Grace in Deep Waters (Grace #3): Australian contemporary Christian fiction

What a beautiful story of grace and forgiveness! This is book 3 in the Grace series and fans of this series will be familiar with William and Blanche, Esther's parents. Esther was the main character in the first book and one of 2 main characters in book 2. This book speaks to her parents' histories and why they are the way they are. While you could probably enjoy this story without the other 2 books, I would strongly recommend reading this series in order so that you have the depth that comes with recurring characters. This book begins with William's story and the pain he experienced growing up. While the author does not condone his behavior, she gives us an overall understanding for what shaped him into the man he has been in this series. He has cast aside all of his family members and cast the blame on them for it. As a person who has often struggled with pride, I recognized some of William's struggles as well. Blanche has moved out as she learns to lean more on Jesus and discovers her own faults that were caused by her past. She struggles with several things throughout the book, but she invites Jesus into her grieving process and learns much about living fully with Christ and the power of prayer. This book had such great spiritual depth, great conversion and teaching moments and solid relationships come through. I would highly recommend for fans of Christian fiction who enjoy books that draw you deeper in your walk with Christ. Of this series (and I've thoroughly enjoyed each one), I think this one has been my favorite! Special thanks to the author for an advanced e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to write a review and all thoughts contained herein are my own.

Disclaimer: this review is of the copy I proofread however I have subsequently bought my own copy and look forward to reading that when I have more time. I'm slowly changing my views on Christian Fiction, but am yet to pick any of it up outside of this series (and if I do, it will be because this series has made me realise that Christian fiction can be well-written, realistic, practical and have minimal romance). As with all the previous books it has been well written and also practical helping me think about the hard things of life. I loved getting to know some of the minor characters from the previous books more. And also loved reading about Lord Howe Island. It's a book about what to do in the hard times of life and dealing with grief. But manages to be way more engaging than I've made it sound. Definitely recommend reading this book (and the others). It's currently my highest rated book of 2019 and that's not an easy title to gain. (I've read 0ver 70 books this year.)

A wonderful story that delves into some of the issues surrounding relationships - good and bad. I also loved the depiction of someone turning from (spiritual) death to life - it was so realistically tumultuous! For the person who isn't a Christian, this book will give you a glimpse into their thoughts and belief. For the person who is already one - this book was so encouraging and provides yet another view into how God can change people's lives through the Bible and by his Spirit.