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A review by meezcarrie
Finally Accepted by Toni Shiloh
4.0
One of my favorite things about Toni Shiloh’s books is the way she writes such warm stories that also tackle tough issues. It’s not an easy balance to keep the tone friendly and relatable while also wrestling with emotional topics such as abortion, racial identity, abuse, etc. Even with heavy plot lines, the tone of the story never feels heavy itself.
Shiloh shines in this area once again with Finally Accepted. Chloe and Darryl are layered characters who are struggling to feel accepted – by God and by the ones they love. It shows up in different ways in each of them, but the driving force is very similar. Related to their insecurities, these characters also explore racial identity issues, specifically related to being biracial. This perspective was particularly intriguing to me, as a white woman. Chloe’s struggles with not knowing how to relate to herself anymore, with feeling like she wouldn’t be accepted by either race – these are all things that had never occurred to me before, and I so appreciate the author broadening my own perspective in the process.
The romance between Chloe and Darryl has been brewing since book one in the Freedom Lake series, and Darryl in love is just adorably awkward. Lol. He doesn’t know quite what to do with himself whenever Chloe is around – and Chloe is much the same way around Darryl. I very much enjoyed watching the two of them figure out what the rest of us have seen all along.
One final element that I loved about Chloe and Darryl’s relationship was watching them navigate the different steps in their journeys with Jesus. Chloe has been a believer for a long time but her faith is a little shaken by the news she’s received about her family. Darryl is just beginning his relationship with Jesus, and there are lots of ins and outs and ‘finer details’ that he doesn’t quite get yet. Shiloh does a great job here of authentically grasping the faith struggles that both encounter along the way – and framing it from the right perspective.
If you haven’t yet traveled to Freedom Lake, you really must ‘book’ a trip soon!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
Shiloh shines in this area once again with Finally Accepted. Chloe and Darryl are layered characters who are struggling to feel accepted – by God and by the ones they love. It shows up in different ways in each of them, but the driving force is very similar. Related to their insecurities, these characters also explore racial identity issues, specifically related to being biracial. This perspective was particularly intriguing to me, as a white woman. Chloe’s struggles with not knowing how to relate to herself anymore, with feeling like she wouldn’t be accepted by either race – these are all things that had never occurred to me before, and I so appreciate the author broadening my own perspective in the process.
The romance between Chloe and Darryl has been brewing since book one in the Freedom Lake series, and Darryl in love is just adorably awkward. Lol. He doesn’t know quite what to do with himself whenever Chloe is around – and Chloe is much the same way around Darryl. I very much enjoyed watching the two of them figure out what the rest of us have seen all along.
One final element that I loved about Chloe and Darryl’s relationship was watching them navigate the different steps in their journeys with Jesus. Chloe has been a believer for a long time but her faith is a little shaken by the news she’s received about her family. Darryl is just beginning his relationship with Jesus, and there are lots of ins and outs and ‘finer details’ that he doesn’t quite get yet. Shiloh does a great job here of authentically grasping the faith struggles that both encounter along the way – and framing it from the right perspective.
If you haven’t yet traveled to Freedom Lake, you really must ‘book’ a trip soon!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)