingredients of wisdom and warmth, heartbreak and hearts soaring. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Philippa Ashley and Jenny Colgan.

My review

Preparing to get married should make Faith the happiest woman on the world. Only, she isn’t… because not only is her wedding dress the most hideous one ever, Faith cannot exactly turn down the dress as she got it from her future mother – in – law, but also because there is a lot people don’t know about her, not just her fiancé Perry, but everyone in her new life.
A new life, as Faith and her brother Sam has a terrible childhood, making them even change names to be safe. And Perry is the one offering her freedom, safety and security, exactly what Faith needs. So does is truly matter that Faith isn’t crazy in love with him? Isn’t what he offers more than enough?
Faith joining the Grace Chapel choir, in the church she is adamant on getting married, is the start of Faith understanding the real meaning of love in all its ways, as under the direction of choir – leader Hester, not only Faith but each member, with all their own issues, learn how magnificent they all are. And what started as a choir, grows into a unit of close friends, making Faith believe that even she maybe may deserve love…

Having read several books from this author, I know that each new book will break my heart, but will also give me a lot of hope and even love.
And this book for sure wasn’t the exception, although perhaps it gave me more heartbreak than I expected to!

It’s clear from the very start that Faith has been through very rough times. And, unfortunately, it’s also clear that she isn’t madly in love with Perry. While it would be easy to judge her, as she is ready to marry him for her own reasons, I could understand her, even if I didn’t know the details of her past yet.

Because the choice Faith made, was a choice made out of love, not out of love for Perry, but out of love for her brother Sam, who is still haunted by that same past. And how could I possibly judge someone for making perhaps the wrong decisions, when she is doing it to bring peace to someone else?

The pain, fear and burden the siblings are both carrying, is so heavy, that I admired Faith strength as she just keeps on going, but it also broke my heart to see how that burden was just too heavy for Sam. Just like Faith, and April later on in the book, I wanted to help Sam or at least let Sam get the much needed help. And I could understand how Faith would never turn her back on her brother, despite all the pain he is causing her with his choices…

But beside the obvious pain and struggles in this book, that I even underestimated at first, there is also so much hope and love in this book.
What started as perhaps something accidental, it was great to see Faith join the choir. And even if it may seem something so silly, Faith finding her own little thing, was exactly what she needed to open her eyes.

Obviously Hester is a force to reckon with, as she is not someone to mess with. But with her power, Hester makes each member of the choir understand that all in their own, they are amazing people. And this choir is becomes so much more than just people singing together, as they become friends, and each member know they can lean on each other, no matter what, no matter how different their personal situation is.

It warmed my heart to see not only Faith opening up, becoming the Faith that has been hidden deep down inside for way too long. And it absolutely warmed my heart to see that Faith slowly starts to realize what real love looks like, and that even she deserve to have a chance at that kind of love.

While there is absolutely someone that makes Faith’s heart perhaps beat faster, and I couldn’t blame her as he for sure is just perfection, for me, it wasn’t the main plot of the story. It is a nice addition to the book, but for me, it was more about Faith finding her troupe, friends to rely and confide in, and finding herself being the person her friends can confide to.

This was a heart – breaking story to read, because I truly believe that what happened to Faith and Sam, and the aftermath, is unfortunately something children and people truly are living. But it was also a heart – warming story, a story so lovely that I gave me goosebumps. Because no matter what your background is, you just need to find *your* people and with their help, support, patience and love, you will start to believe that you are worthy, you are loveable, and most important, you are magnificent!