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beckys_bookshelves's review against another edition
5.0
I am a big fan of author Tammy Gray’s book Love and a Little White Lie. I was eagerly anticipating her newest story, Love and the Silver Lining, and I was not disappointed by this wonderful new book!
Our story features Darcy who seems overwhelmed with her life after finding out she will not be able to teach English overseas the next year, she has lost her apartment, and is coping with her parents divorce. She is questioning her life and her faith in God. She tells Bryson, our hero, she is mad and wishes she had not tried so hard to do the right thing. She wished she had rebelled, like she thought he had. He asks, “Are you asking me if being a rebel worked in my favor, or are you mad you could not bribe God with your good behavior?”
Darcy begins to find purpose in rescuing dogs in Bryson’s friend Charlie’s backyard. Charlie has recently lost his wife, and can not take care of them or himself. The personalities of Charlie’s dogs tend to mirror the people around Darcy which I enjoyed. I am only a minor fan of dogs, and I really enjoyed all the dog training scenes. But, if you are a lover of dogs you will be in heaven.
I found myself drawn into Darcy’s world as her questions about her life and faith resonated with me. This story tells it like it is and has no pat answers which I appreciate. I found it a little more serious than Love and a Little White Lie, but it still had funny moments and celebrated humor. The romance between Darcy and Bryson was fun to observe, and I am now definitely on team Bryson. He is a great hero who will stay in my heart.
I enjoyed this story tremendously, and found myself pondering the themes and going back and rereading parts of the book after finishing it. Darcy and Bryson’s story is one that I truly delighted in, and this is one of my favorite reads of 2021
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
Our story features Darcy who seems overwhelmed with her life after finding out she will not be able to teach English overseas the next year, she has lost her apartment, and is coping with her parents divorce. She is questioning her life and her faith in God. She tells Bryson, our hero, she is mad and wishes she had not tried so hard to do the right thing. She wished she had rebelled, like she thought he had. He asks, “Are you asking me if being a rebel worked in my favor, or are you mad you could not bribe God with your good behavior?”
Darcy begins to find purpose in rescuing dogs in Bryson’s friend Charlie’s backyard. Charlie has recently lost his wife, and can not take care of them or himself. The personalities of Charlie’s dogs tend to mirror the people around Darcy which I enjoyed. I am only a minor fan of dogs, and I really enjoyed all the dog training scenes. But, if you are a lover of dogs you will be in heaven.
I found myself drawn into Darcy’s world as her questions about her life and faith resonated with me. This story tells it like it is and has no pat answers which I appreciate. I found it a little more serious than Love and a Little White Lie, but it still had funny moments and celebrated humor. The romance between Darcy and Bryson was fun to observe, and I am now definitely on team Bryson. He is a great hero who will stay in my heart.
I enjoyed this story tremendously, and found myself pondering the themes and going back and rereading parts of the book after finishing it. Darcy and Bryson’s story is one that I truly delighted in, and this is one of my favorite reads of 2021
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
thisreadergirl's review against another edition
5.0
Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L. Gray
"Sometimes the answer to prayer is NO. And like it or not, we have to accept the answer."
Why I started with this quote from the book is because it is true. We have to understand that sometimes what we ask for isn't good for us and what comes our way is much better.
Tammy's storytelling is brilliant and trust me on it as I am not a fan of love triangle but this made me want to wait to see what happens and also maybe rooting for some characters. She has written such amazing conversations between characters that you will enjoy every part of it.
Talking about characters, Darcy is a total mess and by the end of the book I loved how she has shown great development. Cam is sweet, nice guy who wears his heart on sleeves. Lastly coming to Bryson, mysterious or you can say reserved in nature and has something dark about him but what matters is how he nourishes himself, I loved how the author has done justice to each of them.
Sometimes we learn and accept things the hard way and it goes for every character in this story though it still doesn't ease the pain that comes with reading through the pages. It left me teary eyed by the end of the book. The end is something which makes me unsure of my feelings in a good way. You'll know when you read.
This book is about mending family relationships before it's too late, how to deal with anger, have faith in greater being, self discovery and about how we don't want to accept or see what is right in front of us. To top everything else there are dogs in the book and lot more to learn from how Darcy treats them.
I am definitely picking up more of Tammy Gray's work. Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for giving me a chance to read this.
"Sometimes the answer to prayer is NO. And like it or not, we have to accept the answer."
Why I started with this quote from the book is because it is true. We have to understand that sometimes what we ask for isn't good for us and what comes our way is much better.
Tammy's storytelling is brilliant and trust me on it as I am not a fan of love triangle but this made me want to wait to see what happens and also maybe rooting for some characters. She has written such amazing conversations between characters that you will enjoy every part of it.
Talking about characters, Darcy is a total mess and by the end of the book I loved how she has shown great development. Cam is sweet, nice guy who wears his heart on sleeves. Lastly coming to Bryson, mysterious or you can say reserved in nature and has something dark about him but what matters is how he nourishes himself, I loved how the author has done justice to each of them.
Sometimes we learn and accept things the hard way and it goes for every character in this story though it still doesn't ease the pain that comes with reading through the pages. It left me teary eyed by the end of the book. The end is something which makes me unsure of my feelings in a good way. You'll know when you read.
This book is about mending family relationships before it's too late, how to deal with anger, have faith in greater being, self discovery and about how we don't want to accept or see what is right in front of us. To top everything else there are dogs in the book and lot more to learn from how Darcy treats them.
I am definitely picking up more of Tammy Gray's work. Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for giving me a chance to read this.
cmareads's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy.
*This is book 2 in this series, and I highly recommend reading the first one before this one.
I am so glad we, as readers, got Darcy's story in this book. I think exploring her and Cam's relationship was so well done, and I know after reading book one last year, that I wanted a deeper glimpse into this relationship. This is a book about so much more than friendship, though. I loved Darcy's journey through anger and rebellion. I could relate to so many of her character traits. The pacing of the problem solving was realistic, and I appreciated watching the characters wade through the situations.
Also, there are so many lovable dogs in this book. It made me want to go out and adopt one, even though I have no more room for another dog. Louie, the Great Dane, was
*This is book 2 in this series, and I highly recommend reading the first one before this one.
I am so glad we, as readers, got Darcy's story in this book. I think exploring her and Cam's relationship was so well done, and I know after reading book one last year, that I wanted a deeper glimpse into this relationship. This is a book about so much more than friendship, though. I loved Darcy's journey through anger and rebellion. I could relate to so many of her character traits. The pacing of the problem solving was realistic, and I appreciated watching the characters wade through the situations.
Also, there are so many lovable dogs in this book. It made me want to go out and adopt one, even though I have no more room for another dog. Louie, the Great Dane, was
books_n_blossoms's review against another edition
5.0
Is it crazy to want to cry because a story is over? Oh my word, this story was so excellent! I literally just finished the last page wondering if I should get all of my thoughts and emotions out now or collect my thoughts. I'm just going for it.
I had an idea of what I thought Darcy's story might look like after getting to know her in book one. Boy was I wrong. I think even she didn't know who she was. This story was really about her getting to the core of who she was and the relationships that involved her. I appreciated how the author used the dogs Darcy ends up working with to give us insight into what she was going through.
I also had very strong feelings about Bryson from book one, and none of them were kind. Seriously, if you've read book one tell me I'm wrong. I will admit after reading book two in wondering if I should go back and read book one to see if I can find things I might have missed. Needless to say, I had strong feelings about Bryson at the end of this story as well.
There's so much to pack into this review. Darcy goes through a lot. A lot more than most in such a small period of time. It was incredible to watch her try to process everything and find her way in life. Cameron, her best friend, is there through the thick and thin.
Cameron is still figuring out life after the fallout from his relationship with January. He plays a big part in this entire story as well.
Of course, there's the man in all black, Bryson. This guy has walls in place no one should be able to get through. I just loved how the author drew back his layers through Darcy. Along with her, we get to know him better and deeper.
If you're looking for romance, this story will fill that desire utterly! There were so many moments where my heart was racing because the story was able to spark my romantic side. It also evoke emotions from me for the deep pain all 3 of the main characters were feeling! I was a total mush ball with my emotions all over the place, much like the characters in the story!
*I received this book for review. This is my personal opinion.
I had an idea of what I thought Darcy's story might look like after getting to know her in book one. Boy was I wrong. I think even she didn't know who she was. This story was really about her getting to the core of who she was and the relationships that involved her. I appreciated how the author used the dogs Darcy ends up working with to give us insight into what she was going through.
I also had very strong feelings about Bryson from book one, and none of them were kind. Seriously, if you've read book one tell me I'm wrong. I will admit after reading book two in wondering if I should go back and read book one to see if I can find things I might have missed. Needless to say, I had strong feelings about Bryson at the end of this story as well.
There's so much to pack into this review. Darcy goes through a lot. A lot more than most in such a small period of time. It was incredible to watch her try to process everything and find her way in life. Cameron, her best friend, is there through the thick and thin.
Cameron is still figuring out life after the fallout from his relationship with January. He plays a big part in this entire story as well.
Of course, there's the man in all black, Bryson. This guy has walls in place no one should be able to get through. I just loved how the author drew back his layers through Darcy. Along with her, we get to know him better and deeper.
If you're looking for romance, this story will fill that desire utterly! There were so many moments where my heart was racing because the story was able to spark my romantic side. It also evoke emotions from me for the deep pain all 3 of the main characters were feeling! I was a total mush ball with my emotions all over the place, much like the characters in the story!
*I received this book for review. This is my personal opinion.
oceanagottareademall's review against another edition
5.0
I love her storytelling!!! Darcy was a wonderful main character to follow and the way she dealt with her life being flipped upside down was so relatable and real. I’m grateful to read about Christian adults having difficult and mature conversations, and also having weaknesses and insecurities.
This is an excellent sequel and I highly recommend!
This is an excellent sequel and I highly recommend!
mgraham93's review against another edition
5.0
Love and the Silver Lining is book two in the State of Grace series and continues the story of longtime friends Darcy, Bryson, and Cameron. I was hooked from the very beginning. Grays characters are down to earth with real life problems and situations. Each charters deals with struggles throughout the book and comes out stronger in the end. There is so much raw emotion in this book. I laughed, cried, and felt like I was right there with the characters through each struggle. I found my self rooting for Bryson. The Christian aspects of the book were amazing, showing that God is working even when we can’t see it. The dogs were so fun. The Great Dane was my favorite. I enjoyed this book so much and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a romance with down to earth charters who are definitely not perfect.
shhanson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
always_reading_a_novel's review against another edition
4.0
After reading and loving many of Tammy L. Gray’s books, I was excited to receive an e-ARC of her latest book!
Some things I enjoyed:
-Real, raw characters. Tammy excels at showing the emotions the characters are going through and letting the reader experience them too.
-Beautifully done depiction of an adult dealing with the recent divorce of her parents. I don’t usually see that focused on, but it was done really well here!
-The dog training. It was fascinating to see the different ways Darcy worked with the various dogs!
-Bryson. I didn’t care for Bryson very much in the first book (and I don’t know that you are meant to), but his character development was so well done! I loved him in this book and wanted to give him a hug because of all he had experienced.
Some things I didn’t care for as much:
-The love triangle. I just wanted Darcy to open her eyes and realize what was going on, haha!
-Darcy’s friendship with Cameron. The last part of the book was really good because Darcy finally started realizing things and actually vocalizing them. But I felt frustrated with her several times over her choices regarding Cameron.
Despite the things I didn’t care for as much, I’m glad I read this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what Tammy L. Gray writes next! She is excellent at writing characters and character arcs and I really appreciated that in this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Some things I enjoyed:
-Real, raw characters. Tammy excels at showing the emotions the characters are going through and letting the reader experience them too.
-Beautifully done depiction of an adult dealing with the recent divorce of her parents. I don’t usually see that focused on, but it was done really well here!
-The dog training. It was fascinating to see the different ways Darcy worked with the various dogs!
-Bryson. I didn’t care for Bryson very much in the first book (and I don’t know that you are meant to), but his character development was so well done! I loved him in this book and wanted to give him a hug because of all he had experienced.
Some things I didn’t care for as much:
-The love triangle. I just wanted Darcy to open her eyes and realize what was going on, haha!
-Darcy’s friendship with Cameron. The last part of the book was really good because Darcy finally started realizing things and actually vocalizing them. But I felt frustrated with her several times over her choices regarding Cameron.
Despite the things I didn’t care for as much, I’m glad I read this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what Tammy L. Gray writes next! She is excellent at writing characters and character arcs and I really appreciated that in this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
mjsh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"I mean, what is the point of working and straining to hear God's will when in the end I'm just as lost as if I'd never tried in the first place? Wouldn't it be easier if I just didn't care at all?"
Oh, Darcy. What a heart-breaking and soul-wrenching journey she takes after everything turns upside down and sideways in her controlled, neatly packaged world. Her naive, steady, optimistic, good girl self goes through blinding disappointments, crushing life circumstances, life-altering challenges, and an undeniable call to leave the past behind. This book, more so than any other of the author's I've read, has captured me wholly and completely with the raw intense emotions. Throbbing grief is balanced by unshakable friendship, sense of purpose is restored by training rescue dogs, and God's molding and shaping through difficulties is so evident. Though the book plays out through only Darcy's first person viewpoint, we get to know Bryson pretty well and he is the epitome of a reborn man. His sensitive, sweet, tender, compassionate nature that no one else knows allows him to fit into Darcy's 'new' world and his sacrificial love is incredible to behold. Charlie and Zoe are excellent secondary characters who add depth to Darcy and Bryson's world and I'm secretly hoping that there will be a book about Zoe.
It's another winner for Tammy L Gray. You don't want to miss this contemporary romance filled with characters who will feel like your best friends that exquisitely paints a journey of hope, grace, and forgiveness that will feel like your own.
I received a copy of the book from Bethany House and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.
Oh, Darcy. What a heart-breaking and soul-wrenching journey she takes after everything turns upside down and sideways in her controlled, neatly packaged world. Her naive, steady, optimistic, good girl self goes through blinding disappointments, crushing life circumstances, life-altering challenges, and an undeniable call to leave the past behind. This book, more so than any other of the author's I've read, has captured me wholly and completely with the raw intense emotions. Throbbing grief is balanced by unshakable friendship, sense of purpose is restored by training rescue dogs, and God's molding and shaping through difficulties is so evident. Though the book plays out through only Darcy's first person viewpoint, we get to know Bryson pretty well and he is the epitome of a reborn man. His sensitive, sweet, tender, compassionate nature that no one else knows allows him to fit into Darcy's 'new' world and his sacrificial love is incredible to behold. Charlie and Zoe are excellent secondary characters who add depth to Darcy and Bryson's world and I'm secretly hoping that there will be a book about Zoe.
It's another winner for Tammy L Gray. You don't want to miss this contemporary romance filled with characters who will feel like your best friends that exquisitely paints a journey of hope, grace, and forgiveness that will feel like your own.
I received a copy of the book from Bethany House and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.
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