Monday, February 11, 2019

Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy + Giveaway!

Beautiful Debut

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Victoria Lynn Designs. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.


What’s worth risking your heart?

That’s a powerful theme in Sarah Grace Grzy’s debut book, Live Without You. The characters face it many times throughout the story, but the reader does as well.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about Piper’s and Ezra’s journeys was the faith thread. For each character, it was a little different, but both grew well into deeper belief. That, in a story, always gives me great hope that such incredible spiritual growth is possible each day. Sometimes it feels like my own growth is by inches; other times, it feels bigger, stronger. It’s especially nice to read books that deal with faith conquering fears, because I’ve personally lived that out and know just how strengthening it is – not because of my own strength, or the characters’, but because of God’s strength working in us. That was beautifully displayed in this book.

If you’ve followed my reviews for any length of time, you know I love it when the emotions of a story pull me in and refuse to let go. While I did not cry this time around, my emotions were still tugged in early. I’m not sure when they’ll be released! At times it felt like a roller coaster – but that wasn’t a bad thing this time! I loved the ebb and flow of certain emotions in this one, especially when the lovely banter came in to lighten up the mood, often at the perfect time.

The plot twists… oh, honey! They kept coming and surprising me. Hard to do, as I’ve read a TON of books and can “call” the majority of upcoming events in novels before they happen, but this author did a wonderful job of keeping me guessing. I don’t know how many times my jaw dropped in shock at the next turn of events. I really appreciate the authors who can completely keep me guessing while remaining true to the characters and following a logical path to the surprises. That’s some talent!

With the theme of risking one’s heart, the author could have chosen a route of loose morals, but I really like that she kept the romance clean and sweet. It still felt so real too! That gave me such hope that romances that keep to God’s standards of purity may still happen out in the real world, though they get harder to find every day. This story was a great example of how to respect the person you’re interested in romancing while also respecting God and yourself. Morals don’t have to be compromised in order to have a special relationship. In fact, the relationship in this story was made even more incredible because the characters stuck to their moral code and leaned on God’s wisdom in how to proceed in their romantic journey. That, to me, is one of the sweetest and most real things about romance.



Visit Goodreads to see more reviews of this book.



About the Book:


Piper Redding is a loner, but lonely. Everyone she loves has abandoned her and opening her heart to others is just asking for more pain. She can’t help but blame herself for her brother’s tragic death six years ago, and in her guilt, she shuts herself off from the world. No one could love her—not even the God who promised to be there for her but wasn’t.


For paramedic Ezra Bryant, failure is not an option. He’s had enough of it, and only by God’s grace is he able to put it behind him. But when a traumatic event brings Piper’s greatest fear and Ezra’s failures to light, can they use that event to allow God to mend their broken pieces? Can love triumph over fear, and grace over guilt?



About the Author:


Sarah Grace Grzy is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called 'Life,' she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a wood stove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other.


A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. Sarah Grace is a freelance web and graphic designer, and when not working, spending time with her ever-growing family, or reading, she can be found painting, playing the piano, or fangirling with her sisters and friends. She inhabits the State of Great Lakes, and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else—unless it meant she could have a baby penguin, in which case, she’d gladly move to the South Pole.

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Giveaway:


Grand Prize ~ $20 Amazon gift card, Signed Paperback of Live Without You, Specialty designed mug.
Second Prize ~ $5 Amazon gift card, ebook copy of Live Without You
3 Third Prize Winners ~ Ebook copy of Live Without You


Grand prize open to US entrants only, 2nd and 3rd prizes available internationally.
Giveaway runs from 12AM 1.21.19 - 12AM 1.23.19.

Victoria Lynn Designs retains the right to disregard any entries that they deem bogus or spam.

Best wishes to the entrants!




Check out the entire blog tour here.



What recent books have surprised you with lots of good plot twists?

Which debut books have you enjoyed lately?


In February, we're reading about characters who are writers!


2 comments:

anne said...

This book looks sweet, and great giveaway! My favorite verse has been Romans 15:13 for awhile!

Andrea Cox said...

What a wonderful verse! I love that it's full of hope. Thanks for participating in the giveaway, Anne.