By That Sin That Fell the Angels by Jamie Fessenden, 2nd edition

o-by-that-sin-fell-the-angelsTitle: By That Sin That Fell the Angels
Series: N/A
Author: Jamie Fessenden
Genre: Faith-based Contemporary
Length: Novel (200 pages)
Publisher: DSP Publications (2nd edition Aug.11 2015) (1st Edition published by Itineris Press, August 2012.)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Blurb: It begins with a 3:00am telephone call. On one end is Terry Bachelder, a closeted teacher. On the other, the suicidal teenage son of the local preacher. When Terry fails to prevent disaster, grief rips the small town of Crystal Falls apart.

At the epicenter of the tragedy, seventeen-year-old Jonah Riverside tries to make sense of it all. Finding Daniel’s body leaves him struggling to balance his sexual identity with his faith, while his church, led by the Reverend Isaac Thompson, mounts a crusade to destroy Terry, whom Isaac believes corrupted his son and caused the boy to take his own life.

Having quietly crushed on his teacher for years, Jonah is determined to clear Terry’s name. That quest leads him to Eric Jacobs, Daniel’s true secret lover, and to get involved in Eric’s plan to shake up their small-minded town. Meanwhile, Rev. Thompson struggles to make peace between his religious convictions and the revelation of his son’s homosexuality.

If he can’t, he leaves the door open for the devil—and for a second tragedy to follow.

ISBN: 978-1-63476-353-0

Product Link: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/by-that-sin-fell-the-angels-by-jamie-fessenden-130-b

Reviewer: Cat

Review: Terry Bachelder receives a call at 3 am. The call is for his gay men’s group, but is a young person troubled. Sounds like a student. Terry is a closeted teacher in a small very religious town. His Boyfriend, Jack, a closeted lawyer tells, him to hang up.

Terry keeps talking realizing this young man seems suicidal but he doesn’t know what to do. He hasn’t a name or has no idea where this person is or even if it’s for real. Jack warns him not to get involved in any of the kids problems he could go to prison as a sex offender if a parent presses it.

Jonah finds Daniel one of his classmates dead in the church above his apartment. Jonah struggles with his sexuality. Seeing Daniel dead and naked still stirred feelings in him since he had a crush on him. There is one boy is school, Eric that doesn’t hide his sexuality and is picked on daily. Jonah friends him to find out Daniel was gay also and seeing Eric.

Isaac is Daniel’s father and the preacher of the church that is above Jonah’s house. He doesn’t understand why Daniel would kill himself and expose himself as he did. Isaac also is dealing with the fact his wife died when Daniel was very young. She drank and was killed one night while out. He kept this all quiet. Events lead to the outing of Terry the teacher and implicate him in the life and death of Daniel. Isaac is out to destroy him.

This book starts out with bloodshed and anonymous calls. From the first page I was hooked. I think I held my breath the entire three and a half hours it took me to finish. So be prepared to finish when you start. Each page is chilling or sad, or in some cases sweet and loving.

It follows the life of a young boy struggling with his sexuality. The heart breaks he goes through, tragedy, pain and love. It also involves a teacher that is a good person just living his life loving his job and his boyfriend. One tiny little phone call practically destroys his entire life.

Each character is well written and you feel their pain, their agony. The entire story is riveting and a page turner. If you’re looking for a happy ever after or super sweet love story then this isn’t one. I’d suggest you give it a shot anyways.

Real life has pain and suffering. Real life has struggles. Tragedy is out there. I just hope that someone reads this book that has a closed heart or stubborn in their ways and sees how tragic their actions can be. I hope that somehow this book helps to wake up and warm some cold hearts.

It’s a very beautiful yet tragic story. I gasped! I cried! I even shouted out loud a few times. My husband finally said, please stop that you’re scaring me! Just when I thought I had it figured out and I’d be all teared up and turning blue from holding my breath, another twist.

I highly recommend this to anyone that likes something a bit different. A story full of excitement and twists. A good faith-based story, coming out stories, hot gay teachers and lawyers and a sweet love story between adolescents discovering their sexuality .

Don’t forget your Kleenex box.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

The Shattered Door by Brandon Witt

Title:  The Shattered Door

Series:  N/A 

Author:  Brandon Witt

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novel

Publisher:  Itinires Press ~ A division of Dreamspinner Press (August 13th, 2012)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: After a tortured childhood and years of soul-searching, Brooke Morrison has finally settled into a comfortable life. While his sexuality prohibits him from practicing his degree in youth ministry in a church setting, he’s found a fulfilling job as youth counselor at a residential treatment facility in Colorado. He falls in love, marries the man of his dreams and makes peace with God. He’s happy.

Then his buried past drags him back to the Ozarks.

The life Brooke has worked so hard to build is crumbling in his hands in the face of painful memories and past abuse and his confidence is withering. In El Dorado Springs, where his nightmares come to life.  Brooke desperately seeks closure life doesn’t offer. Brooke must find value in himself, in his marriage, and the world around him. – And create the hope and perseverance to keep his past from swallowing him whole.

Product Link:  EBook http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3144&cPath=56_665

Paperback http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3145&cPath=56_665

Reviewer:  Cat

Review The Shattered Door is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It begins with an event then goes back seven years and you wonder what had happened to cause him such emotional angst almost to the end. Then when you think it’s over, the plot twist. It leaves you on the edge of your seat, laughing and crying. Written in first person, I felt like I was Brooke. I could feel his angst and pain. The romance between him and Jed was sweet and charming.

Brooke moved to Denver after college to get away from home and put his past behind him. He gets a job at a boy’s center as councilor and makes great changes there. He has a nice apartment and meets the man of his dreams. Then tragedy strikes and he has to go home and face his past.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a book that is not a run of the mill Cinderella story type romance. If you like angst, friends to lovers, raccoons, story’s set in the mid –south and no sex but still a hot romance, you will LOVE this book.