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tsteffes's review against another edition
4.0
I just read a quote that helped me understand a lot of what is going on in our country today, and I am speaking specifically about bullying. The quote was, "Hurt people, hurt people." This was specifically true of the main character, Aaron Firebrook, in the latest book by Melissa Jagears called A Chance at Forever. Aaron's past full of the horrors that people can heap on a child turned him into a child bully. In his later years, though, he had a complete change of heart, through the mercy of friends and the forgiveness of God, and returned home to the place where he bulled a number of people.
Aaron's story of overcoming his past, plus the words spoken through his actions, helps one of his targets see that a person can have a change of heart. Mercy McLain sits on the school board when Aaron applies for a teaching job. She doesn't speak out against him, but does want to sit on the pool of candidates for awhile while she figures out what she should do. Through day to day living, Mercy sees that Aaron is a good teacher and has overcome his bullying ways. Just when she is about to recommend him, someone else discovers he is the boy that terrorized the town during his growing up years.
Melissa speaks about prostitution, shame, marriage, relationships all through the message of redemption and second chances. If you are prone to loving a great story with a good message, you are going to love this book.
Highly recommended.
Aaron's story of overcoming his past, plus the words spoken through his actions, helps one of his targets see that a person can have a change of heart. Mercy McLain sits on the school board when Aaron applies for a teaching job. She doesn't speak out against him, but does want to sit on the pool of candidates for awhile while she figures out what she should do. Through day to day living, Mercy sees that Aaron is a good teacher and has overcome his bullying ways. Just when she is about to recommend him, someone else discovers he is the boy that terrorized the town during his growing up years.
Melissa speaks about prostitution, shame, marriage, relationships all through the message of redemption and second chances. If you are prone to loving a great story with a good message, you are going to love this book.
Highly recommended.
martyomenko's review against another edition
5.0
I have to say that I have come to expect quality and a subject matter that other authors won’t touch in this author’s books. I was not disappointed. Bullying was only one topic that could have been considered highly emotionally driven in this story, but other topics that are touched on are sexual abuse, dealing with a handicap, theft, parental abuse, abuse of power, revenge, and other such topics.
All that, but this book is so well done that it is not as if you are reading a book that is going to leave you feeling dirty. Instead, you will feel that you found hope in this book. Each character that seeks redemption, finds it. Those that are determined to not see the wrongful bent of their ways, are clearly shown to be not healthy.
While some may feel some of the subject matter to be above teenage reading level, I would say that this is what our teens need to be reading. We need to be giving them literature that causes them to think about these matters. How would they handle it if a childhood bully came back into their lives? Would they seek revenge? Or would they struggle with trusting them?
I know that a childhood bully came back into my life as an adult. I struggled with it. He deeply apologized, and seems to be a changed man, a wonderful father and raising his children to not be like he was. It was hard for me, and I felt that I could relate to this story in so many ways. I loved the stories of the orphan’s and my only complaint was that I wanted to see the in-between progress of some, like Jimmy in particular, a little more.
Great book series! I highly recommend it!
This book was obtained from the publisher. The opinion contained herein are my own.
All that, but this book is so well done that it is not as if you are reading a book that is going to leave you feeling dirty. Instead, you will feel that you found hope in this book. Each character that seeks redemption, finds it. Those that are determined to not see the wrongful bent of their ways, are clearly shown to be not healthy.
While some may feel some of the subject matter to be above teenage reading level, I would say that this is what our teens need to be reading. We need to be giving them literature that causes them to think about these matters. How would they handle it if a childhood bully came back into their lives? Would they seek revenge? Or would they struggle with trusting them?
I know that a childhood bully came back into my life as an adult. I struggled with it. He deeply apologized, and seems to be a changed man, a wonderful father and raising his children to not be like he was. It was hard for me, and I felt that I could relate to this story in so many ways. I loved the stories of the orphan’s and my only complaint was that I wanted to see the in-between progress of some, like Jimmy in particular, a little more.
Great book series! I highly recommend it!
This book was obtained from the publisher. The opinion contained herein are my own.
lizwine's review against another edition
3.0
A Chance at Forever was a quick, light read that was a nice palate cleanser between some denser readings on my shelf. Jagears has created likeable main characters in Mercy and Aaron. I was drawn to this book as the author is from my state of Kansas, where the book is also set.
betherin02's review against another edition
5.0
Full review on Faithfully Bookish
Mercy McClain has endured years of taunts, teasing, and being brushed aside. Mercy displays great courage and learns important lessons in compassion, forgiveness, and self-worth. Aaron Firebrook wants to atone for his past behavior and make a positive impact on his community. Years after the fact, he is paying the consequences for bullying his classmates.
Often abusers are also victims of abuse but bullying others won't heal those wounds and there's only One who can. This story gently touches on those unspoken hurts while wooing readers with a precious tale of forgiveness, compassion, and romance!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Mercy McClain has endured years of taunts, teasing, and being brushed aside. Mercy displays great courage and learns important lessons in compassion, forgiveness, and self-worth. Aaron Firebrook wants to atone for his past behavior and make a positive impact on his community. Years after the fact, he is paying the consequences for bullying his classmates.
Often abusers are also victims of abuse but bullying others won't heal those wounds and there's only One who can. This story gently touches on those unspoken hurts while wooing readers with a precious tale of forgiveness, compassion, and romance!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
embettis07's review against another edition
5.0
This book was wonderful from start to finish. Watching Mercy overcome her personal struggles, having a character whose disability was part of her but did not define her, and watching her deal with all of the curve balls life threw at her was an amazing journey. Aaron's dedication to doing right by those he wronged, modeling making the best choices that he could for the kids at the orphanage, and seeing him win Mercy's heart was beautiful as well. If you're looking for a book that will fill your heart to the brim, this is the one!
melissasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book in the Teaville Moral Society series! This story was all about redemption and forgiveness. The main character Aaron is a former bully and is looking to redeem himself in the eyes of the people he tormented as a child. Mercy, one of the children he tormented, is in a unique position. The town is hiring a new teacher and Aaron has applied. Mercy is one of the people on the board responsible for selecting the new teacher. Will she sabotage his chance or give him the chance to prove himself? Meanwhile the orphanage is looking for a new gardener. While Aaron awaits the board's decision, he takes on the position of gardener and math tutor to some of the orphans. What he doesn't realize, is that Mercy's brother and sister-in-law and Mercy herself oversee the orphanage. As the two frequently come in contact with one another, they can't help but realize a growing affection for one another, but can Mercy truly forgive him?
It's a great story with all kinds of twists and turns. Like most bullies, Aaron was abused as a child. The type of abuse isn't spelled out, but it isn't difficult to guess what happened based on certain events in the story. Mercy isn't your typical heroine and kudos to the author for including a heroine who is missing a hand. It's a compelling story with romance, mystery, and a hopeful message. Hoping there are more books planned for the series. It would be fun to read Jimmy's story.
It's a great story with all kinds of twists and turns. Like most bullies, Aaron was abused as a child. The type of abuse isn't spelled out, but it isn't difficult to guess what happened based on certain events in the story. Mercy isn't your typical heroine and kudos to the author for including a heroine who is missing a hand. It's a compelling story with romance, mystery, and a hopeful message. Hoping there are more books planned for the series. It would be fun to read Jimmy's story.
courtney_penspagesandpulses's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness in the book. Although there were some sweet parts with the love interest playing with the little boys at the orphanage, I never really fell in love with him. Overall, it was a nice, quick, clean read and did not require reading the previous books in the series.
lizwineks's review against another edition
3.0
A Chance at Forever was a quick, light read that was a nice palate cleanser between some denser readings on my shelf. Jagears has created likeable main characters in Mercy and Aaron. I was drawn to this book as the author is from my state of Kansas, where the book is also set.
ladywithaquill's review against another edition
4.0
I love reformed bad boys, and in a Christian historical romance, it can be a bit difficult to pull off. However, Melissa Jagears did a great job of showing the journey from a childhood bully to a repentant man, in a way that tugs on the heartstrings and gives hope to those of us who wonder if redemption is possible when we've hurt someone badly in our past. While I felt that some of the tension was a bit overdone and dragged on far too long, the writing and colorful characters created a depth to the story that made it highly enjoyable from beginning to end.
Aaron Firebrook has returned to his hometown a changed person. Having been a merciless bully in his youth, he journeyed west and found faith through a persistent preacher who wouldn't give up on him. Now on a quest to right the wrongs he did to people in his past, his next step in his penance is becoming a teacher. Having received a request from one of his old victims, who had difficulty walking and speaking as a boy, he seeks to help those who struggle with learning and protect them from those who don't understand. His biggest roadblock in achieving this comes in the form of yet another former victim - Mercy McClain, a member of the local school board. Missing her arm below the elbow, she was tormented by him in the 5th grade and has never forgiven him. The question is now - can she forgive him and see that he has changed, or will she let old wrongs affect her decisions today?
As I said, I like reformed bad boys in my romances, and I loved hearing Aaron's backstory, his path to becoming a better person, and seeing the steps he continues to take towards redemption. Mercy was a character I found difficult to like, unfortunately. While I appreciated what she did for a living and recognized she had a difficult time growing up, I felt she had a holier-than-thou attitude towards a lot of people and didn't live up to her name in the slightest. It took a *very* long time for her to forgive Aaron in the book, and as someone who was bullied when I was young, I have to say - if someone who bullied me when we were 9 came back into my life in our 20s, I wouldn't try to keep them from getting a job, adopting a child, or moving on with their life. I would like to think I would be a bigger person that that. Mercy had some redemption to do in this story as well, and I think she learned that she had faults too. I would just have liked it to happen a bit faster. Too, many characters in the story behaved in, what seemed to me, an unreasonably harsh manner towards Aaron. By the end, I wanted to give Aaron a giant hug. Overall, they were a nice couple, but it was a big struggle getting to that point.
This is my first full-length book by Melissa Jagears, and I would definitely read another of her books again. I have the first Teaville Moral Society sitting on my bookshelf in my home, and I think now is a good time to finally delve into it.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
Aaron Firebrook has returned to his hometown a changed person. Having been a merciless bully in his youth, he journeyed west and found faith through a persistent preacher who wouldn't give up on him. Now on a quest to right the wrongs he did to people in his past, his next step in his penance is becoming a teacher. Having received a request from one of his old victims, who had difficulty walking and speaking as a boy, he seeks to help those who struggle with learning and protect them from those who don't understand. His biggest roadblock in achieving this comes in the form of yet another former victim - Mercy McClain, a member of the local school board. Missing her arm below the elbow, she was tormented by him in the 5th grade and has never forgiven him. The question is now - can she forgive him and see that he has changed, or will she let old wrongs affect her decisions today?
As I said, I like reformed bad boys in my romances, and I loved hearing Aaron's backstory, his path to becoming a better person, and seeing the steps he continues to take towards redemption. Mercy was a character I found difficult to like, unfortunately. While I appreciated what she did for a living and recognized she had a difficult time growing up, I felt she had a holier-than-thou attitude towards a lot of people and didn't live up to her name in the slightest. It took a *very* long time for her to forgive Aaron in the book, and as someone who was bullied when I was young, I have to say - if someone who bullied me when we were 9 came back into my life in our 20s, I wouldn't try to keep them from getting a job, adopting a child, or moving on with their life. I would like to think I would be a bigger person that that. Mercy had some redemption to do in this story as well, and I think she learned that she had faults too. I would just have liked it to happen a bit faster. Too, many characters in the story behaved in, what seemed to me, an unreasonably harsh manner towards Aaron. By the end, I wanted to give Aaron a giant hug. Overall, they were a nice couple, but it was a big struggle getting to that point.
This is my first full-length book by Melissa Jagears, and I would definitely read another of her books again. I have the first Teaville Moral Society sitting on my bookshelf in my home, and I think now is a good time to finally delve into it.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
lizwine's review against another edition
3.0
A Chance at Forever was a quick, light read that was a nice palate cleanser between some denser readings on my shelf. Jagears has created likeable main characters in Mercy and Aaron. I was drawn to this book as the author is from my state of Kansas, where the book is also set.