Ten years ago, Lexie Dodson fled her home in rural Ohio, leaving behind a heartbroken brother and abandoning a devastated fiancé. While chasing her desire of a fast paced life in the city, and the obscurity of urban life, she is shaken to her very core by an act of violence that leaves her betrayed, broken, and pregnant—and with nowhere to go but home.

Seeking refuge and facing gut wrenching decisions, she is confronted not only with the past she left behind, but also with a love that never died—a love waiting for something to stoke the flames.

Told from the perspective of four characters, Waiting on Hope will stay with you well after the last page has been turned.

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I really enjoyed this book.  I had a few trepidations going into it, as it’s about rape and I tend to shy away from novels of this topic, but I was very thankful to find that Souder’s chose to pick up the story after the fact, instead of forcing the reader to live through it in vivid prose.  Had Souders chose the latter, I really don’t think I could have read it as it’s just not something I handle very well.  Now, Souders does eventually have Lexie face what happened, as she should, but Souders is very tender in her telling of it, and it didn’t set me on edge as I had feared it would, which, in my opinion, means Souders really has a way with words and storytelling, and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

I love that this is a “healing” novel.  The characters truly are waiting on hope, and while the topic itself is dire, and Lexie, her family, friends, and former boyfriend are all going through a very difficult time, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  And no, it’s not one of the those cheesy “everything happens for a reason” type stories, but rather a substantial story about healing and coming to terms with our struggles.  I truly felt for all the characters, and while some made me extremely angry, I think this is a heartwarming novel that can touch many lives—and I think every young woman should read it.  Though intense at times, Souders does an amazing job portraying the characters, their struggles, and their ultimate redemption.

I love novels that present different points of view, and Souders did a phenomenal job piquing my interest and allowing me to see the many different perspectives throughout the novel.  This can be a very hard narrative technique to use, but Souders has mastered it and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.  Five stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.