Rebekah Lyn

Author Rebekah Lyn’s Seasons of Faith series ends with an elegant and Christmassy finale in Christmas Vows. A full cast of characters return for this story that centers on an upcoming wedding, but what happens when the bride finds herself battling grief on the way to what should be the happiest day of her life?

As with the previous novel I read in this series, I found here a straightforward story mixed with much faith. Though the main characters are all dealing with their own separate situations, the storylines are easy to follow. There were places where my interest waned somewhat, while the characters discussed rather standard minutiae involved in wedding planning and times when the storytelling lingered over minor matters.

Still, the novel’s beautiful cover put me in expectation of some beautiful moments, and those expectations were met. Here’s a heartfelt and worthwhile read that many fans of Christian Fiction should enjoy.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from a publicist for an honest review.… (mehr)

The first book was a book of disasters where many people were thrown together in an effort to survive the season's group of hurricanes. Our five main characters meet under different conditions and in different capacities. The second book was a book of mystery and adventure where Ms. Lyn's readers become better acquainted with the friends. This third book is a book of testing: testing character, testing resolves, and testing relationships. An example of this is in the development of Ian and Lizzie's relationship. In the second book, the reader may conclude that their relationship was on solid ground. Yet this third book creates uncertainty, tests their stability as a couple and stretching each one individually. That makes for very good reading.

Lizzie begins to put distance between herself and Ian, while simultaneously drawing closer to Jeffrey, especially after his car accident. Ian becomes jealous of Jeffrey when he finds out about this. Michelle, too, feels some envy at Jeffrey and Lizzie's easy camaraderie. Ian is already frustrated with the slow growth of his design business. He begins to wonder if Lizzie is the girl for him to settle down with. Lizzie is not aware of these undercurrents. She is battling her own fears about falling back into her past lifestyle which she has kept hidden from Ian.

After going through a hair-raising experience in the second book, Michelle feels much less secure in the current book. She's dissatisfied with life, leans a little more on her friend Jeffrey for friendship while at the same time nothing seems to go her way. This subplot left me yearning for some type of resolution for her.

Jeffrey shares the limelight with Ian and Lizzie. After the events of the second book, Jeffrey resolves to stay closer to God, stay dry and away from former relationships that could lure him back to his old ways. He spends a little more time with Stephen. At the same time, he also resolves to reach out to Michelle in an effort to "be Jesus" to her. Of course, most of these resolutions are tested repeatedly, creating a sense of mystery about his relationship with Michelle. His accident temporarily takes him out of Michelle's sphere and into the care of his parents. Happily this gives him an opportunity to gain some peace with them.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series so far. Rebekah Lyn's writing style pulls us into the details of friendships and leads us to care for each of the five friends. The pace of this third book is slower than the previous books, which seems to be intentional in order to develop the tangled web of events, tests, and character development. If you enjoy delving into the details of life, watching how people going through life without God learn about Him and reach out to Him when others are not accessible, then you will enjoy this book.

Additional note: The fourth book in this series is soon to be released. Look for a December wedding!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."… (mehr)

Winter's End is the second book in Rebekah Lyn's Seasons of Faith series. In book 1 we meet Elizabeth Reynolds, Ian Cavanaugh, Jeffrey Robbins, Stephen Longbottom, and Michelle Burton. The first book's emphasis was on Elizabeth and those involved in her circumstances. By the conclusion of that book, Elizabeth and Ian had begun a new romantic relationship. Their story continues in this second book as a subplot where the author explores their growth individually and as a couple, while LIzzie and Ian are in Vermont on a ski trip with his parents and her adopted parents.

In the meantime, the main plot is split between Stephen and Michelle. While Lizzie is away on vacation, Stephen is in charge of their concierge team at Hotel Lago. He is professionally tested when he spends the weekend overseeing a particularly fussy group of executives on a business retreat. Michelle, on the other hand, had just experienced an exhilarating night with her rock band, only to arrive at her office job the next morning to discover a co-worker had been brutally murdered and left in one of the office's bathrooms. The three storylines, plus a subplot where the murder investigation moves forward in its own suspenseful timeline, weave and intertwine with each other in a similar manner to Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series.

Then there's Jeffrey. He noticed Michelle was on the news because she was the one who discovered the body and called 911. Although their last time together was a disaster, he decided to call her to check on how she was dealing with the shock. They got together and she immediately noticed how he had changed. Eventually she discovered he had become a Christian. His presence helped her cope with her new fears. Their relationship is yet another subplot that will apparently continue in one of the future books in this series.

Winter's End gives readers a little bit of everything. Suspense quickens the pace when Detective Mike Emerson and his assistant try to hunt down the murderer while the evidence in fresh and before he strikes again. Good character work is evident as we learn how Lizzie and Ian's relationship is developing. Spiritual topics crop up naturally when Michelle's experience shakes her to the core. Jeffrey plays an important role in answering some of life's toughest questions. Continuity flows throughout the tale, connecting the books closely, allowing resolution in some relationships while anticipating how some other events will need to be resolved in the future.

I have noticed that the best way to read these books is to read them back to back to enjoy the story's flow. The first three books are already out. Another book will be coming out soon, in late 2015 or early 2016. I am looking forward to reading the next two books. If you enjoy Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove books and other author's works with a similar style of writing, then I recommend this book and the series to you.… (mehr)

It's not a regular habit of mine to jump into the middle of a book series instead of starting at the beginning, but I jumped right on into author Rebekah Lyn's Seasons of Faith series with the first book I've ever read by her, Spring Dawn. I saw the cover, skimmed the blurb, approached the novel with the expectation of an easy and uplifting romantic read mixed with faith, and I wasn't disappointed.

The author illustrates Lizzie and Ian's realistic and stressful relationship situation without dragging it out into something that becomes tedious or depressing to read. Even though there's a lot going on in the professional and private lives of Lizzie, Ian, Jeffrey, Michelle, and Stephen simultaneously, the story doesn't feel too "busy."

There are some scenes I imagine would've touched me in a deeper place had I read the preceding books in the series, but overall, the writing is straightforward, so I didn't feel left behind. I find it awkward or sometimes confusing when a character's direct thought isn't italicized or anything, when it's a lone sentence or two that isn't clearly distinguished from the narrator's words. However, since this didn't happen too many times, I wasn't jarred out of the story.

Here's a simple romance and "journey of faith" read I'd recommend to other fans of Christian Fiction.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from a publicist for an honest review.… (mehr)