Chasing Hope

Nancy
Stopper
Genre: 
Contemporary

Justin and Maddie Harper are married and trying for a second child. Their son is five, and Maddie has been simply crazed with taking her temperature, changing their diets and making their schedules line up when she thinks her body is fertile, but to this point, still no baby. All the stress month after month and no positive tests are taking a toll. It’s driving a wedge between Justin and Maddie, and finding common ground on the subject is getting harder and harder. Can Maddie get the help she needs and repair her marriage, or is it time to call it quits? Will Justin make every effort possible to rekindle what drew them together in the first place?

This truly is a story that will resonate with many readers. The torture of trying to make a family and not being successful can be devastating and is well portrayed in this book. The steps that Justin takes to salvage his relationship is a tough call but well played out and thoughtfully written. Although not an original subject, Ms. Stopper writes about it delicately. The rehashing of the trying to get pregnant is consistently overdone; readers don’t need to continually be reminded about it. The supportive friends and family add a tender element to the tale. This is part of a series but does stand on its own, and many readers will want to see what happens next in this small Pennsylvania town.

Viola Robins