Accepting God's Will: The Celebrate Lit Blog Tour and Giveaway of Grasping Hope

April 09, 2020

About the Book

Book: Grasping Hope
Author: Heather Greer
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Release Date: March 2019

When dreams turn into nightmares what’s left to hold onto?

Katie McGowan knows her fears are irrational. They’re also beyond her control. Her mind says her fiancé is faithful, but the betrayal of her past love ignites a fear stronger than her trust. Attempts to overcome it are unsuccessful. Nothing banishes her panic attacks for good. Dreading Austin’s response if he finds out about her struggle to trust, Katie hides the truth nearly destroying their relationship.

It takes a lesson in hope to start healing. Katie is released from the nightmares holding her captive to enjoy the blessings God has given. But when tragedies change her life forever, Katie’s understanding of hope is challenged. Unresolved anger and disappointment leave Katie doubting the sincerity of her beliefs. Desperate to prove her faith and minimize her failure as a believer, Katie buries her feelings beneath all the right words. Katie must learn where true hope is found or risk losing her faith under the weight of the things she has lost.

Click here to get your copy!

Book Review

Our past can be powerful. Opening up her story, Greer proves this through Katie. Katie is constantly haunted by memories, and she can’t seem to shake her ghosts. As someone who deals with anxiety, too, I could understand Katie’s pain as she dealt with panic attacks and her inability to fully trust and commit.

The story moves quickly, though, and soon focuses on Katie’s present-and the tragedies that occur there. I couldn’t help but sympathize with Katie and hurt with her as her life just seemed to continue to go downward in a spiral. I felt bad for her and just wanted to crawl through the pages and give her a big hug and tell her everything would be alright.

I never read the first book in the series, although now that I read the second one, I kind of want to. Grasping Hope, though, could stand alone on its own. Greer was able to recap pretty much everything that happened in the first book through dreams Katie had and conversations between characters, which I appreciated. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by a ton of information, nor did I feel lost in the book.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book! It was interesting, sad, and hopeful and a good reminder that God is in control, everything happens for a reason, and that God will always be with you.

I had received a copy of this book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.

About the Author

Heather Greer is a pastor’s kid and pastor’s wife from southern Illinois. Though her nest is quickly approaching the empty stage, with three of her four children out on their own, she enjoys the times she gets to spend with all her children, husband, and grandson. Equal mix geek and romantic, you could as easily find Heather watching an episode of Doctor Who as the latest Hallmark movie. Of course, you may find her baking, reading, or crafting too!

Heather’s writing and teaching ministries revolve around a passion to see believers grow in their faith. Though God has used her most often with teens and adults, she has worked in ministries reaching all age groups through the years. It is Heather’s prayer for God to use what she writes in her books and on her blog to challenge and encourage readers in their faith walks.

More from Heather

Often, we throw around the word hope as if it’s a fancy replacement for a wish. Nothing could be further from the truth. Godly hope is more than wishing our circumstances were different without any indication that our desire could become reality. When our hope is based on who God is and what He has promised in His word, it becomes something to anchor us in the troubling times we go through. It is what allows us to give the circumstances that weigh us down to God and go on living life even though physically there may be no changes in what’s happening.

Hope isn’t pretending the bad stuff isn’t there. And it isn’t acting as if the hard things don’t hurt. Hope doesn’t erase the hurt or ignore the problems, but it does free us from allowing our emotions and circumstances to control us. Hope lets us have peace that makes no sense to the rest of the world. Hope allows us to rest in the middle of the trial. Hope based on scriptural truths allows us to live with joy even when things aren’t going our way.

As I wrote Grasping Hope, God took me to places that challenged and grew my own understanding of what it means to have hope as an anchor to our souls (Hebrews 6:19). When I started writing, I had no idea the path God would take me down to show me just how little I understood about hope. It’s something I never want to repeat and wouldn’t wish on anyone. But the lessons I learned grew me as a believer, and it is my prayer that what I learned through this difficult time in my life comes through clearly for everyone who reads Grasping Hope.