"reclaiming lily" by patti lacy

Andrew & Gloria Powell adopted their daughter Joy from China. Several years later, Joy is an out of control teenager, and Gloria doesn't know how to handle her. When Kai, Joy's biological sister, appears with information about a hereditary, life-threatening illness, Gloria struggles to welcome Kai into their lives. But Kai may be the key to reconnecting Joy and her parents—and they may be the key to helping Kai connect with God.

My take: Reclaiming Lily is a fascinating book that takes the reader on unexpected twists and turns all while tugging at the heart. This story—of love, forgiveness, heartache, and redemption—is one I will not soon forget. Kai, a woman who would do anything for her sister, is such a strong character. She's someone I would like to know in real life, and I ended up incredibly invested in her story.

The one aspect of the book I didn't fully enjoy was Gloria's character. She really seemed ... unhinged (at times). Perhaps it's because I'm not a mother, but I just could not understand her. I did appreciate the growth she experienced throughout the story, but I think I would have understood her better had her background been explored, rather than hinted at.

It's hard to say much more without giving too much away—and this is a story you'll want to savor and experience for yourself! But I have to say that, as I read the final pages and learned how Kai's story wrapped up, I actually did a fist pump—I was that happy for her! (And then I looked around to make sure my roommate hadn't seen me. She hadn't.)

This is the second Patti Lacy book I've read (I reviewed the first here), and both books were slow in the beginning but quickly became completely captivating. This is a great book to read if you're not looking for a romance (and let's face it, sometimes we all need a break from the mushy stuff). I give it four out of five stars.

About the author: Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University with a BS in education and completed master's-level courses in English at Indiana State University. She taught at Heartland Community College until May 2006, when she resigned to pursue her passion of writing. The author of three previous novels, Patti is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in Normal, Illinois. For more about Patti and her other books, visit her website at www.pattilacy.com.

About the giveaway: Win a KindleTouch from Patti Lacy!
Patti Lacy is celebrating the release of her latest book, Reclaiming Lily,  with a KindleTouch Giveaway, blog tour and FB Book Chat Party!

Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!

Patti and her publisher, Bethany House, are giving away a Reclaiming Lily prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new just released KindleTouch with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift cetificate to Amazon.com

But, wait there’s more!


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/19! Patti will be announcing the winner of the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway at her Party on Facebook October 20th! She’ll be hosting a book club chat of Reclaiming Lily (it's okay if you haven't read it - you could win a copy!) and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Amazon.com, Starbucks, & iTunes!) Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on 10/20/11 at 5pm PST (6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)! RSVP today!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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."