Deborah Raney's Almost Forever = Riviting Reading

Whenever Deborah Raney has a new release it is an auto-buy for me. Early this morning I finished her latest book, Almost Forever, which is part of her new series called Hanover Falls.

Bryn Hennesey, a volunteer at a homeless shelter, watched the building burn to the ground and collapse, taking five firefighters' lives, one of whom was her husband. Like all the surviving spouses, she had to cope with the sudden loss of her spouse, and also a nagging, terrible, horrific secret.

Garrett Edmonds's wife, Molly, was one of the firefighters who died. As a grade school teacher he had his fifth grade students to fill his days, but the loss of his young wife was difficult to take.

Not only were the men staying in the shelter suddenly without a home, but a pair of dogs belonging to two of the men were suddenly homeless too. Bryn came to take in Sparky, a lab mix, while Garrett ended up with Boss, a bulldog mix. Through these dogs Bryn and Garrett find a commonality beyond sharing the experience of losing their spouses that soon deepens their friendship.

But questions remain as to what caused the fire, and someone knows the answer ....

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. In true Raney style, the reader is taken deep into the characters until you feel every tug of grief, every fear, every joy that surprises. In spite of a storyline that could take the reader into deep pits of dispair along with the characters, Raney manages to create a story laced with hope and assurance. Last night just as I was about to turn off the light, the tension amped up and there I sat reading until my eyelids refused to stay open. I finished the book over breakfast this morning. The story had a very satisfying ending with a strong spiritual arc in both the hero and heroine.

I highly recommend this book because Deb Raney continues to be an auto-buy for me. Hands down.

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Deborah Raney's 's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was awarded a Silver Angel from Excellence in Media and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Since then her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers' Choice Award; Raney was also a finalist for the Christy Award. She and her husband, artist Ken Raney, make
their home in their native Kansas.